Fandom Thorns

[Skita]

Hanako Fujita
Location: 10th ward
​

She smiled softly shaking her head listening to Akane's response. She supposes that she does have a point with the humans wanting to live as normally as possible. After all who wouldn't want normalcy when life as you knew it goes to shit. Truthfully she couldn't fault her University for being 'business as usual', she and the students all wanted to pretend like nothing was wrong. But after a while pretending to play a part got exhausting. The last thing she wanted was the school she loved to fall apart because they couldn't accept reality. She was a hypocrite in that respect.

It wasn't until Akane mentioned Thorn that she had to hold back her distaste. What did she know about them? Maybe the fact that they're a group of terrorist that claim to want peace for the ghouls by pissing off the CCG. Peace doesn't happen by murdering doves and essentially keeping a ward hostage it happens when common ground is met. And the chance of that happening with ghouls like them are low. They're no better than the CCG making humans fear them like they fear the doves. All they were doing was increasing the odds that ghouls would have live even further in hiding.

"Besides the obvious? All I know is that Thorn wants 'peace' and 'freedom'." She said, the smile still on her face as she struggles to keep the contempt from her voice. "Whatever they mean by that."

QuirkyAngel

 

[Witty Wild]

Rei Hanako
The wind tossed the soft teal locks about Rei’s head as he moved swiftly down the street. While still conflicted about his mothers words, She was still his mother. He felt that after all she did to keep him safe over the years; Sacrificing her body and her morals to a decrepit man so that he could live and grow normally. Still... she had grown too comfortable in their false story, their make-believe of being normal humans, living a normal life, and not so called monsters. Was that what he was? What they were? Though he was beginning to doubt that his mother remember just what she was, obsessed as she was with playing the good wife. A pang went through his heart, tendrils of doubt and buried resentment growing like a poisonous weed in his heart; a dark whisper began to croon to him.
“you have to make them understand Rei“ it goaded. Rei shook this thought off, his steps quickening down the streets, absentmindedly he smiled a soft slight thing at a young woman who had stumbled and bumped into his art bag. Gently he steadied her, ignore the enticing blush the flooded her cheeks and continued on his way. His mind was a million miles away , and his heart falling to the depths.
It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right! Didn’t these people preach about the freedoms and liberty they valued? About the sanctity of a life? Then why were they so blind to the truth right in front of them?! Why couldn’t they see what was depicted in a never splash of red hued violence and segregation?!
Rei’s thought continued to spirel and twist, the dark croon of his mind growing steadily stronger with his frenzied despair.
“then show them Rei,”
it crooned, slinking in and sliding through his thoughts like slick oil; coating his already frantic thoughts with ones of a deviant compulsion. ​

 

[Nostalgic-Writer]

~Santeru Ishumari~
/Kōtaku/Outer Streets\

He extended his hand grasping the cup with an amused smile, he began rummaging around in one of his coat pockets grasping his wallet producing a few yen out of it and a white card with a black ouroboros on the side of it displaying the words 'Saint Tattooing' he handed both items to Masaaki "I appreciate the coffee fix, here's what I owe you plus something extra. You don't seem like a tattoo kinda person but perhaps you can find use for it." He said very cryptically but his facial expression didn't change from an amused smirk. Then turning away from Masaaki before he could respond Santeru walked out of the store lightly waving his hand as the door closed, turning and walking down the sidewalk in a direction he believed the CCG headquarters to be. One hand tucked into the outer pocket of his coat the other raising the miracle elixir that was coffee to his face sipping on it lightly as his eyes wandered over building fronts and street signs while his brain slowly began to piece together where he was at. He paused for a moment standing still in the middle of the foot traffic causing a small boy to bump into his leg, Santeru raised an eyebrow looking down instantly his expression turned to that of a soft friendly smile and welcoming eyes "I'm sorry!" He said in friendly tone keeping his voice soft, the boy looked up at him with a look of apparent anxiety on his face. Santeru leaned down looking around for any kind of parental individual and to his surprise there was nobody with the boy turning his face back to the boy he spoke once more "Where's your mommy or daddy? Are you lost?" The boy looked up at him tugging his jacket trying to pull him somewhere, raising an eyebrow Santeru slowly stood up following the boys guidance down the street past storefront after storefront soon taking a turn down an alleyway where the smell of fresh blood wafted down the shadow filled backstreet. Santeru quickly grabbed the boy picking him up and holding him into one arm pushing him close against his body "I need to get him away from here, but what happened?" Santeru shook his head and against his better judgement decided to investigate where the scent was coming from slowly advancing forward his body tense as his eyes darted from corner to corner approaching a bend in the alley before advancing forward the boy hit his chest in an attempt to get his attention, slowly he looked down at the boy "Don't the bad woman might still be there.... I'm scared..." Santeru slowly began to get an increasingly bad feeling in his stomach as he slowly turned the corner making sure the boys head stayed facing him and that's when he saw it. The bloody mess of a mans body presumably the boys father strewn over the ground and wall next to a door sprawled in the blood was two words 'Your move.' Quickly ducking back around the corner Santeru's mind began working together possible motives, killers, and variables. Santeru was shocked and confused but more so than those two emotions he was angry for the boy, who no doubt had to see some if not all of what happened. Reaching into his pocket Santeru slowly produced a phone from it, exhaling a hitched breath he dialed the CCG branch office number waiting for it to ring before the operator picked up, slowly he spoke "First Class Investigator Ishumari speaking, we have a situation. Looks to be a ghoul related crime." For the next few minutes he provided details to the office before hanging up awaiting the arrival of other investigators and staff, in the meantime holding onto the boy at the end of the alley.

S n o w / Whomever would like to appear in this scene.

 

[S n o w]

• Shiho
• Kohaku
• Masaaki

• 
  

  Shiho Ueno​
  July 16th
  7th Ward​

  jaylen ​

  Shiho picked up a slice of banana bread. She didn't have much of a reason to pretend to enjoy treats like these anymore, but she still liked how nice it smelled.
  
  She liked to imagine that that was how it tasted, even if her taste buds would tell her otherwise. And Roan's baked treat doubled as a cover to make others think they were human. No one would believe that an organization that had started a war with the CCG was casually baking human treats in an apartment.
  
  She watched Dresden leave, then faced Roan. That took care of Rorschach. She knew he would get what she wanted done, one way or another. "If only we had a map," she said, sniffing the bread.
  
  "We should start planning for the takeover, even if we can't take it now. The defenses they'll have waiting for us, the time we'll have before they launch a counterattack. They'll be prepared this time, and faster to strike back."
  
  Shiho shook her head. "There's so much to do. Have you seen Hitode today?" ​
• 
  
  
  

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

  Kloudy StarryKnights The One Eyed Bandit GasMaskie ​

  Looking around the half-empty room, Kohaku saw that his partner had
  a point. "There are more investigators on the way. I'm sure of it." He had absolute faith that the higher-ups wouldn't have sent them to deal with the Thorns unless they thought they could handle it. The others that were supposed to be there could've already started to make a move in the 7th, or they were late, like Marx was. He didn't like the latter idea, as the more they delayed, the bigger hold the ghouls had over the 7th.
  
  Kohaku paused as Marx made his deductions about Rorschach, glancing down at a gruesome photo of one of his 'works'. He knew the supposed 'goals' of the group of ghouls, but hearing it out loud... Freedom built on the blood of the innocent. Freedom to eat humanity into extinction. His fists clenched. His phone rang before he could punch the table, distracting him. It rang three times before he was composed enough to pick it up.
  
  "Yes, this is Associate Special Class..." he trailed off, looking at Marx. "Rorschach will have to wait. Your partner seems to have stumbled onto a murder between the 7th and 8th, done by an unknown ghoul. Potentially part of the Thorns, or someone who might be taking advantage of the situation there."
  
  Kohaku paused when he thought that it might be Rorschach, but then tossed out the idea. It didn't seem like it. The only information he was given was that it was a mess, which wasn't Rorschach's style. "I'll send you the location and have another team sent to scout out the area and act as backup in case the situation escalates." If the ghoul was captured alive, they could provide valuable information about trap locations and the situation inside Sumida.
  
  Kohaku tapped a phone number. "Associate Special Class Kohaku Ishikawa speaking, requesting that the nearest investigator pair be diverted to an active crime scene between Sumida and Koto..." ​
• 
  
  Masaaki Kita​

  

  "It's my pleasure! Come back soon..." Masa trailed off when he was handed the business card, completely confused when he saw it was for a tattoo place. "Um. Thank you?" he looked up, but the strange man was already gone. He blinked at the card again, then looked at his co-worker, who shrugged and returned to her phone.
  
  "You think I should return this to him?" Masa asked, tracing a finger over the snake. "I'd hate to just throw it away. It's weird, but someone else might appreciate getting something like this, you know?" He glanced back, but his coworker had retreated to the back room, leaving him alone in the shop.
  
  That man was probably the only customer they were going to get for the day. Masa sighed. The smell of coffee was already starting to fade. "I'll be right back," he said loudly after a moment, taking off his apron and tossing it on the nearest table. He had nothing better to do.
  
  The bell chimed above the door as he left, and he jogged down the street. "Which way did he go?" he muttered to himself, looking back and forth across the street. Maybe the man was already well on his way to his meeting. Masa slowed, then abruptly stopped at the mouth of an alleyway, opposite of the customer, who was holding a small child.
  
  The business card fell out of Masa's frozen hands, soaking into the blood at his feet.
  

  Nostalgic-Writer ​

 

[StarryKnights]

• Daichi
• Ainslee
• Dresden

• 
  
  
  8th Ward Branch Office
  
  Kohaku seemed certain there would be more investigators dispatched, Daichi wasn't so sure. He nodded. "Hopefully people are just running late", his attention to Marx as the man spoke.
  
  Daichi wasn't a big fan of speculation, he preferred to base his judgments, as well as the resulting actions, based off of facts rather than feelings. Too often did people act brashly out due to their emotions or personal creeds, he felt this was behind much of the hate and extreme measures taken against ghouls. It was easy to demonize a group of people who consume the flesh of humans, but the fact was that was all they could eat.
  Had he been born a ghoul, the consumption of human flesh would be as normal as him eating sandwich now. As gross as the thought was, Daichi couldn't demonize a group of people for doing what they had to in order to survive.
  
  What he did dislike were ghouls who actively hunt humans like it was some sort of game, the twisted "art" left behind by Rorschach had left him feeling ill and enraged. Hunting innocent people just to make a statement was sick and twisted.
  
  Torturing ghouls in order to satisfy one's own twisted desires was just as twisted, but that wasn't the issue here.
  The issue was Marx was making these assumptions about Rorschach based off of pure intuition from the looks of it. The man was an odd one, Daichi had heard that these moments of "clarity" more often than not proved to be invaluable to the organization. If they weren't odds were the man wouldn't be tolerated.
  So Daichi bit his tongue, in spite of his objections, watching as Marx rose and prepared to leave. Honestly, he was glad he was leaving, as the man made him a bit nervous. But before he could head out the door, Kohaku's phone rang. His attention shifted to his partner as the man took a moment to collect himself before answering.
  
  The attack on the seventh ward had cos this partner a great deal, Daichi was surprised at how well he was keeping himself together. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, he was one of the leading investigators, he had to remain calm.
  Yet another reason Daichi didn't want such a position, the pressure to preform and put on a facade of control wasn't something that interested him.
  The news Kohaku shared was grave, there'd been another attack between the seventh and eighth ward. Daichi sighed. Was it the Thorns, a copycat, Rorschach, or some other ghoul? Hell, it could be a human, trying to stir up trouble.
  This was turning out to be a right fucking mess.
  
  "How bad is it?", he asked his partner once he was done on the phone.
  
  S n o w
  
• 
  
  Bloody Crime Scene
  
  Making her way back to Thorns hideout, Ainslee was sidetracked by a scent she knew all to well. The smell of blood, fresh blood from the smell of it. She faltered, face pale she covered her nose and shook her head.
  
  What had happened? Clearly someone was hurt...more than likely dead. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Was it human or ghoul? Probably human, she breathed a small sigh of relief. That meant it wasn't Dresden, or any of the Thorns for that matter.
  Even if she disapproved of what they were doing, she didn't wish to see them hurt...
  
  But that left the question, what had happened? She looked in the direction of the scent, it wasn't far off. Ignoring the hunger pain in her stomach, Ainslee's feet carried her toward the smell's source against her better judgement. She was supposed to be avoiding trouble, not walking toward it...
  She followed the smell toward the edge of the seventh ward, the smell of blood intermixed with coffee as she approached the opening of the ally.
  She could hear voices, and there was a person standing at the mouth of the ally way. The poor guy had a look of horror plastered on his face. There was also a man in a red jacket, holding a pale faced child. Oh god...
  
  Of course, a normal human would react that way, bloodshed wasn't apart of their normal life. Spilling blood became second nature for most ghouls, it came with the territory. Ainslee was no different, though she didn't like to dwell on such matters.
  Dresden did most of the hunting for the two of them now.
  
  She crept closer, and came to stop beside the horrified teenager. The ally was splattered with blood, the splintered remains of a human was plastered all over the walls. The words 'Your Move' was crudely etched in the viscera, seeing it made her stomach do a flip.
  Had the Thorns done this? She shook her head and took a half step back, that couldn't be it. They wouldn't do something like this...
  Dresden wouldn't work with people who did something like this.
  
  But that lead to an even scarier thought.
  
  Dresden wouldn't do something like this...would he?
  
  She shivered at the notion.
  
  Nostalgic-Writer
  
  
• 
  
  Address in hand Dresden made his way toward the university, wondering if the notorious Rorschach would be in their office or not.
  
  Rei Hanako, not the sort of name Dresden had expected a serial killer to have. Then again, what sort of name was a serial killer supposed to have, let alone a ghoul one. It figured the guy was an art teacher, there was probably some deeper meaning to their paintings, something no one understood.
  Dresden chuckled.
  
  "Just another misunderstood artist in an uncaring world", he chuckled to himself.
  
  It crossed his mind he didn't know what the guy looked like, so if he wasn't at his office, Dresden was going to be up shits creek without a paddle.
  Ah well, he'd figure it out.
  

 

[simj26]

Hitode Hayashida
Would that get them to notice her now? Maybe she should have been more obvious. Maybe she should have just painted a starfish on the wall instead, or dropped a keychain of a starfish on the floor. One of her tentacles moved to scratch her head, as another snaked out from beneath her skirt, balancing a small slice of flesh on it next to her. It was beginning to get cold, but fatty meats was always one of her favourite kinds of meat. Like the last slice of cake on the plate, the last piece always tasted the best. Well, she thought it was similar to cake anyway. She never tasted cake before. She just heard that phrase used over the afternoon cooking show with that deliciously handsome host. She wouldn't mind having a prime cut of that meat. But still, she wasn't about to let the meat just rot and go to waste. With a flick of the pale white tendril, she tossed the meat up into the air and caught it with her mouth, chewed it a little, then swallowed. Damn. She was still peckish. She should have killed the kid too. Would have made for a good take away. Should have killed the kid first, come to think of it. But waiiiit, if she did kill the kid first, then how would anyone know that she was killing people?

Confused by her own muddle of questions, Hitode had to stop for a second to reconsider her actions. Then she shrugged, dismissing that doubt entirely, and squashed it underfoot just like she crushed that guy’s guts. The boss wouldn't have liked it if she was just going around murdering people, especially not kids. She approached the door to their little hideyhole, and leaned in close to the door, listening for voices. Retracting her tail when she confirmed that the boss was in, she rapped sharply, then, without waiting for a response, burst in, arms open wide in mock celebration. “Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyy! I’m back from lunch! Did ya miss me, boss?” She beamed brightly at the two Thorn members present.

jaylen S n o w

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori (Kotaku)​

The barely veiled contempt in Tsubaki’s tone made Akane pause, but, ultimately, she nodded her head in acceptance and returned her gaze to the road ahead. It sounded like she’d been wronged by Thorn in some way, either directly or indirectly. Though, if what Tsubaki said was to be believed, and Akane had no reason to doubt her, the ghouls in Sumida didn’t know much about Thorn either.

Strange.

She figured Thorn would want to appeal to the ghouls living there after successfully claiming the 7th ward. Was such knowledge only privy to ghouls that supported them? That would make things more difficult. Akane didn’t know enough about Thorn’s motivations to justify their actions, let alone support it.

“Peace and blowing up a dove building does sound rather ironic, doesn’t it?” Akane commented idly. If only her father were reasonable like Tsubaki things would be much easier. Finally remembering her manners, Akane added. “There’s some grounded coffee beans, filter paper, and a kettle in the top shelf to your right if you’re thirsty. Water tank’s running a little low though, so I’ll need to stop and refill a bit before we get to Sumida.”

It had been too long since she had company that Akane found it hard to carry a conversation. Speaking about Thorn seemed like it would be a cheerless conversation, but, at the same time, Akane didn’t know what college girls liked to talk about either. Small talk wasn’t a skill Akane possessed in abundance. And, while there were many things about Tsubaki that she was curious about (like why she’d looked so sad back then), Akane didn’t want to be intrusive. Therefore she simply turned the radio onto her favorite music station and let the melodies fill in any silence.

They ended up stopping at a coffee shop between Koto and Sumida because Akane needed to buy some beans as well. Some ghouls were concerned about the quality of their coffee, but, to be honest, Akane didn’t give a damn. After drinking so much of it to substitute hunger, they all started to taste the same.

“Are you familiar with this place?”

As soon as Akane climbed out of the caravan, she got a whiff of a scent that made her nearly double over in craving, her sclera momentarily turning black. Blood. Lots of it. Had a binge eater made their mark somewhere? Or was this the work of some unnamed serial killer? Closing her eyes, Akane took a breath as she regained her composure.

There was no reason at all for her to go there. First of all, she’d be testing her endurance if she did. Second, such a large amount of blood would draw investigators to the area like vultures to a corpse. A ghoul being there would make the situation worse. Accusations would fly left and right. Third, she’d already expected the 7th ward to become a hunting ground with the CCG in that area gone, so an area close to it was bound to have some blood. Akane didn’t condemn eating. She’d eaten her fair share when she was younger and watched her parents do the same. She just didn’t like excessive violence. Ghouls that ate more than necessary bothered her, as did ghouls who played with their food like Rorschach.

She’d seen some images of his work online. She couldn’t appreciate it. Gruesomeness didn’t bother her. It was just the thought of another life enduring such suffering that sickened her. How could that be art?

Adjusting the strap of the yellow backpack she always carried with her so it fit more snuggly around her shoulder (purses weren't really her thing), Akane returned her earphone her ears as she waited for Tsubaki.

Skita

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

​

Man, this was why she'd wanted to import a car. Cutting through the strings of her partner's ever dreary choice of music, the a car's engine sputtered out what it was clearly hoping would be its last breath for the day. The Japanese knew their way around electronics for sure, but driving one of their cars was like trying to get around on ponyback.

And she wanted a racehorse, damn it.

Giving the accelerator one last kick, Christina Richter let out an exasperated sigh and turned to her passengers.

"Well boys, sorry to say, but it looks like we're gonna have to hoof it to the meet and greet. Apparently this junker doesn't like having to carry any more than two people." It really was a bother, but despite her dramatics, it wasn't actually all that upsetting. If anything, this was just another reason for her to nag the higher ups to let her get a personal vehicle, already. "I dunno. We're probably already late but if we light some fires under our asses then mayb-" Ah, man, now something else was coming up.

Just as she was about to turn from one syllable over to the next, an unmistakable ringtone begun to play from inside her pocket, and she was soon in the middle of a completely new conversation.

"Mmm."

"Okay."

"Uh, sure. We'll be over in a bit."

Beep.

"So uh, change of plans I guess." Pocketing her phone and sporting an expression halfway between relief and confusion, Christina stepped from the car and cast her eyes about the cityscape. "Soooo, it sounds like they're having a shift in priorities, or something? They want us to help out with some fast food kill around here somewhere. I think the dynamic duo should already be on the scene, though." If it really was those two, it was kind of a wonder why they'd even called for backup in the first place. But whatever, it didn't really matter either way."

"Anyway, Reiji, what do you wanna do about the kid? Is he coming with, or is there some sort of protocol for this?"
GasMaskie Lucem

 

[GasMaskie]

Crack. Crack. Crack. Throughout the ride, the man had remained silent for the most part - save for the habitual cracking of his knuckles. His face remained as stoic as usual, but each sound only served to signify his own desire to hurry and fight. Any Ghoul would do, so long as they put up an actual fight against him. When the car's engine had died, he simply ceased the action and adjusted his tie before stepping out of the jalopy.

According to biologists, wolves grew bigger in cold conditions. Perhaps that's why Reiji, a natural-born Japanese man, was far above the average height. The cold winters in Hokkaido and the vast expanses of land made it a treacherous place to grow up. He glanced over to the German woman, listening with a slight interest at her responses to the conversation. Folding his arms, the man listened to her explanation before directing his gaze at the city skyline.

Then, without a word, the man retreated to the back of the car - he made a note to remind Christina to inquire about a new vehicle. There was no way in hell he'd be dealing with the finer details like that. He placed both hands on the back of the car - his intentions to push the car were clear at least.

"...We'll take him with. Shota, put the car in neutral. Richter and I will push - you just need to steer towards the nearest gas station." While he got along well enough with the foreigner, he barely knew the deceptively youthful-looking investigator. As far as he knew, the boy was one of the CCG's latest developments - harnessing the power of Ghouls to slay them. Like something out of those Sunday morning superhero shows. Of course, he had his doubts about the whole process - turning a human into a Ghoul could no doubt result in issues down the line both mental and physical.

The One Eyed Bandit Lucem

 

[Lucem]

When the car's engine cried out in pain, Shota bit down on the strawberry sucker in his mouth. Opening one of his eyes for the first time in a while, Shota peeked at his chauffeur from the backseat, but didn't bother sitting up as she answered her phone. He halfheartedly listened to her end of the conversation as he removed the sticky candy from his teeth with his tongue, not too bothered by their unexpected stop. Although, her unexpected announcement peaked his interest.

Even as Christina stepped out of the vehicle, he could still hear her explanation. It seemed like something else required the older investigators' attention, but was it really more important than what was going on at the meeting? It must've been a pretty gruesome kill if the CCG was willing to divert staff while they had Thorn to worry about. Well, it didn't matter to Shota. A Ghoul was a Ghoul. It didn't matter if they were part of some meaningless group or not. He just had to kill them.

When he thought about it, this sudden detour may have been better than the original plan. He would be doing the same job, but there'd probably be less boring stuff to sit through this way. He had a feeling that he'd probably be forced to read through a bunch of files or something at the meeting. That was one of the worst things about investigations, especially the larger ones. Sure, briefings were important, but they were just so boring. If these two were just going to be dealing with some random Ghoul grabbing a midday snack, then they'd be able to jump straight into things. It sounded a lot more interesting than sitting around a table with a bunch of no-nonsense types.

When he heard the German consult her partner about possibly leaving him out of their investigation, Shota was quick to roll down the window and stick out his head. Looking at her with doe-like eyes, the boy wore a sweet smile as he removed the lollipop from his mouth, slowly twirling it back and forth while letting the red crystal glisten in the sunlight. "Don't be so cold, Chrissy. Of course I'm coming. The more the merrier, right?" He spoke cheerfully, but with a touch of hurt injected into his words.

The boy didn't need to do anything else to convince his colleague, as her partner had already made up his mind. His response caused the little grin on his face to widen, tilting his head while maintaining eye contact with the woman. "See? Teddy gets it." Thanks to Mr.'Bear Killer', he got his way pretty easily.

Exiting the car, Shota kept the smile on his face as his gaze moved to Reiji. "Leave it to me." The guy was already at the bumper, eager to get back on the road. Quick to action. He seemed pretty antsy when cracking his knuckles, but now he had something to keep his hands busy. Lucky for him.

Moving to the front seat, the smile quickly fell from Shota's lips. As soon as he plopped down on the leather surface, he noticed a small issue. Unsurprisingly, he had a little trouble seeing above the steering wheel. He never had that problem when driving his own vehicle, but not everything in the world could accommodate his size. It was one of the few struggles that came with being so adorably compact. Reaching to grab his briefcase from the backseat, Shota placed it underneath him to make things a bit easier. Not the best use for something that contained one of humanity's few tools for fighting against their predators, but it would do for now.

Waiting for Christina to get into position, Shota rested his chin against the wheel. His job was easy, but severely lacking in excitement. It would still take a while for them to reach a gas station, and it was hard to have any fun while steering. Or at least that's what he thought until he glanced at the gearshift. His lips curved upward as he moved to grab it, tapping a finger against the top. He was in a large car that he wasn't very familiar with, and didn't have as much driving experience as either of the adults. A little mistake or two couldn't be helped. Neutral, park, it was hard to say which was which. He was too busy watching the road. Well, he was sure that the big, strong investigators behind him would be able to manage either way.

The One Eyed Bandit GasMaskie

 

[jaylen]

Roan Emerson, 7th Ward, Shiho & Hitode

Sitting in simple silence, they watched as Dresden and his pal left the building in chase of the painter. They surely wasted no time and Roan was glad of it as it also meant they were listening to Shiho. Many of the ghouls in Thorns admired and respected Shiho for starting this organization, but not all cared about her orders or worries. Once the two were gone, Roan turned their multi-colored eyes to their leader, all too aware of her every move as they not only listened with intent but also studied her. Her wish for a map stuck in their head and Roan wondered if they could create one, pinpointing where the CCG were and figure out their best approach to overtake Ward 22. With help from some others, it wouldn't be so hard, though it would still be somewhat of a challenge. The idea lingered as Shiho moved on, voicing her concerns and ideas. They nodded slowly in response as yet again, they drank from their cup. Roan rather loved the mug held in their grasp. It had the image of a corgi playing in a field of flowers painted against a light blue canvas which acted like the sky. Their second favorite, which still sat in the cupboard, was black with the words 'Game Over' printed in pixels and below it asked if you would like a refill, with an arrow pointing to yes. Retro games held a special place in Roan's heart and so did the mug, for that simple reason.

Their attention was drawn to Shiho once more as she inquired about a rather wild girl who went by the name of Hitode, or Starfish, for Ghoul purposes. Though they wouldn't say it, Roan was rather glad they hadn't run in with the girl as of late. Her actions held no thought and her mind was a void. "Not lately, no." They responded, their voice steady and betraying nothing of their true feelings towards Hitode. Roan took another drink from their coffee as the door was knocked on and then flung open, followed by the high pitched wail of a greeting from Hitode as she entered. Roan set the mug down and turned to face the girl who stood proudly at the door. With a single sniff, Roan stared challengingly at Hitode, the smell of blood wafting off her. "Hitode, you stink. Where were you?" They asked, keeping their voice steady despite the burning itch at the base of their back which wished to release their tentacles. The woman before him was a danger to Thorns, yet Shiho kept her for reasons Roan couldn't understand. Hitode could very well be their downfall and they couldn't risk such a thing if they were to come out victorious.
S n o w simj26

​

 

[Kloudy]

The Rainmaker
8th Ward - CCG Main Branch Office -> Investigator Ishumari's Alley

Marx stopped halfway through the door and turned his head, twisting his body slightly to listen to what Investigator Ishikawa had to say. Tapping his foot from either impatience or as a result of a nervous tick, Marx wasn't sure which himself, his eyes widened a fraction as his brain registered the good news. Another ghoul attack, near the 7th and with the partner he was supposed to meet up with? If there were any gods, they were truly smiling on Marx today. He hadn't expected to be able to have some fun so soon after his transfer.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I hope no one got... hurt."

He turned to leave once more mid-sentence, and just as he did so his mouth stretched once more from beneath his wraps into something sinister, a nasty glint of glee in his eyes that only Investigator Ito could have likely caught from the angle. A split second later and Marx was gone, the door gently closing itself behind him and the ominous air clearing from the room as his presence receded.

Marx strode down the hallway with renewed purpose, a slight spring in his step and his umbrella bouncing against his leg from it's ensnared position around his forearm. Someone might have commented whether something good had happened to him, but the soul-piercing look of manic pleasure in his eyes seemed to ward that off. The first investigation of his transfer, and he would so thoroughly teach those upstart ghouls how things had gone down in Twelfth. Quinque suitcase in his other hand, Marx eventually reached the exit and made it onto the main street of the CCG building. He pulled out his phone and dialed Investigator Ishumari's number, generously given to him by the terrified receptionist back in the Main Office. As he placed the device to his ear, Marx entered the unmarked black car and placed the umbrella and suitcase next to himself in the back seat. His driver had already received the details of their journey and set off immediately, remaining completely silent. It seemed he didn't really enjoy being The Rainmaker's chauffeur. Marx's phone connected.

"Ah, Investigator Ishumari! I hear you have run into a spot of bother. I believe there is an nearby squad already on their way to you, but I'll be arriving shortly after them. Don't kill them all before I get there!"

Abruptly hanging up before his partner had time to really respond, Marx pocketed his phone and leaned back into the car's seat. Today was going to be a good day, he could just feel it. Statistically, there was a high chance that the ghoul that had just committed the reported crime was of at least A-S in ranking, mainly thanks to Thorns' presence in the 7th. All the heavy hitters would be revealing themselves to claim up the sudden influx of easy territory to hunt in. That was when he, The Rainmaker, would step in and the cull those barking dogs as punishment for the postulation and arrogance. He whispered to himself in hushed tones:

"Yes, as divine as the dark Anubis of old, I shall pass judgement upon them. I shall deliver them the benevolent gift of death with these hands."

The smile grew as Marx stared in fixation at his own upturned palms, the fingers shaking slightly. Was it pleasure, fear or anticipation? It was probably an mixture of all three. Marx did not know nor care; there was judging to do.

Nostalgic-Writer S n o w StarryKnights

 

[Skita]

Hanako Fujita
Location: Kotaku
​

"The last thing you want is me making coffee." Hanako chuckled, diverting her attention to a window grateful for the change of subject. "According to my friends I'm a great cook but coffee is something I tend to burn. A lot. When I lived with my brother he never let me anywhere near the coffee pot, I go to coffee shops for a reason." She chuckled again as her smile fell once again, watching the scenery change as Akane drove.

Akane made a point though, it was pretty ironic that they did blow up a building of so called 'peacekeepers' for peace. It was actually kind of funny the more she thought about it. It was only the fact Thorn though peace was achievable through violence that made it less funny. She couldn't help wonder, is this what Haruka wanted? Is this what he wanted to be apart of? Haruka had always believed that ghouls should have the freedom not to hide, to live any way they wanted and if that meant getting his hands dirty, then so be it. If he were alive she would have no doubt he would be apart of Thorn. He was always the type man that acted first and though about the consequences later.

She sighed to herself, her brother was the last thing she needed to think about right now. She looked away from the window and looked around the van. When she had gotten in, she was so preocupied with leaving the tenth that she hadn't really payed attention at first. There were a couple canvases strewn about covered by sheets, pencils, paints, and sketchpads. Was this girl an artist? Did she have talent? The only 'artist' she knew about was Rorschach, another ghoul whose reputation for sculpting art from the humans he ate preceeded him. Honestly it ghouls like that him that rubbed her the wrong way. But it didn't seem like Akane was like that, she didn't seem like the type that would go out of her way to torture humans. The more she looked at the various art supplies the more she wanted to see.

It wasn't until Akane spoke again that Hanako snapped back to the present, looking out the window once again. "Huh? Oh I love Kotaku! They have the best coffee in my opinion." She went to step out of the caravan right after Akane only to see the woman double over. "Hey are you alright?" Hanako climbed out, placing a hand on her shoulder before she smelled it too. Fresh blood, and a lot of it too. Whoever the poor soul was had to be dead now, but the question was who would hunt right now in broad daylight. While the 7th ward may be under ghoul control did not mean that it was safe or smart to do this in the middle of the day. Did they really have this many dangerous ghouls in the area that decided to take advantage of the situation and make this there hunting ground. It was like someone was begging for more doves to be in the area.

She took a deep breath, holding her purse closer to her. If worse came to worse she had her mask in her bag and could make a getaway, but she had an alibi. As far as anyone knew this was just two friends traveling for coffee before Hanako headed off to class. Yeah, that would work fine. Besides she doubted that her and Akane could appear as suspicious in the first place, as long as they stayed away from the corpse it should be fine. And hopefully only a few doves would turn up and they wouldn't be too hard to avoid. She looked up at the coffee shop and then to Akane, "Ready?"

QuirkyAngel

 

[simj26]

Hitode Hayashida
Roan Emerson and Shiho Ueno, better known as Reaper and Firefly, respectively. The former was strange, curious even. Didn't identify as any singular gender, which was, much to her chagrin when browsing the internet, not too rare a mental problem amongst youngsters these days. Roan fancied himself unique, when in fact, he was part of the ever growing population of weirdos. He was blissfully unaware of that, and for that reason alone, Hitode was more than happy enough to keep him uninformed- his state of indecisiveness in this world of strife would be cause for confusion in an already messy setting. Yet, for all his inability to ever settle down on being one thing or another, he was smart, Hitode had to admit. He watched her as much as she had watched him, though how much he was aware of the latter was not too clear to her. She would rather play it safe and be the loon he thought she was. He was quick to notice things, like the scent that wafted off her body right now, though she was disinclined to mask it, at this moment. One must always be proud of a successful hunt. Or at least, most of the time.

“I just told you, Ron, lunch, L-U-N-C-H, luuuuunch-uh, le déjeuner,” Hitode skipped and twirled about the room as she intentionally mispronounced his name, coming to a rest next to the duo, leaning against the wall and resting her head against one arm in an absolute image of reckless abandon. She gave a mockingly disdainful look at Roan. “Does it reeeeally matter where a lady goes to have her lunch? What are you gonna do, stalk me like some creep? Gonna ravish me with your tentacles when my guard is down and eat me up?” Her faux-scowl gave way to her usual goofy grin, and she gave a girlish giggle. “I honestly wouldn't mind, you know? Having a crush on an older lady is just part of growing up.”

At the same time, however, he was prone to anxiety attacks, which led to hunger, which led to his overdependence on coffee to stem it. Such habits were unbecoming of the young…man…thing, whatever he was. Putting him on the spotlight tended to force him to get anxious. She had never tried to push any buttons up until now. Whatever his reaction was, it would go into her mental notes.

Then there was the boss. Shiho Ueno, Firefly. Cool, calm, collected, and a strong will. Nothing stood in her way. How it thrilled Hitode to be able to work with such a fascinating subject. What were her insecurities? What would make her despair? What would make that mask crack? She always wanted to know the answer. Unfortunately, even after watching her for this long, she had yet to find the answer. The keyword was ‘yet’. She pushed herself away from the wall, did another pirouette, and came to halt behind Shiho, where she began to execute a little jig, swinging her arms up and down and moving her body left and right to an unheard rhythm. It resembled a mix between dancing and someone having a spasm. “So, boss, what’s up? Need anyone murdered? Need investigators heckled? Need me to go take a shower? Gotta warn you though, that’s very embarrassing for me to do that alone, so you gotta go together with me.”

Spoiler: tags

S n o w
jaylen

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Ah, man, these guys. Thick as thieves, apparently. Personally, Christina still wasn't all too sure how she felt about the Not-Ghoul kid. Taking someone his age and stuffing with a Kagune... Well, she wasn't a quack or anything like that, but there was no way it was healthy, right? The fact that he was the same rank as her at uh, seventeen, certainly demonstrated its effectiveness, but...

Mmm. Something about it just made her feel uncomfortable. Her folks had themselves a field day when she'd told them about him though. She'd have to get him on the phone with them one day.

"Man, Reiji, you serious? Wouldn't it be quicker to just ditch the ole junker and hoof it on foot?" She sighed. Despite herself, even as she spoke Christina found herself stepping around to the back of the vehicle and taking up her position. The chain of command was to be respected, and all that. Well, for five more minutes at least. After planting her hands as firmly and evenly as possible, Christina gave the car as mighty a heave as she could muster; One, she was proud to say, that outmatched that of most other men and women her age, as the lurching, metallic groan that resonated from the car attested to.

If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn the thing was trying to resist. This wasn't the first time she'd had to push a car around, but it was definitely the first time that it was thing much of a pain in the rear. But, she figured, it was probably just the regional difference; Japanese cars were even worse than she thought they were, if they were this hard to get moving, breakdown or not.

Come to think of it, that was probably why she was always running out of gas.

But, regardless of the difficulties, creak by creak and groan by groan, the car trundled along on its way, slowly but surely rolling its way up to and into the nearest station they could find, to the bemusement of more than a handful of onlookers.

"Ah..." Arching her back straight with a satisfied groan, a hefty set of clicks sounded out from the blonde investigator's spine. "...Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, should we head off? Or do you guys wanna pick up something while we're here? I'm pretty sure we're already late as hell, so who cares if we chuck a few more minutes on the tardy timer, right?"

GasMaskie Lucem​

 

[S n o w]

• Kohaku
• Shiho

• 
  
  
  

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

  StarryKnights ​

  "I don't know for sure," Kohaku answered Daichi as he ended the call. "The higher-ups were in a rush to have a squad mobilized to pursue the ghoul. I know there was only one casualty. Identified as male, and presumed to be older, as he had a boy with him who the ghoul allowed to escape. He was killed brutally, which will make identifying what the killing blow was difficult, if not impossible."
  
  Kohaku pressed his knuckles against the table, staring at the files spread out before him. This was why he fought for humanity, and would never see ghouls as anything more than animals, monsters to be kept in line and killed. Ghouls had started using the Thorn attack as an excuse to kill as they pleased, just as everyone feared. He wouldn't let them. If Investigator Hawthorne didn't find the ghoul responsible for this, he would. Humanity would be better off.
  
  "There was a message, but I wasn't given any details on it," Kohaku said, glancing at Daichi again. "The ghoul responsible is confident, either in their ability to escape from such a brazen crime or to take on a squad sent to pursue them." They had to be, to have committed a crime like this in the middle of the day. "In the best case scenario, this ghoul is rank A and is likely acting on their own."
  
  It didn't seem to be the work of the Thorns. If all they wanted was to kill freely like this, there would've already been a bloodbath. Someone with ties to them, but not directly involved in the group? It was possible. "S rank or higher and tied to this Thorn organization is the worst case scenario."
  
  It would mean that Kohaku was wrong, and that the humans in the 7th were in far more danger than they already were. ​
• 
  

  Shiho Ueno​
  July 16th
  7th Ward​

  jaylen simj26 ​

  The smell of blood was like a slap in the face to Shiho. She could smell it as soon as the door opened, and it was all she could smell after a few seconds. Shiho held the bread closer to her nose, but it was no good. It smelled like metal and iron. She put it down as Roan asked Hitode where she'd been. Shiho knew, of course. That amount of blood didn't come from a clean, quiet kill. There was nothing discreet about whatever Hitode had done. She'd made a mess, and enjoyed it.
  
  Hitode Hayashida. Both someone she could use in the upcoming fight against the CCG and the bane of her existence.
  
  Shiho ignored Hitode's taunts against Roan. Not because she didn't care, but because breaking up minor squabbles between her members like a babysitter was very low on her list of priorities. It was easier for them to work together if they liked each other, but she didn't particularly care if they didn't either. As long as they were devoted to her cause and didn't fight beyond petty insults, they were free to feel and do whatever they wanted.
  
  Shiho didn't move or respond when Hitode went behind her, nor when she asked her what she should do. "Don't get in my way, Hitode," she finally said, turning to face her. She didn't smile. "You really, really don't want to be in my way."
  
  Hitode was a ghoul, first and foremost. But Shiho also valued the Thorns more than she valued her own life. No one would put them in danger, human or ghoul.​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Akane Tsukimori (Kotaku)​

Akane nodded. Music was one of the things that helped calm her inner beast's rage.

Entering the coffee shop called Kotaku, they were greeted by the scent of coffee and the sight of a female cashier on her phone. Akane went up the girl and asked if she could buy any grounded coffee beans they stored behind the counter in bulk. An odd question for the girl to be sure, since she was no doubt used to customers asking for a simple cup of coffee to be on their way, but Akane waved it away by saying she traveled a lot and finding some in a department store would be inconvenient. It was the truth anyhow.

The conversation continued with casual questions. Where was the nearest place she could refill gas and water? How were things things around here? Akane wasn’t much of a talker, but even she could carry a conversation if she had to. The smell of blood wasn’t far off so if there was any danger she wanted to be aware of it.

Her eyes flickered to Tsubaki. “What sort of coffee do you like?”

Akane preferred hers plain and dark. No additional milk, sugar, sprinkles, or any other stuff humans added to their drink. However, she also knew of ghouls like Dr. Horiyama who asked for a pleasant chunk of crème in his and sometimes even ordered scones to enhance the believability of his façade. Or, perhaps, he actually liked that stuff. She could never tell with him...or any other ghoul that could shove human food down their throat with a pleasant smile, for that matter. Her taste buds were sensitive enough that even attempting to fake-eat was nauseating.

However, for ghouls that chose a single home/hunting ground, the necessity of a well-maintained façade was even greater.

Whether Tsubaki settled into a table or not would determine how long they stayed in the coffee shop. She seemed to really like it, given her compliment of the establisment. If she were a regular customer, perhaps it would've been better to let Tsubaki talk to the cashier. Easier to draw out information that way. Either way, she and Tsubaki still had plenty they needed to talk about. Where she was going? Where she wanted to be dropped off? Akane was going to Sumida to look for Thorn and she didn’t want to involve Tsubaki in such a dangerous act if their goals didn’t align. Her family problems were her own, after all.

Skita

 

[jaylen]

Roan Emerson, 7th Ward, Shiho & Hitode

The itch grew stronger and a burning desire to end Hitode where she stood rose like bile in their chest, yet instead of giving her a reaction like she so wished Roan bit back the words that bubbled in their mouth. Their usually dull eyes burned with defiance as Roan stared down the woman -- no the girl as she continued on, this time speaking to Shiho. Roan half hoped their leader would shut her up for good but they knew it wouldn't happen unless Hitode proved to be worth killing. Not like she's not already worth it. Roan reached for their mug and took a big gulp, forcing it down their throat and praying for the scent of blood to disperse. It had been so long since they last ate and the hunger was now realized by the growling of their stomach, leaving an empty pain to linger for days. Roans left eye lost its normality and turned black and red, their body willing them to give in and eat. Leaning their head against the back of the sofa, Roan closed their eyes and focused all thoughts of food out of their mind. If they were to go on a rampage now they'd surely be caught and that couldn't happen. Roan re-opened their eyes, now back to normal, and rose to their feet. "A shower would do you good, Hitode. Who knows when you last took one." Roan remarked, glancing at her as they spoke. Their voice was bland, yet a hint of something daring undertoned their voice.

Roan grabbed a thing of room spray from a nearby bookshelf and began spraying it around the room. The sweet smell of vanilla overtook the bitter blood scent, first mixing with it then destroying it entirely. With the smell of iron gone, Roan could allow themselves to relax a bit. Their shoulders and jaw noticeably sunk, having no need to fight their impending thoughts anymore. At least not for now. Some days Roan wished to be human once again so they would no longer have to fight so hard to live yet it would never happen. In the beginning, Roan had forgotten they'd been changed and would eat their favorite food, only to immediately throw it up and wash the taste away with water. They'd spent many nights crying and praying to be human once again. Funny how time changes things. "Ma'am, if you'd allow me, I could work on getting a map made." Roan offered, staring at his leader and making mental note of who to ask for assistance. First and foremost would be setting up the traps. Roan took their duties very seriously and everyone knew it. No matter what quarrels there may be, nobody could deny that fact and his brilliance.
S n o w simj26

​

 

[GasMaskie]

The man rested one arm against the trunk of his car as he loosened his tie. Even from where he had been pushing, he could still hear that single song on repeat throughout the struggle to get the car somewhere. Reiji couldn't help but hum the cover for a moment before catching himself. He brought his gaze towards the gas station's convenience store and then at his two companions. The Hokkaido native pulled out his phone and flipped it open - and then typed in the special phone number to receive a mechanical call-out of the sound. He was beyond frugal, and perhaps a little too old-fashioned.

"...We're already here, so let's just grab what we can and move on. I'm not looking foward to arriving at a battlefield where everyone's gone home anyways." As he moves to the passenger side and leans up against the door, the man begins to crack his knuckles once more. So long as they used their own money, he didn't mind a detour. The car felt oddly more difficult to push than he had anticipated, so a brief moment of respite (and some time for the soreness to wear off) was good. With a crack of his neck now, Reiji moved to the hood of the car to pop it open and check on the overworked engine.

"Hmm... Christina, why don't you come over here and help me with the engine. Shota, I'm sure you want to grab some candy or something so go ahead. Just don't take too long." At the very least, he had worked with engines before. Tractor engines, mostly, but car engines couldn't be too different. His German partner was a gearhead of sorts - he'd probably be able to leave most of the actual tinkering to her.

The One Eyed Bandit Lucem

 

[Lucem]

While the older investigators were resting their weary bones and aching muscles, Shota watched the two from his cushy seat. Even he was feeling a little tired after just sitting around for so long, but his companions made the slow trip a lot more bearable by offering some entertainment to pass the time. Just a little gear change was able to make them struggle. Although, they didn't have too much trouble. He still expected them to be able to push the car, but they arrived at the gas station a lot sooner than anticipated. It was proof that all the ghoul slaying was paying off. The workout the car just gave them would probably be a good dose of training too, so they'd benefit, even if they ended up sore in the morning. Everyone here won.

The boy felt a little conflicted as he listened to the adults. Resting his chin on the wheel, he watched Reiji lift up the hood of the car while discussing things with Christina. Both had good points, but Shota wasn't too sure about which sounded better. Ditching the four-wheeled piece of junk and leaving now was an option, but he didn't feel like running for that long. Like the foreigner said, they'd be late either way, but he preferred to get there before all the excitement died down. There was also the chance that they'd get chewed out for taking their time, which didn't sound fun. Reiji seemed to think the same and was trying to work on the car to get them to the crime scene sooner. A reasonable idea. But he really didn't feel like doing any work. He knew a little about engines and stuff, but it just seemed like a hassle. Thankfully, the guy freed him from any responsibility.

Exiting the car with a smile on his face, Shota nodded at the older man."Okay, I won't take long." Humming the same tune that played from the radio during their difficult voyage, he walked toward the convenience store. He was just following orders, so he'd leave them to deal with all the hard work. Bear Killer was turning out to be pretty useful so far. With him in charge, he didn't have to deal with any tedious stuff.

Shota felt a cool breeze as he walked inside the store, enjoying the air conditioning while the adults prepared his ride. Like the First Class said, he wanted to pick up a few more treats. He ate the rest of his stock during the drive, so he had to fill his pockets again. Luckily for him, there were rows of colorful packages containing sugar-filled sweets.

Picking out his usual favorites and a few new things that looked appetizing, Shota approached the counter with tons of items threatening to spill out of his arms. Just as he got in line, the only other person left, leaving him with the exhausted-looking cashier. The dark circles underneath his eyes were easy to see when the man's expression changed upon seeing all the junk food he had to scan. In addition to his surprise, it was easy to see his displeasure.

"You sure you got the money to pay for all that, kid?" His tired-sounding voice hardly had any trace of the cheery tone that people in customer service were made to learn, matching the look in his eyes with thinly veiled annoyance.

Shota didn't say anything as he took out his wallet, silently opening up the leather to reveal several banknotes. He got a lot of financial compensation from the Quinx operation in addition to his regular salary as an investigator, but he didn't really care about money. The only thing he ever bought was candy, so he didn't have much use for it. Although, judging by the cashier's shocked expression, he had a different opinion. It was like he had never seen so many Fukuzawas.

Maintaining his smile, Shota removed a few bills as the man began to slowly ring up the items. "Yup, I get a little money from my allowance each week. Ah, but I bet you must make a lot more than this, mister. You could probably buy all the candy you want." As a cashier working in a gas station convenience store, he just had to be making a killing.

Shota's smile got a little wider as the man grit his teeth. Something must've set him off, because he took the money a bit forcefully and stuffed the snacks in the bag as fast as he could. Was it something he said?

Grabbing the large plastic bag, Shota exited the store, glad to have gotten a little extra treat with his candy. Fishing out a wrapper from the sea of sweets, he enjoyed the strawberry gum as he walked back to the car. Blowing a bubble, he wondered if Reiji and Christina got the piece of junk running again.


Raising his suitcase above his head, Shota was glad for the opportunity to stretch after another long ride. Somehow, the duo managed to get the car working. It seemed like a miracle, considering how bad things were before. It would probably break down again soon, and the miracle likely wouldn't happen again when it did. Well, he could always call a taxi. He considered that option when his elders were trying to figure things out, but he decided to keep that to himself.

Shuffling through the crowd, Shota was a little surprised to see so many people walking around. After everything that happened in the seventh ward, he would've thought that more of them would keep away from this area. Well, that was human nature. These people would rather keep following their routines and doing what was convenient, rather than worry about all the Ghouls nearby that were just waiting to take a bite out of them. Speaking of which, he could smell the aftermath of a Ghoul's lunch right now.

Keeping ahead of the two investigators, Shota let his nose guide him. In addition to the kagune, the Quinx operation gave him some heightened senses, so picking out the stench of a rotting corpse was no trouble. It didn't take too long before he found the source of that familiar smell, hidden in the darkness of an alleyway. Once he stepped inside, the carnage was easy to see. Red stained every corner, like someone painted arrows to lead them. Sure enough, the blood led straight to a body, along with two others that were still living. Along with a familiar investigator, he spotted a boy that looked a little younger than him. If he had to guess, he was probably related to that thing that used to be a person. Looking back to the investigators, he placed his hands inside his coat pockets. "I think this might be the place."

Taking a closer look at the area, Shota noticed the little message that had been left for them. Now that was cute. It seemed like some Ghoul was feeling a little cocky. Were they lonely or something? Did nobody want to play with them? Well, the little glutton probably only had themselves to blame. Most Ghouls wouldn't want to hang around someone that was begging to have the CCG breathing down their necks. "Looks like someone's a messy eater." He didn't pay any mind to the kid.

Aside from the fact that they were dealing with an attention-seeking killer, the state of the area made Shota think this incident may not have been connected with Thorn. From what he knew about the little colony of insects, the group didn't kill for no reason. Now would be an especially bad time to do so, since there were Doves crawling around everywhere. This could've been unrelated, or maybe it was just some naughty member trying to break the rules by having some fun and a little meal as a bonus. Either way, it didn't change the procedure very much.

Looking at the message scrawled in blood, the boy placed his hands behind his head, unperturbed by the tasteless graffiti art. "We should probably check this for fingerprints, or traces of RC cells." It didn't seem to be done with any tools, and the Ghoul would definitely be bloody enough to write what they wanted. Only an idiot would leave behind so much evidence, but this Ghoul was stupid for an entirely different reason. They wanted to be found. "Or we can just snap a picture and compare the handwriting to some other stuff. Better than nothing."

The One Eyed Bandit GasMaskie Nostalgic-Writer

 

[StarryKnights]

• Daichi
• Dresden

• 
  Daichi felt his skin crawl as he caught sight of what almost looked like a smile on Hawthorne's face.
  God, this guy was twisted., Daichi shook his head and looked back to Kohaku as he continued.
  S rank or higher and associated with the Thorns would truly mean they were fucked, as it would be yet another S ranked ghoul they needed to contend with. This wold be difficult enough on it's own, but if it was allied with the other two believed to be in the Thorns.
  
  Then they were rightly doomed, two S ranked ghouls were more than a math for the men they had...bump the number up to three and...
  
  "I doubt this ghoul has a close connection to the Thorns, this sort of outlandish and brazen crime isn't in their wheelhouse", Daichi spoke. He was leaning more toward the possibility of this ghoul being a loner, capitalizing on the Thorns work.
  
  "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Thorns themselves retaliate in some manner, given this happened in their... newly claimed territory".
  
  If the Thorns were behind this, than all the humans in the seventh ward were in a lot more danger than the investigators had originally surmised. But wiht Hawthorne out patrolling the streets, Daichi couldn't help but feel that way regardless. That man was missing more than a few screws, he almost wished that he didn't stumble across some poor ghoul clinging to human society the best they could.
  
  S n o w
  
  
• 
  Following the instructions given to him by Shiho, Dresden made his way to the colleged where this manic ghoul/ teacher was supposed to work at. How someone so delightfully twisted could eek out a respectable job in the human world was beyond the ghoul.
  
  Why someone would want to live such a life was also beyond him, as Dresden hated having to blend into human society. Moving about the wards, hunting the vagrant populations, clinging to a meager existence while his sister did her best to attend school...
  It was shameful and unfair, perhaps in time the Thorns could change all that. Dresden wasn't much of an optimist, but he did hold a small amount of hope some good would come from all of this. Not for himself, but for Ainslee.
  
  God he hoped she was staying out of trouble.
  Arriving at the college Dresden made his way up to the office Rorschach was supposed to hold...only to find that the man wasn't there. Apparently he'd left earlier in the day, dammit all.
  
  He left without the ghoul, but did get a decent description of him from another staff member, so at least that was something.
  Standing outside the school he debated if he ought to return to the seventh ward and inform Shiho or go looking for the man.
  If he was out and about, there was a chance he might be looking for another victim...
  Dresden couldn't have that.
  
  
  "Alright then", he sighed and set off down the street. He was looking for a needle in a haystack and he knew it, but if Rorschach killed again, then the smell of blood would lead Dresden to him.
  
  

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

'Thorns' was a pretty appropriate name. Quote, 'a stiff, sharp-pointed woody projection on the stem or other part of a plant', or 'a source of discomfort, annoyance, or difficulty; an irritation or obstacle', unquote. It was hard to put a finger on which definition fit her opinion of them better; Or perhaps a poetic description would be more apt. Their ideals were flowery and pleasant, to be sure. Freedom for Ghoulkind, won at any cost, from the hands of an irredeemable enemy no less. But then came them, the Thorns. A prickly irritant, an annoyance for anybody who wasn't one of their own, sweeping through Ward after Ward in a blind defense of their ideal.

Ah. Man. She really needed to stop paying attention in her language classes.

Heaving a muffled sigh from behind a cheap-looking surgical mask, Yokubari Dorosekai turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Here she was in the 10th Ward, in the middle of her daily routine, and that group of idealist upstarts had decided to try and kick up a fuss. Did they really have to do this now, of all times? Couldn't they be a little more considerate of her situation? Shameful, really really shameful. But more than anything, it was terribly inconvenient. Not long before things had started to kick off, she'd left a fresh cadaver right out in the open.

Normally, it wouldn't be a problem. Rather, it was actually very much the point. But the CCG would be swarming this place any minute now, and some deep-rooted instinct or another was telling her something. That just leaving this particular victim out to dry was a bad idea. She didn't want the guise she'd worked so hard to make connected to the Thorns. Not one bit. So here she stood, blood steadily growing into a pool before her, and caught in deep bout of consideration. In her right hand, Yokubari's signature letter opener loosely dangled, still fresh with the blood of her victim, as her left drummed against her thigh in thought.

It was too late to just hide the body. The concrete below was already well and truly stained, and this spot was about as secluded as it could get. Mmm, so she had to wonder, was there a more creative way to worm her way out of this? Mmm. Mmm. There it was. There was an idea growing in her skull. Breathing another, more exasperated sigh, Yokubari slid her beloved tool back into its holster, and took a step towards her victim.

Gross. Now she'd gotten blood on her shoes.

Without missing a beat, the young woman bent forward, took a firm grip of the opener-pierced neck in front on her, tore it clean from its body, and then set off to work. In her contemplation, she'd reminded herself of a certain Ghoul. Not one she knew personally, but one who she'd heard her fair share of rumors about. One whose work she'd even witnessed once or twice. The ever dramatic, ever bold 'Rorschach'. Mmm. A perfect enough patsy, as it were.

With a trickle of blood as her paint, a mountain of plush flesh as her marble, and the tepid squeching of both as her orchestra, it wasn't long before she'd assembled herself a work of art. Or, at least, something close to it. A decent approximation. At the very least, she was confident it'd be enough to fool those who didn't have an eye for it, or an investigator who was just particularly desperate for a lead. Something was still eating away at her though. A feeling that this wouldn't quite be enough. But she didn't have the time. If they found her anywhere near here, she felt even a better effort here wouldn't be able to save her.

Mmm. It was time to go, then.

 

[simj26]

Hitode HayashidaWhen Roan took his mug and swallowed down a huge gulp of the coffee, Hitode gave a squeal of joy and clapped in celebration. She was right! She was so right! She loved it when he did that! She loved it when anyone did as she thought they would! The way they revealed their weaknesses even as they tried to display strength, it was simply adorable! She could see the frustration, the anger, the declaration of improbability that Hitode, whom he likely saw as a thorn on their side, was a Thorn on their side. “Hahaha!” She laughed uproariously at Roan’s comment, intentionally missing his point entirely. “Too right I do! A good soak would help! But then I’d get hungry again, and then I’d make a stink again.” She feigned an affected look, leaning against the bookshelf that Roan had propped himself by, leaning in as close as she can to him, letting her odor waft into his nostrils as much as she could. “If only someone could appreciate the cologne of carnage and chaos, then I would marry him and love him all day and every day, but, tragedy! A twist rivaling that of M. Night Saiyaman! In reality he’s one of those pesky CCG weirdos, so our interests are conflicted and though we try to keep our jobs apart from our love-making, we are but fated to do battle,” she draped the back of her hand on her forehead and drew out a sigh, looking every bit like an actress who knew the direction of the script, but really couldn't be bothered to actually act out the entire thing because she left the oven on and she was on a rush to hurry back home before her apartment burned down. She pushed herself off the bookshelf, and threw her arms around herself, and spun about like a ballerina between Roan and Shiho. “But then in the midst of the battle, our heated passions flare, and our eyes would meet and then we would pause and then we would make out and--” she gave another excited squeal, clutching her hands to her chest. “Ooohhh, I can feel love in the air right now! I’m gonna go look for an Investigator boyfriend right this instant! Ooh, I hope he has sky blue eyes and a jaw carved out of marble.” Laughing giddily, she waved her cellphone at Shiho. “Well, boss, I won’t get in your way if you don't want me to! I’m gonna find me a boyfriend! Call me if you need me! Never too busy for my first love! Don't wait up! Bye, honey!” In quick succession, she leaned in, gave Shiho a quick peck on the cheek, spun around and scurried out the door, shutting it behind her as quickly as she can.

Once outside, her expression dimmed ever so slightly. Her smile still remained on her face, but the mirth it had was now lost, as if it were sapped by the doorframe on her way out. She leaned against the door and gazed out from the parapet.

How dull. How boring. So boring. The boss was getting more and more boring. Roan was always fun to tease and make fun of, but she was beginning to feel it- the kind of feeling someone got when they get obsessed over this new food, like the tonkotsu broth ramen from Oda’s Cafe, and they’d eat it every day, but after a period of time, the same kind of ramen that tantalised their tastebuds for perhaps even weeks on end would suddenly taste like crap. It was beginning to taste like crap. She probably just needed a break from mucking about with the poor boy. Girl. Thing. Whatever. She pushed herself off from the door and scratched her head as she made her way down the corridor. Maybe she ought to hang out around 8th. Or maybe the 10th. Decisions, decisions. She kicked a stray piece of debris down the hallway, and watched it skitter, counting every single clack that sounded back to her.

Twelve times. That was close to ten. She’d go to 10th then.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

"What is this, a crime drama?" Ghouls did a lot of funny things, by which she meant dumb things, and they never ceased to confuse her. There was definitely a certain drama, a certain passion to the idea of a blood-scrawled taunt, but like, what was even the point here? Wasn't this kind of this meant to be reserved for a worthy rival or a hated enemy? Just leaving it out in the open without rhyme nor reason just made it seem like the result of some pointless, chaotic whim.

Hey, then again, maybe this message would turn out to be left by their future arch-nemesis? Maybe the leader of the Thorns had left this out as some kind of 'catch me if you can' net to set a swarm of investigators on their thrill-seeking tail.

But, man, even if that were the case, did they really need to go out and commit a murder for it? They'd orphaned some poor kid in the process too. Just the idea of someone being callous enough to kill a man for a game like that was making her blood get a few degrees hotter. It'd probably do her better to not get pissed in front of the kid.

Kids, rather. Something about Shota's smug grin made her feel like showing off a soft point like that would be a bad idea. But regardless of how she felt about his uh, inclinations, she couldn't deny that he was a sharp kid. Within moments of their arrival, he was scoping the place out and pitching idea after idea. To someone like her, it was almost like being at a batting cage. So, frustrating as it might have been to be outshined by a kid who hadn't even hit puberty yet, she decided to concede the lead here to him.

"Do what you need to do, Shota. Maybe Mr. Tall and Dark here can help you out." Her wolfish senior on the other hand, was probably about as at-home here as she was. There were time where she wondered why exactly the two of them had been partnered up- Brawn and Brawn wasn't a typical combo- But she was grateful more often than not. All the smart ones in this country seemed to be of the creepy type. The Doom and Gloom combo being a prime example.

"Uh, anyway, shouldn't we do something about the kiddo? Having him float around here can't be healthy for him. Getting him back to HQ should probably our first course of action, yeah?"

GasMaskie Nostalgic-Writer Lucem

 

[Witty Wild]

Rei Hanako
The door to his loft open with naught a squeak, as Rei took very good care of his loft. Rei hummed lightly, in an attempt to quell his Anger, and moved to the upper level where he kept his art. Though really his entire Loft could be considered ‘where he kept his Art’ . The walls were elegantly painted in some areas and explosive and inquisitive in others. All of his walls were painted in some form or another, with most of his furniture having paint protection sheets over it. Of course it hadn’t always started out that way, but over time Rei had figured it was easier to just keep the covers on. Rei never really knew when one of his inspirations would, and it was safer this way...it was also safer for whenever Rei had his loss of control. But that was not now.
Now, Rei was putting down his art supplies neatly on their stand. Glancing at the scattering of letters and poems that coated his desk and wondering not for the first time if it was too late for him.
Rei had a good life. A mother, a decent stepfather, a good career.
But...
Light teal eyes hardened as his sclera darkened.
He was not free. He was not at peace.
He may have had a good life, but just like all those years ago when he first splattered the blood of that young man against the concrete wall, when his Kagune split and painted in the blood flowing around, He was not satisfied.
Rei was never satisfied.