Fandom Thorns

[S n o w]

• Kohaku
• Masaaki
• Shiho

• 
  

  Kohaku Ishikawa​
  July 16th
  8th Ward Branch Office​

  It had been five days since his Jou died. Four since the reinforcement squads sent to take back the 7th underestimated the 'Thorns' and were forced to retreat. Three since he was given Jou's quinque, which was all they managed to find in the rubble. Two since he was made commander of a squad of high-ranking investigators and sent to the 8th to deal with the situation in the 7th while minimizing civilian casualties. One since he received the news that a similar take-over had been attempted in the 10th ward.
  
  Were they also part of the Thorns, or was it a copy-cat organization? How many members did they have? To have pulled off the attack on the 7th, he suspected it was around a dozen A to S rated ghouls, if not at least one or two SS rated. How many traps were left? A map had been drawn and areas circled that should be avoided, but how many had been moved since then? How many more were there that they didn't know about? Kohaku shook his head. He still couldn't believe that Jou was gone. He stood, slamming his hands down on the table harder than he meant to.
  
  A junior investigator who survived had set them up in a room on the second floor, then left to help out with the wounded downstairs, some who were still too injured to be moved to a hospital. Kohaku focused on the task ahead of him, pushing his personal feelings aside. Besides Daichi, he didn't know anyone else in the room. He hadn't had time look at their records. "I'm Kohaku Ishikawa and that's Daichi Ito," he nodded to his partner, deciding it would be faster if he introduced them both. "Associate Special Class and First Class, respectively." There were more important things to do than linger on introductions. Kohaku flipped open a folder, passing out sketches of known A to S ghouls and written descriptions of their outfits.
  
  "We don't know much about the ghouls holding the 7th hostage, but these are a few high-rated ghouls that I suspect to be part of the organization." Most of the information was from investigators who had seen the ghouls at a distance, or from C-rated ghouls that were caught and interrogated. "The A-rated rinkaku ghoul, the Reaper. The S-rated ukaku ghoul, Firefly. The S-rated chimera ghoul, Dragon. The A-rated bikaku ghoul, Scorpio. The S-rated rinkaku ghoul, Rorscach. If encountered, eliminating these ghouls first over any others present should be your top priority."​
• 
  
  

  Masa stopped on the sidewalk as he waited for the signal tell him it was safe to cross, glancing to his left. He couldn't see it through the trees, but his neighbors had been whispering about an explosion that happened in this area, the day after the ghouls attacked the CCG branch office. He shivered, glancing around. Two of his neighbors had already left the day before, but he didn't know if they made it out of the ward. There wasn't much traffic anymore, but he waited anyway.
  
  He pedaled fast to Kotaku. Whatever was happening, he knew the CCG would handle it and things would go back to how they were soon enough. Masa stopped in front of the shop and tied his bike to the rack out front. It had been closed for a few days after the attack, but luckily, it had reopened earlier that day. Masa preferred to be in the shop than at home. Not only did he feel safer, but he didn't like feeling that he was hiding out. He didn't have a reason to, did he? Those ghouls didn't have anything against him.
  
  "Sorry I'm late!" he said once he was inside. Kotaku was empty, save for a lone coworker behind the counter. He looked around. "No one else decided to come, huh?"
  
  "It's just us," she said, not looking up from her phone.
  
  Masa shrugged. "That's okay. We'll be more than enough for whatever's thrown our way, right?" He smiled as he joined her behind the counter, but she only shook her head at him.
  
  "Do you actually want to be here, Masa?"
  
  "Of course I do! I don't have anywhere else to be." Masa stretched his arms above his head. He could see the news article she was scrolling through beside him, about the increased CCG presence in branches all around Tokyo after what happened in the 10th the day before. He sighed, glancing in the opposite direction. He hoped things would go back to normal soon.
• 
  
  
  

  Shiho Ueno​
  July 16th
  7th Ward​

  Shiho leaned against the sill of an open window, looking out at their ward. Their ward. That made her smile. The little group she'd built on an ambition a little over a year ago had turned into this. She wasn't naïve enough to think that the CCG would leave them alone, but still, taking the 7th was a step in the right direction.
  
  Behind her, an old TV was showing a news broadcast that depicted them as a terrorist organization, or even better twisted the attack on the 10th branch office, making those involved out to be depraved, soulless, animals trying to enslave humanity. Shiho considered herself neither of those things. She only wanted peace for her kind, but was tired of waiting around for it to happen.
  
  She ignored the broadcast and turned to face Roan, the reason why the CCG's counterattack had failed so spectacularly. "How are the traps looking? How many need to be replaced?" she asked. The attack in the 10th had been both a good distraction, and a bad one. They were given a little more time to prepare for the next counterattack, but the CCG was responding by sending out higher-ranked investigators to weaker branches all over Tokyo.
  
  "Most of them are still in less populated areas, right?" Shiho asked, absently biting her finger as she thought. Blowing up humans just because she could wouldn't get her any closer to what she wanted.
  
  She knew it would have the opposite effect, and send the wrong message to ghouls in other wards. She also knew that the CCG would want to fight them in a way that caused the least amount of casualties. By burying traps in backroads and places away from the majority of the population, she'd used the CCG's own code of conduct against them. And it would continue to work until they were willing to throw away civilian lives to fight them.​

QuirkyAngel Skita jaylen Not Calm labyrinthine StarryKnights Nostalgic-Writer Marat ​

 

[Nostalgic-Writer]

~Santeru Ishumari~
/Traveling\

Santeru hummed quietly to himself the sun obscured from his vision by the large brim of his crimson hat, a subtle smirk slated across his pale face as the sounds of his boots thudding against the ground echoed off the wall of a nearby building. He was running late for a rather important briefing managing to get himself lost which tended to happen often when he was left to himself. His large figure towering over most that happen to cross him in the street but his blood red outfit is what really caused him to stand out among the crowd. As he allowed his gaze to wander he began piecing together where he ended up, a small city section between the 7th and 8th ward with no notable landmarks or features. He felt lost in this concrete jungle and the feeling was rather invigorating or perhaps that feeling was the sound his stomach made as hunger began to set in. He sighed to himself shuffling in place rather annoyed at how he got this far off his route but his gaze slowly settled onto a coffee shop across the street which gave off a rather sweet aroma. He found himself approaching the storefront in hopes of getting a beverage in his system in order to curve his hunger and focus his mind even a bit. He grasped the door pulling it back entering into the establishment pausing for a moment to soak in the subtle details of the scenery and the employees that dwelled inside. His violet hued eyes settled onto the pair as he flashed a soft subtle smile lightly speaking up in a low resounding baritone "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be open would you?" He asked motioning over to the rest of the barren room a notable look of question on his face "I'm in desperate need of a caffeine fix but I would hate to make someone work before they were on the clock." he chuckled warmly, waiting for a response before advancing forward into the cafe.

S n o w

 

[StarryKnights]

• Daichi
• Dresden
• Ainslee

• 
  Location: 8th Ward Branch office
  
  To say that things had been hectic in light of the Thorns hostile take over of the 7th ward would've been the understatement of the century. Things had gone straight to hell, the 7th ward was under the complete control of these rebellious ghouls, and now he and his partner were tasked with addressing and resolving the issue.
  Daichi sighed to himself, wishing once again he could've been paired with a lower ranking investigator. His partner, Kohaku Ishikawa was the associate special investigator tasked with leading the newest counter strike against the Thorns.
  
  The original teams sent in to accomplish this task had been pushed back by the Thorn's and their ingenious traps, which prevented the investigators from moving too far into the ward.
  The explosives had proven quite deadly in the chaos following the attack on the ward's office.
  Daichi couldn't help but wonder which ghoul thought them up, as well as who had created them.
  
  He pondered these questions as he and Kohaku made their way to the meeting at hand, assembling a task force to apprehend or eliminate the Thorns was the major task at hand.
  
  Daichi slouched beside his partner and inclined his head slightly as he was introduced.
  Reports had indicated that several high profile ghouls had been spotted during this attack, how all these ghouls came together to work toward such a destructive goal was one more mystery for Daichi to ponder.
  
  Daichi examined the sketches handed out, depicting the images of the ghouls at hand.
  Reaper, Firefly, Dragon and Scorpio, all rank A or above.
  All potent in their own right, together they made quite the formidable force.
  
  Daichi sighed again. This was a right and proper mess, one he was simply delighted to be cleaning up.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Location: Thorn Hideout
  
  It was a surreal feeling, knowing that they had actually pulled it off. The ward was under their control, and they were one step closer to their ultimate goal. The extermination of the CCG would be the first step toward ghouls being free, at least that was the idea.
  Dresden was fairly certain that freedom couldn't be earned from bloodshed, it was only a matter of time before the humans struck back. The CCG would be their first means of countering them, and once they were crushed...
  
  Well, there was no way of knowing how the humans would react, but Dresden didn't care. He wanted the CCG eliminated, and that alone would make Japan a much safer place for ghouls.
  
  Lounging in a run down, moth eaten chair, Dresden ignored the television broadcast on their escapades and instead choose to focus on their leader's conversation.
  Shiho Ueno, also known as Firefly. Looking at her, you wouldn't expect that she was the ring leader of the dangerous gang of ghouls which had over taken the seventh ward and beaten back the CCG.
  
  His gaze shifted to the ghoul she'd addressed, who's name was Roan. Roan was the genius behind the traps that had countered the CCG's counter attack, the bloody craters scarred the streets, a testament to the traps effectiveness.
  Roan was a fair bit younger than the rest of them, least Dresden assumed they were.
  
  He let out a yawn, stretched his arms above his head and sighed. "It's only a matter of time before the CCG comes looking for us, we're going to need those traps...", he chuckled lightly.
  
  Of course, he was content to tear through the investigators the old fashioned way, but the traps were their ace in the hole. Even if the CCG were expecting them this time around, they would still be a valuable asset in the coming fight.
  
• 
  Location: The streets of the 7th ward
  
  Things were quite, deceptively so, but the air was tense. The take over of the 7th ward had been enacted by the Thorns, and somehow...it had worked. The ward was under the control of the deviant ghouls, the CCG's counter attack had been repelled in a spectacular and bloody fashion.
  Ainslee tried not to think about the lives lost, but the proof poof was all around her. Blood stained rubble, left behind by the traps Thorn had set up, traps that the investigators had walked into while attempted to counter strike.
  
  Dresden had been involved in this dreadful affair, that much Ainslee knew for certain. She and he brother had moved into the seventh ward a few weeks ago, it had been simple enough given the pair had no home to go back to.
  Originally she'd thought it was because of Dresden's new job, she was so excited when he told her he'd found work that was stable.
  
  Of course, now she knew that "work" was in fact involvement with the Thorns, a group of dangerous ghouls looking to strike back against the CCG.
  Instead of giving her piece of mind, Dresden had come up with another way to make his sister worry, a impressive feat really.
  
  Walking alone down the barren street, Ainslee left the building the Thorns were currently hiding in. That was technically her home now, but at the moment she couldn't bear to be there.
  She was confused, angry and uncertain, the CCG was certain to strike again, which meant Dresden would be fighting again. He'd be in danger again...
  Him and his newfound friends.
  Ainslee had met the other members of the Thorns, in the hours before the attack had gone down. She was surprised at how...average they all were.
  
  Looking back it was hard to believe they'd caused all this damage...everything had been turned upside down.
  

S n o w

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori - 10th Ward​

“Let me see your Kagune,”

In compliance to the doctor’s orders, a blue limb emerged from Akane’s tail bone, extending so that it was in between her and the pink haired ghoul. She watched him study the limb with a combination of curiosity detachment. Curious about what he had to say, yet not really caring about the state of her well-being. She still went for her yearly doctor check-ups more out of habit than anything else. It was also a good excuse to visit an old acquaintance.

Akira Horiyama had been her family doctor since she was eight. A friend of her mother’s, supposedly, though she wasn’t sure if their relationship could ever be described as friendly. Dr. Horiyama was a strange one. He didn’t seem to like ghouls or humans, though she’d heard he’d taken on a human wife. He also cared for ghouls like her at his own risk, so it could be argued that he liked both…but looking at how easily he ate and killed his own kind, one wouldn’t think so.

A ghoul full of contradictions.

But then, wasn’t everyone?

“It doesn’t seem that much worse than before, but you are still lacking in nutrition if the pallor of your skin is any indication . Coffee can satiate the hunger a little, but it doesn’t provide what your body needs in terms of benefits.”

“Finding corpses isn’t easy.”

A pitiful excuse she knew and Dr. Horiyama’s look said as much. Sighing, Akane retracted her kagune and glanced out the window of the small clinic to where her caravan was parked. Beyond that, the streets of Meguro—10th ward of Tokyo. It didn’t look as bad as she’d thought would given a ghoul raid just happened a day ago. People still walked the streets unafraid; Humans, at least. She hadn’t seen any ghouls out and about yet, but given the amount of white coats she’d passed on her way to the clinic, it was understandable.

They were armed, frightened by a potential attack, and trigger happy.

“If you’re on your way to Sumida I’d advise caution. That place is rigged with explosives or so I hear.”

Akane blinked. “How did you know?”

“All the ghouls I’ve talked to are flocking over to the 7th ward with this new gangs success, claiming that it’s become a safe haven for ghouls and that Thorn is different than all the other ghoul groups that have tried. I don’t imagine your father to be much different—fool that he is.”

Akane wanted to defend her father, but her mindset was much the same. She didn’t understand what he was thinking when she read his surprise text after he’d closed off all contact with her for years. Freedom? What sort of freedom was he looking for? Freedom to kill? Freedom to die? She’d seen it on the news. The CCG wouldn’t give up until all the hostages in Sumida were freed and the lost territory retrieved from the monsters. More battles. More deaths. Even if the CCG were all gone, it wouldn’t change anything. Humans would still fight to for their right to not be eaten; Their right to protect the dead bodies of their loved ones from desecration.

She still couldn’t wipe from the mind the look on that boy’s face as he watched his family eaten by her parents. She probably never would.

Who should she have protected back then?

Who should she side with now?

“The only thing you need to protect is your own health.”

It was unnerving how Dr. Horiyama had read her like a book. But then, he had known her for 12 years, ever since she was a child. Taking the package offered by the medical professional, Akane nodded her thanks before leaving the clinic and making her way to her brightly-colored caravan, parked across the street. Dr. Horiyama had his own family to consider. She had hers. She would head to the 7th ward. She would find her father. She would give him a piece of her mind. Afterwards…that could be decided later.

Akane reached for her keys.

 

[Skita]

Hanako Fujita
Location: 10th ward, Outside of the CCG Building
​

Hanako adjusted her purse on her shoulder, keeping her head down as she stepped off the train. It's only been a few days since the attack in the attacks in the 7th and 10th and instead of feeling safer she felt quite the opposite. Ever since then all she could think about was the fact that eventually, there was a high chance for retaliation from the CCG and it terrified her. For the CCG to find her after being on the run meant that 8 years of hiding, of being Tsubaki Minami would have been for nothing if she was just going to have a needless death at their hands. She didn't need anymore needless deaths in her life.

Its been so long since she had been in 10th ward but everything felt as if were yesterday that she and Haruka had move here to start a new life after the death of their family. It was a fimilar comfort she felt being here once again despite the climate, however she wasn't sure if being in this ward was a great idea but she couldn't help herself. There were so many memories buried here in hopes that things would get better. But alas the only things that really happened when she lived here were almost monthly fights over her brother's territory that she had to help defend regardless of her own morals. Their job back then had simply been to stick together and protect each other. Something Hanako felt she turned her back on in the end.

She let herself wander around the ward for a while, lost in her own thoughts, before finding herself standing feet from the CCG building. She stood quietly outside staring the building up and down, the ghouls barely made a dent. Their attack was so unnecessary and it...it didn't make sense. When her friend had called her few nights ago she wasn't surprised when she was told her brother decided to attack the building. From the second she found out she felt an urge to call him, to convince him not to be stupid enough for him to go and do this, to tell him that lightning wasn't going to strike twice. But she knew he wasn't going to change his mind, and after all Haruka was a strong ghoul. She was sure he could take care of himself, beside with almost 4 years of being estranged would he even answer her call? She couldn't dwell on that now. It was no use thinking about what could've happened but she couldn't believe that he died in the attack. The day after the attack and the news that all the ghouls involved were murdered, she couldn't help the feeling she got in her knees as if she wanted to drop right there and start sobbing. Hell she still had that feeling, even now standing in front of the building, probably not too far from where Haruka died. She didn't like the idea that she was officially alone. She ran a hand through her hair, staring back at the ground hastily wiping at her face. They had started a war with casualties already, but what was going to be the cost?

 

[S n o w]

Masaaki Kita​

"Oh, hi!" Masa said, gesturing for the man to come inside. "It has been pretty quiet around here lately, but we're open and ready to serve you whatever you like. Welcome to Kotaku!" He hadn't been expecting a customer so soon after arriving, but moved to replace the old water in the machine with a fresh bottle in a cabinet.

"Just a regular coffee?" He pointed at the menu hanging above him. "It'll take a few minutes to cook, but we have bagels, donuts and scones as well if you'd like to sit down and eat." He waited for the man's order, glancing over his outfit as his coworker scrambled to put away her phone before the customer saw. Masa felt very, very short in comparison.

Nostalgic-Writer ​

 

[Kloudy]

The Rainmaker
8th Ward - CCG Main Branch Office

Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.

Nimble footsteps echoed down the hall as a thin frame swiftly made its way through the building, umbrella bouncing to the side. Cursory glances and muted whispering revealed the air of wariness those within his immediate vicinity held, shuffling off elsewhere as he strode by with clear purpose. Marx has somewhere to be, and he was not one to underperform no matter the circumstances, even if the matter was only one of punctuality. He would supposedly be assigned a new partner and consequently reassigned to a new ward, partially as a result of his last partner’s untimely demise at the hands of those wretched ghouls. Of course, the main reason for the shift in routine was due to the recent ghoul terrorist attacks in the 7th and, to a lesser extent, the 10th ward. More bodies were needed to fill the gaps left behind by the failed Thorn Extermination Operation. Marx only hoped that his new partner was more experienced than his last had been.

He soon arrived at the meeting place and let himself in. It seemed the others had begun without him, despite his timely arrival, and there were still investigators missing. Well, with time being a precious commodity these days, Marx couldn’t exactly blame them. He frowned all the same, silently promising himself to dismember an extra ghoul today to remedy the discrepancy. Catching on to the end of the conversation, his eyes flicked over the ghoul profiles on display with analytical efficiency. After a moment, he looked back up to gaze coolly at Kohaku with what could be called quite a stare, but something quite closer to it. Marx didn’t blink often.

“Associate Special Class... Marx Hawthorne.”

The words seem to come out in a lazed drawl, smitten with boredom. Perhaps he couldn’t stand to exist in a moment too long devoid of ghoul extermination. In some ways Marx was glad the 7th ward counteractive measures had failed: it gave his enemies a fighting chance to keep things interested before their inevitable deaths at his hands.

“Is there any more information on these three? Any combat reports, prior sightings or speculative analysis?”

Marx gestured to the sheets that held the information on the three S Rank ghouls previously mentioned. When in doubt, start at the top and work your way down. Marx needed leads on on who ran what and how, and his hunch was on the more dangerous individuals possessing a higher potential for leadership. If he could investigate where they were sighted or, if he were lucky, the ghouls’ actual hunting grounds and pick up some clues as to their current whereabouts and plans. That’s how he usually did things and it had worked thus far. Rounding up the big fish was only the first step to striking Thorn’s effective use as a terrorist organisation. Cut off the heads and burn the stumps before they can regrow, as they say...

S n o w StarryKnights

 

[Nostalgic-Writer]

~Santeru Ishumari~
/Kōtaku \

He approached the counter after being greeted promptly sitting letting his eyes flicker over the menu pretending to show interest in the food items. After a moment Santeru lightly bowed his head shaking it side to side amused "I'm afraid not, I'm running rather late for a meeting and I'm sure they spent a lot of money on food already. I'd hate to show up full and not eat anything they provided." He said raising his gaze to the young man in front of him deep violet irises looking at him, Santeru's expression was soft but his eyes appeared to look right through Masaaki "But I would love to have one regular coffee, perhaps in the largest container you have?" He asked adjusting himself in the seat resting his hands on the counter in front of him. A slight pause as he awaited a response.

S n o w

 

[Not Calm]

Morumotto, 'The Class Pet'
Streets of the Eighth Ward
// labyrinthine //

"These are truly Tokyo's darkest hours... Ghouls in the shadows, around every corner... Massacre... Massacre?" Moru paused his mumbling, returning to the statements he'd just read from the newspaper he held. He'd been kept mostly in the dark on the events that plagued Tokyo over the past couple weeks, until the siege of the 10th ward CCG head branch just a day prior. Having never been one for news, Moru had little-to-no knowledge of the total loss of the seventh ward until today; he'd heard bits and pieces, but nobody had ever sat him down and told him the entire story until earlier today. He was glued to the news stands while him and his new partner, Senior Investigator Nakamura, made their way over to the eighth ward as part of their reassignment. He hoped she wasn't getting too frustrated with him—as many of his previous partners often had—as a result of his walking off so suddenly to dip into another news stand. He couldn't read very well, and struggled with some of the bigger words as a result, but he got the jest of it: it's bad out there. It troubled him a little. How could the CCG have such trouble containing measly ghouls?

The newspaper was torn from Moru's hands in a single swift motion by the owner of the news stand, who promptly scolded Moru for reading the paper without purchasing it first. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Moru hastily replied, holding his hands up in surrender. Disheartened, not for the first time that day, the lower-class investigator shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled back into the crowd in an attempt to join back with his partner. Kano Nakamura was an interesting figure, although not one he was unfamiliar with. They'd been partnered for less than a week, and today would mark the beginning of their first official assignment together: a general aid assignment in the eighth ward. He felt totally out of his league, knowing he'd be surrounded by high-ranked investigators in the eighth ward, but he was a little more comfortable knowing that he'd be partnered with Kano. Moru and Kano had some degree of history together, and they were always someone Moru could look to as a role-model; they're an exemplary investigator, and an interesting person overall, but, more importantly to Moru, they're the only other person he's known to have been raised within the CCG. So, Moru has often observed Kano's status and career path; despite this, though, they've had very few actual encounters before their partnership. It'd been an interesting week, to say the least.

Moru continued to push through the crowd, "Kano?" He called out at a moderate volume, not wanting to annoy anyone after already having annoyed the man at the news stand. Kano had been leading them towards the eighth ward's CCG branch before Moru broke off to explore the headlines without notifying them... He hoped they didn't continue without him. It'd take him forever to find a landmark he was familiar with around here, even longer to actually find his way over to the CCG branch. He'd hate to miss the briefing, if they hadn't missed it already.

Not wanting to be left behind, Moru pulled out the standard-issue cell phone given to all investigators and found Kano's contact; he pressed the 'call' button, and raised the phone to his ear as it began to ring.

 

[Witty Wild]

Rei Hanako
The smell of paint filled his senses and brought with it a feeling of peace as he stepped into his classroom. Despite being an Art classroom, the room was surprisingly neat, minus the many differentiating art projects scattered across the room. Most of them belonged to his students, and being a relatively “fair” grader all the work in the room showed that the students gave their best effort; Of course Rei would accept no less. For Rei, Art was about the inner workings of your heart, mind, and soul that should be displayed and brought into life passionately. Half assed or uncaring work, just wasn’t accepted in his class. Flicking on the overhead lights, he glided further into the room, keys in hand to unlock the cage where he kept his personal art supplies. Rei has a sudden urge to create shortly after a phone call with his mother. She was concerned with the ghoul activity of a group called the thorns. Naomi Hanako has been concerned with how queer he had been lately: Eating less , withdrawing into himself, making less frequent phone calls home...His mother was concerned he had joined the thorns. As Rei gently placed a few bottles of acrylic paint and glaze into his art bag, a frown stole across his face and his heart gave a painful twinge as he recalled his mothers words. “Are you involved with those monsters?“ Monsters she had called them! Her own kind she had called monsters, as if the people fighting for ghoul rights were anything less than righteous- How could she! Rei’s knuckles grew white as clutched his bag and closed the cage with a might bit to much force. Rei has softly assured his mother that he had not been apart of the Thorns latest activity, and that he had been merely having a difficult time with his students. It was a lie of course. While not apart of the Thorns, Rei found himself decorating the streets with frequent depictions CCG art.

Locking up his classroom, Rei kept his eyes low as he made his way off campus; his head full and cloudy. ​

 

[S n o w]

• Kohaku
• Masaaki

• 
  

  Kohaku Ishikawa​
  July 16th
  8th Ward Branch Office​

  Kloudy StarryKnights ​

  Kohaku mentally counted to fifteen, giving his colleagues enough time to look over the sketches and read through the information on them. He was about to speak again when another investigator arrived, one he recognized not by his looks, but by his name. Marx Hawthorne. He'd heard more than a few rumors about the man in his old position, from junior investigators who feared being paired with him.
  
  There was at least one other investigator he knew of like that. Kano Nakamura, but they weren't here. Still, it gave him the impression that the CCG was taking the Thorns as seriously as they should've from the beginning by assigning someone like him to be part of Kohaku's squad.
  
  "We have the most information on Rorschach," Kohaku said as Marx took a seat, looking at a copy of the rinkaku ghoul. "Believed to be male, we know he considers himself as an artist. He's responsible for the blood paintings across Tokyo, the murder victims set up to resemble art sculptures. His victims were all well-known advocates against ghouls. He's elusive, despite his showy murders. The first sighting of Firefly was around a year and a half ago in the 7th ward. Besides having a ukaku kagune, not much is known about them." Kohaku considered the third S-rated ghoul, shaking his head. "We know the least about Dragon."​
• 
  
  Masaaki Kita​

  

  "That's too bad," Masa said, then caught himself. "I mean, I'm sure they have great food there!" He rubbed the back of his head with a nervous laugh. As his coworker charged him for the coffee and gave him change, Masa washed his hands, put on a pair of gloves and got to work.
  
  It felt good to be making coffee again. After a little over three minutes, Masa presented the customer his order in an extra-large cup. "Here you go. Enjoy!"
  

  Nostalgic-Writer ​

 

[labyrinthine]

kano nakamura, first class investigator

ㅤIt's been a while since CCG's 7th ward branch was utterly destroyed. It was something unexpected. A while since the Thorn Extermination Operation failed. A while since another group attacked CCG's 10th ward branch. A small sigh escaped Kano's lips. The day dragged on and Kano knew they were late. Practically shoving their way through the bustling streets of the 8th Ward, Kano's walking pace was reasonably fast, even stepping on people's feet every now and then. They weren't really that much of a people person.

ㅤThe light, speedy footsteps turned into slow, heavy ones when a certain group entered Kano's mind. Eventually, a crooked smile was painted all over Kano's face. There was always something about the Thorns that made them excited. Enthusiastic. Eager. Quite frankly, they didn't care about exterminating the group itself. It was a matter of need, for Kano. If it weren't for the thrill of watching ghouls at death's door, or the constant urge to get rid of those annoying Ukaku-type ghouls, Kano wouldn't have been an investigator. "Firefly," Kano hummed to themself. "Firefly. I'd like to meet you and your kind."

ㅤKano froze. The thought of leading their partner, Rank 2 Investigator Morumotto, to the ward branch slipped out their mind during the walk. It was only now, when they were almost halfway there, that Kano remembered. At some point on their way back, their phone rang. They didn't think of that. Kano answered the call. "Oi, kid." they said, in a calm tone, "Where are you?"

.

Not Calm

 

[Not Calm]

Morumotto, 'The Class Pet'
Street in front of the CCG's 8th ward branch
// labyrinthine //

Moru had just begun to worry over the seemingly incessant ringing of his cell phone when it was interrupted by Kano's flat voice. He pouted a little when Kano called him a kid, although he only did it to amuse himself a bit—he didn't actually mind.

"Oh- hi, Kano! I'm just..." He glanced around, trying his best to peek around the crowd for street signs and other landmarks, "I'm near a..." He stalled for a bit, having not found anything that could give his location with even a semblance of accuracy. After giving it another few moments, Moru let out a sigh of surrender, "I'm lost." He admitted, defeated, "Just give me a minute, Kano, I'll be right back."

Moru let the phone down from his ear and pushed through the crowd with a little more force, until he reached a clearing in the crowd. He took a visual survey of the city surrounding him, and took note of a towering structure just across the street. He raised the phone back up to his cheek, "Oh! Kano! Investigator Kano!" Moru yelled into the phone, excited to have finally found a way to tell his location, "I'm in front of a huge building. It's the..." Again, Moru trailed off, looking for some sort of company logo or name on the front side of the building. He went completely silent when he read 'CCG's Koto Branch' over the entrance.

"I'll just wait for you here, Kano." Moru muttered, as he turned and sat on the steps leading to the front door. He hung up, shoved his phone back into his pocket and waited.

 

[jaylen]

Roan Emerson, 7th Ward, Shiho

The battle for the 7th ward had been won but they were still a long way from victory. It wouldn't be long before CCG retaliated against the group in hopes to avenge and extinguish. Roan thought of this as they laid on a chesterfield couch, hoodie over them and a book in hand. Even though they were part of such an organization and a ghoul, Roan still attended their regular high school and as such, still had to read. Not that they minded much. If the book was good and interesting, Roan had a hard time putting it down. Currently, they read a series made by Erin Hunter about feral cats who lived in clans and were free. The cats reminded Roan a bit of their situation. With CCG at their throats, it was a constant fight to stay ahead of them.

Roans attention was dragged away from the book by the familiar voice of Shiho Ueno, the head of Thorns. They held much respect for the woman and saw she had the qualities needed to lead this operation. "I checked the traps a little while ago. I replaced about half and need to get the rest finished. And yeah, most of them are in clearer areas." Their eyes glanced briefly at Shiho to catch her expression, which as expected, seemed worried and tight. They doggy-eared the book and set it down on the seat as they sat upright. "You're worried about the 8th ward, right?" They asked but really it didn't need an answer. The distraction in the 10th ward had ended with many more investigators moving in right next door. Roan was proud of themself and the others for taking over the 7th ward so successfully but right now they could really go for a coffee. They could feel themselves getting more tired by the minute and sleeping wasn't in the books. It had been almost three days since they last slept and hopefully tonight would end that. Usually, by night three Roans body would be too exhausted to function properly anymore and they would sleep for a good 10 hours. That's hoping nothing exciting happens tonight and causes them to stay awake. Roan wasn't a fan of sleeping and their hatred for it mingled with nightmares to create their insomnia.

Standing up, Roan slipped the book into the crook of their elbow and turned to face Shiho who stood behind the couch. "Coffee boss?" The offer wasn't very kind but it was an improvement to when Roan had first arrived and spoke to nobody first. They kept their head down, mouth shut, and eyes trained on what was happening. While never participating in conversations, Roan always knew what was happening around the place simply by watching and listening. It had become one of their greatest skills aside from being super smart. They headed towards the door that led into the room and held it open for Shiho, half expecting her to walk through and half expecting her to decline. To sweeten the deal, Roan figured they would throw something else in. "I can buy you something sweet if you'd like, rather than coffee." It was widely known by Thorns that Shiho refused coffee, despite it being the only known way to satisfy a Ghouls knawing hunger. Or Roans constant lack of energy.
S n o w

​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori (10th Ward)​

Akane listened to music through her earphones as she drove. Calm music soothed her. It pacified the savage beast within her, eager to kill. To taste human flesh. It distracted her from darker thoughts and voices which tempted her to give in to her baser desires. Sometimes, while drowning herself in those sounds, she could almost believe herself human.

Eyes on the road, Akane signaled right as she prepared to change lanes. It had been a while since she’s driven through the streets of Meguro that she’d forgotten how congested certain areas could be. Or how slow some people were. Perhaps a new route was in order. She wanted to get to the 7th ward before nightfall, after all. Resolving to double check her map the next time she got the chance to pull over, Akane turned the wheel, smoothly rounding the corner onto another street.

Then the CCG building of the 10th ward came into view.

Normally, Akane would just drive past such a place. The longer she lingered the more at risk she was. However, she spotted something that made her pause and blink. A ghoul? Akane hadn’t been sure at first. But, the closer she got, the more certain she became. Beneath the pretty clothes was a scent only those blessed with a well-attuned sense of smell could detect—a scent that was distinctly ghoul.

Though, if Akane were to describe it in a simpler way, ghouls just didn’t smell as appetizing as humans did.

Stopping her caravan—though not the engine— near a curb that wasn’t too far from where the female ghoul stood, Akane rolled down her window. It was an odd sight. Ghouls rarely ever had a reason to visit the home of Doves, least of all look like she was about to cry while doing so. The scene was strangely captivating.

Akane observed the other girl for a bit before finally speaking. “You shouldn’t linger too long. It’s dangerous for people like us to be at a place like this.”

Skita

 

[Skita]

Hanako Fujita
Location: 10th ward, Outside of the CCG Building
​

Hanako was so caught up in her thoughts it wasn't until she heard a woman's voice that she even realised the brightly colored van pulled up next to her. Another ghoul? Thats the last thing she expected to see today with how dangerous it's been. But then again, she really couldn't talk since she was in front of the CCG building of all places. She jumped slightly, startled and tensing up, she turned around slipping in to an easy smile as if she wasn't just seconds away from crying. "It's dangerous for us to be out in general, me here at the CCG isn't changing anything." She let out a joyless giggle, twirling her hair between her fingers as she looked back at the building. "I wanted to see if it was worth it."

"Thanks for your concern." Hanako shook her head and started to turn and walk away. She only got a few steps away before she stopped again, turning to look back at the woman. It's not every day she saw someone, human or ghoul, show concern for someone other than them.

"Hey I'm normally not this bold to ask a stranger but, you wouldn't be going to Sumida by any chance? I'll pay for coffee if you could give me a ride." She smiled again looking up at the lady.

QuirkyAngel

 

[S n o w]

Shiho Ueno​

July 16th
7th Ward​

jaylen StarryKnights ​

Only half the traps were finished. It wasn't what Shiho wanted to hear but she trusted Roan, enough that she didn't question how soon the other half would be done, and why they weren't done already. "I'm not worried about the 8th ward. At least, not right now," Shiho said, glancing at the book Roan was reading. It was hard to remember sometimes, that the reason why the 7th was theirs was still in high school. "I'm worried about not being ready when the CCG decides to strike back."

She looked out the window again. "I want to take the twenty-second already. They wouldn't expect us to make another move so soon, especially with here being so unstable. I know we could, even with them being on alert." Shiho sighed, sitting on the arm of the couch. "But that's also why we can't leave yet. We take the twenty-second and the Doves take back the seventh. We have to stay and solidify our power. Everything else will have to wait."

Shiho waved Roan's offer away. "No coffee for me, but I'm sure Dresden wants a cup." She knew he disapproved of her dislike of coffee, but it didn't change her mind about it. "I'll take the other thing though."

She turned to face Dresden. "I want you to do something for me. You know Rorschach, right? The ghoul who makes art out of the people he kills? He's an art teacher, named Rei Hanako. Think you could pay him a visit and tell him nicely to tone it down? He's not helping with the image humans have of us, as blood-thirsty murders and monsters. In fact, his 'art' here is making it much easier for humans to hate us."​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori (10th Ward)​

Akane blinked, surprised when the girl turned around and asked for a ride to Sumida, though she really shouldn’t be. Dr. Horiyama had stated that many ghouls were flocking to the 7th ward, despite the fact that its situation made it very likely to turn into a battleground. She still didn’t understand it. Why jump into danger? However, she was in no position to judge either…especially not to a stranger. She had her own reasons to go there.

After a moment’s pause, Akane replied, “I am.”

Settling back into her seat, Akane took the wheel, checking the mirrors for approaching cars—or Doves. “Feel free to hop in. There’s plenty of room.”

Three people used to live in there, after all.

The girl’s offer reminded her that she ought stock up on some coffee beans before hitting the road again. Akane didn’t especially like coffee. Didn’t especially hate it either. It was just one of the few things she could consume without throwing up. Like water. In some ways, living on the road was easier for ghouls. In some ways, harder. Not having a consistent place to find corpses or coffee was one of those difficulties.

She didn’t know why she agreed to give the other ghoul a lift. Sympathy, perhaps? The girl had been close to tears when Akane saw her. However, Akane would be lying if she said her reasons were all altruistic. A part of it was curiosity. She wanted to know what it was that had made the other ghouls so sad while looking at the CCG building. The image burned itself in Akane’s memory, such that she knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she immortalized it on canvas.

Another part, one she was more reluctant to admit, was a desire for companionship. Living the way she did, it was hard to build permanent relationships, whether with her own kind or humans. Akane tended to keep her distance from people. It wasn't good. However, it was the only life she knew. At the very least, Akane got the feeling that the other ghoul was like her—easily slipping into a false smile, yet still ‘humane’ enough to shed tears.

Once the other ghoul was inside, the Tsukimori Caravan would move once again.

Skita

 

[StarryKnights]

• Daichi
• Dresden
• Ainslee

• 
  8th Ward Branch Office
  The meeting had barely begun when the door opened again, signaling the arrival of another investigator. Turning his head to the door, Daichi blinked in mild surprise as a slender, dark haired man carrying an umbrella entered the room.
  He knew who he was without any sort of introduction, which the man gave anyway.
  
  Marx Hawthorne, another Associate Special Class investigator, one with quite the reputation for being...in a word, odd. Daichi had hard whispers regarding how many junior investigators feared being paired with this man, known for his efficient, but somewhat extreme measures.
  Daichi assumed he was yet another investigator who got some sort of sick twisted pleasure out of their duties, more often than not it involved killing ghouls something Daichi didn't care for.
  
  Others on the other hand...
  He shook his head, now wasn't the time to dwell on morality in the workplace, he needed to focus on the task at hand.
  Hawthorne had asked about the S ranked ghouls, which wasn't surprising in the least. After all, any one of them on their own was a handful, but together.
  They could, and had proven to be, a force of massive destruction.
  
  Daichi wondered if one of them acted as leader of this group, and if one of them had created the bombs.
  
  Perhaps it was this serial killer, they seemed to like flashy things, if the crime scenes they left behind were any indicator.
  Dragon, Firefly and Rorschach, three big threats hiding behind this organization, the Thorns.
  
  Daichi sighed and looked to his partner. "Given each of these three is comparable to one associate special class investigator, is there going to be some sort of protocol for dealing with them? No doubt they will be about to defend the ward".
  His gaze shifted to Hawthorne and back again to Kohaku. "And there's only two of you".
  
  The implication was clear, at the moment it didn't seem they had the man power to take down these high profile ghouls.
  
  Snow Kloudy
  
  
• 
  7th Ward, Thorn Hideout
  Dresden's attention shifted to Roan as the teen spoke. They were an odd one, they still posed as an average high school student, hence the reading they were currently doing. They were also a genius, without them Dresden doubted the take over of the ward would've gone over as well as it did. He found that odd, as thy weren't very old. Seemed to be about the same age as his sister, though he'd never asked for specifics.
  That made his attention shift again, to his sibling who wasn't present in the room.
  
  Ainslee was... well, unsettled is putting things mildly, but it was clear to Dresden she wasn't happy when he'd confessed his part in this plan to her. He'd been apart of the Thorns since they made the move to the seventh ward, but had kept her from the group up until everything was ready. On the off chance he didn't make it, he had to tell her the truth, so she'd know she needed to run.
  But things had gone over perfectly, better than they could've hoped for, yet Ainslee didn't seem to feel much better.
  
  She didn't seem to understand he was doing this for her...so she could live her perfectly mundane life without the threat of discovery at the hands of the CCG.
  He hoped she was staying out of trouble, at the moment it was best they remain in the ward, less they attract unwanted attention.
  He didn't snap back to the current conversation until Shiho spoke his name.
  
  "Huh, oh yeah, I'm always down for a cup of coffee", he spoke as he got to his feet. He stretched his arms over his head, sighing slightly as something popped in his shoulder. Using both his kagunes always left him feeling somewhat stiff.
  He glanced to Roan. "If you're taking requests, than I'd kill for a coffee...you make some damn good coffee".
  
  Roan was a quiet kid, but they made some kick ass coffee, Dresden had to respect that. It was a shame Shiho didn't appreciate it.
  Dresden looked to Shiho as she addressed him, she had a task she needed him to handle.
  Track down and speak with Rorschach.
  
  He grinned. "I've definitely heard of him, his...uh, "artwork" tends to get a lot of attention". He wondered how Shiho knew who he was, he supposed it didn't really matter.
  "Tell me where to find him, and I'll have a chat with him. But say he refuses to tone things down...what do you want me to do then?". He smirked. He'd have no trouble killing the ghoul if it came down to it, in fact it might be fun.
  
  S n o w jaylen
  
  
• 
  The streets of the 7th ward
  Ainslee didn't really have a destination in mind, she just wanted to be away from her brother for a bit. She'd been warned not to go outside of the seventh ward, less the CCG stumble across her.
  Ainslee didn't think the CCG had any idea who she or her brother were, they had both been very careful after coming to Japan to stick to their new identities.
  She was Marla Pierce, an American student living in Japan.
  People didn't look twice at her, which was just how Ainslee liked it. If one didn't stand out from the crowd, then they had a better chance at going undetected.
  Now that Dresden was involved with this group though, things were changing.
  
  The CCG would be hunting for him, for his true identity and if she wasn't careful, she could lead them to him. The thought made her stop dead in her tracks. Even though she disapproved of her brother's recent activities, the thought of the CCG finding him was terrifying. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the last of her family.
  She imagined he felt the same way and that was part of why he was doing this.
  Ainslee swallowed the lump forming in her throat, turned on her heel and started back for the hideout.
  
  Even if she didn't approve of what he'd done, he was still her brother. She'd do what she could to help protect him.
  
  

 

[S n o w]

Shiho Ueno​

July 16th
7th Ward​

jaylen StarryKnights ​

Shiho smiled a little. "I don't want you to kill him. At least, not unless he doesn't give you a choice," she said. Rorschach might be everything humans feared about them, but he was still a ghoul. If she started using the Thorns to decide which ghouls deserved to live and which should die, what made her any better than the CCG?

"Threaten him. Say you'll destroy the art that he loves so much. Say you'll expose him as a ghoul and force him to leave Sumida. And if that doesn't work?" She shrugged. "You might have to break a few bones before he see's it our way."

Shiho stood and picked up a piece of paper, scribbling an address on it in messy handwriting. She held it out to Dresden. "I didn't get his home address, but this is the college he works at and where his classroom is. He should still be there. Find him and make sure he gets my message."​

 

[jaylen]

Roan Emerson, 7th Ward, Shiho & Dresden

Roan nodded his head in response to their orders, taking mental note of what to make. The 7th ward had a nice kitchen and Roan had made some banana nut bread not just the night before. They would still be moist now seeing as he left them in the fridge. They weren't a fan of toasted banana bread, it made the bread too dry for their tastes. Though they might just be picky. Roan was almost out the door but stopped to hear what Shiho had planned for the artist Rorschach, who's painting Roan found tasty but cruel. They couldn't imagine playing with humans like that, even in death. Humans... Roan headed down towards the kitchen as their thoughts lingered on their first human meal. The craving had been so intense they couldn't help themselves and had killed an innocent child, leaving the mother without. Thinking about it made them hungry for that same great taste, but the guilt and shame kept that hunger in check. Besides, Roan had been drinking coffee to live even before becoming a ghoul. Roan thought back to their adoptive parents, Emilia and Oren Emerson, who had never condoned the eating of humans and punished Roan greatly for doing so. Thinking of them, Roan found that they missed them. Their foster parents were very kind and respectable people, and the only parents they could really remember. On November 8th it'll have been the 3rd anniversary of their death and the 100th time Roan visited their graves.

Entering the kitchen, Roan shook the thoughts of their parents from their head. Now was surely not the time to be thinking of such things. Setting down their book, Roan got to work on making the coffee as they had been taught by Yoshimura. It was sad how such a great man had died along with his place of solace, but it was also noble in a sense. It had hurt all who were apart of the community and even some beyond. Indeed it was a great loss. Which was why it was so important to Roan to learn and perfect the art of making coffee. Yoshimura may have died but his memory will live on in the coffee Roan makes. Within five minutes two cups of coffee had been finished and tasted delicious, sweeping away the earlier thoughts of human flesh. Roan wasn't the monster CCG made them out to be. It hurt to think that the organization could group a whole species as blood-thirsty murderers but with ones like Rorschach, it's not like Roan could blame them. The humans were only told the nightmares and not dreams. It was a pity to kill such naive people, but if they refused to stop, then they couldn't either. Only the strongest were allowed to survive.

Roan grabbed the coffees made way for the room Shiho and Dresden were speaking in. They slipped inside with a silver tray carrying the cups and treats, setting it down on the coffee table which laid itself before the couch. They had chosen a nice home to lay low in. Roan grabbed their cup and sat back down on the coach, allowing themselves to get comfy and begin drinking. "The 22nd ward seems like a good place to strike. It'll give us a bigger area to hide out in and as long as we know where the CCG are, we won't have to worry so much about protecting all the borders. If we do take 22, they'll most likely send investigators to Ward 23 which will spread them out for us." A smile played at Roans lips as the thought of them spreading out. They would have to if they wanted to keep tabs on the Ghouls and stop them from spreading to more Wards which will leave them less defended.
S n o w // StarryKnights

​

 

[Skita]

Hanako Fujita
Location: 10th ward​

Hanako looked around in awe as she stepped in to the caravan. The woman wasn't kidding, this had to be the most spacious vehicle she'd ever been in. Did she live in this thing? Drifting from place to place makes the most sense because of what they are but wouldn't living in a thing like this be lonely? It seems like it would be a lonely thing driving this from place to place, she couldn't help but feel kind of bad for the girl. Its still curious that she decided to give Hanako a ride but misery does love company after all. Hanako took a seat, leaning forward. "Thanks again! The longer I stay in this ward the more I want to be home."

She stared out the window, her thoughts shifting to the 7th ward. Home again, huh? It didn't take too long for her home to become a war zone. Didn't she leave the 10th for the same reason? And yet here she was going back somewhere potentially dangerous. But what about the ghoul she met? Why was she going into Sumida? Did she want to join the Thorns? Or did she simply want see the 'peace' they promised? She's was curious but it probably wasn't her place to ask.

"I'm a student back in the 7th," Hanako starts attempting to strike a conversation. "My college wants to pretend like it's 'business as normal', like the 7th isn't a war zone. Humans love pretending like the world revovles around them, don't they?" She laughs another humorless laugh. "I'm H-...Tsubaki Minami by the way."

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori (10th Ward)​

Akane mostly kept her eyes on the road, though she did briefly peek back when Tsubaki mentioned being a student. She had never attended college before. Never attended school, in fact. Her parents didn’t think it wise to send their ghoul child to a place full of human children. The risk of an ‘accident’ was too high…not that her family’s lifestyle permitted enrollment into public education anyway. Akane didn’t mind. She enjoyed being homeschooled and the freedom that came with it.

She could learn at her own pace. Practice reading and writing on her own time. Her learning wasn’t limited structure or restrictive curriculum either. It was whatever she wanted it to be.

However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious about how the other side worked. Seeing humans in their uniforms, Akane sometimes wondered what it would be like to go to school. To attend classes and hang out with others her own age. To learn from professors in their field. Idle thoughts, and yet, thoughts that persisted within Akane to this day.

“I’m Akane Tsukimori,” Akane replied. She slowed the caravan to a smooth stop when a red traffic light appeared. “While I can’t say I know much about what humans love, I figured that thinking the world revolves around themselves is a trait all living beings share.”

Selfish humans. Selfish ghouls. She’s met both.

Foot on the brake, Akane lowered her earphones to around her neck so she could better hear Tsubaki. It would seem the other ghoul wasn’t going to Sumida because of Thorn, but because she lived there…and remained there for school. It wasn’t what Akane would’ve done if she were in Tsubaki's shoes. However, she felt no attachment to any particular ward either. The caravan was her home. “Though...I can understand the humans in Sumida wanting to think positive given their situation...”

War-zone was certainly what Akane imagined the 7th ward to look like after Thorn’s aggressive takeover. However, from what Tsubaki revealed, it would seem the humans there were still living peacefully. Or at least, pretending to. One can only live so peacefully in a spider’s web—especially when one’s defenders have been removed. Akane had little doubt that there are ghouls in Sumida that would take advantage of CCG’s absence in their area to feast.

“So you live in Sumida?” It was a rhetorical question. She supposed she ought count herself lucky to have picked up a ghoul living in the 7th ward. It saved her a lot of time. “Do you know anything about Thorn?”

She also wanted to know what college life was like, but she figured personal questions could wait. Her priority was her father.

Green Light.

Akane shifted her foot to the gas. They would soon be entering Shibuya.

Skita

 

[StarryKnights]

7th Ward, Thorn Hideout

Dresden Hawthorne

Dresden rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do", he frowned as Shiho handed him a piece of paper. He scanned the contents for a moment before folding the paper up.
The mission wasn't meant to be a seek and destroy, rather a seek and...convince. Infinitely less boring than the former, but he supposed killing off troublesome ghouls wouldn't help them win over their own people.
Too many ghouls were used to being stepped on and treated like animals, no doubt many of his own kind frowned upon the actions Thorns had taken.
He scowled at the thought.

Fucking cowards, he thought to himself as he stashed the paper in his pocket.
Of course, his sister was one of those cowards, a ghoul unwilling to fight for their right to simply live. He understood her hesitation but given everything they had lost...He didn't see how she couldn't find the will to fight.

Ainslee was far from a practiced warrior, but she had some experience with combat. She'd taken lives before, if only because she had to.
Dresden's train of thought was interrupted when Roan walked back in, tray in hand. The savory smell of coffee was quick to dispel his worries. Roan was a quiet kid, but man did they make a mean cup of coffee.

"Thanks kid", he grabbed a cup and took a sip.
Holy shit was that good.
He tipped the glass toward Shiho.

"Your missing out chief, this kid makes some bomb as coffee", he smirked. How any ghoul could dislike coffee was beyond him, but even with her poor taste in beverages, Dresden couldn't help but respect Shiho.
After all, she put this entire operation together. So, he'd do his best to keep things peaceful during this little meeting, as dead ghouls wouldn't do the Thorns any good.

"I'll go see this Rorschach, and convince them to tone things down. And if he refuses, I'll try and only break a few bones", he chuckled.

"Oh, and if my sister comes by, do me a favor and keep an eye on her, last thing I need is for her to stumble into some kind of trouble".
Dresden gave Shiho a mock salute before turning and heading out. He had a meeting with an art teacher.

S n o w jaylen

 

[Kloudy]

The Rainmaker
8th Ward - CCG Main Branch Office

"Oh, I see... I see... So that's how it is."

Marx's eyes crinkled with pleasure and the outline of a stretched smile was partially visible beneath the dark hues of his face bandages. His mind was darting between probabilities, his eyes darting between statistics, his index finger tracing invisible lines on the page in his other hand. They knew the most about Rorschach, so that particular ghoul would be the easiest to disfigure- decipher. He chuckled softly and set the paper down, keeping himself in check was so difficult these days. Being the Terror of Twelfth was fun, but it wasn't exactly enough. Marx wanted- needed- craved something more, something better. Perhaps Rorschach was that something.

"I believe Rorschach is a connoisseur! The murderous artist paints the streets red in hopes of being noticed, to be feared or respected."

Marx stood up and pointed a slender finger at Rorschach's face, stabbing his finger into the paper and creasing it.

"Mr Rorschach is not with Thorns, or rather, his goals do not align with theirs. Thorns want freedom for ghouls, or whatever ridiculous pipe dream they've fantasised about. Rorschach wants to make art for Tokyo to see."

Marx's smile widened a fraction and he couldn't help but muse to himself. While Rorschach was murderous subhuman vermin, his methods were not too disassociated from Marx's own. There was a certain taste, an element of acquired skill and a lack of conscience necessary to perform such deeds. Art wasn't exactly his style, but...

"I will go to the 7th Ward- oh, and I will rendezvous with Investigator Ishumari along the way. Rorschach is an isolated case but it won't take long for Thorns to find him. We should stop their growth before they become too bothersome to deal with."

It was a brief moment of clarity, but it was situations like these where Marx truly proved himself useful to the Taskforce. If his deductions were correct, eliminating Rorschach would preemptively reduce Thorns power before it could grow stronger and remove yet another wild threat from Tokyo's streets. If the artist himself were to be working alone, then killing him now before he made any new friends would prove to be the best course of action. Despite his deviant tendencies, Marx did take his job somewhat seriously. Snatching the paper on Rorschach up and depositing it into his waistcoat inner breast pocket, he made for the door in hopes of getting to his destination all the faster. His hand raised in farewell.

"I'll report on all the fun I'm having when I reach 7th~"

S n o w StarryKnights