Realistic or Modern The Ugly Truth

[Dovahkiin]

Hearing the employee's chuckle made Kou's stomach flip. Why was he being so nice? he wondered, an immediate feeling of realization replacing the spark of hope he had in his guts. Probably because he's on the job. Gotta remain courteous, I guess. The few times he'd left his apartment, he'd rarely come across kindness -- he figured people couldn't be bothered to show tenderness toward him, especially with the near-constant stoic expression he wore and the emotionless way his words rolled off his tongue. Kou didn't exactly radiate friendliness. "One of each." His response was almost automatic. "I'll have it he-"


The words died in his throat as his attention shifted to a red-haired woman scolding the ghoul at Kou's feet, his curious glances flickering between the interacting duo as the squabble unfurled. Only half paying attention to their words, he noted the way the red-haired woman acted, tense and nervous, like she was on the verge of falling head-first into a breakdown. Her demeanor struck a pang of familiarity in him. Growing up, he'd wander to his aunt's room, guided by the sounds of shaky sobs, to find her bunched up in a quivery fetal position on the floor, tears soaking her cheeks and a vice-grip on a pillow so tight her knuckles paled. Anxiety was a terrible thing; it made him ache to know the red-haired woman was feeling something similar. It eased his nerves to see the ghoul who'd been circling his legs earlier nuzzle the girl's shoulder.

 

[Clouds]

Yoshii Uchida


Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku


Yoshii had been eyeing the two girls, more cautious about the snowy white haired one who seemed to be wilder than the red haired one. However, he could not help but to smile as he noticed them behaving the way they did now. However he snapped back to reality when he heard the voice of the male with the piercings, making him tilt his head as the other had not shown any sign of emotion yet which was quite rare these days as people just preferred to show how they were feeling without having to hold back. He leaned forwards unconsciously and pushed with his finger on the corners of the other his mouth in an upwards movement. However as he heard another employee scraping his throat he laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, sometimes I just do things that I want without me realizing it.” He apologized as he did not want for the other to be awkward.


He plated the macarons in a more amused away as the atmosphere in the shop seemed to be calming down again which was a nice thing to have. However he was also making two cups of coffee which he took up first and brought it to the two girls who were calming down. Ruffling through their hair. “This is from the house.” He said to them before returning to the counter and giving the macarons to the pierced guy. “Is there anything else that you want?” He asked in a relaxed manner as he did not have to worry about anything anymore for the moment.

@Dovahkiin


@Reika Suzuya


@Sunbather

 

[Reika Suzuya]

​

Cake Shop | Harajuku

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!" she repeated, growing in volume. Something about this girl made her furious. Her head hurt and she felt this sting, that high-pitched noise in her head that had haunted her for so long now. it always made her feel like her head would explode any minute. The hollow cheeks and generally worringly thin face distorted in anger and unease. "Make... it... go... please!" she asked, as her volume lowered again. Hope hunched her body even more than usual and wrapped her arms around herself, as if to shield her from the looks. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she mumbled, panicking and retreated back to the chair Yoshii had offered her earlier. She knew she'd be cast out again for this, but... it wasn't her fault.

​

[QUOTE="Reika Suzuya]Reika watched as Hope yelled. She wanted to do something to help. Hope's yelling made Reika sad, but not pittying. She gave a sorrowful sort of look as Hope sat back down and went up to her, still on all fours. Her kagune gave another little swish as she moved forward, adamant in her decision. Reika stood up just enough to nuzzle her head against Hope's shoulder in a display of kind affection, not wanting a Hope to be mad or sad or feeling any other negative emotion. It was the oddest sight to any onlookers, and Reika was certainly an odd ghoul.

[/QUOTE]

Hearing the employee's chuckle made Kou's stomach flip. Why was he being so nice? he wondered, an immediate feeling of realization replacing the spark of hope he had in his guts. Probably because he's on the job. Gotta remain courteous, I guess. The few times he'd left his apartment, he'd rarely come across kindness -- he figured people couldn't be bothered to show tenderness toward him, especially with the near-constant stoic expression he wore and the emotionless way his words rolled off his tongue. Kou didn't exactly radiate friendliness. "One of each." His response was almost automatic. "I'll have it he-"


The words died in his throat as his attention shifted to a red-haired woman scolding the ghoul at Kou's feet, his curious glances flickering between the interacting duo as the squabble unfurled. Only half paying attention to their words, he noted the way the red-haired woman acted, tense and nervous, like she was on the verge of falling head-first into a breakdown. Her demeanor struck a pang of familiarity in him. Growing up, he'd wander to his aunt's room, guided by the sounds of shaky sobs, to find her bunched up in a quivery fetal position on the floor, tears soaking her cheeks and a vice-grip on a pillow so tight her knuckles paled. Anxiety was a terrible thing; it made him ache to know the red-haired woman was feeling something similar. It eased his nerves to see the ghoul who'd been circling his legs earlier nuzzle the girl's shoulder.

"Reika-chan thinks really pretty. You should try to be happy. There are a lot of people who are mean and try to hurt others, so those people don't really matter. So try to be happy, okay?" Reika said when she was done nuzzling Hope's shoulder. Her bikaku kagune gave a little swish as she went back over to Kou with a cheery smile.


"Hey, hey, what's with that face? You look shockety shocked. Haha~" Reika said with a little laugh. The laugh wasn't mean in the least, but friendly and kind. Her directness was clearly not meant to hurt anyone, simply a result of her being far too honest about how she felt for her own good.





@TaeYeon

 

[SBMWaugh]

Northern Tokyo | Ueno Park

Fujitora Hana


Early in the morn there were parts of the park that were empty. Hana used this time to get out and run. Today was no different. She wore a grey tracksuit with a white undershirt as she ran listening to music from her phone. There were some other people about and seeing her pink hair some merely stared while others waved also being regulars to the part themselves. She acknowledged them by waving back and smiling politely. Did any of them know that she was a ghoul? It was unlikely. That wasn't a part of herself that she liked to advertised and only a few people in her life knew. To those in the park, she was just an eccentric girl who was polite.





In superb shape it took her several laps of the course she had worked out before she tired. Coming to rest on a bench in the park, she threw her arms up over the back and stretched out her legs. Looking up at the sky with her green orbs she wondered how she should spend the rest of her day. She still hadn't beaten that game yet so put that on the list of things to do. She was up to date with all her comics though and so wouldn't need to visit the shop. She still had food at home. Though perhaps she needed some more coffee. She didn't like buying it in bulk lest she give herself away.


Fingering the pendant on her necklace, Hana's thoughts wondered to more existential subject matter. Lost in thought she zoned out the rest of the world around her as she sat back taking up as much space on the bench as she could. She wasn't a fan of uninvited company despite her outward politeness. None of the other regulars of the park ever bothered her and she them. But not everyone who walked through the part was a regular.

ooc | thought I'd create a second local for the roleplay. Don't want the cake shop to become too congested xP

​

 

[Sunbather]

​

Cake Shop | Harajuku

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!" Hope had curled her body up into the chair, feeling watched and judged by every last person in the shop. Her eyes widened a bit, as she felt a wave of panic come down over her. She wanted to get away from that girl and her kagune. It made her nervous, aggressive, even hateful. The red headed girl tried to take a deep breath and get herself back into a more restricted mindset, but then, the girl she had yelled at just a few seconds ago came close to her. Her voice hurt Hope's ears, it made her feel like she'd explode at any minute. "Get away... Get away from me..." Her voice was a little shakey and seemingly weak, as it trailed off into silence at the end of every word. Then, she flinched, her body jerking back as the girl started to nuzzle her head against Hope's shoulder. "GET AWAY!" she now screamed, as the kagune flimmered in her eyes, which now started to glow in a red shade, her hands rising to push the girl off of her. Hope was breathing heavily, her chest heaving and sinking quickly. It was clear that she somehow felt intense panic in dealing with Reika. Usually, Hope was a very quiet and grateful person, but here she was, screaming in angst, ignoring the nice gesture of Yoshii.

​

 

[Nobody]

Satoshi Umura

​

Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku

Sato wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes dulling, he didn't like the atmosphere of this place. It was getting rather serious now, mainly due to the 'small' scene that was happening with the two girls, probably both ghouls, or they were just the 'actors'. That. At least was according to the cashier, if this was actually just a act it was creating an serious atmosphere. He looked at the time, before he started to walk to the trash can. He then walked towards the commotion, in a seemingly normal manner considering that there was two possible ghouls that could eat him if they wanted to for their nutritional benefit. "Hello, mind lighting up a bit, if you keep saying shut up so loudly how can you listen." He said as calmly as possible.


@Sunbather


@Reika Suzuya

 

[Reika Suzuya]

​

Cake Shop | Harajuku

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!" Hope had curled her body up into the chair, feeling watched and judged by every last person in the shop. Her eyes widened a bit, as she felt a wave of panic come down over her. She wanted to get away from that girl and her kagune. It made her nervous, aggressive, even hateful. The red headed girl tried to take a deep breath and get herself back into a more restricted mindset, but then, the girl she had yelled at just a few seconds ago came close to her. Her voice hurt Hope's ears, it made her feel like she'd explode at any minute. "Get away... Get away from me..." Her voice was a little shakey and seemingly weak, as it trailed off into silence at the end of every word. Then, she flinched, her body jerking back as the girl started to nuzzle her head against Hope's shoulder. "GET AWAY!" she now screamed, as the kagune flimmered in her eyes, which now started to glow in a red shade, her hands ising to push the girl off of her. Hope was breathing heavily, her chest heaving and sinking quickly. It was clear that she somehow felt intense panic in dealing with Reika. Usually, Hope was a very quiet and grateful person, but here she was, screaming in angst, ignoring the nice gesture of Yoshii.

​

Satoshi Umura

​

Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku

Sato wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes dulling, he didn't like the atmosphere of this place. It was getting rather serious now, mainly due to the 'small' scene that was happening with the two girls, probably both ghouls, or they were just the 'actors'. That. At least was according to the cashier, if this was actually just a act it was creating an serious atmosphere. He looked at the time, before he started to walk to the trash can. He then walked towards the commotion, in a seemingly normal manner considering that there was two possible ghouls that could eat him if they wanted to for their nutritional benefit. "Hello, mind lighting up a bit, if you keep saying shut up so loudly how can you listen." He said as calmly as possible.


@Sunbather


@Reika Suzuya

(....Read my last post. I can't really post something again now until @Dovahkiin replies since Reika's already back by Kou and just said something to him. O.o I feel like I put myself in a rut.)

 

[Dovahkiin]

The moment the employee's hands were by his mouth, Kou's eyes widened. He was quick to look away, heart pounding as the man gave his apology, the cheery ghoul from earlier throwing him a comment about how his face looked shocked, whether it be from the way the employee just touched him or seeing the anxiety in the red-haired woman. He could feel himself inching closer to being overwhelmed. Today, he hadn't anticipated to be involved with others much at all; being a social recluse meant Kou got exhausted easily from interacting with anyone else, and his nerves were frazzled. He knew their intentions weren't bad, which, in all honesty, made himself feel awful. Why was he getting irritated when they were being nothing but kind to him?


“Is there anything else that you want?” asked the employee, and Kou snapped from his thoughts. His eyes reluctantly met back with the man's.


"Oh, uh," he stammered, "No. That's it." Kou flashed the ghost of a smile, albeit forced, to the ghoul's direction, before digging through the pocket of his jeans for his wallet.


The screaming only came a moment later. Eyes darting to the red-haired woman, Kou felt almost helpless when it came to calming her down, since his aunt's level of anxiety almost never resulted in shouting. But maybe the techniques he used on his aunt would help put the woman at ease. He watched as the teenager spoke to the red-haired woman, and Kou took a few steps toward her afterwards, wary to give her enough space. "Tracing a square on your thigh might help," he murmured, face blank. "Breathe in as you draw a line up, breathe out as you draw a line right, breathe out as you draw down, and breathe in as you draw left." It was likely a weird suggestion, and he wasn't even sure if it would work, but he thought it'd be worth at least a shot.

 

[Reika Suzuya]

The moment the employee's hands were by his mouth, Kou's eyes widened. He was quick to look away, heart pounding as the man gave his apology, the cheery ghoul from earlier throwing him a comment about how his face looked shocked, whether it be from the way the employee just touched him or seeing the anxiety in the red-haired woman. He could feel himself inching closer to being overwhelmed. Today, he hadn't anticipated to be involved with others much at all; being a social recluse meant Kou got exhausted easily from interacting with anyone else, and his nerves were frazzled. He knew their intentions weren't bad, which, in all honesty, made himself feel awful. Why was he getting irritated when they were being nothing but kind to him?


“Is there anything else that you want?” asked the employee, and Kou snapped from his thoughts. His eyes reluctantly met back with the man's.


"Oh, uh," he stammered, "No. That's it." Kou flashed the ghost of a smile, albeit forced, to the ghoul's direction, before digging through the pocket of his jeans for his wallet.


The screaming only came a moment later. Eyes darting to the red-haired woman, Kou felt almost helpless when it came to calming her down, since his aunt's level of anxiety almost never resulted in shouting. But maybe the techniques he used on his aunt would help put the woman at ease. He watched as the teenager spoke to the red-haired woman, and Kou took a few steps toward her afterwards, wary to give her enough space. "Tracing a square on your thigh might help," he murmured, face blank. "Breathe in as you draw a line up, breathe out as you draw a line right, breathe out as you draw down, and breathe in as you draw left." It was likely a weird suggestion, and he wasn't even sure if it would work, but he thought it'd be worth at least a shot.

Reika was used to being yelled at, someone yelling at her everyday just because she's being her childlike and childish self, total strangers all of them. She didn't care about being yelled at, didn't mind it at all. She knew being yelled at wouldn't kill her, so she simply ignored it usually. But she did tend to wonder what it would be like to have somebody who actually cared about her, even if she was fine with no one caring.


Reika watched Kou go over to Hope, tilting her head sideways. Her kagune twitched a bit, then finally retracted. As her kagune retracted, her eyes changed back to their usual silvery-gray colour with black sclera. She hadn't blinked once since arriving at the Cake Shop, which was odd. Her demeanour was somewhere between animal and small child as she continued staring with a catlike gaze.

 

[Sunbather]

​

Cake Shop | Harajuku

As Satoshi approached the two girls, Hope was momentarily taken back, the way he treated them, treated her, without fear or disgust, rather than just normal everyday annoyance, it made the girl almost feel... cheerful. An odd thought, really, but the lack of hidden disgust with what she was caught her mind off-guard, struck a rut into the panic attack she had experienced. She leaned forward a bit, trying to get a better glance at the boy, though to others, it might have felt like she was preparing her to lunge at a target. Just then, as this person had captivated her interest enough to lose focus on the other ghoul, a man with piercings had approached her. She moved back in her chair, her arms still in front of her body. Hope's posture was more than defensive.


"H-huh?" she gasped our more than anything, as she listened to him explain the technique. Again, her body shifted a little towards Kou, as she brought her right hand forwards and then put it onto her leg. She started to draw the first two sides and in- and exhaled just like he had explained. "Breathe in... breathe out..." she repeated after him and did the according movements. Her eyes had stopped glowing red, now showing her plagued, green irises. Hope looked up to the man, still drawing the cube, almost caught in the motions. Just then, she flinched a little, as her eyes darted to Reika who now retracted her Kagune. Immediately, Hope's body seemed to lose the tense posture. She looked back at Kou, then at Reika. "Thank you... I... I'm sorry..." It seemed her words were directed at the both of them, though she trailed off towards the end of the sentence.

​

 

[Clouds]

Yoshii Uchida


Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku


Yoshii jumped a little at the sudden scream that he heard from the redheaded girl, making it feel like his heart exploded there for a second as it was so unexpected. He rubbed the back of his head though as he did not know how to exactly deal with her just yet as he mostly tried to get along with them first, getting to know them just a little better however upon seeing the pierced male walking towards her and gesturing for her to do a certain motion. It was pretty cute to see the latter do that while he did not seem to be too willing and maybe a little anti-social. He chuckled however as he did catch that he did not want anything else from the food here.


The macarons were on a plate on the counter and the only thing left was for it to be paid. “That is 340 yen.” He said to the male while watching him intently. Smiling towards the girl with the white hair as she had finally decided to retract her kagune. And that seemed to have done the trick on the redheaded girl as her whole body posture seemed to change at once. It was nice to see people in the state of being relaxed than having them be in a tense and paranoid state where they would be capable to do almost anything.

 

[Reika Suzuya]

​

Cake Shop | Harajuku

As Satoshi approached the two girls, Hope was momentarily taken back, the way he treated them, treated her, without fear or disgust, rather than just normal everyday annoyance, it made the girl almost feel... cheerful. An odd thought, really, but the lack of hidden disgust with what she was caught her mind off-guard, struck a rut into the panic attack she had experienced. She leaned forward a bit, trying to get a better glance at the boy, though to others, it might have felt like she was preparing her to lunge at a target. Just then, as this person had captivated her interest enough to lose focus on the other ghoul, a man with piercings had approached her. She moved back in her chair, her arms still in front of her body. Hope's posture was more than defensive.


"H-huh?" she gasped our more than anything, as she listened to him explain the technique. Again, her body shifted a little towards Kou, as she brought her right hand forwards and then put it onto her leg. She started to draw the first two sides and in- and exhaled just like he had explained. "Breathe in... breathe out..." she repeated after him and did the according movements. Her eyes had stopped glowing red, now showing her plagued, green irises. Hope looked up to the man, still drawing the cube, almost caught in the motions. Just then, she flinched a little, as her eyes darted to Reika who now retracted her Kagune. Immediately, Hope's body seemed to lose the tense posture. She looked back at Kou, then at Reika. "Thank you... I... I'm sorry..." It seemed her words were directed at the both of them, though she trailed off towards the end of the sentence.

​

Reika tilted her head to the other side. Her nose gave a tiny twitch as she sniffed for a moment. She continued to stare unblinkingly, now looking the slightest bit confused.


"What're you sorry for? Reika-chan doesn't see why you should apologize for anything. Why bother apologizing when Reika-chan doesn't see why you would. Reika-chan doesn't get it," she said, voicing her thoughts. This only made her seem more odd. She still hadn't blinked yet either. Her entire personality, everything she did and the way she did things, everything about her was odd.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Seeing the method calm the woman down, Kou allowed a quiet, relieved breath to slip from his mouth. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments after she spoke before he offered a small nod and turned back to the counter. His acceptance of her thanks didn't seem like much, but some part of him appreciated it -- even though he'd hate admitting it. His fingers withdrew 340 yen from his wallet and Kou extended his hand for the employee, his gaze falling to the plate of macarons with something akin to longing. After all that's happened so far, he was more than ready to indulge in a couple sweets.


He'd be lying if he said he wasn't glad things cooled down at the little shop, and he hoped the atmosphere wouldn't turn chaotic once more, for both his and the others' sakes. A day as disarrayed as this couldn't be normal for any of them, even with ghouls and humans living amongst one another.

 

[Reika Suzuya]

Seeing the method calm the woman down, Kou allowed a quiet, relieved breath to slip from his mouth. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments after she spoke before he offered a small nod and turned back to the counter. His acceptance of her thanks didn't seem like much, but some part of him appreciated it -- even though he'd hate admitting it. His fingers withdrew 340 yen from his wallet and Kou extended his hand for the employee, his gaze falling to the plate of macarons with something akin to longing. After all that's happened so far, he was more than ready to indulge in a couple sweets.


He'd be lying if he said he wasn't glad things cooled down at the little shop, and he hoped the atmosphere wouldn't turn chaotic once more, for both his and the others' sakes. A day as disarrayed as this couldn't be normal for any of them, even with ghouls and humans living amongst one another.

Reika turned her gaze upon the macarons in front of Kou and sniffed. Despite being a ghoul, she looked like she wanted one. She really liked the smell that came from the food. Ghoul or not, the smell of baked goods was a welcome scent to her. The expression upon her small face was a mixture of curiosity, wanting, and contentment. Certain scents just had that effect on her. She'd always been that way. Her nose twitched lightly as she continued to sniff at the macarons with keen interest. The way she stared wasn't exactly unnerving, but it was still rather unusual.

 

[Nobody]

Satoshi Umura


Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku - Sidewalk

Sato looked at the male with the piercings, sure he was a little scary, but it seemed that he wasn't a bad person himself if he helped to calm the red headed girl down. He started to smile more, the serious attitude and atmosphere quickly disappearing. "Now isn't that better then." He said rubbing the back of his head as he does so looking over at the girl with red hair. He then looked at the white haired girl, in small confusion. He didn't mind it, after all why bother obsessing over something as small as small as the girl speaking in third person. It wasn't really normal per-say but who was he to judge. He then looked at the clock, it was a bit funny maybe a bit ironic too. He didn't care or was nervous around the ghouls, but if he was late again for class, he would die by the wrath of his human teacher. "Well I am taking my leave then." backing up to take his leave from the cake shop and go to his class before he has a untimely death.

 

[iGoober]

Hitomi Yuudai


a.k.a "Eyes"


Northern Tokyo, Flower Shop


Cats

Bill. Bill. Some kind of cereal ad. Bill. Bill. Eviction Notice. Bill... Eviction notice? He had heard of these before, but had never actually seen one! However, after reading through the message which consisted of many bold letters and large font, he realized... this wasn't really something to be happy about. He also, at that time, came to realize what an eviction notice was.


Closing the mailbox, he returned back to the shop, of which he lived on the second floor.


"This isn't good," he said, sitting down behind the counter. It was true, it wasn't good, in fact, it was bad. He had known the shop wasn't doing all too well, but he would have never thought it was doing this badly. Although, one might wonder what he could have possibly thought would happen when you didn't pay your bills - of which, for the longest time, he had thought he could simply avoid by not paying them, but after coming to the conclusion that that was not the case, it had become a matter of funds and not that of ignorance.


He looked out the window at the nearly empty streets. What was he going to do? He couldn't lose their shop, not this early on. Resting his head on the table he watched as Grandpa jumped off the ice box, nearly knocking down a flower pot, as he joined Grandma on the windowsill.


"Careful," he said, he grey Himalayan cat only stopping for a second to look at Hitmoni before it continued on its way to the windowsill.


He sighed, pushing himself up. No, this wasn't the end. He'd simply have to go down there - he looked back at the paper - to the business district in Western Tokyo, and give them a piece of his mind - and probably some money...


Flipping the sign back to "closed", it had only been "open" for ten minutes, he set out towards the bus station.

---

​

"That'll be 600," replied the driver.


He patted himself down looking for his wallet, which he found in his back pocket. Opening it, he looked inside with slight dejection, as he hesitantly gave the drive the 600.


Taking his ticket and taking a seat in the back, he tucked the now, much lighter, wallet away into his coat pocket. How was he supposed to bribe them with 320? He looked out the window. If only he knew how all this business-stuff worked, perhaps he could have had a better plan, but he was at a loss.

 

[Clouds]

Yoshii Uchida


Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku


Yoshii took the 340 yen from the other and thanked him for it which was only a normal thing to say for him. He squatted down first as he scribbled something down on a piece of paper before laying it on the plate as well and setting a macaron on top so it would not fly away. There was nothing explicit on the note, just something that he wanted to write down without being pressured by anyone. He liked to do these kinds of things and he had not changed that at all as it was boring to just be normal in his point of view so he always tried to put in a surprise factor.


Besides that, this is what he had written on it: “I hope you enjoy the macarons to your heart’s content. Also, I hope you don’t mind that the shop is a little bit noisy. ^^” He then gave the plate to the male with a smile but his attention got pulled by the boy from before who seemed to be relieved at the relaxing atmosphere in the shop. Waving at the customer who was now leaving in a hurry before he was out of his sight. People really had a fun touch to them as they were all unique in their own way, making life just that much more fun.

 

[La Reyna Loca]

Katashi Takeo


“I really need to invest in an espresso machine.” The man grumbled to himself as he walked down the street that seemed to be gaining more people by the minute; even though he was not in the Shibuya district. Katashi was fine with crowds but his tolerance for rude humans and their smells was less than usual when he hadn’t eaten in a day or two. His pace was twice the average person’s as if he were late for some kind of appointment. Walking around 6ft in Japan with his black suit, a white undershirt and a red silk tie; people moved out of his way. He wasn’t going to any kind of meeting of course, simply in need of some strong caffeine and he wanted it as quick as possible.


His plans solely consisted of meeting a client for lunch later, which gave him time to catch up on paper work after this. It was still too early to go hunting, besides his next target had work until right before sundown today and it was precisely what had led him walking, absentmindedly down through the Harajuku shops hoping to find one of those ‘special‘ sort of coffee shops.


Coming to a stop a ways down the first street, he lazily turned towards the window of the first small shop he saw. It was a cute looking bakery that reeked of human pastries. Tired, ice blue eyes, so light they could pass for gray in the right light, looked beyond the glass passed the customers, the ready pastries and finally to the menu. Katashi could smell the fresh baked pastries, so much so he could nearly taste them and his stomach turned; the smell more than enough to make him want to vomit.


With a deep sigh, he mentally reassured himself, optimistically that the coffee would be worth the nasty smelling time in the shop. Normally Katashi was in a better mood, but it was too early and his stomach was too empty. Walking inside the place he noticed there were quite a few people inside, human and ghoul alike he could sense, giving him a good feeling this place may be just what he was looking for. He walked up to the counter eyeing the menu, waiting for the cashier to come to the counter.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Kou dipped his head toward the cashier in thanks as he swiped up the plate of macarons, eyes scanning the cafe before they centered onto a clean, empty table hidden off in a corner. He took a step toward it, only to be stopped short when he saw the white-haired girl eyeing his macarons. Watching her as she all but drooled, Kou felt a sense of possessiveness over the sweets he just bought -- probably way too much possessiveness over something that isn't lasting -- but he found himself pinching off a piece of the sweet, folding open the girl's hand, and setting it in there. His expression hadn't budged a bit, but his own actions caught him off guard. Everyone's been through a lot so far, he tried to justify; it still felt odd. As he started off toward the table he spotted, he reminded himself he wasn't a kind person. What he was doing -- it wasn't like him.


Kou sat, plugging an earbud in. Wrapping a few long fingers around the chocolate macaron, he began to lift it to his mouth, and just when he'd started to close his eyes, he saw it.


“I hope you enjoy the macarons to your heart’s content. Also, I hope you don’t mind that the shop is a little bit noisy. ^^”


A little piece of paper, scrawled with those words, was beneath the macaron. Before he could help himself, his eyes flew to the kind cashier, brows raised ever-so-slightly. Kou watched as another man strolled into the shop, this one with red hair, before his eyes and most of his attention went back to the macaron he stuffed in his mouth, unsure of what to make of today's happenings.

 

[Reika Suzuya]

Kou dipped his head toward the cashier in thanks as he swiped up the plate of macarons, eyes scanning the cafe before they centered onto a clean, empty table hidden off in a corner. He took a step toward it, only to be stopped short when he saw the white-haired girl eyeing his macarons. Watching her as she all but drooled, Kou felt a sense of possessiveness over the sweets he just bought -- probably way too much possessiveness over something that isn't lasting -- but he found himself pinching off a piece of the sweet, folding open the girl's hand, and setting it in there. His expression hadn't budged a bit, but his own actions caught him off guard. Everyone's been through a lot so far, he tried to justify; it still felt odd. As he started off toward the table he spotted, he reminded himself he wasn't a kind person. What he was doing -- it wasn't like him.


Kou sat, plugging an earbud in. Wrapping a few long fingers around the chocolate macaron, he began to lift it to his mouth, and just when he'd started to close his eyes, he saw it.


“I hope you enjoy the macarons to your heart’s content. Also, I hope you don’t mind that the shop is a little bit noisy. ^^”


A little piece of paper, scrawled with those words, was beneath the macaron. Before he could help himself, his eyes flew to the kind cashier, brows raised ever-so-slightly. Kou watched as another man strolled into the shop, this one with red hair, before his eyes and most of his attention went back to the macaron he stuffed in his mouth, unsure of what to make of today's happenings.

Reika blinked and stared for a second, then sniffed at the piece of macaron Kou had given her. Her whole face lit up in a smile and she ate it. For a second she wondered whether or not she'd be ill later for eating the small bit of macaron, but she didn't really care and the thought didn't bother her, so she let the thought disappear from her mind. She cheerily went over to where Kou had decided to sit down and smiled brightly at him, the kind of smile that reached her eyes.


"Thank you very much, mister," she chirped with a small giggle. Then she remember the scent of dog that was still on him and her nose twitched a bit. She really wanted to see that dog.

 

[Sunbather]

​

Harajuku | Cakeshop

Hope had remained silent and motionless as she watched the other ghoul and the pierced man, the latter later talked to the cashier. It was calming her even further to see the two be so friendly with each other. Everyone else seemed to mind their own business. Eventually, Hope felt relaxed. The smell of the baked goods flew into her nose. As much as she hated the taste of it, she loved these kind of shops. The smell of sugar, warmth and batter. Somehow, the taste itself was all too delicious for her, though that probably aided in her increasing hunger. Eventually though, her attention was caught by a red haired man, similar to her own. He instantly carved his presence into her perception, his cold attitude cutting the cuddly, cozy atmosphere of the bakery like a knife. The girl shook her head and quickly refocused her mind to a thought that had set in just a second before he had stepped in.

Harajuku | Cakeshop

Slowly, she got up and slouched towards the counter. She saw the people who wanted to buy stuff, but she had a tendency to repel attention when she wasn't yelling like a madman. The man with the dark hair... He had been so nice, to both her and the man with the funny hat. Hope liked it, the smiley face made it look child-like, in a good way. "E-excuse me..." She gently tugged on Yoshii's apron, hoping not to interrupt him too badly. "I'm sorry... I know I've been... really loud..." She swallowed audibly, struggling to find the right words. "I didn't mean to... I... I have no money... But I... I really want one of those..." She pointed towards the macarons that Kou had just purchased. "Please? I'll... I'll clean up for you in exchange... Please? I just want a single one."

@TaeYeon

 

[La Reyna Loca]

Katashi Takeo


Katashi’s light eyes turned to the young, messy, red head woman as he heard her beg to trade work for some baked human snack. He raised a confused brow as his senses told him the young lady was a ghoul but, for some strange reason, was requesting human food. ‘Is she going insane with hunger?’ he thought to himself as he took in the entire scene.


She looked like she’d spent more than just the last few nights on the streets. Her young eyes looked aged by tough times and fighting to survive. He recognized that look, the ironic red hair and a feeling of depression washed over him. He had that exact look when he had first had to figure out how to survive on his own after his parents were kidnapped. It hit too close to home.


Skipping formalities, Katashi turned his attention to the dark haired man with the apron he assumed to be the cashier. Walking his way, he spoke up “I think the girl needs some coffee and maybe a healthier snack.” He said smoothly, meeting the man’s eyes and flashing the fellow ghoul an award winning, pearly white smile. He was sure the man would catch the hint that this girl needed some kind of nutrition even if it was the ‘meat’ in her sandwich and some blood in her coffee.





“Of course I am good for the bill. If I could add a cup of your finest light roast with a nice kick if you would be so kind.” Katashi walked back up towards the counter, pulled out his wallet and slipped a 20,000 Yen bill into the little jar on the counter assuming it was a tip jar, but not caring if it wasn't and he stood waiting for his total. His job, no his life, was dedicated to helping out his own kind. Seeing one who appeared so abused and rejected by society only fueled his fire even more and quickly reminded him why he worked so hard to do what he did for them and The Rebellion.

 

[Clouds]

Yoshii Uchida


Location: Cake Shop, Harajuku


Yoshii would see another man entering the shop who was quite well dressed. Maybe he was some business man who wanted a break yet something inside of him was telling him that that was not the case. However he let it go for now, yet keeping an eye on the other like he did with the suspicious people that were now in his shop. He let out a sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose as this day was certainly not like all the others. Biting softly on his lip as he walked around a little to bring the other customers what they also wanted to have. However before he actually realized, time had been flying by and it was already midday. He then walked towards the front of the shop and turned the small board from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, only serving those who had just entered in time and that would be it for today.


However as he heard the man with the red hair speaking to him and seeing the other his expression, he knew what he meant. He went towards the kitchen and prepared something that had the appearance of a hamburger. It was not something that he sold in this shop but it was something that he did for those who needed it now he knew why the redheaded kid was acting the way she did. He squatted down next to her and gave her the ‘hamburger’. “You can have this if you want.” He said to her and gave it to her, what she was going to do with it next, was up to her. He then walked back to the counter to take the order of the man and brew the coffee with uttermost care as he did not want to do something half-assed like some people tended to do. He gave it to him together with the change and gave him a polite smile before he was interrupted by his cell phone. Excusing himself, he went to the corner of the shop, next to the door of the kitchen.


His facial expression was this time more serious than friendly. The people in the kitchen started to clear out since the shop was closed anyways. He leaned against the wall and kept his voice low while listening to the words that were spoken through the cell phone. Nodding silently as the other explained what was going on through the cell phone. “What are you talking about?” He asked, his voice completely different from what it was before in the shop. Nothing happy nor cheerful to be heard in it. “I get it. I’ll come over right now.” He said before stopping one of his employees and ordering her to keep the shop open until everyone was gone, she agreed as Yoshii almost never asks for someone to do this. He went to the back and changed his clothes in a fast rate. Making his way out through the front door as the back door was already locked up.


Location: Takeshita Dori Street, Harajuku


Yoshii would move in a fast pace as he made his way to the location mentioned by the other who was talking with him through the phone earlier on. His eyes scanning over the people to notice the one before he spotted him. They were both casually dressed so they did not really ask for too much attention, making it seem like they were just two friends talking with each other. Tadao Ugaki was the guy his name. “I’ve been told that Maru is going to be set in action anytime soon.” “Are you sure about that?” “Yes, it seems like the government are talking about it more frequently now. It’ll only be a matter of time now.” Tadao said and handed Yoshii some documents so he could get to know more about the person called Maru. He had heard about her before but did not know what she was fully capable off yet, and maybe these papers will help him with that. After he thanked the other, they separated their ways again. He stuffed the papers into his bag and sat down upon one of the benches that were placed there…

 

[Sunbather]

​

Harajuku | Cakeshop

The redheaded girl liked the smell of the man that had just entered. Her eyes darted back and forth between him and the man with the piercings, whom she felt grateful towards. The girl had asked for the sweet to give it to him, as a thank you, but then the man with the red hair's voice caught her attention. She had felt a harsh vibe coming off of him, but his smell and the way he spoke about her made her feel welcomed and suggested that he was a kind person. As Yoshii brought out the meat, her nostils moved a bit. She was used to starving from an extremely early age on, so she had an unusually high resistance to both, hunger and madness through starvation. The smell of it all now, however, woke her into a more alert state.

Harajuku | Cakeshop

She slowly looked up at Yoshii, who came down to her and handed her the food, which caused her eyes to widen a bit. Her tongue went over her lips, licking them greedily. "Thank you!" she said enthusiastically and lowered her head, like a little bow before she devoured the meat rather sloppily. She did try to keep it somewhat low though, so none of the other customers would be disturbed or disgusted. Then, she looked up at Katashi. "Thank you! Thank you so much." She spoke a little more confidently now, feeling reenergized. She brought her hands up in front of her chest and bowed slightly. "I-I'm Hope, sir. I... I can't repay you with money.... But... If you need someone to help you with anything... please just say so." She wasn't particularly useful, but Hope had a strong sense of appreciation. She felt thankful to the man and wanted to make it up to him.

 

[La Reyna Loca]

Katashi Takeo

​

Katashi smiled, vulnerably for a moment while he watched the girl’s eyes widen at the food she was presented and as she thanked him sweetly. Turning away while she ate, instead his gaze moved to watch excitedly for his own treat that he’d been craving all morning. He appreciated the time and love the man put into making his cup and he smiled his gratitude as he took the sweet nectar and brought it to his nose for a deep breath.


Thankfully he’d been right about the coffee being worth the smell before, and as the first sip, warmly went down into his stomach he nearly felt a shiver run down his spine. Waking from his little moment of pleasure, Katashi noticed shuffling from the kitchen workers who were trying to finish cleaning and leave for the day. ‘Closed already?’ He thought silently looking back to the cashier who had made the delicious coffee, ‘To think I nearly missed it.’


He smiled feeling lucky a moment, before he turned and opened his mouth to tell the young man just how tasty the coffee was and that he was grateful to have stopped by, when he was cut off by the sound of a ringing phone that had him subconsciously reaching towards his own pocket. He nearly laughed as the other man apologized and excused himself and simply nodded as he took his coffee to the table where the young girl who called herself “Hope” was sitting.





“I actually know exactly, how you can repay me.” Katashi’s cool gaze fell onto Hope’s light green eyes as he held a dangerous looking smirk on his face. The way he leaned back in the chair, so relaxed looking and with one arm, up behind his head; there was always something about him smiling like that made a person assume he was up to no good. Equally true, no one should ever try to assume they know what a lawyer is thinking by following their facial expressions.


He broke the intense stare with Hope to take a long sip of coffee, nearly finishing his cup and still savoring the smooth, rich taste and it did its job to slightly cure his forceful hunger.





“I run an office across from Ueno Park. A legal firm.” He said, not bothering with the name because he was sure she would have never heard of it. “I’ve recently been looking for a new receptionist. If you’d like the position, I can give you some money for clothes and you can show up this next Monday. ¥10,00 per hour.” He said watching carefully for the girl’s reaction. A fellow ghoul in his office could mean a new addition to the rebellion, another person working towards their cause and preservation for when all of this went to hell. He was always on lookout for new comrades.