westwhere | Following Sairen [closed ]

Entry tags:

Following Sairen [closed ]

WHO: Kaneki, Hermione, Akira, Five
WHEN: Beginning of March
WHERE: Ruins near the fortune fetters
WHAT: Stalking Sairen
WARNINGS: Violence, some limbs being lost, some limbs being eaten (cannibalism), gambling. Will add as needed.

Pursuing Sairen at one point leads the group to the highly knocked-down ruins of a fortress near the fortune fetters. The stone remains now crudely host a gambling arena, with fierce thugs and associates of the revered Sairen waging bets on anything from dice throws to card games, snake fights, arm wrestling and various challenges or games of wit. The stakes range from coin to some men pledging their services, others their freedom, and a scant few even volunteering their body parts in gory, ad hoc amputations. All play and pay, to Sairen's entertainment.

The infiltrators will need to pretend to be servants or gamblers and participate in the games, to avoid arousing suspicion. They might also wish to steal some ritual stone masks from the participants already in attendance — everyone in the den is wearing such a face covering, including Sairen.

While Sairen nominally presides over the Hok-Shinn, he appears too distracted to partake of their petty cruelties and retreats in wine and the gossip of his counsellors. He sometimes passes judgement over conflicts among his generals, receives or awards gifts and is introduced to new clan conscripts.

Feel free to spend some time 'mingling,' drinking exceptionally strong swill, gambling and smoking opium by the fires — as well as perhaps overhearing or remarking:

■ Sairen's guests seem to include visitors from other villages,

■ Some guests question 'old man' Sairen's ability to keep the younger, more aggressive rising stars of the Hok-Shinn clan from rightfully taking over the fellow villages of Ke-Waiar and Ke-Waicai and 'teaching them who is truly in charge.'

■ Word is that Sairen has been... fretting about the iminent return of the the Beastmaster, who was dissatisfied with the previous, nondescript Hok-Shinn offering during his previous visit.

■ A group of drunkards whom Sairen refuses to receive into the Hok-Shinn murmur that the day will come when the entire clan falls, once it is no longer the sole custodian of a certain substance that helps revive the highly arid and infertile agricultural terrains of Ke-Waihu.

■ One drunk mutters that the white wanderer who brought the first vials of the chemical to Ke-Waihu handed it out freely, before disappearing. Since then, it has been monopolised by the Hok-Shinn, who charge an arm and leg for this substance, withholding it from any farmers who rebel against their rule.

By sunrise, the crowds start to dissipate, with some leaving their masks behind by hanging them on the branches of an ancient willow tree. No one wears their mask back into Ke-Waihu, making it difficult to figure out which villagers participated.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Gambling

[ getting in was easy; Kaneki is stealthy enough to takea stone mask for himself, but he also realizes his white hair might be a quick giveaway, thus he opted to use mud on it in order to darken the white strands. Not exactly the best thing to do, but he can wash later. Plus, a lot of the people around the ruins look like they haven't showered in a while as well, so they are among friends.

Gambling is not something Kaneki does but it's something he can do. And he is good at it because he sticks to cards and he can count cards. Naturally if he is found that will be problematic, but he has the mask and that is actually helping. Which means after this round he ends up with money, a slave (someone offered up their own freedom, it seems), and three actual fingers that have been cut - he did insist he had no use for them, but because he is trying to avoid arousing suspicion, kaneki ended up accepting all of them.

He promptly lost the slave in a game of dice afterwards, which was a huge relief.

While he does this, he naturally spies on all the people around them. He listens to conversations which is easy for him thanks to his ghoul abilities; sure, other ghouls would probably be even better, but Kaneki still has enhanced hearing if compared to a normal human. Sometimes, he is found to be very still while further away from the crowd - he is actually listening in on conversations, and naturally anyone from his group can approach ]

Food time (CW; cannibalism)

[ He wasn't able to lose the fingers so far. He got three of them and somehow more pilled up. In fact, he has a badly butchered hand as well and Kaneki has to wonder why would anyone see value in having someone else's finger. But ultimately he thinks everyone in this place is just insane; they are drinking curses and living in cursed land while playing pretend-weddings with deadly foxes.

But there is a problem with being around all of this gore: Kaneki is always hungry. And the more he eats, hungrier he gets. He has been feeding thanks to the witches he befriended and that's enough, but when he is involved in people cutting off their limbs to gamble them away, the scent of blood and flesh is a trigger. And when he finally had enough, Kaneki moves away from the crowd even further to find a hidden place where he can sit down and...

well. eat the hand and the fingers. ]

One haunted doll

[ Kaneki left the haunted doll behind when he and the group decided to go on this small mission. He had hoped she would give him at least a couple of hours before she came back to him - and lo and behold, Kaneki was in the middle of refusing some opium some drunk guy just shoved at his face (he will vomit if he takes a drag, that much he is certain), when he looks to the side and the goddamn doll is there.

Another man laughs as he picks her up, waving the "toy" around ] Fancy some toys? Who even brought this along! [ and everyone laughs except Kaneki who mutters a very clear "FUCK" under his breath.

This fucking doll!!

Immediately he stands up, stone mask still one, but voice soft as honey ] I apologize, it belongs to my little sister. She must have put it with my belongings before I left. [ a lame excuse, but believable enough for drunks, he hopes. And they do believe it, but now they see this as an opportunity to gamble further ]

Tell ya what, boy, we fight. Winner takes it.

[ of course he had to say that. kaneki can only sigh; the man is drunk and completely immersed in opium, there would be no way for him to win this fight. It's but a waste of time - thus, Kaneki ends it quickly. Kaneki suddenly springs towards the man and lands a punch right to his gut - the drunkard falls to side, vomits the contents of his stomach, and passes out from it all. Luckily Kaneki held back, and yes, that was him holding back.

The silence that follows is interrupted by the voice of a singing child: the doll.

It never shuts up, does it? ]

Edited 2022-03-11 23:11 (UTC)

[ The masks help... to a point. Five, despite what he might say, does not have a lot of success looking older than his thirteen-year-old body would suggest when lined up against a burly crowd of forest dwellers who gamble with their own body parts. He mostly hangs out in the periphery, overhearing what he can and slowly getting closer while they get progressively more inebriated. Kaneki on the other hand, got right into the thick of it. Five watched as he managed to get accepted into their games with barely a question to where he came from.

When he sees him walk off with his winnings, Five waits until no one is looking, then teleports to his hiding spot in the woods — just in time to see what very much looks like the bone of a human hand that's been picked clean.

He doesn't say anything for a long moment, wrapping his head around what he might have just discovered, then says (very) neutrally: ]

It looked like you were doing well back there. Did you feel like you got enough?

[ Honestly, he is very glad to have the mask because holy shit. How does... he deal with this? The kid approaches him, watches him eat and doesn't even flinch.

To be fair, the kid is suspicious - from the day they have met, and how cool he was coming into this mission - but even adults are usually not that okay with cannibalism happening right in front of them. Anyone who acts like this is not just suspicious - they are dangerous.

Kaneki drops the partially eaten food - the hand - staring back at Five, before he settles the mask back against his face. Ghouls like masks - and Kaneki is no different; there is a form of safety but also distance when wearing one, and it's something Kaneki himself appreciates specially during tense situations ]

Why? Were you hoping to get something in particular?

[ If he wasn't currently staring at a half-eaten hand that he spooked Kaneki into dropping, he might have a more sarcastic reply to that question. Five obviously didn't come here for the ambiance.

He also hadn't come for what he just stumbled on. While he barely showed his distaste when he saw them gambling with body parts, this poses a new concern that he's not sure how to handle. He didn't get enough of a read on Kaneki back at the lighthouse, and clearly he should have spent longer questioning him. He doesn't know what danger he poses if he can't control himself. ]

Were you?

[ Kaneki doesn't answer at first, simply staring at the other. He would take a deep breath, to try to identify how human Five really is - Kaneki is a ghoul, he sense of smell is limited to humans only, but he can at least recognize when someone is NOT human - however the smell from the bloodied hand he had been chewing on is affecting his nose.

Maybe Kaneki could listen as well, enhanced hearing abilities are also part of the ghoul nature, but let's face it, he is no where as good as most ghouls.

So in the end, there isn't much he can learn from Five unless they get physical (not currently an option, but surprisingly it does cross Kaneki's mind) or Five spills it (it seems unlikely, the kid seems to know better than to be an open book). Talking is all he can do, it seems ]

No. I had what I needed before coming to this place. [ but then someone shoved a bloody hand at him and while Kaneki can handle his ghoul nature quite well most of the time, there is a limit to it ]

[ His eyes narrow the longer he stares back at him. It's possible that he wasn't counting on his secret getting out, and he doesn't know how far he'd go to keep it. The answer he gives doesn't ease any of his suspicion. Kaneki was the one to notice Sairen's people gathering here. Five invited himself along after he revealed their location, so what was he after if not information?

The only thing that comes to mind is what he's seeing in front of him.

Everything he intended to ask when he blinked over, important things he may have overheard that he needs to know, gets sidelined for the moment. They're far enough from the group here that nobody would notice if he took care of a threat before returning to them. ]

Then why did you come?

[ he is tired of this. He is tired of dealing with this, honestly. Wangji is already the same and his conversations with kaneki are basically him asking vague questions while hoping to get specific answers, or trying to get some slip-up that Kaneki is secretly there to kill them all, but never directly stating it and instead using polite words and stern stares.

Kaneki has not dealt with humans in a long time; he has not been part of the human world for so long. He didn't have to tip-toe around everyone all the time. He is very well aware he is a cannibal and a horrendous monster - Kaneki knows his sins better than anyone - and have someone vague-talking and tip-toeing around the questions they actually wish to answer, rather than straightforwardly state their mind is something that exhausts him.

He is not doing this anymore.

He pulls out his mask staring back at Five, blood staining his face from when he was eating the hand. ]

I will be blunt: I do not have as much patience as I often would like to have. So I'm skipping the whole part where I try to convince you you did not find me eating a human hand. [ because Kaneki WAS eating a human hand ]

Edited 2022-03-21 18:52 (UTC)

[ The confirmation isn't shocking in itself; Five saw the blood around his mouth and the mutilated hand. It isn't even out of place. These people are gambling with their body parts, and he has no idea what they plan to do with their winnings. But the way he says it, how he's almost put out by Five's reaction, makes it sound like this isn't the first time someone from their group has stumbled on him in this situation.

It isn't the gore that phases him. Not counting his familiarity with death and killing, Five still carries Anurr's finger tied around a string like a necklace that he keeps tucked away. He can even understand that level of hunger. The bodies in the apocalypse had all rotted before he got to a point where he might have resorted to cannibalism. But they have plenty of food here, which implies that he just couldn't help himself.

He hasn't decided what it means. Being a cannibal is one thing, but if he's undead and fooling everyone, that's a very different problem. ]

I can see that. [ He also saw that Kaneki didn't cut off the hand. He didn't attack anyone at all. Which doesn't mean much, but it's something to consider. ] Do you want to go on to the part where you don't do it very often, so we have nothing to worry about?

[ He almost asks which warlord he's following. It's on the tip of his tongue, but instead he just scrutinizes him, like he'll be able to tell what he is if he stares long enough. ]

How many know?

[ he can indeed see that. It makes it easy that he saw, because hearing about it would be worse - so Kaneki thinks. To be seen being a monster means he doesn't have to explain how monstrous he is; to be seen also makes it a lot more real too.

Kaneki has no issues in being so. Hiding it was simply out of comfort to others who would have to share a place with Kaneki and have to see him during their travels, but in the end the young man is more than prepared to be accepted as something horrible. He knows he is so, and he knows it will not change.

But there is no screaming from Five, which means he is either aware of where they are (they can't be too obvious, this is still a spy mission of sorts) or that he is logical enough to think things through. Whatever it is, Kaneki knows the kid is not a normal kid, and he is somewhat glad for it.

But to answer his question:] One of the group. But só does the Merchant and all those that work for him. [ Five is certainly more than welcome to contact the Merchant about it]

As for how much I eat, I eat a lot. [ in Kaneki's mind, a small human finger would already be too much. But he does eat much, more than most ghouls would] I rely on dead bodies. And undead. [ in a world with so much death, it's easy to find what he needs]

Edited 2022-03-21 22:09 (UTC)

[ The Merchant. He knows things about them that nobody should, so of course he'd know about Kaneki. If he's strong enough maybe he was brought specifically to handle the undead, but they'd be making a pretty big gamble. The way he talks about relying on bodies, it isn't just a preference, he can't go without. — So it would have been nice of the Merchant to give them a heads up.

He sighs and glances briefly behind him. They're still well away from the crowd, and he doubts anyone would hear anything with all the commotion going on around them. ]

And if none of those were around? [ Most of the places they go have no shortage of dead, but the village is an exception. That would give him a motive to come here where they're freely cutting off their own limbs and throwing them at him. ] ...You weren't listening at all, were you?

If none of those were around, the merchant will bring in some. [ like he did in ellethia. His men were carrying around a dead body for Kaneki, given that he knows he can't afford to have Kaneki hungry because he will either kill or be killed for being hungry.

Ken knows Five is trying to ask the consequences of Kaneki's hunger. He knows he is trying to gauge at what would happen if Kaneki went out of control - but if he wants to ask that, he has to be more direct in his questions. Kaneki is giving him that chance, one chance he did not need to give back home. ]

You can believe whatever you wish. If you wish to think I'm here to eat you all, that is your prerogative. But I simply want to go home, where I do not have to explain my existence or the hunger it brings. [ and he doesn't have to do tasks like following a bunch of drunks and addicts, who think sacrificing people to foxes will fix things. Kaneki had decided to leave this sort of life behind, and after he made that decision, he is brought in to this forsaken place.

A place where he can't even die properly.

He is tired. ]

Edited 2022-03-22 11:04 (UTC)

[ The first time Five shows any strong emotion after finding him eating a hand, anger is the first one that surfaces. He's angry that he was kept in the dark by the Merchant yet again, angry that Kaneki seems so disappointed to be confronted about his disturbing diet, but most of all angry that he seems so wrapped up in hunger that he spoiled a perfect opportunity to learn something he can use.

When he's done, he scoffs loudly and shakes his head. ]

I didn't come here to understand why you eat people, I wanted to know if that's the only reason you're here. I came for information, and from what I'm hearing, you were so tempted by hunger that you ran off before you got what we came for.

[ Five still isn't sure if he's undead, but he's wrong if he thinks he has to go along with it. He's half-tempted to test how dangerous he really is before letting him get back to the group. — Maybe if he thought it wouldn't blow their cover completely. For now he just has to deal with this. ]

You want to say you're not a liability, prove it. If you want to get home, you'll be more careful.

And what I'm hearing is that you decided to run after me and complain that I'm not finding information, while you too aren't doing the same. Perhaps a bit hypocritical of you, no? [ no, of course not. Five seems like the type of child who'd believe he is always right. ] If you are that particularly upset that information is not being gathered, perhaps it is you who is lacking.

[ Kaneki throws at Five's feet the bag of coin he earned through the night while he chatted and gambled with said drunks high on opium and learned a lot about each of them and this place.]

I will make this clear: I will do what I must on my own terms. You do not set those terms. [ Kaneki pulls down the mask once again to cover his face, while walking past Five.

One thing is to discuss Kaneki's nature and how it can be an issue, but being questioned on his abilities? No, thank you. ]

[ Five flexes his jaw as he points out that he hasn't had as much luck working with this particular crowd. It's a sore spot that he can only do so much when he looks like a prepubescent child. As reluctant as he's been to work with the others, he'd agreed when he followed Kaneki's tip, and it's frustrating that he still can't rely on them for even a simple task.

He might have meant that to be the end of their conversation, but Five is still fuming when he throws the coin at his feet and starts to walk away. In a flash of blue, he blinks into his path, getting directly in his personal space. ]

You did hear something. [ That isn't a question, but he's sure of it when he stares him down, bloody mouth and all. ] You don't have to like it, but I've been around longer. I can promise that I can do more with it than you can. Tell me.

[ Normal people would probably react very differently to a child suddenly materializing themselves out of thin air right in front of them. Normal people would probably ask what the fuck and normal people would have the normal reaction of not automatically assuming said child to be an immediate threat, considering they are all in this together and they have all agreed to try to find information together.

But here is the deal: Kaneki is not normal.
Nothing about him is, and it's not just the fact that he needs to eat people to survive.

He has been tortured and traumatized hell and back. With PTSD, trauma and a heavy dose of paranoia, adding possible psychosis to the wonderful cocktail that is Kaneki's mental health (or lack of it), Kaneki is a grenade ready to go off at the slightest of provocations. And Kaneki's mind saw no difference between a threat and what Five just did, whatever the hell it was. The ghoul may not understand what it was, but in kaneki's head that was a threat thus his body automatically reacts: four tendrils come out from kaneki's lower back and all aim at Five. They are silent, but they are obvious: the tendrils are covered in bright red scales and they shine bright. Kaneki himself is frozen in place while his body prepares him for a fight-or-flight response; luckily he has the mask, or it'd be obvious that he just thought about cutting off Five's limbs, even if it only lasted a second.

But the second is all he needs: shame works very well on the ghoul. At the realization he did just think about maiming a child (sorry, Five, you are still a child in his eyes), Kaneki snaps out of his psychotic state with a quiet grunt and he feels like vomiting. He thought he had kept his own insanity under control, but Kaneki realizes it's bleeding out, towards a child - of all the people! He is very glad to have that mask indeed because under it Kaneki bits his own lip as punishment until it bleeds, and the tendrils pull away slowly like snakes ]

Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to do... that. [ he still doesn't know what that was. But just don't do it without a warning in front of a crazy ghoul, maybe? ]

[ Five has blinked in front of enough people to expect any kind of reaction, even a violent one, and that's sort of the point. He's long used his abilities to stop them in their tracks to win an argument and then fucking off before they can get a last word in. But every now and then, especially here, someone manages to surprise him.

Tentacles suddenly shooting out at him are not something he prepared for. Even his assassin-honed reflexes might not have saved him had they not suddenly frozen mid-attack. If he wasn't taking him seriously enough before, he's learning quickly, and he's seconds from using whatever weapon he can grab when he starts pulling them back.

It isn't the first time he's seen something like it, and being reminded of his dead brother does nothing to settle the sudden uneasiness he has. (Which, frankly, should have been there the second he saw him with the hand.) Ben had just as much trouble controlling them, but Kaneki clearly doesn't want to fight him.

When they slink away, Five is left to puzzle over what he just saw. He's silent for a while, not moving from his path or letting his guard slip for a moment. ]

Neither was I. [ ... ] You didn't tell me you had something living inside of you.

[ surprises all around! ]

Living... [ living inside him? Yes, there is. It's something ugly, disgusting, something that consumed him completely ] It is "me", now. [ Kaneki is now that thing living inside of him; he can no longer escape it and those red tendrils are proof of it. Two wrap around kaneki's legs while the rest stay back although they still surround Ken.

He sighs, pulling down his mask once again, while the ghoul eye is reacting now. There is no point hiding it, but at least Kaneki's expression is less... ah- dangerous. He looks back at Five for a moment before his eyes look away, ashamed at the way he reacted.

And in his shame, kaneki gives in the information he has heard. To be fair, Five is right: he has been here longer than Kaneki and most likely would know better, child or not. ] I heard Hok-Shinn has some sort of magical solution that makes land fertile, but they monopolize it completely. They not only charge incredible prices over it, but it seems that's how they can keep control over everyone. "The white wanderer" was the first to bring those vials into the villages and even handed them out for free, but that was time ago - perhaps to prove to the villagers they had no other choice.

But they believe Hok-Shinn won't have control over it forever, and the moment that happens, the clan will fall.

[ It's more of an explanation than he thought he'd be getting. That logic makes sense out of what he witnessed. Not that it's better to know how unpredictable he is, but it's better to know what he can do and keep his own hand close to his chest. Five looks from his eye to the tentacles, waiting for anything else to come out of his mouth before he goes on to honestly tell him what he's been asking since finding him in the woods.

Switching gears isn't easy, but he listens more intently as he goes on. That's actually a lot to process. They took the long road to get here, but he managed to gather something useful after all. ]

Well. [ Can he blame him for thinking he wasn't taking notes? He keeps on staring at him down, before he finally says... ] Good job. We can use this.

[ It seems insane to let him off the hook, but he can't argue with results. ]

You've got a handle on it now?

[ kaneki goes into business mode rather easy; in fact, it's the perfect time to switch to it because he just feels bad for wanting to maim Five moments ago. He shouldn't have gotten angry, but Kaneki has Issues and loses control of his own emotions far too often. Trauma, some would call it; self-preservation, Kaneki would claim.

He nods softly at the small compliment, although he doesn't expect the conversation to go on. In fact, he'd be happy to just turn around and move back towards the drunk men, but Five speaks again.

Handle it? ]

... I have amazing control over them. They are part of my body, so the same way you can control your arm, I can control my kagune. [ that's what it's called. In fact, finally it disappears, fading away and turning into dust.

But.

It doesn't mean the person controlling them has a handle on themselves. And when that happens, it's as if the kagune controls Kaneki instead. ] But sometimes you pull your arm too fast, and you hit something. So it's probably best to be ware of that. [ in other words: don't approach them ]

[ Five frowns, unfamiliar with the word 'kagune' but committing it to memory all the same. He seems to be calm now, and he watches as the tentacles fade away. It wasn't a true test of what they can do, but this has been... informative in more ways than one. There's still a risk to keeping him alive, as with so many of their group, and he weighs that up until he gives him a short nod. ]

Noted. [ It's true that he did startle him and it wasn't an intentional attack, so he can cut him a break. And maybe part of his acceptance is because of Ben. He was always self conscious when his tentacles massacred a room full of people that they'd been taught were the 'bad' guys. But his brother also didn't eat them afterward.

He has an urge to make more of a threat here, but being underestimated may work in his favor someday. He clicks his jaw before relenting and taking a step back. ]

You've probably done enough gambling tonight, don't you think?

[ No, it really wasn't a test of what kaneki can do with them. They can do a lot, including killing dozens in one single go; however, if one wanted to look at it some other way, Kaneki is the one who can kill dozens in single go, the kagune is only the weapon.

But the thing is, the kagune is not the only thing about Kaneki that is dangerous. Killing him is not as easy as one would expect. Believe him, he has tried to kill himself in suicide missions many times before.

Not that Five would know unless he tried. ]

Hm. I can go back, but I think they are out of it. [ when Hermione played with them, they were so drunk and high that she even won against them - without knowing how to play.

There is a pause before Kaneki asks: ] You- was that superspeed, what you did?

[ Kaneki recovers so quickly, even the Commission might have been impressed. And in all fairness, plenty of them were deranged psychopaths, so he can't say he's never worked with worse. (Not that he was one of them...) If it weren't for the bloodstains on his clothes, Five could almost forget the whole incident occurred and ask if he wanted to go out for coffee.

His suggestion was an invitation to leave before any of them got suspicious, but he might not need a cover after all. ]

...No, it wasn't. [ He's surprised he asked about his ability, but at least he didn't call it magic, so he decides to answer. ] It was a spacial jump.

[ As if that explains it entirely. He doubts he'll follow the long version. ]

I could press our luck and get closer to Sairen, but you're better sitting the rest out. With the way they were playing, I'm guessing you don't need the temptation.

[ Spatial jump...? That's -- ] Teleporting? [ it's what it is, right? To instantaneously travel from one point in space to another without passing through the intervening space... Kankei is not a huge fan of sci-fi books, but he knows this much.

But he pauses when he hears Five wants to approach Sairen. ] Approaching Sairen is a big risk. Specially because we are the only ones not drunk and out of our minds. [ a longer pause ] You are also a child. [ LOOK! He had to say it at some point because it's true ]

[ He should have seen that coming. After Five was so understanding of his cannibalism, it's an added layer of insult to be called out for his appearance. He knows what he looks like, and how much that stands out in this setting, but anyone should be able to see past that after talking to him for any length of time. Instead he finds himself in this exact situation again and again. ]

I'm old for my age. [ He responds curtly, purposely holding in anything that could classify as a tantrum. Loudly insisting that he's 'not a child' tends to have the opposite effect. ] Teleporting. Luckily, I can blink over to get close without him ever noticing.

[ Look, he accepts that Five is not a normal child. But he still looks like a child and Sairen would take that into account, regardless of how mature the kid is ]

I understand that. But Sairen would not, don't you think? [ he isn;t trying to be insulting, simply stating a fact.

But it's true, Teleporting could be a very useful power to eavesdrop unnoticed. Kaneki hums, looking at Five, but here is the thing: even if Kaneki's instincts had told him to cut off Five's limbs not so long ago, a Kaneki who is in control doesn;'t like the idea of shoving a kid into something dangerous like spying on the clan's boss. ] It's a bit risky, don't you think?

[ With the way he's patronizing him, he sincerely doubts he understands anything. There likely won't be much more to gather, unless Sairen openly starts talking about some relevant strategy in the middle of their gathering, but that's not the point.

Five isn't the only one here who looks like a teenager, even with the mask. He doesn't need to be judged by someone who thinks he's the most capable because he has a more literal monster living inside him. ]

Suddenly that's too big of a risk for you? [ Minutes after he was ready to take his head off. Five scoffs and makes a move to turn back before his temper gets the better of him. ] Just try not to eat anybody before they're dead and let me worry about the rest.

[Akira's close by when the fight breaks up, and he looks toward the doll as it starts singing.]

That never gets any less creepy.

[ Kaneki glances back at Akira before he reaches for the doll and places it under his arm ]

You get used to it. She does nothing else but that. [ no aggression, no bad luck. She is just a singing doll. ]

Well that's good. Usually they try to stab you in your sleep.

[He's just going to hope it's not just biding its time or something.]

People also usually try to get rid of them, so... maybe don't do that?

[At some point in the gambling thing, she ends up sat next to Kaneki, which is likely a good thing. It isn't a pleasant kind of casino - at least as they come into sniffing range, that becomes quite obvious. (And mind you, this is before she'll have to bite her own tongue to not say something in anger, outrage or indignation over people offering up their freedom to gamble, and fingers being cut off so nonchalantly. Metaphorically biting it.)

She's been following along as it plays out, and has noticed...something. About her companion in this mad quest. So when the cards are dealt again, and there's a lull in attention on them, she turns her head towards Kaneki, leans in and whispers:]

Are you counting?

[ Kaneki glances at his cards, and then back at the cards the other players held. He is silent, replaying in his head what he read about counting cards, the various methods and--

he stops when he hears the familiar voice, glancing back at Hermione. He would have smiled a little, if it wasn't for the mask covering his expression ] Me? No. That would be cheating, right?

[ and everybody here would never cheat. ]

[Funny. Hilarious.] Shrewd. [She shifts closer, a little, and tries to play it off as a friendly lean-to, from one party member to another.]

Worth learning.

[ he is so witty, of course, of course.

Kaneki allows the proximity, even offering her to see his hand while he glances back at the cards on the table. ] I'm surprised it's of use, specially in a place like this.

I only learned out of boredom. [ and because Kaneki reads a lot and keeps most of the information he has read with him. he is book-smart, for sure, and most things he learned are from books. Even fighting, as weird as it sounds. ]

How? [She would've assumed that was someone who'd teach you. They definitely don't teach that level of cheating in Hogwarts. She's had to develop most of her shrewdness the hard way - recklessly, at the drop of a hat.]

Don't win too much. [This part is whispered.] We want to be unmemorable, remember?

I read books, a lot of them. I also had few companions that appreciated cards, so I ended up learning more. [ and more.

give him an interest and books, and he will learn what he can about it. ] If you are interested, I can teach you later. [ he will probably steal the deck of cards to do that, though.

The whisper is heard and Kaneki tilts his head towards the girl, whispering back ] And I would prefer not to bring back a hand, myself. [ he still has to find a way to lose said hand during this game, because he really REALLY should not be around it. ]

But truth to be told... they are not very good at this. [ his adversaries suck at playing cards, basically. probably because they are drunk and high on opium. ]

Edited 2022-03-19 21:56 (UTC)

[She pales behind her mask at that. The memory of someone so casually just wagering their hand, and then...dispensing with it, right in front of her...

She's glad that she didn't eat before coming, or she would've lost her dinner over the gambling table.]

Right, that - well. I could get rid of it, if it's necessary. [Stick it in her bottomless back, burn it later? No evidence left.] But focus on...ah, losing?

Ah... no need, I'd hate to make you do that for me, Hermione-san. If I end up keeping it... then I will be the one disposing of it.

[ eat it. Kaneki will eat it.
Not that she knows, but that is fine. She doesn't need to know (for now and hopefully never).

Kaneki nods afterwards ] Do you wish to take over? I mean no offence, but perhaps you... are bad at this? [ that was still offensive! ]

[That is. Indeed offensive, and she gives him an indignated look from behind the mask. It doesn't really project the level of Excuse YOU.

And maybe for that reason, she has enough time to pause and realise,] You might have a point.

[Under her breath, because gods forbid she ever admits she's bad a something. Even though gambling is a good thing to be bad at, since gambling is stupid. But she bites that retort down, and steps in for the next round. Not even knowing the rules of the game.

The other gamblers are so bad at it, however, she manages to still win??]

This was a terrible idea. [Whispered to Kaneki to the side. Then to the group, in a very fake loud, boisterous laugh:] Drop the coin in front of me, uh, mama's feeling lucky? [Why.]

[ LOOK!! he tried to be as gentle as possible about it, but he didn't know how else to say it! He tried, so give him some credit?

He moves a little, allowing Hermione to step in and try her luck and yet he just stares at the game incredulous, unable to comprehend just how bad can their opponents be to even lose against a person who has no understanding of the rules of this game.

Just. How????

It was indeed a terrible idea.

But you know what was also terrible? That thing you just said, Hermione. Terrible enough for Kaneki to suddenly snort, trying really hard not to let out a laugh because oh my god. Someone even asks him if he is okay, and Kaneki just coughs, waving his hand ]

Yes, of course. Just-- excited that she is winning. You go-- mama. [ oh he is also terrible at this ]

Edited 2022-03-23 11:50 (UTC)

[Oh god, she has regrets. She hears Kaneki snorting and immediately, without hesitation, digs her heel into his foot. Get it together.

She slaps his back, for show, like a concerned...mama? (I guess?)]

Slow sips of the booze only, err...kid. [As if she's any better.

Under her breath she adds:] I have so many regrets.

[Then another hand is dealt, and Hermione tries. She tries so hard to lose. She does. Why are they so fucking drunk?

Mama really is on a roll.

As the coins get pushed her way, she lets out a suffering whine, heartfelt. Clears her throat as quickly as possible, and declares:] How are all you mighty people failing so hard to win? [She tosses in the hand into the centre of the table, together with some coins, while the cards are distributed.] Just to make things interesting. Don't shame your ancestors like this.

[She read about improv once.]

[ if he weren't a ghoul, kaneki most likely would have felt some pain from that, but lucky him! he does get the message though, so Kaneki tried to quiet down, so glad he is wearing a mask.

But things don't get any better. In fact, it's just going downhill from there. And now he is so glad everyone is drunk and high, otherwise there would be no way to pass for someone who'd normally visit this group and partake in their activities.

At least she seems believable enough, and kaneki hopes this will at least snap their adversaries out of their stupor, but he is dead wrong, and now the hand is pushed back towards them, along new goodies such as a knife and even a hat. Kaneki takes a deep breath under the mask, looking around at their companions, trying to think of a way to count the cards so it won't go in their favor...

and then he sees someone rising their leg and screaming "'Tis my last bid of the night" and ready to cut off his foot in order to participate in the next round.

Motherfucker.

Kaneki quickly turns to Hermione, trying to keep his voice low, but the sense of urgency is there ] We have to go. Now.

[If anyone asks why, exactly, she came here, she might end up blaming Five. Not like he's doing the man (old man? apparently?) a favour, but he did mention something shady was happening around some ruins and did she think that was a good chance for her to go and see if it was a ritual.

Somewhere in this village, there must be people who cast magic, people who speak to ghosts, people who understand rituals. People she could go to for some guidance, when it comes to her ancestral curse.

It turns out this is not the place.]

Stay close. [Whispered to one of her partners for this adventure.] If things turn sour, I can make us disappear - wait. Should we be wearing a mask? Can you tell what they're saying? [A lot of disconnected questions, but hey! Up ahead, from their hiding place behind a big boulder, they can see the gamblers wear masks.]

[ Why Five thought to bring someone along who talks this much is something he's going to reflect on later. She was in the right place at the right time, but it's quickly becoming apparent that they're going to have a tough time blending in with this crowd. Hermione especially. She also happens to speak magic better than he does so... whatever, he's dealing with it.

He gives her a flat look over his shoulder, then continues surveying the crowd ahead of them. Kaneki was the one who first spotted where they were gathering, but it's yet to be seen if this all won't be a big waste of time. ]

Nobody can hear what they're saying if you don't pipe down. [ He whispers back with a tight smile that's just a shade threatening. The masks are a convenient detail that she's right to point out though. Five does the sensible thing and picks up a rock, then waits to see where he might have an opening.

He's gone in a flash of light, and when he's back his hair is slightly disheveled and there are two masks in his hands. One of which he holds for Hermione in particular. Then he's back to looking for some other stragglers while he straightens his jacket and grabs another rock. ]

I'd suggest you keep it on.

Edited 2022-03-13 19:12 (UTC)

[She very nearly hexes him with some Stinging Curse or something at that threatening little smile, because he's a right proper bastard sometimes, but he disappears too soon for that. And is back, surprisingly quickly, with two masks. He also looks like he's been in a fight.]

Did you just get in a fight? [She mumbles to herself, under her breath:] Could've just transfigured two for us. The violence. [But puts it on with a huffy little tug, and nods at him.]

Alright, time traveler. It was your idea to come here, what now?

[ Five is a second away from jumping again when Hermione calls him out. Instead he sits back on his haunches, seemingly just so he can frown at her disapproval. He only stopped at two because the stone masks were awkward to carry. (The mysterious wrapped cuts on his hands remain obnoxiously hard to heal, so don't mention them.) After a moment of consideration, he sighs and tosses his rock aside.

The nickname makes him twitch, but he doesn't let it derail him. At least she's asking for his plan. Kaneki's probably ended with finding them here. ]

Lucky for us, they've been at this a while. They might not notice... [ He doesn't want to finish that sentence, but he gives the four of them a once over and shakes his head. They look like a group of teenagers and the less is said about it the better.

The masks might not be enough if they were sober. He slips the other one he stole on and looks out at the crowd. ]

Sairen will probably be easy to spot. We see who he's talking to and follow them. Hopefully one of them says something useful. [ He squints at what they're doing... ] Do you know how to gamble?

[She's not going to use his actual name, in a secret mission, she's not an amateur. You bringing her must be meaningful - a testament to her worth to the group - so of course she's doing her best to rise to the occasion.

But. Ew, gambling. She pulls a face at that.] No, of course not - I'll just. Stick next to someone.

[And boy does she ever.]

[ That would be a smart move, but some would argue that bringing up time travel might garner more attention than a name. Not like he expected her to have experience in this. He raises an eyebrow at the face she makes, mostly hidden with the mask. — So they're definitely going to be found out. ]

Getting too close is out of the question.

[ Especially if Sairen isn't as drunk as his followers. ]

Unless you can magic yourself invisible. [ Lily had that... camouflage thing she used on him once, and he knows they're friendly. ] If not, just don't engage and stick to the outskirts. I'll signal if I need you.

[Stealing a mask for himself takes very little effort, and he steps out from behind a half-downed column with it carefully in place. He makes his way toward one of the gambling tables, doing his best to blend in as he settles down and starts playing.]

[He does decently for himself as far as winnings go and even better when it comes to picking up information. He does thankfully manage to lose the offer of a marriage to someone's daughter, because just no.]

[He does try to keep himself a little apart from the rest of the group, keeping an eye on Kaneki, Five, and Hermione through the evening in case anyone needs help. This whole situation seems like it could go bad very quickly.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Following Sairen [closed ]

Kaneki Ken // cw; cannibalism

food time; this might as well happen

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i'll take gambling so there's a spread

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

thats the funniest thing every lmf

im losing my shit lmao dbshjbfg

this is it, this is my magnum opus

beauty, it's what it is

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Akira Kurusu