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bookdragonofsomekind · 2 months

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*****Manga Monday 03*****

Tokyo Ghoul Volume 3

Summary:

Meet Kaneki who has discovered a new evil in his world. The doves are ambitious, clever and completely ruthless when it comes to their duties. It gets harder and harder for Kaneki to draw the line between good and evil. The doves are protecting human society but they also killed the innocent Ryouko in front of her daughter. What’s right and wrong? Is it wrong for Touka to protect Hinami?

Questions that Kaneki doesn’t know the answer to…

Poor Kaneki

New characters you will meet in this volume:

Ruisawa

Ippei Kusaba

Nakajima

Ayato

Kie Muramatsu

Quotes I particularly liked:

"I’ll change that. This world is wrong" - Amon

"Feeding time" - Kaneki

"Don’t make me a murderer" - Kaneki

"Is it okay for me to live…?" - Hinami

My thoughts:

Kaneki is different than the other ghouls around him. And slowly but surely it shows. Not only in his confusion and acceptance of himself as ghoul but also in a scientific way. Only one eye transforms, he regenerates not as fast as other ghouls and now we also learned that he does not have the same high RC- Factors than the others. He therefore is invisible for the human technology so far. He literally has a green card for both sides (even if he smells like a woman in one of those worlds). But, and that is the important part, Kaneki chooses not to stay invisible. We see him crossing his own morals for the first time and actively hurting people to rescue the ones close to his heart. And he does it in his ghoul form while still being human. Being himself. Even though he has some minor problems with the aftermath of his actions. If you haven’t guessed it… im talking about the fight of Kaneki vs. Amon. That’s what this volume is all about. Showing us the reality of what happens when ghouls and doves join a meeting together. The extremes both will go to! But I also have to say that we see two types of fights going on in front of us. And I find it to be an interesting parallel. On the one side you have Kaneki and Amon doing their worst. Physically and verbally. They’re both talking and trying to convince the other one of their perspectives. Kaneki now standing on the ghoul side. A shocker for himself. The fascinating thing is that they are actually listening to each other. Having even some understanding for each other (not much but some).

On the other hand you have the fight between Touka, Hinami and Mado. They are also fighting. And yes also physically and verbally. And yes they are also listening to each other. But understanding is a thing that does not happen. Take Touka who is so so hurt of everything what humans,or should I better say the doves, have done to her (and her family?) that she can’t think straight when a dove hurts one of her own. She only sees one possible way to deal with this situation and protect the ones who are still there. Revenge. And she would risk everything for it. Even herself. And she can’t let loose. The others pain is her pain. And by her way of protecting she accidentally endangers others. Take Kaneki who had more than luck not to be discovered by the technology of the doves or Hinami who because of the attack prior to the doves from Touka is now being hunted. She means good but does harm. She can’t control herself. She is a loose cannon. And therefore reminds me of Mado. I could imagine that Mado once was like Touka and that Touka has the potential to become just like Mado.

Mado is absolutely brilliant, mad and dangerous. And long long gone. He also gives himself to his cause. He is a hunter and collector of rare trophies. He is beyond revenge. He is unreachable. With no clear thought or basic reasoning. He himself is not only collecting the most deadly weapons but he has become the deadliest. And tragically he is not able to wield it anymore. Touka and Mado are screaming, yelling and riling themselves up to see each other loose control.

And poor Hinami is in the middle of all of it. The one everyone (on the ghoul side) wants to protect but simply can’t be, because Hinami sees herself as guilty. Should she be alive? Does she deserve to live? Can she even survive in this harsh reality? When she sees Mado she does not seek out revenge. She realises that that won’t bring her parents back or take her pain away. It only hurts. Hurts so much. And when she sees how cruel and vile Mado is, by recognising Mado's weapon as her mothers and fathers kagune even then she doesn’t go further then protecting Touka from his attacks. She would have let Mado kill her. And she would also be dead if it wasn’t for Touka finally reaching for "her" revenge.

One detail that I found pretty interesting was the marriage band of Mado on his attached hand. I don’t believe that he is still married. The guy is way beyond saving (mentally). But what I could imagine is that he was married and lost his partner to a ghoul accident and that’s also why he went mental. Maybe for him revenge turned into obsession. I mean the guy would have done anything to get his hand(s) on Hinami as a future weapon. Speaking of being head over heels.

Going back to Amon whom I mentioned earlier. I believe him to be a very tragic character. Right from the start we did not see him happy once. All he seems to send into the universe is misery. He definitely has some burden to carry. Personally we still don’t know what exactly happened in his past. Sure he lost some people in his life but I don’t think they were that close to him. But Amon seems to have a gift. Empathy. He is full with it. We see it at the memorial. How he treats the stranger who has just lost his colleague. And of course when Mado dies and Amon finds him (I pretty much doubt that Mado would have showed the same empathy if the roles would have been reversed). That’s also why I believe that he was able to listen and understand Kaneki. Sure he also was confused. Kaneki is not you’re average ghoul. First holding back, not even using his kagune. Amon did not even believe that he was an actual ghoul. Then of course Kaneki had to fight for real but he did something that I think no ghoul has ever done to Amon. He showed mercy. And that exactly planted something in Amon. And I don’t think that Amon likes that. It’s nice to see the world in black and white. It’s easy to find his way around and to draw lines without crossing them… even easier. But now he has a problem. A problem he is not alone with. But I doubt that Kaneki will help in the near future (but I hope so). I could imagine that Amon and Kaneki could one day fight for the same cause or at least at each others sides.

This volume we have been blessed again with the presence of Yomo. Yomo being the lifebelt for Kaneki after he looses control of his ghouls side. Attacking Yomo as a consequence. But Yomo apparently doesn’t mind. In general… Yomo gives me good uncle vibes. He is the one you call when you need a ride home from a party because you couldn’t hold your liquor. A place to feel safe without much judging.

I’m glad that Mado is gone. Don’t get me wrong he was an interesting first villain but I didn’t see a chance for him to survive if Hinami was suppose to live. Mado is a bloodhound that doesn’t let loose. And maybe it gives Touka some kind of closure. But I don’t think so. But what I do hope is that Hinami actually got through to Touka. Maybe seeing how Hinami hurt differently than Touka, it could give Touka a wake up call. But than again… we still don’t know exactly what happened to her but we get to know someone from her past. Ayato. Who he is I don’t know. But he left Touka. Of his own free will. That must have hurt differently. Kaneki has also done some work on himself. He now seeks to find his place in the world. He recognised his power or rather said his influence on Amon and that got him thinking… maybe he is really part of both worlds. We shall see. But still for that to happen he needs to get control of the ghoul inside him. And a nutrition plan.

The last chapter was a nice edition and showed the loss for Amon that Mado is. Amon was his student. He learned so much from him. I think they were partners for four years and this time Amon learned a lot from him. I have to say that Mado was crazy yes. But he was a great mentor. One of the best. That’s why Amon now is one of the best as well… so Mado's legacy lives on.

Little by little we get more and more details about how the doves work and function. It seems to be a huge network that includes the humans as "spies". They have really good technology to identify ghouls and their weapons are recycled and deadly.

I think prior to this post I said that Uta and Yomo were my faves so far. Please put Amon on this list aswell. I like him pretty much (not only because of his sportsplan) but for the potential future I mentioned earlier. I can see "good" things coming our way (maybe not for him… or anyone). But I think that’s it for this volume! I will see y’all next Monday! Bye bye

Please leave your thoughts and be kind and don’t spoiler anything!

Thank you for taking your time!

Please feel free to discuss your thoughts, I would like to hear them!

I will see you in a week with a new volume!

#book review #manga #reading #sui ishida #tokyo ghoul #book #ken kaneki

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eltheabberation · 1 day

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17 31 & 37 :)

17. Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

Start to finish! Sometimes the story evolves as I’m writing it, so I like to write it in chronological order so I can see what works best (also I’m not good at planning ahead ;-;)

31. Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

Unless it’s an au, I tend to try and make my fics as close to canon as I can, but I do incorporate my own headcanons from time to time :>

37. Talk about your current wips.

ok uh in order from the one I’m most actively working on to least

Seiaki au fic based on a really shitty I read once. I’m still trying to work out a lot of plot stuff, and the scenes feel a bit clunky so far, but I feel like I’m making good progress and I just need to revise everything a bit more ;w; I’d summarize this fic as “Akira takes advantage of the actual plot-relevant stuff happening to break her boyfriend out of jail.” I’m still figuring stuff out, but I’m actually pretty confident in this fic :D

Takizawa family reunion fic!! I’m a tiny bit insecure about this one cause since we know so little about most of them beyond Seidou, there’s a lot of headcanons and stuff ;w; But that also means I can have fun with out so yay :D And now I can subject EVERY member of the Takizawa family to angst so Seidou doesn’t feel so alone :D I’m planning on writing 4 chapters (one from each person’s perspective) so let’s see how this goes :>

Shikorae and takizawa oneshot (oh boy can you notice a pattern here) based on one of Shikorae’s lines when he first meets Saiko. Idk I just wanted to see more fics of them being friends so I went “fine I’ll do it myself”

Yanhouji oneshot (finally one NON-SEIDOU fic) where I subject Houji to extreme amounts of angst while he tries to cope with the fact that he murdered one of the only people he cared about and who cared about him in return :> Ngl this is the one I’m most scared to post because there are like 2 other people in this fandom who ship this and usually not as their main houji ship and I feel like my interpretation of this ship is pretty different so ;-;;;

Uh ok remember when I said the last one was the one I was most insecure about? I lied it’s this one. So uh pre-canon au fic where Ryouko and Kureo meet back in the past when they were way younger. This is purely self-indulgent I just wanted to explore what I thought their personalities would be like when they were younger and also wanted to see them be friends. Not sure whether this would end up being a oneshot or a multi-chapter, also not sure if I’ll ever actually post it but just putting that out there

Non-tg one and also one I’ve already posted a chapter of, uh Fullmetal Alchemist future au where Selim and Elicia have to solve a mystery together while dealing with their respective issues. I am planning on continuing this eventually I just need to get back in the fma mood ;-;

Those are all my WIPs I’m planning to post or continue, I’ve also got another Seidou one but that’s more of a pure self-indulgent whump fic so idk if I’d ever post it unless you guys wanted to see me subject this poor bastard to various forms of torture and medical horror but idk

Tysm for the ask!! It was really fun answering everything :D

#ask

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ipsen · 6 months

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Blank Canvas 16

Read on AO3. Words: 6645 Summary: The dinner party is held. Chapter 15 Chapter 17 Master Post

“This is a surprise, Kaiko. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Priest, my old friend. How’s the cage treating you?”

“There seems to be a shortage of books of late, but I can’t complain otherwise.”

“I’ll see what I can do, then… Either way, I’m here because of Kuzen’s kid. She’s been visiting you again, yeah?”

“Assuming she was, how would she get in? This is a Cochlea cell, not a hotel bedroom.”

“There are always cracks that a worm can struggle through. What does she want?”

“There’s really nothing to say. I’ve had no visitors of late besides my thoughts, my dreams, and my everlasting hatred for our mutual colleague.”

“Dreams, huh? Like seeing your son, maybe?”

“…”

“C’mon, Donato, we’re pals. Old pals, too.”

“… Hm hm hm, so we are. While I have you here— I’ve been quite curious— how has my replacement been? Is Saeki everything to your liking?”

“Torso’s been fine. Bit of an ungrateful bastard, though; been asking for more targets. And when he flounders, he’s way sloppier than you were. But we make do.”

“That’s no surprise; Kuzen’s eye for skill has always been… skewed.”

“Yeah, yeah. Look, I’ve got places to be, so can you answer my question about his kid so I can go?”

“I didn’t realize your time meant so much to me, Kaiko. Why are you pursuing her now? I wasn’t under the impression she was a threat to our— mostly your— bosses’ little schemes.”

“Listen here, you— Fine. Fine. She’s got connections to the Scarecrow. Kijima’s crew sniffed it out. Not much, but it’s dangerous.”

“My, my, the elusive information smuggler… And that’s a problem?”

“A big one. If a controversial figure like her releases even more controversial information, it could be catastrophic! Donato, the whole thing could explode in our faces!”

“Mm, yes, that sounds terrible… But why not stop the flow at its source? The Scarecrow, as I understand it, has been a thorn in your side for the past three or so years… Kill the white rabbit, and Alice becomes lost, no?”

“Donato, the Scarecrow doesn’t have any influence himself. His true identity, whatever it is, is a nobody. So to achieve his mystery goal, he needs to ride the coattails of bigger names.”

“Ah… You’re shrinking the cage until he has nowhere left to run. Amusing.”

“Sure. ‘Course, the bosses aren’t the brightest bulbs in the room, so it’s up to my branch to figure things out and settle this quietly. After Nimura’s colossal blunder with Tsuneyoshi and Yoshitoki— perfect waste of a good mind, too— we gotta get back into their good graces.”

“Yes, Souta is sorely missed, as Roma never tires of telling me.”

“So… you’ll help me?”

“You believe I hold the information you want?”

“For the love of— Look, Priest, do you wanna see your son or not? I’d rather not resort to usin’… heavier means on Kuzen’s little girl, but I will if it means keepin’ my fuckin’ job.”

“… Very well. She was with someone last time.”

“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere! Who was it? What’d they look like? Why was—”

“Patience, Kaiko. His name was—”

———

“Haise,” Sen got his attention, “You alright?”

“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m okay.” Haise scratched his cheek. “Just a little nervous, is all.”

“You’re nervous? I’m the one meeting a shitton of new people!” She laughed, leaning against their linked arms. “And under the shadow of death, of all things!”

“P-Please don’t say that when we get there…”

It was another weekend night, and the two of them had met at a station in the 10th ward. The get-together for Kurona was to be held at Kimi and Nishiki’s place. It was to mainly be a distraction above all else.

Haise was, for all intents and purposes, fine, but the revelations from Cochlea still weighed heavy on his mind. Nashiro, Ryouko, and countless others, all killed needlessly by what Shachi called V.

Like the Roman numeral for five. The fifth major arcana— the Hierophant.

It almost sounded fake. Like maybe the plot point of a B-movie. Something that Hide would have enjoyed back in college— the kind that dealt with shadowy puppet organizations and the ‘real enemy’. It was borderline childish to think that all of the world’s problems— or at least, all of Japan’s problems— really stemmed from a single source.

But Haise couldn’t ignore Shachi’s stories, corroborated by public lobbying records. Donations made to certain political parties. Convenient bills that became law, and record profits from said laws. It lined up too well to be a coincidence. People in positions of power were starved with greed, and they were sating it by gorging themselves on the remains of innocent lives.

And Sen, with their story, wanted to destroy them.

“I’ve been collecting interviews these past few years,” she had told him. “They’ll be released along with the book.”

The Hanged Man’s MacGuffin had only been the beginning. Certainly, Sen’s reputation had tanked with older and more traditional audiences, but her clearer stance, compared to her other works, had highlighted who she should be targeting. That was why she was willing to create a graphic novel; to literally illustrate her point better.

“I’m glad, you know,” she said, leaning affectionately against Haise’s arm. Nishiki and Kimi’s place wasn’t far away now.

“How so?” he asked.

“You’ve been a most willing participant in my little scheme.”

“‘Little’?” he repeated, baffled. “I looked up each of the families involved, and they’re… they’re everywhere.”

Hospitals, airways, food production, entertainment, law enforcement, law— V had its claws sunk into nearly every aspect of everyday life. To attack even one of them and succeed seemed impossible.

“But we’re not targeting everywhere; just the Washuu.” She shrugged. “Attacking their chokehold on law enforcement’s a good first step. It won’t solve everything, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“I… see.” At least, he thought he did. Casting a wide net did risk being spread too thin. “But won’t releasing the information destroy your reputation?”

“I never cared much for that.” She played with the sleeve of his jacket. “But if you must know, I have accomplices that’ll release the information in my stead, all anonymous.”

He hummed in understanding.

“Besides—” she stopped and turned him by the shoulders— “there’s someone else I need to look out for.”

Haise’s first instinct was to ask who, but when Sen fixed his jacket and brushed off some lint, he flushed. “A-Ah…”

“It wouldn’t do if you couldn’t capitalize off your big break.” She smiled.

“But… But you’ve been working on this for a while, haven’t you?” He reached out to brush some of her hair out of the way. “I-I don’t want to get in the way if it means—”

She stopped him with her palm. “Oh no, you don’t.” She laced their fingers together, lowering them. “You won’t be attached to me forever, you know.”

He blinked, recalling what he’d said to her a few months back. Working alone, building his own reputation and following, setting down a path separate from her… That was, in some part, what he had envisioned for himself. The ability to be a solo act, free from the shadow of Sen Takatsuki, so that they could stand together as equals, under the sun, when he returned. So that she could respect him as much as he respected her.

“Sen…” Haise put his other hand over hers, smiling slightly. “I won’t leave you.”

Now he knew he didn’t have to; he didn’t need to be anything besides himself. Sen already respected him. Him, Haise Sasaki, the artist. Her artist.

She looked up at him now, blinking. “Oh, uh…” In the face of vulnerability, she had a habit of stumbling on her words. “I, um… I’d like that.”

When he kissed her head in approval, she shrunk into herself, a dark shade of red coloring her cheeks. She practically dragged him the rest of the way to their destination, too shy to show her face.

Kimi and Nishiki’s place wasn’t large, but it was a house, which was impressive in and of itself. A simple two-floor house, with beige walls and a dark square roof, as well as a simple paved yard leading up to the front door. A placard reading “Nishino” was on the gate, denoting who owned it.

Haise sent a text to Nishiki to say that they’d arrived, but when the door opened, it wasn’t his former coworker.

“Hey, Sauce!!” Hide said, jogging over to open the gate. The nickname was sort of growing on Haise, much as he didn’t want to admit.

“Hide!” He waved back, then stepped aside to make room for Sen. “I, uh… I brought her!”

Strangely enough, Hide’s grin dimmed, which only happened when he was cautious of someone. Haise thought to ask if he was okay— had they been stalked?— but the moment passed as quickly as it appeared. “Cool! So you’re Takatsuki?”

Sen stuck out her hand. “Sen’s just fine. It’s good to finally meet you in person, Hide.”

It happened again, but this time with Sen. Haise had spent enough time with her to know when she was wary of someone. But this was Hide, his best friend in the whole world; why was she like that now?

“Likewise,” Hide said, clasping her hand and giving a firm shake. “Been looking forward to this for a while.”

However, before Haise could ask either of them if they were okay, an interruption with glasses and a wool sweater appeared in the front door.

“Oi, Hide!” Nishiki called. “The fuck you doin’ out there? Bring ‘em in!”

“N-Nishiki!!” Haise shelved his thoughts at the sight of his old coworker. “Hey!”

He took the opportunity to take Sen by the hand and take her to the door, making her giggle in surprise. He also shot Hide, following behind, a quizzical glance, but Hide just gave an indifferent shrug. Haise made a note to confront him about it later.

Sen put on her usual smile. “Hi!”

Nishiki waved back. “Yo! You’re the elusive girlfriend, eh? Name’s Nishiki— pleasure. Used to man the counters with your little boytoy there.”

“Nishiki!” Haise hissed.

But Sen just laughed. “Customer service, huh? Sounds like hell.”

“Worse, actually.” He shrugged, but clapped a hand on Haise’s shoulder. “But this stupid idiot sometimes made it fun.”

“Y-You’re just being nice…” Haise scratched his cheek.

“And you’re just bein’ humble.” Nishiki stepped aside. “Get inside; it’s fuckin’ cold.”

Haise glanced at the shoes at the entrance. This was a surprisingly loaded gathering, and he swallowed. It was one thing for him to attend this sort of thing, and another to have to proactively introduce his girlfriend to everyone.

He felt Sen squeeze his hand. When he looked at her, her mouth was a thin line. Knowing he wasn’t alone, he squeezed back, trying to give her a reassuring smile. It was anything but, but she chuckled anyway.

They took it slow, getting her introduced to everyone in bits and quickly slipping away with irrelevant subjects. There was Kimi, Juuzou, Takizawa, Yoriko, and then Amon. Haise tensed up when introducing Sen to him, as he remembered Amon being friends with someone named ‘Mado’, but it didn’t come up.

As for Kurona, she seemed to be doing well; the gathering, plus the novelty of Sen’s appearance, was a good distraction from everything. People were clearly steering away from gloomier subjects, at least for tonight.

“It’s almost infuriating how good she has it,” Sen mumbled at one point.

Haise blinked. “How so?”

They had claimed their own little space in the kitchen, far enough away to have a hushed and private conversation.

“Friends willing to help her, a place like this to crash at— a support system,” she elaborated. “Infuriating.”

Juuzou was showing off a small party trick by balancing a shot glass on his nose. He took a second one, flicked it into the air, and then caught it perfectly in the first. Cheers and applause went around the room, and Kurona whistled.

“What about Big Bin and the others?” Haise asked. “Aren’t they—”

“I wasn’t talking about them.” She sighed. “I meant… before them. Before Shiono.”

The 8th ward. “O-Oh…” Haise twiddled his thumbs. “He told me you were at an orphanage.”

She nodded. “Not the greatest place to be. Big surprise, I know. No one really got along with anyone, and even when you did, well…” She brushed off the memories like dust. “Either way, the only person that could understand me was me; everyone else was a terrible liar.”

It struck a chord within Haise as Takizawa tried— then failed— to replicate the same trick. He apologized profusely to a laughing Kimi as he swept up the glass, much to the amusement of the others.

“Sometimes I wish I’d gone to school. Maybe I would’ve found someone there.”

Haise shook his head. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Oh?” She tossed a curious glance his way.

“Well… In grade school, after my mother died, a lot of the teachers were extremely accommodating toward me… It was almost smothering— and fake.” He scratched his cheek. “And all of the kids, except maybe Hide, started hating me too— because they’d get in trouble for bullying me. It only got better once everyone stopped caring.”

Amon was on the floor as well, searching for any stray glass shards Takizawa might have missed. He mumbled something about an ‘Akira’ and how grateful he was for her lack of presence. Takizawa seemed to agree.

“We’ve all got our own share of problems, then, hm?” Sen nudged Haise. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

“It’s not all bad,” he replied. “I mean, even if it was bad at the time, it was still important.”

“Hmph. You’re too kind for your own good.” Her soft expression betrayed the words. “But sometimes, bad things aren’t important at all, yet they still change you, and for the worse.”

He wanted to ask her what she meant, but just then, new visitors arrived: Kaya, Ayato, Touka, and—

“Hina!” Haise said.

Hina beamed. “Haise!” she said, and hugged him.

She’d taken to his new name incredibly quickly; she also appreciated the construction far more than Hide or Touka did. She even caught the characters for ‘false’ and ‘king’ that made up the first half, which Haise hadn’t had happen yet. Truly one of a kind.

“Good to see you.” He grinned at her. “I’ve brought someone for you to meet.”

Sen smiled and waved. “Hello!”

Hina’s jaw dropped. “Y-Y-You’re… You’re Sen Takatsuki!”

Sen’s smile, once a mere performance, widened with real amusement. “That I am. And you are?”

The poor girl, usually brimming with quiet confidence, now looked ready to either melt from how she was sweating or freeze from how much she was shaking. “F-Fue… Um, H-Hinami…”

“Fuehi Nami?” Sen tilted her head innocently. Now she was just messing with the poor girl. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a name quite like that. How’s it spelled? Oh, lemme guess! ‘Fue’… ‘Fue’ as in ‘flute’ and… ‘hi’ as in ‘fire’!”

“N-No! I-I mean, that’s— Well, erm, I meant that—” Hina stumbled over her words, picking at her fingers anxiously. “It’s, um, It’s actually Hinami. Hinami Fueguchi…”

Haise would have felt bad for her if it wasn’t so entertaining… Wait, ‘entertaining’? Sen was rubbing off on him more than he thought; perhaps there really was something to her when she called her influence ‘monstrous’.

Sen, for the first time since arriving, gasped excitedly. “So you’re Hina! Oh, it’s so good to finally meet you! Ayato’s told me a lot.”

“H-He— Really?” Hina’s expression, once fearful, turned oddly curious.

“Yes! Did you like my autograph?”

She tilted her head. “A-Autograph…? Wait—”

Haise’s brow raised. So that was what the resort autograph was.

Another gasp. “You mean he didn’t give it to you?! It’s been months!” Sen practically glared at Ayato. “Ayato!!”

Ayato, who had dodged Sen and Haise to browse the snack rack with Juuzou, looked up at the sound of his name. When he saw who called it and who she was standing with, he went pale.

“Oh, he looks terrified.” She grabbed Hina by the arm. “Let’s go say hi.”

Hina flushed the reddest color Haise had ever seen. “W-What? M-Ms. Takatsuki, wait a—”

It was too late; they were already across the room. Hina shot Haise a pleading glance, but he just smiled sheepishly back. Hopefully, things were less embarrassing for her than it was for him and Sen. Surely she’d be more sympathetic to Hina’s plight than Miza and the Bins.

Now alone, someone nudged his shoulder. “Psst,” Touka whispered, like they were part of some conspiracy. “Got a moment?”

His brow furrowed. “Uh, sure…?”

He glanced at Kaya, who wet her lips in a grimace. “It’s… It’s important,” was all she said before walking back out.

His gaze found Sen again, who was busy happily chatting with Hina and a disgruntled Ayato. She’d be fine for a bit, he thought, and followed Touka outside.

Enji was there, and with him was—

“Mr. Yoshimura! E-Enji!” Haise was at his side in an instant. “You’re here!”

“Hey!” Enji waved and grinned. “It’s been a while.”

The manager’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Kaneki, it’s good to see you again.”

The sound of Haise’s old name gave him pause. He’d been called Haise or Sasaki for months at this point, so hearing ‘Kaneki’ again was— strange. He shook it off, however; this was Mr. Yoshimura! It didn’t matter what he called Haise so long as he was here.

“What’re you doing here?” Haise asked as he approached.

Mr. Yoshimura’s smile faded slightly, replaced with something a bit more… pensive. Maybe even a bit wistful or bittersweet. “That’s exactly why I asked you to come out here.”

Haise tilted his head. “Alright, but… what’s wrong?”

Mr. Yoshimura glanced at the others. “Please, enjoy the party; this is a… personal matter between Kaneki and myself.”

Enji and Kaya pursed their lips, but they headed in. Touka stayed where she was for a bit longer, before patting Haise’s shoulder and following. Now it was just him, Mr. Yoshimura, and the chill of an early winter night.

“A-Are you sure you don’t want to talk about this inside?” Haise offered. “I’m sure we could get a private room somewhere if—”

“No, no, that… I cannot head in just yet.” Mr. Yoshimura sighed. “I cannot head in because… It concerns your… your partner.”

“Sen?” Now Haise was really confused. “I-I’m sure you’ll get along fine with her; she’s actually really nice, and—”

“Kaneki.” Mr. Yoshimura put up his hand. “She is my daughter.”

A frigid gust, much colder than those before it, blew through the area. “She’s your…? She’s your what?”

Haise had to assume he misheard. Like, Sen was actually Mr. Yoshimura’s dinner, and he was secretly a cannibal, while Kaya and Enji were fetching him his sorely needed food! Or maybe, ‘She is my dragon’! Sen was a shapeshifting magical creature, and Mr. Yoshimura was covering for her as a kind soul! Surely Haise didn’t hear that she was actually Mr. Yoshimura’s—

“My daughter,” Mr. Yoshimura repeated, and the impossible impossibilities crumbled like ash. “I am… her father.”

Sen had never talked about her biological father. Even at the resort, she had only ever talked about Noroi, and it was Shiono who had mentioned that her biological father was even alive. But the idea that he was hiding under Haise’s nose— within his more positive memories, too— was… He didn’t know how to describe it.

“In all likelihood, she does not want to see me,” Mr. Yoshimura said. “I have… hurt her.”

Haise could only imagine how. He had never been given up before, not really, but knowing that someone chose not to take care of you had to be rough. Not only that, but it was Mr. Yoshimura who had made that choice.

Mr. Yoshimura, who had given Haise shelter when he needed it most. Mr. Yoshimura, who had given Touka and Ayato the chance to go to school.

Mr. Yoshimura, who was like the father Haise never had— caring, supportive, and loved by all who knew him.

Except for Sen, who was deprived of the chance.

Haise hesitated. “But… Do you want to see her?”

Mr. Yoshimura paused, then chuckled softly. “What sort of father doesn’t want to see his daughter?”

That was all Haise needed to hear. He stood behind Mr. Yoshimura and grabbed the push handles of his wheelchair. “Alright, then. I’ll take you to her.”

Mr. Yoshimura looked up at him, surprised at first, then smiled. “Thank you, Kaneki.”

Haise gave a reassuring nod and pushed him in. Once inside, he went ahead and quickly located Sen, who was chatting rather amicably with Touka now. Good; he didn’t know what he would do if she was tense around both his best friends.

Sen, as if she sensed his gaze, locked eyes with him and grinned. She dropped whatever conversation she had with Touka and immediately trotted over to him.

“Hina’s just adorable!” she said before he could speak, giggling. “I wish I’d met her sooner! I’ve always wanted a kid sister to dote on…”

Haise gave a glance over and found Hina, who was standing completely still, cheeks red with embarrassment. Next to her was Ayato, who wasn’t faring much better. Neither seemed inclined to say anything, but neither did they look like they wanted to leave each other’s side.

“Uh, Sen,” Haise was still looking, “what did you do over there?”

“Oh, you know how it is. A push here, a gift there— nothing crazy.” She smirked to herself. “Turns out our lighting kiddo brought Hina’s personal copy of Monochrome Rainbow for me to sign! Fancy that.”

“Oh, wow.” Haise laughed. That was… actually really sweet. Go, Ayato.

“Anyway, you look like you want to ask something, so go on.”

At least she gave him a window, more or less. He cleared his throat. “There’s one more person I’d like you to meet,” he said. “Someone really important.”

She raised a brow. “Alright…”

He took her hand, trying to look reassuring. “I-It’s nothing bad, I promise!” Even as he said so, he rubbed his chin.

She frowned, but didn’t push the issue. He led her to Mr. Yoshimura, who was waiting near the entrance. He swallowed at the sight of Sen.

“This, um…” Haise hesitated suddenly. What if something went wrong? What if this was a mistake? Could he afford such a thing? Between Sen and Mr. Yoshimura, could he choose one over the other?

… No, it was going to be fine; there wasn’t going to be a choice. Even if Mr. Yoshimura had hurt Sen in the past, it was nothing the two of them couldn’t overcome.

“This is Mr. Yoshimura,” he said with confidence. “He’s my old manager from—”

“From Anteiku,” Sen finished, all traces of her smile gone. “So that’s where you’ve been rotting all this time.”

Mr. Yoshimura pursed his lips.

Haise quickly realized the mistake he made. “A-Alright, um, Sen, why don’t we—”

“Pretty gutsy for you to show up to this thing.” She was glaring now, and her voice was raising. “You have no shame, Kuzen, you know that?”

“S-Sen, you’re—” Haise tried to intervene again.

It didn’t work. “Have you come to apologize, then?”

Mr. Yoshimura sighed. “I don’t want to fight, $%@.”

%*]? Who was that?

He continued. “But yes, I have. When I heard Kaneki was bringing you, I knew I had to at least try.” He bowed his head. “I’m… I’m sorry, #\*. For hurting you, and for—”

“I don’t want your apology,” Sen spat. “I don’t care about your apology. You had a thousand chances to apologize and took none of them. I was talking about your apology to Kurona.”

“^]-…”

“She’s a really sweet girl, and amazingly intelligent— Valedictorian of Iba University, kendo champion, and making a number of strides in the field of agriculture. Fascinating stuff.” She shook her head. “But of course, you didn’t know any of that; you were too busy patting yourself on the back for a dusty old achievement you gave to yourself.”

Someone approached them: Touka. She’d been eavesdropping. “Hey,” she said, glancing behind her as the conversations grew quieter. “If you guys are gonna do this, then—”

“Touka!” Sen grinned emptily. “Great timing. Your manager here was just getting ready to apologize to Kurona. Weren’t you, Mr. Manager?”

Mr. Yoshimura’s grip on his armrest tightened. “I—”

“Sen,” Haise tried not to hiss. “I really don’t think—”

But again, he went ignored. “Kurona, dear!!” Sen called, commanding the attention of the room. “‘Mr. Yoshimura’ here has something to say to you!”

Kurona’s brow furrowed. “Uh, what?”

Hide, very suddenly, also stood up. “Hey, guys! Let’s—”

“Do you wanna tell her, or should I?” Sen leaned toward Mr. Yoshimura. “It’s the least you can do after everything. This whole thing is your fault, after all.”

“What’s she talking about?” Kurona asked.

“Don’t do this, =|<;,” Mr. Yoshimura said. “That was a long time ago, and I had to protect you.”

Sen barked out a laugh. “Protect me? Protect me?! Is throwing me into a homeless shelter with your disgraced colleague, one you didn’t dare look in the eye until it was convenient to you— is that ‘protecting’ me?! Is impregnating a woman half your age and letting her die because she ‘knew too much’ ‘protecting’ me?! Is it, Dad?!”

“Sen!” Haise put his foot down. “You’re making a scene!”

She turned on him, practically jabbing her finger into his neck. “I’ll make a scene all I fucking want,” she growled. “The man who hired the Torso deserves to be ridiculed.”

If the room wasn’t quiet before, it was now. Amon’s face went white as a sheet. Takizawa, mid-drink, choked. Juuzou and Kimi stared at Sen. Hina shrunk into herself, and Ayato gripped her hand instinctively. Hide held his breath and looked away, and Touka, though her expression was carefully neutral, looked like she was about to bite her lip off.

And then there was Kurona, who was staring right at Mr. Yoshimura. “What…?”

Sen looked back at Mr. Yoshimura, a gleeful look on her face. “That is why you came here, right? To confess? You wouldn’t actually show up here just to offer your condolences and leave, would you? Like it wasn’t your fault?”

“Oi, oi…” Nishiki said, hands up in the air. “You’re… You’re just messing with us, right, Sen? Shitty joke, but I mean— Mr. Yoshimura, tell us she’s joking.”

Haise waited for a response. It had to be a joke; it just had to. Mr. Yoshimura wouldn’t do that. He was the one who rehabilitated the Devil Apes and Black Dobers with kindness and love! He had taken Touka and Ayato into his home, giving them the supplies they needed to succeed in school, and then did the same for Hina years later. He had sat down across from Haise, a broken soul, and put him back together.

There was no way someone so wonderful and kind and loving could have such a direct connection to the Torso. Right?

“I mean, imagine having the audacity to show up to a funeral as the one who hired the killer.” Sen checked her nails, chuckling. “But you’re the beloved Mr. Yoshimura, right? You wouldn’t do that.”

Yet, with this impossible possibility, the last piece of the puzzle that was the 8th ward fell into place. Donato’s arrest, after being free for decades. Sen, let go without a stain on her record. The Torso’s near-decade long streak of crimes.

Donato’s words echoed in Haise’s mind:

“Sometimes, Haise, when confronting a ‘child’, one must explore the circumstances of the ‘parent’.”

A moment passed, then another. Mr. Yoshimura gripped the armrests for dear life, struggling to come up with a response. However, his silence answered for him.

“Oh my God,” Kurona said finally. “You killed Shiro. It… It was you.”

Amon immediately put a firm hand on her shoulder. “Kurona, don’t. He’s just an—”

“How could you?” She shrugged his hand off and made her way around the kitchen table. “Shiro was… Shiro was…!”

Juuzou stood up. “Oh, boy.” He took out his phone and made a call. “Yeah, Hanbee? Uh, gonna need a ride. Fast, if you can.”

“Kuro, Kuro.” Takizawa tried to block her way. “L-Let’s calm down, and think this through—”

“I’LL KILL YOU!!” Kurona lunged forward at Mr. Yoshimura, but was held back by an agile Nishiki and Touka. “SHE WAS ALL I HAD LEFT!!!”

Haise, amidst the chaos, saw a smirking Sen flit out the door. He wanted to immediately follow, but Kurona had to be restrained first.

“YOU SLIMY OLD BASTARD, HOW COULD YOU?!” she screamed. “YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD! YOU ARE FUCKING DEAD!!!”

Enji immediately took action and got Mr. Yoshimura out of the house.

“LET ME GO!!” Kurona struggled, but Touka and Nishiki held fast. “LET ME GO, PLEASE!! I HAVE TO— SHIRO CAN’T JUST—! LET ME GO! TOUKA!!!”

Hina went to her, staying in her vision the entire time. “Kurona, Kurona,” she said, keeping her focused. “Listen to me. I know how you feel—”

“SHE WAS MURDERED!!” Kurona sobbed, but without her target in sight, she struggled less and less. “Shiro was… taken from me… You don’t… You’ll never understand…”

Touka and Nishiki let her down gently as she clung to either of them for support.

“I know how that feels,” Hina repeated. “My mother was taken from me too. Expensive surgeries that would have left her— us— debt-ridden for years…” In a rare show of anger, she scowled. “Because we were poor, she had to die. So I— I know how you feel.”

Kurona curled up into a ball on the floor. “First Dad, then Shiro. What do I…?”

Juuzou knelt down beside her and patted her back awkwardly. It seemed to help, like a familiar and comforting sensation. Her sobs were dry, but she wasn’t struggling anymore.

Touka, now free, came up to Haise, who’d been watching like a complete idiot. “The fuck are you still doing here?” she whispered.

“W-Well I— I thought maybe I could—” he stammered, unable to really answer.

“Get out! Right now!” She was already pushing him out the door. “Find Sen, stupid!”

“R-Right!” He bolted down the street toward the station.

—

He found Sen just a few blocks down; she was stalking down the sidewalk with her hands stuffed into her pockets.

“Sen!!!” he called. “Sen!!!!”

She slowed just enough for him to catch up. “Oh,” she said as soon as she saw him.

He stopped before her to catch his breath. He could do this; just… talk. He could do that, right? This was Sen; she’d listen to him.

“Come to drag me back?” She watched him, unamused. “I won’t apologize.”

He stood up straight. “But you can’t… You can’t just say something like that and— and leave!”

“Funny, because I just did.” She turned on her heel, about to leave.

“I-I’m serious!” He grabbed her sleeve. “You really shouldn’t have said what you said.”

“Why? Because he’s your precious manager?” She yanked away. “Because you have good memories of him? Because he’s your father?!”

He recoiled slightly. “I— This isn’t about that. This is about Kurona.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I gave Kurona a target. A perfectly good means of channeling her anger.”

“A person isn’t a target!” Haise argued. “And what good will her anger do? Kurona’s not like you! She doesn’t—”

“And how do you know what she’s like, hm?” Sen gestured toward Kimi and Nishiki’s house. “Would you prefer she remain in ignorance her whole life? Would you prefer that she just never learn about V’s oppression, never realizing that her loved ones were killed by some stupid control freaks? Would you rather she just descend into her sorrow and become an empty husk?!”

“I didn’t say that! I’m saying that she was going to hurt someone the way she learned!” Haise almost wanted to tear his hair out; why was she being so stubborn about this?! “Mr. Yoshimura’s just an old man; doing anything to him is wrong.”

“Well, if you’re so worried about him, then go do something about it! What are you doing out here?!”

“I’m out here because you’re coming back with me!” He reached for her arm. “Things have calmed down a bit, so you’re going to come back and apologize to her, then you’re going to apologize to your father and—”

Her fist suddenly collided with his cheek. If she wasn’t glaring at him before, she was now. There was a flame in her eyes that threatened to incinerate him in the cold.

Haise swayed in his spot, dazed from the impact. It wasn’t nearly as strong as Touka’s punches, but the sting was… familiar.

(Eyes that condemned him for disagreeing. Stubbornness that manifested in a stinging cheek and a dark room.)

“I… I’m sorry,” he said automatically, as though from a script, and he took a step back.

Her eyes wavered, but she didn’t falter, even as she shook out her wrist. Then, in a single motion, she turned and stormed down the street. She didn’t even get the last word, yet somehow, that was worse.

He watched her figure shrink until she disappeared around a corner. He desperately wanted to chase after her, even as memories of undeserved seconds and bloodied paper cranes weighed him down. Instead, he stayed where he was, a frozen icicle in the frigid night.

After a moment, he kicked the nearest wall. All it did was make his foot hurt. Way to go.

He had blown it, because of course he had. Mentioning her father to her face like that?! Unbelievably stupid. Not only was it so arrogant of him to think he could mediate things between Sen and her father, but it was doubly so to think that some no-name artist like himself could even prepare to fix an unfixable mess.

He looked behind him, toward Kimi and Nishiki’s. Everyone had probably cleared out by now, so there was no point in going now. They’d solved everything without him.

He sighed. No matter where he went, he was useless.

So if not there, then where?

Perhaps home; looking at the sky, it was getting late. The 12th ward bordered the 10th, so he didn’t really need to take the train (and risk seeing Sen), but the idea of walking wasn’t appealing, either. Plus, he almost felt like he was being watched here.

No, that was crazy talk. Paranoia feeding on the feelings of failure.

Haise sighed as he journeyed home. The quiet neighborhood became the city, and the empty air filled itself with mindless chatter, cars, and blaring lights. The world kept turning and turning, indifferent to the suffering. Perhaps it was intentional; by never caring, things would hurt less.

Haise stopped on the side of the road.

He wondered if Mr. Yoshimura felt similarly. In an organization like V, how did you deal with being the direct cause of death and destruction? When put that way, perhaps it wasn’t so far-fetched; in order to protect what was right in front of him, Mr. Yoshimura blindly flung the Torso at all of his victims until it blew up in his face.

Haise didn’t even realize a taxi had stopped in front of him. It was only when the driver rolled down the window and spoke that he looked up.

“N-Need a ride, sir? T-T-Tonight’s a special discount… Half off your ride…”

The driver was tall based on how hunched over he was in his seat. He… didn’t look healthy, either, based on his gaunt cheeks, messy black hair, and shaky gaze. It made Haise a little uncomfortable, honestly.

His first instinct would have been to leave, but he didn’t. There could be a story behind that gaze. There was a story behind everything, as Sen liked to say. Stories of tragedy, joy, loss, and triumph. Base assumptions founded on fear were only barriers in the end.

Plus, this driver had been kind enough to give Haise the chance to get home without much of a fuss. He didn’t like the idea of waving down a taxi in the first place; it felt too self-centered, and right now, all he wanted was to be left alone.

But at the same time, some new company could be good for him.

“Alright,” he said, getting into the back.

“S-S-So, where to?” the driver asked, tapping the wheel rhythmically.

“Um, the 12th ward station…” The inside smelled pretty nice… What sort of freshener did the driver use?

“Roger that…” He punched in a few numbers on the dashboard, then took off.

Haise glanced out the window, noting familiar landmarks and trying to see how he might draw them. Water colors, most likely, or maybe he might finally try his hand at sculpture? It would really help bring the buildings to life, and working in 3D space might help him grasp backgrounds a bit better.

He fought a yawn, but something about the evening was lulling him to sleep.

“L-L-Long day, hm?” the driver asked.

“Something like that…” Haise mumbled in response. He was just fine earlier, but it seemed the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him bordering on lethargic.

“I-I feel you.” The driver tittered. “B-B-Bosses have been grilling me over an open f-f-fire for the past couple d-days… I messed up pretty bad, a-and they’re tryna clean up my m-mess.”

Haise wasn’t really paying attention, but he bobbed his head in a half-nod. He hoped he saw Sen again. Even if he had hurt her irrevocably, she’d taught him so much and tolerated his presence for so long. It felt wrong leaving without at least saying goodbye. There was no way that they’d continue working together, not after this.

“S-S-So I’m gonna h-help them out tonight, after this r-ride…” the driver continued, but his voice sounded strangely distant, like they were holding this conversation across a large tunnel.

Haise felt like he had swam a marathon. Sure, tonight had been exhausting, but not that exhausting. And the scent of the freshener was starting to overwhelm him.

He tried to entertain the driver to at least stay awake; some conversation might distract him from the drowsiness. “What… What did you… do…?” It took effort just to speak. What was going on?

The taxi made a turn. “I-I-I, uh, messed up with a c-client, is all…” The driver sounded a bit eager now. “Sh-She was b-beautiful, but the inquisitive type, y’know? So I sorta b-b-buckled under the pressure… T-Too many questions…”

What a strange coincidence; Nashiro had been an independent journalist of sorts, if Haise recalled correctly. Last he remembered, she was in the 13th ward, just next door…

When Haise glanced up next, he didn’t recognize where they were. He tried to sit up, to say something, but speaking was so… difficult. Plus, he felt so… sleepy…

They slowed to a stop.

“Sorry… Mr. Kaneki…” the driver’s distorted voice said. “Boss’s… orders… y’know?”

“Ungh…” What was happening? Why did he know Haise’s name?

“I-I-I wish chloroform… worked like the movies… Too long… work…”

He wished he could panic, summon the strength to do something, but even those feelings were dampened. But if he did nothing, he was doomed. He had to do something, anything.

He tried to get up, but only collapsed against the leather of the seat. His entire body tingled with numbness. He tried to speak, but only a weak groan came out.

The car door opened, and there was the driver, who said something. But what?

Darkness crept around the corners of Haise’s vision, and he drowned in its embrace.

#bulky one this time huh #thus ends another mini-arc...#blank canvas #writing

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automatayaoi · 9 months

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hiii its an active content day for me 🐸 finally starting on writing kero into kkc scenes, this is pretty short but i wanted to establish why/how they end up going with the others to mont saint michel. i also included the relevant manga pages at the end so u can imagine them there 💕

The ringing in their ears--that was all there was at first. Harsh and shrill, so loud they could barely hear their heart pounding underneath it. Then it was was the ache, blooming all across their body and sharpened at the edges by a sting. They try to sit up, but their world having so recently been turned on its head makes their stomach lurch with the effort, and they have to stop before they tumble further down whatever grassy ditch they landed in.

Voices start to cut through the noise, and they reach for the closest as it turns familiar. Lise--right, Lise’s voice. They’d been sitting with her and the others in the back of the circus truck, when there was--something, an explosion maybe, and they’d all been sent flying. Kero had grabbed onto Lise, more out of instinct than anything. And then the pain, the ringing, the ache; at least they softened the blow for her, hopefully.

There’s another voice, too, unfamiliar, coasting over something they can’t place. Too quiet to be caught under the still pulsing ring, but the noise is sharp; a creaking, metal-on-metal tick that sets their nerves on edge--

A scream cuts through the haze, and the aches fall away as Kero’s focus comes to a narrow point. One hand closes around a clammy, trembling shoulder as the other plants in the dirt to force themselves upward. Their vision is still fuzzy, whether from smoke or concussion, and the shapes in front of them don’t make sense; massive, towering not-quite animals, twisted bodies staring through them as a predator watches prey. They shudder, nearly freezing then, but they can hear Ryouko crying again, and they force themselves forward.

“Fuck, what the fuck,” is all Kero manages as their arms wrap around the two girls in front of them. They try to pull them back, turn to shield the girls with their body, but they barely even have time to breathe before the animal-things are bounding towards them all teeth and claws, and the only thing they can do is squeeze their eyes shut and hope they aren’t screaming, too.

Something blows past them, so close they feel a sudden burn as the corner of a claw takes a chunk out of their earlobe--but it’s far less than the evisceration they’d been expecting. The realization goes through them like a shock, and just as quick, they’re pushing up onto shaky legs and pulling the girls up with them, instinct driving their body before their head can wrap around why they aren’t dead yet.

“Go, move, now!” The second all three are on their feet, Kero starts to push the girl out in front of them. They don’t know where to turn, which direction is safe, but they know they have to run and get as far away as they can. Even if part of them knows they won’t be able to outrun creatures like that--if they could even be called creatures.

“We have to stand our ground!” Lise protests, but Kero just keeps pushing, following along behind Ryouko as she sprints for a thatched house a few yards away.

“Standing our ground will get us killed, Lise!” They can feel that man--an automata, they’re sure now--glaring into their back, and it’s all they can do to keep their feet steady and not trip over their own fear.

It almost works, until they hear the pounding of claws against the dirt as the automata yells to take their heads.

That’s when the terror seizes them--and when Lise suddenly stops in her tracks.

“What are you doing?!” Kero nearly runs right into her, and has to skid to the side to avoid knocking her down, instead bumping into Ryouko as they turn on their heel. Lise doesn’t answer them; she just stands, shoulders squared, and all too calmly takes a carpetbeater hanging off the nearby clothesline.

“Kero, Ryouko. Please, just watch me.” She glances back at the two, seeming to pay no heed to the automata monsters running towards them, towards her. No trace of fear weighs her down or cracks the unshakable confidence that now radiates from her.

“I’m still a wild animal tamer.”

#frog croak #this thing is Rough but its not even the main focus so. puts it down gently #selfship #selfship fic #self insert fic #self insert #my stuff #my fics #si; karakuri circus #ship; smiling with you

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summion7 · 2 years

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Team rwby and npr Are eating in the cafeteria As they usually did in the evening. they see their friend Jaune looking tired and nervous.

Ruby: Jaune over here! we saved you a seat! hey are you OK? You look a bit stress? was it the test?

Jaune: hey guys! No it wasn’t. To be honest I have a confession to make…

yang:Ohh? Cmon don’t keep us in suspense VB!

Nora:Spill!

Jaune:I’ve actually been in a relationship this whole time and I heard her and her sister are coming to beacon as transfer students.

Rwby/nrp:woah really?!

Jaune: yeah And to be honest I’m nervous. She wanted me to say if I can get another girlfriend while we were in separate schools so I’m kinda scared that I will disappoint her.

Yang: Wait your girlfriend wanted you to pick up girls that’s really weird. but hey every couple has their own kinks.

Weiss: so I was to be a conquest for you? You disappoint me Jaune arc I thought you were better than that.

Jaune: well to be honest I truly cared for you. That and the only reason I didn’t go after Pyrrha is because I didn’t want to ruin what we have. I didn’t want her to think I was only asking her out due to her fame.

Pyrrha: if you’ll have me Jaune I would love nothing more than to be with you romantically❤️.

Jaune: all right Pyrrha I would love nothing more than that too but first we need to get her permission first. That is my actual girlfriend.

???: about damn time and the answer is sure why not she looks cool and from what you told me she would genuinely care about you because it’s you.

Both teams Turn to reveal a girl with black hair and a red highlights, wearing a black sailor uniform carrying a giant pair of red scissors on her back.

Jaune: Ryuko my kick ass angel! * proceeds to walk up to her and give her a loving kiss on the lips.*

Ryuko blushes at the Intimate contact but kisses back happy to feel her lovers lips once again.

???: so we just leave you for one second and you’re already making out with your boyfriend.

Everybody looks to the Voice to see Ryouko’s sister Satsuki In her white uniform .

Nora: whoa that look on her face rivals miss Goodwitch!

Ryuko: well since it looks like you lose the bet and now you have to join this relationship as well!

Ren: excuse me but what’s going on?

Satsuki: after my idiot sister and her boyfriend went their separate paths for education she and I had a bet if Blondie can find another woman to accept him for who he was I would confess and join the relationship.

Jaune: wait for real?

Satsuki: indeed now you better prepare yourself as you will be tending to your lovers every needs from now on.

Pyrrha:I get first dibs!

Ryuko:Second!

Jaune: I have never been more scared or excited in my entire life as I am right now.

Neptune watching the entire time: why can’t that not have been me!

Bonus!

Jaune: BABE DO THE THING PLEASE!

Ryuko:

#jaune arc #rwby #nora valkyrie #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #pyrrha nikos #ruby rose #rwby arkos #lie ren #ryuko matoi #kill la kill satsuki #scissor knight #queens knight

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mizukagami-takamagahara · 7 months

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Annon-Guy: If there was a third XBLAZE game or a released compilation of the two XBLAZE games, what would you like to see? P.S. Who's your favorite XBLAZE character?

Feeling a little better than I have been, so I can finally get to some of these asks! I actually have a few sitting around that are pretty interesting; thank you, everyone who's reached out to me!

Now onto your topic, Annon Guy!

I would love to see a prequel focused on the Wadatsumi Incident, with Ryouko Kagari as the protagonist. We've already been given a good amount of information about what happened there, and a surprising amount of characters who were involved have been named. I would love to formally meet Ryouko and Sui (and finally get a design for the later.) Maybe get a name for Mr. Amanohokosaka, finally???

We would also get a chance to see more of the XBlaze Ten Sages, which I'm always hungry for. I tend to get hung up on things when we're given some members from a group of characters, and know there are more, but don't get to see them. And Drei has such strong feelings about the Ten Sages being corrupt; maybe we could get a better understanding of why he feels that way, and what he stands for, if we could meet his antithesis. Like, these are the people who betrayed his ideals so deeply that he walked away from everything he'd dedicated his life to, everything Zwei had entrusted him with as her pupil. If given a chance to be fully developed, these could be some interesting characters.

It would also be great to see more of who Avenge and Unomaru were a decade ago. Lost Memories gave us a chance to see Unomaru during the disaster, and I loved it! I love seeing people through different lenses throughout their lives, as they develop. I want more of that, for him and the rest of the cast.

So if I could get a full third installment in the XBlaze series, I'd like a Wadatsumi Incident prequel. Though in your ask, you also suggested a re-release compilation. I know you brought that up as part of the same hypothetical, just to set the stage for the question, but I'm kind of inclined to approach it as its own ask. Like, a full third game would have room to tell a full story. But the best re-releases add fun bonus content, like an extra side story or something. It has to be shorter, more compact. Since the requirements are different, so is my answer.

In a similar vein to my earlier answer, I would love to see some kind of Bloodedge Experience teaser- some small story several years in the future that would bridge the gap between XB and BE. Mei as the head of her clan, troubles with young Saya Terumi, etc.

Though the more I think about it, the more stuff comes to mind. There's just so much I want to see. Kuon as a member of the Ten Sages, maybe meeting or instructing the XB world's Konoe. A jump back to the past to see ANY of the Ten Sage Trio before they defected.

I guess I'm kind of greedy...

For your last question... The other Terumi stans are going to put a bounty on me for this, but my absolute favorite XBlaze character is Ripper. No contest.

I didn't like him early on- I had the same kind of complaints a lot of Terumi fans do. That he was just some boring nobody shoved into a Terumi-esque "quirky crazy villain" role to fill a quota. But I don't think that's actually fair to either of them, to reduce them to their most basic and shallow tropes. On further inspection, I feel the two really aren't alike at all.

There is something so so so wrong with Ripper, like, not in his head but in that he- his physical form- he's a fucking freak of nature. What the hell is a Strange Red? How and why did he get Union-ed spontaneously? I just- I'm #kining the Ten Sages here, man. I ALSO want to take his corpse home to study it. Who wouldn't???

Sorry Kiri ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#ao no kokagami #bb meta #ryouko kagari #sui amanohokosaka #souichiro unomaru #kazuto kotetsu #mr. amanohokosaka #ten sages drei #ripper #thank you so much for reaching out!#blazblue.... good...

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ectonurites · 7 months

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What anime and anime characters are your favorite?

ooo uhm! Dangan Ronpa feels like a cop-out answer since i actually far prefer the games to the anime and i have a character from the series in my url so obviously i like it, but some other stuff I like a lot are Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Love Live (original series + Sunshine, I haven't watched anything after those), Zombieland Saga, Tokyo Mew Mew (original + reboot), Yugioh (mostly the original 2 anime series ['Season Zero' & Duel Monsters] + GX but I've seen a little bit of 5Ds & Vrains as well), Princess Jellyfish and BanG Dream!

also i have cosplayed my faves from a decent chunk of those: Tsumiki, Nanami, Mukuro, Seiko, and Ryouko from Dangan Ronpa, Eli from Love Live & I always meant to do Honoka & Chika too I just never got around to it, Sakura from ZLS, Téa/Anzu from Yugioh, and Tsukimi from Princess Jellyfish

+ not on the cosplay list in terms of faves there's also Junko from DR obviously (though I mean. I cosplayed her twin and her alternate self. so like. she's represented), Homura from Madoka (which I do have a half-built cosplay for that I just. never finished. from like 6 or 7 years ago) and Asuka from NGE!

#btw im out here dying without love live school idol festival to play. them shutting down the servers earlier this year was devastating

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askthedespairkids · 1 year

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Sly X Ryouko

You saved me for last?

Sly: Come again?

I mean of all your routes, you kept me to the end.

Sly: You're speaking like Maemi- ugh-

Hehehe~ *She kisses Sly* Never mind then...I'm sure it's all in my head.

#Ryouko answers #Ryouko Otonashi #anon #DR #Sly #mistletoe asks

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studentofetherium · 2 years

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i finished Saya no Uta and have thoughts

it's really good! but also clearly still feels very basic compared to what Urobuchi would make later (in particular, Fate/Zero, Madoka, and S I N). part of that comes down to the short length, but Madoka packed its original series into a single cour and managed to be satisfying on its own, so i think the other aspect of this is just coming from it being an earlier project of his

glibly, i wish Fuminori, Saya, and Yoh could have had a happier ending than the one they were given. something with the three of them on their own together without any big events ruining their peaceful life, living off of small carrion and the occasional human. more seriously the three endings for the series are all plenty interesting in their own right. the first ending, earlier than the other two, felt like a possible branch of the narrative that needed to be explored, and even if it wasn’t particularly long, i’m still glad it was included. the other two are also compelling for being completely different while also leaving a big gap between what they’re doing as endings. the lack of a “good end” (outside of my joke earlier) feels fitting— this is a story where nobody is winning, no matter what

the order that i played the endings in seems pretty good, i think. in the first choice, i picked the one that would get me the closer ending, and with the second, i picked the ending that focused on Ryouko more, which meant the ending focusing on Saya was last, which felt most satisfying from a narrative perspective

my second biggest issue with the storytelling is that i think towards the end, there's too much focus given to what Saya is, which is ultimately unimportant to the characters' stories and the main theme of love. the part of Saya that matters is who she is to Fuminori and Ryouko. for one, a lover, for the other, a monster. that’s all we need. unfortunately, further exposition is necessary for the shift into cosmic horror that the back half of the game has. eldritch horror lives on mystery and giving only some answers, but in this case, too much is said so that the narrative item of “Saya as a lover and a monster” becomes “Saya, the interdimensional alien who will colonize earth and turn everyone into meat”. some amount of this exposition was necessary, both to build Saya up as a threat, but also to let the final ending be what it is. the problem is that by the end, too much had been said about Saya and her backstory, which stole a lot of her mystique which she carried in the early game. this issue doesn't ruin the story and i think those eldritch aspects bring a lot to the game, but i wish it had been more cagey about the backstory

obviously, the biggest issue is the use of rape and underage sex. i’m of two minds here. without a doubt, the game went too far in how it portrayed these aspects, but at the same time, i understand why it was included. it’s incredibly uncomfortable, but it’s supposed to be. the problem is that it would be uncomfortable without showing the sex scenes on screen, or even explicitly describing them like happens. i played the censored version, and those CGs ended up being heavily censored, but even that is a step too far. but as i said, it does serve a purpose. Fuminori is a monster and having him do something like this clearly brands him as such, but it could have been more careful and less exploitative about how it presented this

BUT WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, there’s a lot of other aspects of the game i really liked

the soundtrack, for one, was all bangers and the entire time serves as a highlight for the entire game, especially the track Schizophrenia and all of Kanako Itou vocal tracks. i can see this being one of the aspects that sticks with me most

most of the designs are pretty dull, but i think it's intentional, as their mundanity makes Saya as a fantastical element stick out more among them. the same is true for Ryouko, who shows up early on but only becomes a major character later on, and with her appearance ushers the story into a faster pacing as exposition becomes more common and we approach the ending. so the designs aren’t really much to talk about, but are such in a way i really appreciate

the meat dimension is great. it’s very visceral and striking especially due to the dated CGI, which gives it an uncanny and otherworldly feeling. turn of the century CGI is always a fascination of mine and i absolutely adore it, but i especially love when it serves a purpose that couldn’t be fulfilled by more technically modern renderings. also love it as body horror which sets the tone for the story early on and continues to work as a striking backdrop for the story later on

Saya no Uta is great. i enjoyed it a lot* ** and i'm glad i played it, but i will never recommend it to anyone unless i know them very well because there are a lot of elements here that are off-putting and debatably abhorrent. the One Problem is big enough to be a deal breaker for many people and that’s fair; it wasn’t for me, but only because i played the censored version. i can’t imagine stomaching this uncensored

but yeah! good game! has problems! both of these are very hot takes that i’m sure no one has ever said before

* minus the child sexualization

** with the caveat that no one ending feels satisfying, even if all of them together make for a good conclusion

#saya no uta #post-game write-up

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medea10 · 2 years

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My Review of The Pet Girl of Sakurasou

How did I get into this anime? Um…good question. I’m not entirely sure how this one ended up on my list other than it was licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

Sorata Kanda is a student at Suimei High School, a school notorious for its classes in the art field. Sorata finds himself in a bit of trouble when it was noticed that he tries to take in stray cats. The school put their foot down and threw Sorata in the trouble-maker dorm, also known as “Sakura Hall”. The residents are all…I think quirky is the best way to describe them. There’s an energetic animator and goofball (Misaki), a guy into doing playwright and doing women (Jin), a shut-in that’s good with programming (Ryuunosuke), and a promiscuous art teacher/dorm mistress (Chihiro).

What was Sorata’s problem again? He would take in stray cats!

Never mind, I would probably end up there too. And not just for taking in stray cats either.

The dorm mistress Chihiro asks Sorata to pick up her cousin coming in from Europe. She’s going to transfer to the school and is going to stay at Sakura Hall. Mashiro Shiina looks normal and seems kinda aloof. I wonder why she would be in the dorm with the crazy people. Your questions are answered in episode 2. Mashiro is a genius in the art world, but her social skills are lacking. And saying she’s aloof is an understatement! The girl doesn’t even know how to put on clothes or do basic things in order to survive. Not to mention all the literal things she says without knowing what she’s saying.

Let’s just say Sorata gets a heavy-load of misunderstandings when watching over this weird girl in Sakura Hall.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Whenever Sentai or FUNimation is in need of a voice that calls for a high school lad at half-testicles, you can always count on Greg Ayres to be there. I can’t hate on the man, he plays a bunch of funny lads with that distinct voice of his. I know some people find it annoying, but I’m cool with it. Probably because I didn’t complain when he played that butt-monkey on Clannad! Moving on, this anime has just about everyone you would think would be in the dub of a Sentai licensed anime. Luci Christian, John Swasey, Hillary Haag, Kira Vincent-Davis, Shelly Calene-Black, and so many other veterans. I’m also excited to officially hear Natalie Rial in an anime. She is the sister to voice Jesus, Monica Rial.

Now there was one character that felt off hearing from and that was Ryunnosuke. Mostly the big difference between the English and Japanese! Let’s just say that when I heard Blake Shepard’s voice come out, it felt weird. Up until he appeared, I thought Ryunnosuke was a female. Especially when I read prior to his appearance that Yui Horie voiced him. So I almost took a spit-take first hearing the dub. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Sorata is played by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (known for Soma on Food Wars, Inosuke on Demon Slayer, Kirito on SAO, Helios on Sailor Moon Eternal, Petelgeuse on Re:Zero, Yona on Fire Force, and Freed on High School DxD

*Nanami is played by Mari Nakatsu

*Mashiro is played by Ai Kayano (known for Darkness on Konosuba, Alice on SAO: Alicization, Kanae on Demon Slayer, Mayaka on Hyouka, Ryouko on Food Wars, Itsuwa on Index, and Yukika on Ore Monogatari)

*Misaki is played by Natsumi Takamori (known for Mei on Another, Tiaplate on Interspecies Reviewers, Hibana on Deadman Wonderland, Souna on High School DxD, and Saitou on Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen)

*Jin is played by Takahiro Sakurai (known for Suzaku on Code Geass, Licht on Black Clover, Oshino on Monogatari, Ayame on Fruits Basket 2019, Sting on Fairy Tail, Griffith on Berserk 2016, and Osomatsu in Mr. Osomatsu)

*Ryuunosuke is played by Yui Horie (known for Hanyuu on Higurashi, Tohru on Fruits Basket, Hanekawa on Monogatari, Minori on Toradora, Felix on Re:Zero, Charla on Fairy Tail, and Maria on Umineko)

ENGLISH CAST: *Sorata is played by Greg Ayres (known for Kaoru on Ouran HSHC, Nagisa on Free!, Sunohara on Clannad, Monokuma on Danganronpa, Izumi on Love Stage, Ayato on Angel Beats, Chrono on Chrono Crusade, and Isshiki on Chunibyo)

*Nanami is played by Christina Kelly (known for Alice on Food Wars, Sophia on Chunibyo, and Kouko on Golden Time)

*Mashiro is played by Caitlynn French (known for Mio on Little Busters, Shiro on No Game No Life, Matsurika on Maria Holic, and Kanna on Tamako Market)

*Misaki is played by Luci Christian (known for Wrath & Truth on FMA, Medusa on Soul Eater, Uraraka on My Hero Academia, Nagisa on Clannad, Yukari on Azumanga Daioh, Nami on One Piece, and Hiro on Fruits Basket 2019)

*Jin is played by Scott Gibbs (known for Satoshi on Food Wars, Sora on No Game No Life, and Mitsuo on Parasyte)

*Ryuunosuke is played by Blake Shepard (known for Soma on Food Wars, Otonashi on Angel Beats, Shoma on Penguindrum, Kyousuke on Little Busters, Natsume on Inu x Boku SS, and Laito on Diabolik Lovers)

SHIPPING: Okay, let’s go crazy!

*Sorata x Mashiro: Everything here is just piles upon piles of misunderstandings. Mashiro says a lot of things that have double meanings. She doesn’t intend to do it, she’s just aloof and only pays attention to her art. It wasn’t until the halfway mark of the series when Mashiro feels something she’s never felt before. Prior to this, she only focused on her art and literally nothing else. Now, she wants to try new things for Sorata’s sake. And then she learned about jealousy as she acted on impulse a couple of times due to Sorata paying a little more attention to Nanami. Thankfully, the jealousy never really blew up to proportions that involve cat fights. Just her running away at an important time! You know, that kind of drama.

*Sorata x Nanami: Nanami has a crush on Sorata. It’s been visible from space since episode one. So what do you think is going to happen when someone like Mashiro shows up and says weird shit about sleeping with Sorata, going to a love hotel with Sorata, and Sorata, please do my laundry?! Jealousy’s gonna hit! At the school festival, Nanami got a confession and it was NOT from Sorata like she wanted. It was from her and Sorata’s classmate whom I can’t remember or bother remembering anything about him. And of course Nanami doesn’t want this. Now I do give Nanami credit here as she doesn’t try to delve a wedge between Sorata and Mashiro because she’s the one with the bigger and longer crush. But Nanami’s confession kinda comes out in her creative ways like in her voice over practice.

*Jin x Misaki: So at the beginning, I didn’t know where this was going to go. It was proven that Misaki likes Jin early on. But who the hell knew if this was going to be legit canon? Jin was a playboy and Misaki is eccentrically nuts. However, there were moments sprinkled throughout the series where Misaki would do insane things to get Jin’s attention. We just didn’t know if she was for sure serious about Jin or just messing with him. But then we learn that Jin actually dated Misaki’s older sister once upon a time and this really strikes at Misaki. Once she saw Jin and Fuuka together after so long, Misaki felt more determined to win Jin’s heart by any means necessary. Turns out the two truly love each other, but worry about the other due to things out of their control.

*Ryuunosuke x Rita: We finally met the shut-in, computer programmer face-to-face during the midway point. He only comes out of hiding when he needs to show up to school for important tasks like exams. Sucks for Ryuunosuke because when he emerged after a long time being holed up, Mashiro’s friend from England, Rita came for a visit! Besides wanting to take Mashiro back home with her, she inadvertently falls for Ryuunosuke. Yes, about that! Ryuunosuke hates females. He did not care for that kiss Rita gave him. Or any kiss for that matter!

ENDING: The fun nears its end! The students of Sakura Hall got some pretty grim news. Their dorms are to be torn down effective immediately. Sorata is of course disgusted that the school is going to do it. After all this time he’s spent at the dorms, he’s felt a connection there and with all his friends. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much defense to go on with this. The building is pretty run down and the school usually just sent troublemakers to live there. Misaki and Jin are like days away from graduating so they would be moving away anyways. And Nanami is probably going to be leaving, either for a job or because of her parents.

But then we learn that the school pushed up demolition plans because of Mashiro. Because of Mashiro’s (good) reputation, the school felt as though the dorm has become a hinderance on her art work and wants to do away with the distraction. Sorata was determined to keep both Sakura Hall and Mashiro, but he does end up getting a pile-up in his life during this time. To tell the truth, nearly everybody had a lot of baggage to deal with besides the demolition of their dorm. Nanami ended up failing her audition for this voice actress opportunity and was at a crossroads with a future career and what her parents want. Misaki and Jin are about to deal with a long-distance relationship as Jin is going to college in a different city. And Sorata is dealing with the stresses of getting a game idea accepted.

Sorata took on more when he decided to help his friends try to petition the tearing down of Sakura Hall. Unfortunately, they were unable to get the amount of signatures needed to overturn the school’s decision. On top of that, Sorata got a rejection for his game and took his anger and frustration out on Mashiro. Mashiro thought that if she left, Sakura Hall would be left alone. Thankfully, Sorata and Nanami were able to stop Mashiro before she could hop a train and plane out of Japan. And we do get a touching moment between Sorata and Nanami without the use of jealousy or confessions of love. Just in time, the kids were able to make it to Jin and Misaki’s graduation.

At the graduation, Misaki kinda commandeered the student council president’s speech to the graduating class to her own plan. In the speech, Misaki explained her time at Sakura Hall as the time of her life and pleaded with everyone to oppose the school’s decision to demolish it. With so many students opposing the principal and bringing a lot out in the open, Sakura Hall is saved. Now is the time for many of these kids to go their separate ways. Nanami is going home and whether or not she returns is up to her father (spoiler alert: she stays). Jin and Misaki are going to college, but Jin is going away while Misaki stays in town (best of all they’re engaged and will be wed once they both graduate). And Ryuunosuke is going to do what he does best and if we see him again, we see him again.

With Sorata and Mashiro alone for the moment, they reflect on their first meeting and Sorata gets a kiss on the cheek.

The new school year brings three new students to Sakura Hall; a pervert, an extreme introvert, and Sorata’s baby sister. Turns out she really passed her entrance exam several episodes prior! And Misaki ended up buying the house next door from Sakura Hall! Sorata decided to keep some traditions alive with the new housemates by having a hot-pot celebration, a wild greeting, and a few cats hanging around.

This was pretty nice. I didn’t know what I was expecting when I started watching this. I initially put it on my randomizer list because this was one of the few animes licensed by Sentai with a very decent score. I do wonder if the story continues in manga form. And if so, is there any more progression between Sorata and either Nanami or Mashiro? I’m not mentioning Sorata’s little sister here because, come on man, that’s just nasty! Is there any necessary thing to mention about the new students or were they just added at the end just for hahas? I doubt if anything else will come of this anime as it has almost been a full decade since its airing.

But yeah, cute story. Nothing more I really want to say. If you want to watch this anime, it’s only available to watch on Hi-dive.

Now then, let’s watch something a little more near and dear to my heart besides high school romance in art class.

GAMBLING AND CRAZY BITCHES TIME!

#anime review #the pet girl of sakurasou #mashiro shiina #nanami aoyama #sorata kanda #ryuunnosuke akasaka #misaki kamiigusa #jin mitaka #rita ainsworth

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