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Lady_Lunevis

A World of Grey { accepting }

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"G-good morning, everyone." A few raspy coughs. "Is anyone awake?"

Amaris picked out the voice of Halla, calling softly into the unknown. The female ghoul took a hesitant step forwards, remembering the events of a day before. Her sharp eyes picked out Halla's Bikaku, still active and glistening red, though not nearly as worrying of a shade as the day before's. Even so, the female ghoul was at unease. What happened . . . ?

Why was she not retreating her kagune . . . ?

To have a kagune out was a challenge; a show of worthiness amongst ghouls. Only a fool would keep it out overnight--she could only imagine the energy it took from Halla to keep it out for that long.

“I’m awake,” someone shouted from above, “I’ll be down in a second.”

Only moments later, An appeared from the bottom of the staircase, coming towards them.

“Good morning Halla, Amari-”

Amaris inclined her head as welcome, and noticed how the girl stopped in her words once she caught sight of Halla and her kagune.

What now . . . ?

To her surprise, An walks towards Halla, her voice steady. Amaris watches as An kneels down, then speaks in soft tones to the other.

“Halla, take deep breaths and try to retract your kagune. It’ll be alright, you’re in charge of the kagune; the kagune doesn’t control you. Just concentrate.”

She suddenly feels beyond useless.

Amaris takes a step forward, coming up before An, making sure that her footsteps were loud enough to be heard, and that she would not be considered a threat.

"Focus on yourself," she urges, looking down at the two kneeling, and she suddenly feels very awkward. "Not the kagune."

Slowly, she lowers herself, uncertain glance flickering between An and Halla. "Just focus."

 

~

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kazuya," the male greeted him easily, though he had been speaking what Kazuya assumed with English only moments before. The pink-haired man blinked, murmuring something in return, and the man continued on.

"Are you thirsty? I brought some freshly brewed beverages I made early this morning." Sure enough, there was a table upon which many refreshments lay, all with various neatly printed labels.

"I wasn't sure if everyone liked bubble tea so I made some coffee as well just in case. I do apologize if none of the drinks are to your liking, I haven't perfected making bubble tea yet unfortunately." Kazuya started as the other straightened up, grinning at him all the while, and he offered a nervous smile in return.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, taking one of the bubble teas as the other spoke on, introducing the blonde lady next to him, who also stood up and fixated upon him with a glare of death. Kazuya gulped before focusing on the other's words.

Her translator? Ah, so she didn't speak Japanese?

That would pose difficulty for the rest of them. How were they to battle? The pink-haired man fretted about this, though he was soon interrupted by the arrival of others.

"Ah, no, that's okay," he replied to the male as he caught sight of someone approaching. "I'll just--er--go stand--over here."

He excused himself, smiling nervously, and placed himself near the table as he continued to drink, mind wandering.

He was saved by the arrival of a female who introduced herself quickly, though the careful way she held herself seemed as if she was still injured. From the battle yesterday . . . ?

Screams echo in his ears, and he gives himself a violent shudder to shake himself out of his thoughts. Luckily, he is soon distracted by the arrival of Natsuki, the quinx all but running into the gathered circle. It wasn't very often that Kazuya arrived ahead of them; as if to gloat this certain fact today, Kazuya shot them a gleeful, albeit slightly mocking grin.

 

~

 

"Perhaps you scared them away through sheer will," Indigo replied.

She shot him an annoyed look, clicking her tongue. "I hardly think so. And if so, then they are unfit to be fighting ghouls."

She crossed her arms, missing her home country more than ever. And now . . . more newcomers.

The fact that she couldn't quite understand what they were saying set Lucianne off, the blonde woman scowling at the newcomers. The pink-haired one had seemed a coward, for he said some words to Indigo--the fact that the other seemed to have perfectly mastered two languages and then some also annoyed Lucianne to no ends, especially how he seemed to effortlessly slip between them--and then retreated, slipping off into some dark corner. She tsked, an annoyed little noise, as someone else came up, a female this time, who introduced herself and swept around a glance, taking in everything the others had to offer. Soon after, a male followed in her stead, every bit the representation of a picture-perfect officer. Lucianne regarded them both with slight interest--they seemed like reliable officers, which set her mind the tiniest bit more at ease. Finally, someone else came up, who then bowed to the rest of them, introducing themself. At the Japanese floating about, Lucianne shifted unconsciously, uncomfortable.

"We're late already," she said to Indigo sharply, breaking the chatter that had begun flickering up as everyone took note of their other teammates.

Do they know each other?

She's never felt so isolated, and she hates it. She stands up, dusting off her immaculate clothes, before placing a hand on her suitcase, the simple feel of the material comforting her.

Hyperion.

And . . .

Well, she hardly thought a need would come for her use Ouroboros on this mission.

"Are there any quinx?" she asked Indigo again, this time quieter. Chances are, there would be, and the thought unnerved her to no end. Of course, she had no intention of hurting an officer of the CCG, but that didn't mean she couldn't dislike their situation.

She snaps her suitcase shut with a ringing click, picking the thing up as blue eyes scanned the streets.

She highly doubted they would be located directly in the 1st Ward, not when CCG Headquarters was so close. A-ranked ghouls, working together . . .

Where would they go?

Perhaps . . . she considers simply traveling through the Wards one-by-one. Extermination, if you will, but she does not have that much time and the less of it she spends in Japan, the better.

Perhaps she'll start at the site of the battle.

"Let's begin."

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A pleasant grin crossed Indigo's face as Kazuya smiled nervously at the German before snatching a bubble tea from the table. It was hard to believe such a flustered man was hunting and slaughtering ghouls, let alone being a member of the illusive quinx squad. Indigo could already tell Luci was going dislike the pink haired man by the way the man fumbled over his words and he retreated to the corner of the room as more supposed team members arrived. Indigo allowed his eyes to linger on the quinx for several moments before turning his gaze to a polite woman who bowed apologetically.

"My most sincerest apologies for coming late. I was wounded in the yesterday's battle so my movements are slightly hindered. But I promise this shall not affect my skills in any way during this mission. Ueno Chiaki, at your service." Indigo raised an eyebrow as the woman mentioned a battle. She didn't look particularly hurt, but, then again, there could be all sort of wounds hidden away by her clothing. Not too long after Chiaki had finished her introduction, another person came running up behind her, promptly introducing themselves as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," Indigo replied in a silvery tone, bowing down as respectfully as he had with Kazuya. Glancing over at the woman, Indigo added, "as long as your injuries don't affect your performance, I'm sure our darling Lucianne will understand," With a smirk, Indigo gestured towards the tables brimming with tea. "If you're thirsty, I have set up some complimentary refreshments." Indigo said calmly. "That is, if you're alright with bubble tea. Do tell me if there is anything else I can get you."

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Indigo could see Lucianne shifted her body uncomfortably. What? Was she still not used to all the Japanese floating around or was she simply disappointed with the group CGG arranged for her? Indigo honestly couldn't tell what the British woman was thinking half the time but he could assume she was displeased one way or another.

"We're late already." At Luci's words, Indigo straightened himself up and flickered his gaze towards her direction. Blinking stoically, Indigo walked over to the table full of bubble tea and placed his cup down in an isolated corner of the table.

"Are there any quinx?"

"At least one," Indigo replied, effortlessly changing his tongue as he folded his hands behind his back and strode over to Luci. "Your so called delinquent appears to be the only quinx to announce themself so far." Indigo took care not to mention the male's name in fear of upsetting or worrying the quinx by calling him out. Standing a few feet away from Luci, Indigo turned to face the squad, making sure to catch all of their eyes in the process.

"The meeting begins now," Indigo declared at Luci's order. "I am Indigo Brauer, the translator for the leader of our lovely little squad, Lucianne Lennox. As she only knows English, I'll be translating everything she says." Lowering his voice to a whisper, Indigo gave Luci a side glance. "The stage is all yours, buttercup," he said softly.

 

(sorry for taking so long, stuff happened)

Edited by Doctortear

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((About time... No real excuse for my inactivity.))

 

Katsuro stirred from his slumber.

 

After An had retired for the night, Katsuro withdrew from the roof and made his way to the ground. Katsuro couldn't find somewhere decently comfortable to sleep, but eventually gave into fatigue and went to asleep where he stood.

 

He stretched out his limbs, and started to process his surroundings.

 

His mask laid face-up on the ground next to him.

 

Did someone see me?

 

Katsuro's initial worries soon disappeared. If he'd been caught asleep like that, he would likely be dead or captured.

 

Next time, I should be more careful. I wonder what the others are up to...

 

Katsuro made his way back around to the front of the building holding his mask, and when he noiselessly let himself inside he was confused by what he saw.

 

The three from yesterday were all gathered. The fox ghoul was on the ground, with her kagune out. She seemed distressed, for some reason. An was kneeling next to her and the ball masker looked on.

 

Is her kagune jammed?

 

Katsuro thought it best to say nothing, but he continued to watch.

Edited by Coryn02

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Isaac looked around. He had received his orders on where he was meant to go but he hadn't been able to eat anything for breakfast that morning, so he was searching in vane for somewhere he could get a quick bite.

Turning his eyes towards his wrist he gazed at the time on his watch, if he didn't hurry he'd inevitably be late.

Now that would certainly be a bad first impression he thought. He'd been quickly briefed on who the squad commander was, an first class investigator from England. Apparently she was quite a headstrong woman who tried to keep things orderly. Pausing in his thoughts he noticed a small ice cream stand.

Smiling Isaac hurried over and bought one foreign ice cream with an amusing name and a chocolate scoop with sprinkles. He then held the pop stick of the foreign one with his thumb and index finger while keeping the cone held between his other three fingers.

Hmm she's foreign... I wonder if she speaks Japanese. I might have to break out English if not Isaac thought as he idly nibbled on the ice cream.

He made to look at his watch but doing so would cause the ice creams to fall from his hand.

"Blast, no more lollygagging. Heheh, lollygagging, that's a good word, why don't we have lollygagging?" He mused to himself in English.

 

After more walking Isaac arrived at the meeting point, arriving to find six people already there, all young then him he judged from their complexion.

 

"The meeting begins now, I am Indigo Brauer, the translator for the leader of our lovely little squad, Lucianne Lennox. As she only knows English, I'll be translating everything she says."

 

It seemed he'd arrived in the nick of time. Isaac walked forward and waved his arm, the sleeve of his jacket uselessly hanging down from just past his elbow.

"Ahh sorry I'm late, didn't have any food and I wanted to get a quick snack," Isaac called, grinning from ear to ear as he indicating the ice creams he held in his hand.

His gaze turned to the blonde woman 'Indigo' had indicated, he'd been right in assuming she couldn't speak Japanese.

 

"You must be Lucianne, it's a pleasure. As payment for my lateness I got one for you. I'm Associate Special Investigator Isaac Walken," He said, extending his arm out in a friendly gesture, offering the ice cream towards Lucianne.

He looked over at Indigo and chuckled, "Sorry I couldn't get you one two but, alas, I could only hold so many". To emphasize Isaac waved around his right arm again. Feeling a light chill on his chin Isaac wiped the useless sleeve over his beard, he must've spilled some of the ice cream as it began to melt.

 

((Yay first post, hope its up to scratch. I don't think the forms up yet though. I decided to do the same thing as doctor and display english as quotations and italics))

Edited by Marcus Pheonix

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“Halla, take deep breaths and try to retract your kagune. It’ll be alright, you’re in charge of the kagune; the kagune doesn’t control you. Just concentrate.” An's voice was clear and calm, like a silver bell on a cold winter morning.

"Focus on yourself. Not the kagune." Amaris added, her voice not as sweet and soft, but more demanding.

"Just focus."

 

Halla took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, counting to ten and seven for each. At first, she didn't feel anything changing, but she refused to give up. After a couple of more minutes of steady breathing, the kagune retreated and her eyes returned normal. Halla sighed with relief and rolled on her back, ignoring the fact that the floor was filthy and cold. She couldn't remember when she had been this hungry.

 

"Food would be... fantastic," Halla muttered as she carefully sat up and looked around, her eyes cloudy and her hair a mess. It was as if she wasn't even fully awake yet. Halla herself wasn't sure, either.

 

I'm sure we had something left over from yesterday, right...? Anything? In a daze, she stood up and began to sniff the air, looking for any trace of scent. Her stomach growled in protest as nothing was to be found.

I had my kagune out too long... Not to even mention I have never used it this much. It's like a muscle you have to train, idiot. You can't just whip it out and expect it to function normally after a treatment like that!

"Anything... to eat," Halla sighed and slumped down on the couch she had been sleeping on, feeling nauseous and weak. How did she even end up like this? Unacceptable, to say the least.

 

~~~

 

Chiaki watched with mild amusement as a older man approached the group, grinning and waving his hand excitedly, two ice-creams in his hands.

"Ahh sorry I'm late, didn't have any food and I wanted to get a quick snack," he apologized in a relaxed manner and Chiaki had to stifle a snicker as she watched him lift his ice-creams to emphasize his point. He then offered one of the ice-creams to miss Lucianne, managing to spill some ice-cream in the process. He wasn't even taken aback and simply wiped off the mess to his sleeve.

"Sir, please have this," Chiaki said quickly as she pulled out a napkin from one of her pockets and limped towards Isaac, handing over the piece of paper. "You do not want to ruin your suit, sir."

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"Food would be... fantastic," Halla muttered. An let out a sigh of relief. Halla was alright, despite her tired expression.

It must’ve been exhausting to have a kagune out all night.

 

“Halla, I’ll go grab something for you to eat,” An replied, rising from her kneeling position. “I’m sure we have something left over from last night.” She closed her eyes and sniffed the air.

(There’s something in the bedroom. Someone must’ve threw some meat in there.)

An jogged through a hall and into the bedroom. The house had been untouched for years, and the bedroom was no exception. Dust and cobwebs were abundant, and An noticed brown stains and a lump of (???) on the bed.

This must be the meat.

An swiped the meat off of the bed and walked back to the living room.

“Found it,” An called. She tossed the meat to Amaris, and hoped that she’d catch the food. “Amaris, could you please make sure Halla eats something? I’m going to leave after I get my hands washed.” An paused. “You guys should also start leaving soon. Now that the sun’s out, they might become suspicious if there’s too much noise in here. Halla, thanks for leading us here and I hope you can have better control the next time we meet again (will we see each other again?). Everyone, I hope we can meet again under more favorable circumstances.”

 

After washing her hands, An left the house through the front door. There weren’t many pedestrians out, but the ones that did kept their eyes focused on the ground.

(You should’ve gone through the back door.)

An followed the signs and found herself standing at a bus stop. Five minutes passed, and An paid for the bus fare. She decided to claim a seat in the back of the bus. An received a few dirty looks from the passengers, and she clenched her fists.

I didn’t ask to smell like the sewer.

(You need a second bath.)

 

“Alright, we’re in the Fifth Ward, Block 7,” the bus driver called out. An rose from her seat and exited out of the bus.

(We’re almost home now.)

She continued walking down the street until she reached a house with the nameplate [ Suzuki ] next to the door. An reached into her pockets for her keys, but noticed that the door was slightly open.

(How odd. I could’ve sworn that you locked the door after you left.)

(Unless…)

An crossed her fingers, hoping that a Dove didn’t break into her home (would they?), and opened the door. Lounging on the living room couch was a masked figure in a black coat. The figure noticed An when she closed the door and took off their mask, revealing a youthful face.

“Yo, Little Lion,” the figure waved. “Ver was wondering what happened to you, especially with the run-in with the Doves.” They chuckled. “Personally, I thought you were on your way to becoming someone’s quinque, but look! You’re here in the flesh!”

“[ Good morning, Sparrow. ] Ah, and let’s just cut it to the chase, Sparrow. Why did Ver send you here?”

“Well, Little Lion, Swallow told me that they have a message for you back at HQ. Ah, and Swallow also wanted to know what happened to you last night. You were supposed to report back to HQ last night after the recon mission, y’know.”

"Let me take a shower and change then. [ Please wait. ]"

 

edit: whoopsie, forgot to add the ver google document for future reference ;u;aa

edit 2: [ italics ] is mando dialogue

Edited by XiaoChibi

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eeek literally everyone has posted before me i am so sorry

i apologise if i've made any mistakes spelling/grammar-wise it's 2am ))

 

Amaris watched with faint concern echoing in her eyes, hovering nearby An and Halla as the former talked gently to the latter, successfully calming the shocked ghoul down and helping Halla to retreat her outset kagune. The Arctic Fox looked positively exhausted, and Amaris would sympathize if she knew how--keeping one's kagune out all night drained energy like no tomorrow.

"Food would be... fantastic," the ghoul murmured, and Amaris watched carefully.

Should she volunteer to get Halla something? But why? How could she possibly benefit from wanting to help the other ghoul?

Her mind flickers back to the events of yesterday, and it all seems too far--the female ghoul clicks her tongue, wondering how so much could happen in such a limited timeframe. What a world it was they lived in, it seemed.

“Halla, I’ll go grab something for you to eat.” An's voice brought Amaris from her thoughts, and the female ghoul stared with curiosity as the younger disappeared from sight, jogging off into the abyss that was the still-darkened halls of their shelter. Moments passed, and Amaris awkwardly shifted as she regarded Halla.

"Are you . . . alright?" she asked quietly, her tongue feeling awkward in her mouth. Sharp eyes regarded the other ghoul, and Amaris' gaze flickered from Halla's form to the place where her kagune had been only moments earlier. The female ghoul noted that Halla's kakugan had retreated as well, sighing softly. What had happened earlier? Amaris was more than curious--what could possibly have caused a blockage to Halla's kagune?

Overuse, perhaps? She had never heard of pushing a kagune to its limits, but then again . . . there was no way for her to tell how often Halla used her kagune, and if not often . . . the kagune was a living organ, one that needed to be fed and exercised and kept trained. Considering the life-threatening events that had happened last night . . . perhaps the strain was simply too much. Staring at Halla's weakened form, Amaris felt something akin to guilt.

Was this my fault?

"Found it." An's voice came from the halls, and seconds later the female ghoul appeared from within the gloom. Amaris blinked as a slab of meat was suddenly tossed in her direction, and the female ghoul caught it only moments before it could smack her in the face.

“Amaris, could you please make sure Halla eats something? I’m going to leave after I get my hands washed."

Briefly, the female ghoul paused, staring at the meat in her hands. She wanted to challenge An--who did the ghoul think she was, ordering her around? Amaris didn't doubt that she could beat any of the ghouls here in singlehanded combat, and it has been a while since she's gotten into any scrimmages.

However, this wasn't the time, nor place. Amaris had no plans to bring down a perfectly standing haven in the middle of nowhere.

Leaving? An's second point was certainly of interest to Amaris--of course. They couldn't keep up a facade like this forever, and the CCG wouldn't waste any time in attempting to track them down. She nodded as An finished her mini-speech, calculating eyes watching the other.

She's not a fool.

That's only going to make life more difficult.

"The same to you," Amaris replied cordially, her voice sliding into a smooth tone of welcoming kindness, well practised. "Perhaps things will be better next time."

If there is a next time.

She has no intention of staying around to make friends she could meet up with later.

Careful eyes watched An's back as the girl went to wash her hands, slipping inbetween the cracks of the house. Soon after, An was gone, without so much as the sound of the wind rattling against old boards or the faint sound of early-morning Tokyo in the background.

What now . . . ?

Her eyes look around the room, and Amaris tightens her lips. Then, she withdrawals her gaze before bending down to offer the meat to Halla.

"Here," she said, rather unceremoniously. "Eat. You must be tired."

Where would she go from here? She had no intentions of staying in this place, yet Amaris had to plan her next move very carefully. Their earlier battle had alerted the CCG of the presence of various strong, capable ghouls, and that only meant more trouble as far as hunting down ghouls involved. How bothersome it all was, that humans tried so hard to match their prowess by using weapons made from the bodies of dead, imprisoned ghouls.

A shame, really. Fighting fire with fire.

But as for the moment . . .

Amaris stares at Halla, who seems to be recovering slowly.

"Where will you go from here?" she says quietly, and the question has escaped from her lips before she could think to stop it.

 

~

 

"At least one.Your so called delinquent appears to be the only quinx to announce themself so far."

Lucianne clicked her tongue in disappointment, a scowl covering her features. "I don't like this," she returned, quietly. The lull from hearing English spoken from both their tongues had softened her anxiety somewhat; hearing all the Japanese float around, this mysterious language that she could not understand, unnerved her to no ends.

She watched as Indigo stepped away from her, facing the gathered crowd with a calm face. Japanese flowed fluently from his tongue, and Lucianne simply bit the inside of her mouth all the while, waiting for when it would be her time to speak.

Why did they think this was a good idea? she thought to herself, questioning. Surely they could have brought in someone who understood the language.

The idea that the CCG held her in such high regards to fly her in from overseas to lead this mission brought a certain vain appeal to her features, yet Lucianne couldn't help but doubt the possibility of success. Language barriers aside, she knew almost nothing about these people, and it would certainly be a drivel trying to get them to work together.

 

"The stage is all yours, buttercup," Indigo whispered to her, voice soft, and the blonde woman stepped forwards, taking in a breath as she prepared to speak.

However, all efforts were null due to the arrival of yet another figure, this time an older man dressed in a crisp suit, casually ambling his way over. Lucianne shot Indigo an annoyed look--another one?--before turning back to the newcomer, a perfect little smile fixated upon her features. In her time working for the CCG, the blonde woman had learnt that pleasantries were almost certainly a must in their profession.

 

"You must be Lucianne, it's a pleasure. As payment for my lateness I got one for you. I'm Associate Special Investigator Isaac Walken," the man said, and Lucianne was surprised by words she could understand. He spoke English?

Well, that would make things easier.

"The pleasure is all mine," she returned, smiling. "I certainly hope you'll be more diligent concerning time when battle is involved, Investigator Walken." Effortlessly, she took the ice cream from the older and nodded her head politely, swiftly handing the dessert to Indigo. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't eat on the job. It would upset my stomach."

Amused, she watched as Chiaki was quick to pull a napkin from seemingly nowhere and offer it to Isaac--ah, so she was the caring type?

Fair enough.

"We'll split up into teams," she announced, making sure her voice was loud and clear. Even if they couldn't understand, surely her tone would be enough to convince them not to argue. "Two to three-man teams to maximize profit, and each go after a ghoul." Looking around, sharp eyes scanned the area and faces gathered before Lucianne spoke again. "The first team shall be Investigator Brauer, myself, and Rank 3 Watanabe."

I want to keep an eye on the quinx.

She has absolutely no qualms about exterminating him if he proves dangerous, whatever Japan has to say about the matter be damned.

"We'll go after the Rank A ghoul, Lion."

Pausing, Lucianne waited for the information to be relayed to the rest. How would this go about?

 

~

 

Rank A Lion?

He remembers flashes from that night, of not being able to draw his kagune, of his quinque being absolutely useless.

The last thing he wants to do right now is chase a ghoul, nevermind a ghoul that had been close enough to bite into his neck and end his life--

Why didn't they?

Kazuya suppresses a shiver, looking nervously from Lucianne to Indigo. He would be working with them? The pink-haired male didn't know what to say; he'd heard of the other investigators from time to time, from news handed down in the departments, but these foreign ambassadors were completely new to him. Indigo seemed friendly, but there was a certain way the squad leader, Lucianne, looked at him, that Kazuya severely disliked.

Nervously, the pink-haired one offered his new teammates a smile.

 

((alewggaweglkh @sen i hope this is okay with you tht they're going after an ???? if not ill change it ; u ; ))

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“Halla, I’ll go grab something for you to eat," An said before disappearing. Her voice sounded hollow, echoing in the most curious ways in her head, Halla observed somewhat absentmindedly, her entity feeling numb.

 

"Are you . . . alright?" Halla sat up slightly, putting her weight on her elbows as she gave a thumbs-up and a weak smile to Amaris.

"Better than ever, of course!" she gave a weak laugh and then slumped back down as black spots danced across her vision. God diggity damn, she was in a horrible state. Suddenly, a waft of the scent of meat drifted across the sewer-stinking room and Halla's eyes turned immediately black-and-red from the scent. Would it not have been for her weak state, she would've pounced after the meat without hesitation, driven by the instinct of survival.

 

"Found it. Amaris, could you please make sure Halla eats something? I’m going to leave after I get my hands washed. You guys should also start leaving soon. Now that the sun’s out, they might become suspicious if there’s too much noise in here. Halla, thanks for leading us here and I hope you can have better control the next time we meet again. Everyone, I hope we can meet again under more favorable circumstances,” An said and her steps retreated again, probably for the bathroom.

 

"I hope to see you again, An!" Halla called after the Lion, a pang of sadness flowing through her. She had began to really like the soft-spoken girl! "Safe travels and always keep to the shadows!"

Amaris then handed the meat over to Halla, who began to gulp it down like a wolf after a long, cold winter with no game. It was not a clean job, but most of the blood had dripped off from the meat so her clothes didn't get any dirtier than they were before. Whatever the meat was, it filled her stomach and she could literally feel the RC cells replenishing themselves.

 

Halla finished the rest of the meat and sighed with relief, feeling a lot better now. Her strength was returning and no longer were black spots dancing across her vision from exhaustion.

"Ah, I should've thanked An..." Halla sighed as she licked her fingers, her tone sad.

 

"Where will you go from here?" Amaris suddenly blurted and seemed to regret to have even asked. The Fox gave a small laugh and smiled brightly.

"I do not know. I have a home waiting for me, but I dare not take the risk there - I think my rank got upgraded to a B during last night, so I'd rather wait for a few weeks before visiting my parents. Hålla sig vid liv, stay alive, is what they would say. In other words, I have a lot of time to waste," she said and shrugged. "If you want, I can accompany you."

 

Halla wasn't sure what would Amaris think of it - she didn't seem like someone who would trust another ghoul as easily as she did, nor did she probably even want her company.

But it was still worth a shot.

 

~~~

 

Chiaki was now glad she had taken those extra courses of English in high school. Although her skills were a tad bit rusty, she understood what lady Lucianne was talking about.

"We'll split up into teams. Two to three-man teams to maximize profit, and each go after a ghoul. The first team shall be Investigator Brauer, myself, and Rank 3 Watanabe," she announced with a voice belonging to someone who is used to leading, and expects others to follow. Chiaki didn't mind that, to be frank.

She looked around and noticed the pink-haired boy, Watanabe as Lucianne had reminded her, but he seemed a bit nervous, smiling carefully to everyone around him. Chiaki tried to smile back, but she feared it looked more like a grimace than anything else.

The team division meant she was in the same team as sir Isaac Walken. He seemed like a fairly nice person, but how would he do on a battlefield...? No. It was not her place to judge people. Sir Walken must be an excellent investigator, despite his first impression.

"It would appear I am in your team, sir," Chiaki said pleasantly and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure, sir."

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((Lemme just scrape up a post here with what I gathered from previous posts. Watch me flail))

 

That battle was thrilling, even more thrilling to think about on a full stomach.

The young ghoul was still sound asleep, her mask halfway across the room as a result of her moving in the middle of the night. At first, the noise wasn't enough to wake her up; she was rather pooped out from the battle the night before. It was fun, beheading some doves. The best part; she almost killed a quinx. She enjoyed the look of fear on his face, the "Oh censorkip.gif I'm about to die" look.

Almost is nowhere near enough. I needed to kill him, not almost kill him. I wonder what quinx tastes like.

 

After her body required no more sleep and she didn't feel like sleeping again, Rin sat up and stretched. Wiping the drool from her mouth, she stood up and walked to grab her mask, then put it away. She leaned against the wall to see what the other ghouls were doing- one had already left. You seemed to have taken a liking to another ghoul, eh? she said to one of the ghouls- the Arctic Fox, she was called- since it seemed like she started to befriend the ghoul who took their leave.

 

-----

 

He couldn't sleep for most of the night. Which made him even more tired.

Whether he liked coffee or not, he was steadily sipping one as he headed towards the meeting place. His cloak lightly flowed behind him; he liked wearing that thing. It didn't make him feel important or anything, he just liked wearing it.

He didn't rush, since he was not feeling like rushing. Rushing felt like a waste of energy, and he needed all the energy he could get.

 

After a while of walking, Esko lightly knocked on the door and walked in, dark rings under his eyes. Good...morning. Here. he greeted, then let out a giant yawn and sat down in one of the vacant seets

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"I don't like this,"

"You never do," Indigo said right before he stepped up and began to speak to the group. Just as Indigo motioned for Lucianne to step forward and address the group before her, another newcomer arrived. Indigo could already feel the annoyance wafting off of Lucianne as the man nonchalantly walked up to her and presented her with an ice cream cone, grinning all the while. Hearing the man speak English was somewhat surprising if not worrying. Indigo found that moral was higher if he didn't directly translate what the British woman said and he wasn't sure the stranger would appreciate some of the more vulgar phrases the woman said. Luckily for Indigo, he didn't have to address Mr. Walken as Lucianne, after pausing for a moment to allow Chiaki to give the man a napkin, decided to speak up.

 

"The pleasure is all mine. I certainly hope you'll be more diligent concerning time when battle is involved, Investigator Walken." Indigo managed to bite back his tongue as he gingerly took the ice cream cone out of Lucianne's outstretched hand. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't eat on the job. It would upset my stomach." Indigo offered Isaac nothing more than a hint of a smile as Lucianne turned to face the group, amusement dancing in her eyes. She began speaking, clear and sharp as she explained the plan at hand. Of course, Lucianne was bringing an additional person in her and Indigo's little ghoul hunting group. Indigo's fighting abilities were unimpressive to say at the least. He was more like cannon fodder than an asset to the team. Still, even if his fighting skills could use some work, he was the only person Lucianne knew out of the group and he was the only person who would withstand her insults and ranting as far as he knew. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Indigo noticed what seemed to be a young boy walking into the room just as Lucianne finished speaking.

Is no one here punctual? Dear me, this will not end well for them if they keep this up.

"Welcome good sir," Indigo said with a charming grin as he nodded in the newcomer's direction. "We just started, do make yourself comfortable." Taking a step forward, Indigo cleared his throat and began to address the crowed.

"We'll be split up into two to three-man teams to maximize profit with each go after a ghoul. The first team will include our lady Lucianne, Rank 3 Watanabe, and myself will be heading after Rank A ghoul, Lion." Pausing, Indigo took a step back and handed Issac the ice cream cone he gave to Lucianne.

"I'm afraid I can't accept this," Indigo said with an apologetic grin. "I'm sure someone else here will appreciate your efforts." Recoiling away from Issac, Indigo nodded respectfully over at Lucianne as he waited for her to continue her speech.

Edited by Doctortear

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Katsuro was still observing the other ghouls as An rose to her feet and then fetched the fox ghoul- Halla- some food.

 

An also advised the other two that they should leave soon, which Katsuro wholeheartedly agreed with. It wouldn't be long before the Doves arrived to search and destroy.

 

When the masker ghoul, who was named Amaris, asked Halla where she would go from there, she replied that she had a home to return to, but that it would be risky to go home now. She also offered to accompany Amaris on her travels, wherever they may lead her.

 

Home... What is a home, anyways? I used to have one, but I barely remember... This is pointless to think about, the world is my home.

 

Katsuro thought about his own plans; it wouldn't take the Doves very long to figure out where they went, given that they disappeared only the day before. They had not left the ward and as such were very vulnerable. But he'd be especially vulnerable if the Doves caught him alone... Perhaps he should request to join the two of them?

 

Another ghoul commented that Halla had taken a liking to Amaris, to which Katsuro would have laughed if he knew the two of them any better.

 

They don't like each other any more than a bird likes a tree. One relies on the other, but they don't really care for each other.

 

Katsuro stepped into the main room once more.

 

"I'd also like to go." He said this in a neutral tone, but his intent was clear. None of the four were likely to survive long on their own, given that An just left, and he didn't want to leave himself exposed to the wrath of humankind for a little while.

Edited by Coryn02

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Another investigator arrived at the meeting spot. He was on the tall side, and held two ice cream cones in one hand. The man introduced himself (a foreign name) and tried to offer Lucianne one of the ice cream cones. She accepted the ice cream, replied in English, and handed the cone to her translator. Lucianne then proceeded to explain the mission. Her words sounded odd to Kou’s ears and he couldn’t help but to lose interest in the topic she brought up.

What’s even happening?

Kou bit his lip and stared at Lucianne. He made out the words “split,” “team,” and “profit,” but what did they have to do with the mission?

All of a sudden, Kou regretted not opting for one of the secondary language classes offered at the Academy.

To be honest, I never expected that I’d have to work with a foreigner. I wonder if the investigators in Europe are as skilled as our investigators?

 

"We'll be split up into two to three-man teams to maximize profit with each go after a ghoul. The first team will include our lady Lucianne, Rank 3 Watanabe, and myself will be heading after Rank A ghoul, Lion." Indigo translated.

 

Thank goodness.

 

Kou sighed in relief.

Thank goodness there’s a translator.

Lucianne’s decision of establishing two to three-man teams was a smart move. A large group would have hindered progress, and smaller groups allowed more flexibility.

Kou glanced at the man with one arm.

Isn’t he an Associate Class investigator? What’s he doing here?

If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be in the same group with him. I’d like to see an Associate Class in battle.

He adjusted his coat.

Maybe he can recommend me for a promotion too.

 

((whoops, meant to post this earlier but i got distracted :,D))

Edited by XiaoChibi

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"Better than ever, of course!" Amaris watched with curiosity as Halla sat up slightly, smiling and giving Amaris a thumbs-up, though her hand trembled terribly so.

"You don't look better than ever," the female ghoul replied mildly, watching with mild concern as Halla's laugh tapered off, the ghoul slumping rather painfully. What had happened earlier . . . ?

A kagune getting stuck.

Interesting.

She watched as Halla devoured the offered meat ravenously--of course. She was bound to be starving after a night of such horrors.

And this is the reality of our world.

She shrugged in response to Halla's statement as the Arctic Fox wrapped up her meal, delicately licking her fingers. Amaris turned her face, having no intention of watching the consumption of human meat.

It doesn't interest me.

The idea of thanking another ghoul was . . . strange, to say the very least. Why? They lived in a society were the weak suffered and the strong were the ones who never let their guard down--so why had Halla considered thanking An?

Better yet, why had An chosen to help Halla?

This was all so mysterious.

She remembers battling ghouls in France, on the hills of Europe, near the outskirts of Tokyo. None of them had said thank you. None of them had uttered a word. For the ghouls who relied purely on themselves . . . life was a constant repeat of kill, run, kill, and run.

What a lonely life that is.

"If you want, I can accompany you."

"Accompany . . . me?" Amaris echoed, seemingly shocked. Her eyes widened, and Amaris turned to regard Halla--what?

For a split second, the female ghoul expected the other to laugh in that classic little way she had. For this was surely a joke, right?

She's never heard of ghouls travelling together.

She's never not been alone.

Looking at Halla's earnest, expectant face, Amaris allowed herself to consider, for a split second, the possibilities.

"I do not know," she said slowly, "why you would chose to accompany someone like me."

A pause.

Can I trust her?

She hasn't trusted anyone before.

"I am hunting ghouls," she said, very quietly and very low, to ensure only the other heard. "That is a dangerous life. I would not wish for you to be hurt. Not when . . ."

A sucked in breath.

Did she ruin it all?

Perhaps it's always like this--

You never realise what you have until it's gone.

"Not when you have a family."

 

~

 

"Good...morning. Here."

Lucianne grabbed for Indigo's arm, digging her nails into the other as yet another newcomer arrived.

"The Japanese," she hissed at the translator by her side, "do not seem to appreciate punctuality."

She fixed the newcomer--a young male--with her best deadly smile, glaring daggers into the sleepy other's figure.

"This will not end well," she said to Indigo, all while her expression remained unnervingly complacent, "if this so called 'team' cannot hold themselves together and answer to commands on the battlefield."

She looked around--well, that was an exaggeration. Some of the surrounding investigators seemed perfectly capable--though she would rather not learn their names or make any sort of personal connection--as well as the addition of the newcomer. An Associate Special Class?

Do they not believe I can handle myself?

Well, she would just have to prove them wrong. Not many that doubt her live to regret her words.

She watched as the assembled group seemingly herded themselves into different packs---well, that would make her life a whole lot easier. Eyes flickering around, she made snap decisions with the careful accuracy of a trained predator.

The newcomer. Perhaps she was being hasty, but he seemed hardly awake enough to participate in battle.

"Associate Special Class Walken," she said, inclining her head to the older male as a show of respect. "You will take our lovely newcomer here and go after both the Arctic Fox and Marquise. If any other . . . teammates appear, I will send them after your trail as backup." Surely an Associate Special Class would be able to handle two ghouls.

Sharp eyes caught a rather eager glance, and Lucianne noted the almost power-hungry way Nakamura regarded the elder. Oh?

"Rank 1 Nakamura," she commanded, voice steady. "You will lead your team, Rank 2 Ueno and Rank 3 Hayashi in search of the Hunter. Profiles report an additional ghoul at the scene--if you are to run into another, exercise caution."

After all, she's hardly here to make friends--only to get a job done. And she's read the files of the people who were supposed to show up--she is not a fool, after all.

A boy who has nothing to lose commands well, especially when drive by vengeance.

"That leaves myself, Investigator Brauer, and Rank 3 Watanabe to go after the Lion."

A pause. She gazes around at unfamiliar faces.

How many would remain after this was over?

"You are dismissed."

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Isaac frowned as the ice cream he'd offered quickly changed hands until making it's way back to him. He frowned but accepted it, rather awardly, from Indigo.

"You're really absuing the generosity of a cripple you know," He muttered as he was once again forced to hold two, now melting, ice creams in his one hand.

 

He listened patiently as Lucianne gave her orders, which was quickly repeated by Indigo in japanese. There was a brief delay in the instructions as another newcomer appeared

Yes! I wasn't last, haha! Isaac chuckled quietly to himself, before returning to his previous stance. In the brief pause one of the recruits walked up to him and introduced herself.

 

As Isaac went to respond Lucianne began talking once more, Isaac could tell she was displeased at another late comer, she was practically tearing the skin off of Indigo.

Lucianne then rattled off the final teams. Seemed she was leaving the two latecomers to work together.

 

Isaac inclined his head towards her in response to hers.

"All good m'lady, I'm not much for team play, never been my forte, but nothing wrong with having someone to watch my back... whats more I think you've been holding onto that boys arm any tighter I may have to bring you in on suspicion of being a ghoul yourself," Isaac replied with wink, he didn't want her to take the 'threat' seriously, merely as a reminder that her nails were still digging into her translator's arm.

 

Turning, Isaac walked over to the newer, newcomer.

"Pleasure to be working with you, I'm associate Class Isaac Walken. And As my peace offering for being late has been rejected, would you like a partially melted ice cream?" Isaac asked, extending his arm again, this time with a look asking for a respite from holding the two treats with one hand.

Edited by Marcus Pheonix

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Not too long after Issac frowned, mumbling to himself incoherently as he dully looked down at the melting ice cream in his hand, Lucianne abruptly grabbed Indigo's arms and jammed her nails into his skin. It took a lot of effort to keep himself from cringing as pain burst from his arm. Indigo stumbled towards Lucianne, grunting softly as he did so.

"The Japanese do not seem to appreciate punctuality. This will not end well if this so called 'team' cannot hold themselves together and answer to commands on the battlefield."

"If they prove to be troublesome, I'm sure you can whip them into shape," Indigo whispered back with a small yet encouraging smile. "Either that or they get left on the battlefield. That is your way, is it not?" Indigo watched silently as Lucianne's gaze flickered towards the group around her. He could only imagine what was going on in that head of hers. She was obviously less than pleased with the lateness of the group which was already a bad start.

 

While some of the investigators looked professional and ready to fight, others had a drowsy or simply nonchalant look about them as though they were still half-asleep. It didn't help that an Associate Special Class was also part of the group. While Indigo could understand that the CCG sent a high ranking offical who knew both Japanese and English in order to observe Lucianne and help guide her through the city, he was quite sure the Englishwomen did not feel the same. If anything, it would seem like the CCG did not trust her to take control of the mission on her own which was a silly thought considering she got dragged all the way from England just to assist in the local ghoul problem. Nevertheless, Indigo could practically hear Lucianne internally screaming at the group presented to her. Unluckily for the group, it seemed as though they got stuck with a captain that would not tolerate even the slightest bit of relaxation. Until the job was done, none of them would be able to fully let their guard down least Lucianne felt the need to lecture them.

 

It didn't take long for Lucianne to turn her attention back to the problem at hand. She quickly addressed Issac, informing him to take the newcomer and anyone else that showed up. Indigo wasn't surprised that Lucianne didn't want to Special Class following her around. After all, his mere presence could easily be taken as an insult from her point of view. Indigo paused for a moment as Lucianne continued her speech and, once she was done, he took a step forward and repeated her instructions.

"Associate Special Class Walken will take the lovely newcomer-" Indigo nodded his head towards the young boy who had just entered,"-and anyone else who arrives late. They will be hunting both the Arctic Fox and Marquise. Rank 1 Nakamura, you will lead your team, Rank 2 Ueno and Rank 3 Hayashi, in search of the Hunter. Profiles report an additional ghoul at the scene--if you are to run into another, exercise caution. As stated before, Lady Lucianne, Rank 3 Watanabe, and myself will be heading out in search of the Lion." After pausing a moment to allow the information to sink in, Indigo quickly added, "That is all for now, you are dismissed." As soon as Indigo finished his speech, Issac nodded over towards Lucianne and noted that her nails were still digging into Indigo's arm and that he ought to apprehend her for such a ghoulish action. Though the wink and playful remark was supposed to lighten the mood, Indigo could not help but feel that the investigator was unknowingly getting himself on Lucianne's bad side. Indigo wondered if he should have a talk with Issac later, explaining what will and won't tick Lucianne off in an attempt to get him into her good graces. Then again, Indigo always joked with Lucianne and she had stop leaving him to die a year ago so maybe a talk was not necessary. At least Issac took the time to remind Lucianne that she was still digging her nails into Indigo's skin, something that Indigo had not forgotten.

"Ah yes, I would fancy having my arm back if you're done with it," Indigo said as he glanced down at where Lucianne's nails were sunk into his flesh. "You're welcome to my body whenever you please but I think it'll be a bit hard to decapitate ghouls if one of your hands is occupied, no?"

Edited by Doctortear

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"I am hunting ghouls," Amaris said, very quietly and very low, like a snowflake falling on the first winter day. "That is a dangerous life. I would not wish for you to be hurt. Not when... Not when you have a family." Halla raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the ghoul's response. She had been awaiting for a deny, with a mocking tone suggesting of her weakness and incapability. But no. This had come literally out of nowhere, Halla mused.

"Life just got a good bit more dangerous when I smelled ghouls last night. The doves are bristling with the events and I am pretty sure nothing is safe anymore. Least of all me going home," Halla said steadily, thinking of her parents and biting her lip. No. She would protect them by staying away.

"The least I can do to thank you is to help you. I cannot say hunting ghouls sounds tempting, but I know they are the bad ones you are taking down. I hope. Anyways, I think you could use someone with half a brain to watch your back," the Arctic Fox winked and stood up, grinning.

"Besides, I think it's high time you got a friend of some sort," she said bluntly but with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile dancing on her lips.

 

~~~

 

With a polite parting farewell to Isaac, Chiaki walked to her new team. Rank 1 Nakamura and Rank 3 Hayashi, eh...?

"Greetings, everyone," she said but decided to leave the rest of the formal greeting there - they all knew her name and her rank, no need to start repeating herself. Her hands held tightly to her suitcase as she focused on breathing normally, each breath making her sides burn.

Hunter.

Bile rose in her mouth but with great self-control Chiaki managed to make the nauseous feeling pass.

Was she truly ready to go after that ghoul? After what had happened? She was barely walking and now she had to go and hunt it down? A small chuckle escaped from her lips. What a day - and it hadn't even started.

Edited by Gildraug

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"If they prove to be troublesome, I'm sure you can whip them into shape. Either that or they get left on the battlefield. That is your way, is it not?"

Lucianne hummed in response to Indigo's words, nodding along.

"Correct," she confirmed, the mention of her prowess in battle--which had always gotten her far in life--calming her frazzled nerves. "I would have expected more from the headquarters of the CCG . . . but perhaps we'll just have to make do. I would like to assess what each member can do in battle--another time."

 

"All good m'lady, I'm not much for team play, never been my forte, but nothing wrong with having someone to watch my back... whats more I think you've been holding onto that boys arm any tighter I may have to bring you in on suspicion of being a ghoul yourself."

Lucianne blinked at this response--surprised. She was not used to ever having people reply to her commands--even back in England, there had been a certain level of distance between her and the rest of her comrades. They were co-workers, nothing more, nothing less--she mourned, as she should, when a life was lost in the neverending battle, yet she was never invited on their drinking parties.

Which, as she could note, Indigo was both a frequent visitor and favourited ally.

So . . . was that a joke? She stared at Isaac rather bewilderingly.

"Ah yes, I would fancy having my arm back if you're done with it.

At Indigo's words, Lucianne dropped the translator's arm almost immediately. Curses--she'd completely forgotten in her haste!

"My apologies," she said rather stiffly, feeling embarrassment creep up. "There is no need for alarm, Investigator Walken. All--all is alright."

"You're welcome to my body whenever you please but I think it'll be a bit hard to decapitate ghouls if one of your hands is occupied, no?"

"I--I have no use of your body, Indi," Lucianne replied, coughing awkwardly, a hand raised to cover her mouth. "We . . . we shall start now."

With that, she picked up a familiar suitcase, instantly relaxing. She may be good with words, and even worse with people, but her quinque was her pride and joy. There was nothing between her and her weapon--no awkwardness, no tension. Her quinques were an extension of her being, just as much as hunting ghouls gave her a purpose in life.

With that, she began walking swiftly away.

 

::

 

Kazuya almost failed to notice his two teammates--the translator and the CCG lady suddenly taking flight. What were their names again? Awkwardly, he hurried to catch up and nearly stumbled into the translator's back.

"M-My apologies," he stammered, as the lady shot him a look worth ten daggers to the heart. "I suppose we'll be going now?"

 

::

 

"Life just got a good bit more dangerous when I smelled ghouls last night. The doves are bristling with the events and I am pretty sure nothing is safe anymore. Least of all me going home."

Amaris hesitated--Halla spoke truth. With the appearance of ghouls last night, nothing was alright anymore. There was danger around every corner, and . . .

Perhaps having an ally would not be so bad.

Can I trust her, though?

"The least I can do to thank you is to help you. I cannot say hunting ghouls sounds tempting, but I know they are the bad ones you are taking down. I hope. Anyways, I think you could use someone with half a brain to watch your back." Halla winked.

Watch . . . my back?

"Besides, I think it's high time you got a friend of some sort."

A . . . friend?

Amaris froze, eyes widening. Halla wished to accompany her--and not for her own self-indulgence? The other ghoul wished to come along as . . . a friend.

"Forgive me," Amaris murmured quietly, so that only she and Halla could hear, "if I do not act as the best . . . friend. I haven't all that much experience in that regard."

A pause, and the two locked eyes--Halla's eyes shone with a certain confidence and a drum of empathy, something the other ghoul was not used to seeing.

"I will do my best to protect you," she confirmed, and then drew away from the moment before it became too much for her heart tapping against her chest.

 

Mind cleared, Amaris turned to the one who had spoken earlier--the young ghoul, who she had nearly fought if it had not been for Halla.

And he . . . wished to go? Amaris had been so caught up in the thought that Halla, a ghoul who had thus far been sheltered from the dangers of their world, wished to accompany her, that she had utterly forgotten about the other's request.

But he is . . . a child.

Yet there was a glimmer of something in the other's eyes, a steel-hard resilience underneath any remainders of adolescence. In his eyes, Amaris saw--herself?

It was strange how the world turned, sometimes. She dipped her head towards the other, nodding her approval.

"As you wish," she said. "I certainly hope you have no plans of attacking us during the night, then," she commented, if not slightly rudely, "for I do not intend to harm you if you remain civil to all of us."

Since when did I become us?

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“Greetings,” Kou replied to Ueno. He gave a short nod to Hayashi.

Ah, this was it.

He was expecting that he was going to be grouped with Associate Special Class Walken, but this was even better. For the first time, Kou was going to lead a squad in a mission.

I can’t mess this up.

The Hunter’s only a B rank ghoul.

Nothing can go wrong if we hunt them.

Kou was ready.

The egg is the world. I’ll break through. I can do it.

I want the promotion.

“We should get going now,” Kou remarked to his teammates. “The Hunter is known to move from ward to ward. Let’s start by tracing any possible routes that the Hunter could’ve gone to after escaping through the sewer and take a look at any areas where the Hunter has been previously sighted.”

 

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(Whew, Katsuro sure thinks a lot for a street rat.)

 

Amaris told Halla she was going to be hunting ghouls and that she should consider the fact that she had a family. Amaris' voice trailed off a bit when she said this, heavily implying that she no longer had one.

 

Aha, so you do have a soul. You actually care about what happens to her... I suppose that makes me the same, but it remains to be seen.

 

Halla responded with the information that she wouldn't be going home for a while, due to the danger of being found. She expressed her misgivings at having to hunt ghouls, but that they would ostensibly be 'bad' ghouls, even joking that her intellect and friendship were both things Amaris required.

 

Who are you trying to fool? You're just as naive as I thought. If 'bad' is tantamount to 'evil', then every ghoul that has ever lived is evil, including you.

 

Only, why is Amaris hunting ghouls? They're dangerous and their meat tastes terrible, speaking from personal experience. A personal motivation, perhaps?

 

Amaris seemed quite surprised that Halla had offered to accompany her, and accepted. She promised to try and be a good friend, turning her attention to Katsuro again.

 

Amaris allowed Katsuro to accompany them as well, commenting she hoped he wouldn't attack them in the night and that they would remain on good terms if he was 'civil'.

 

Hard to be more blunt than that. I suppose this is the time for apologies; after all, I am the one who offered to go with them. And I wasn't really myself either, since it's hard to think straight when you're hungry.

 

"I don't see a point in that. I'm sorry for my behavior last night; it was uncalled for."

 

Katsuro bowed his head in repentance.

 

Hope they decide to forgive me. I'm really the one who needs their help right now.

 

"If we are travelling together, I have no reservations about what I will do: I will defend you, and I will fight for you."

 

Katsuro allowed a confident smile to stretch across his face.

 

"And I promise, I won't disappoint."

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“[ Are you ready? ]”

“[ Yes. ]”

An walked out of the house with Sparrow and motioned for Sparrow to follow.

“[ You’re going to change, right? ]”

“[ Yeah, it’s in my backpack. Don’t worry. ]” An motioned to her backpack. Inside was her uniform and Ver mask. There was no way that she’d leave the house in her Ver uniform. What if someone (a human) noticed? Her student life would’ve been ruined.

I’d like to keep holding onto my other life.

Sparrow had opted for walking to the 6th Ward; if they took public transportation, it would’ve attracted too much attention. Instead, he had opted for the routes that people didn’t normally go for when they were in the city.

I hope no one recognizes me.

(Your hair looks unnatural in a wig. Dyed hair doesn't suit you, let alone long hair. Ah, and you’d be better off quitting school and joining Ver full time.)

(Isn't it too much for you to live a double life? A lie?)

I can’t. I made a promise to Mom that I’d stay. The wig is the best that I can do to hide who I am.

To be honest, I also wouldn't mind dying my hair teal.

 

It wasn’t long until the difference between the 5th and 6th Ward became apparent. As An headed deeper into the 6th Ward, she noticed silhouettes of ghouls in the alley. There weren’t many humans in the 6th Ward; the ward was often unstable due to Aogiri being situated in the area.

“Wait a moment. I’m going to change into my Ver uniform now.”

 

An wasn’t particularly fond of the standard Ver mask. The half-mask revealed too much of her face (your identity) and she felt vulnerable without her lion mask. She touched the red dots going down the middle. What was she going to tell Swallow?

 

How much does he want to know?

Should I even mention them?

 

When An arrived to the Aogiri Headquarters, her stomach felt queasy. She touched her stomach and pursed her lips.

What am I going to do?

If I expose their identities, what would Swallow want to do??

 

They took a right into and arrived at a chamber in the eastern wing. Sparrow motioned for An to open the door.

 

“You should wish me luck.”

 

An entered the chamber and shut the door behind her.

 

“[ Sorry for being late, Swallow, I can explain what happened. ]”

 

edit: code fail :'Db

Edited by XiaoChibi

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Scowling back in reply to Kazuya’s grin, Natsuki turned to focus on whatever the man was saying. As it turned out, the blonde woman didn’t speak Japanese. Inconvenient, that was. Why was she here, then? Perhaps she was good enough that the CCG decided to transfer her to Japan, but it didn’t seem necessary for this mission. It wasn’t like this was a raid or anything similarly major (not that they didn’t need to be extremely cautious; they were, after all, dealing with ghouls). Was something planned in the future?

 

Bleh, and yet another person arrived late- this one even after the meeting had officially started! He wasn’t missing much, at least, and it seemed that Natsuki’s fears of being the last one there were unfounded. That… wasn’t exactly good. They hoped that they wouldn’t have to work with him, if he had bothered to stop for ice cream of all things. Something a slight bit more nutritional and portable would have been an acceptable, and even reasonable thing to pick up, but…

 

Esko finally showed up as well. Natsuki never understood why he was the squad leader- but that was a question to be thought of at a different time. At the moment, there were more important things to be thought about, such as the plan that Indigo had just relayed. Though not particularly detailed, it wasn’t a bad plan. So long as one group wasn’t ambushed, it was likely that things would go as smoothly as they ever did- but Natsuki sincerely hoped that there were plans for if the worst came to the worst. “Scream for help and hope that someone hears” did not count as a plan.

 

The Hunter, eh? They frowned; too bad there was so little information on him. But, they knew enough. His kagune was a bikaku, he was dangerous, and his hunting patterns suggested a homeless, travelling ghoul. A small squad like this would probably be able to handle him.

 

"Greetings, everyone."

 

“Good day,” Natsuki said, nodding slightly.

 

Alright. Time to start the mission. “You’re right, we should,” they said in reply to Nakamura. “We’ll be lucky if the Hunter hasn’t already run, and it’s a large area to search. If he escapes now, it’ll be difficult to find him later.”

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Oh?

Amaris blinked at the sudden change in the Hunter's attitude, the boy's face suddenly widening into a smile as he spoke.

I will defend you, and I will fight for you, he had said.

Is this . . . an alliance?

Amaris has never heard of ghouls swearing allegiance to anyone, much less each other. Ghoul underground was ruled by who could fight--those who were weak were instantly killed, and those strong had to constantly fight in order to stay on top.

These are simple words.

She has always resorted to violence.

"Your apology is accepted," she returned, if not somewhat stiffly, and then took a moment to think. "I'm sorry, too. There are . . . many regrettable things about our situation, and I do not wish to make even more enemies."

A pause, and the Amaris meets the boy's smiling face with a small one of her own, barely flickering.

"I will trust you to have my back, then. And I do not abandon my allies behind."

So this is a contract.

"Where will we go?" she asked, looking around from Katsuro to Halla. "I suppose retreating to the further Wards would be a good idea. I'm sure the CCG is preparing is hunt as we speak."

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All of the friendliness and team-forming made Halla happy - especially watching Amaris and the Hunter apologizing and accepting the apologies.

Rainbows all around, she concluded and grinned, her freckled face shining.

"Where will we go? I suppose retreating to the further Wards would be a good idea. I'm sure the CCG is preparing is hunt as we speak," Amaris inquired, looking from Halla to the Hunter.

The Fox briefly realized what an odd team they were - an idealist, a realist, and a pessimist.

Who was whom was another question for another time, she thought.

"I will follow. But retreating sounds like a good idea for now," she agreed and stood up, dusting her jeans and adjusting her scarf, giving her already-messy hair a ruffle and stretched.

She was ready to go!

"I doubt we want to go through the sewers again, considering the smell. We did hide our faces last time so recognition is hard but..." she trailed off as she looked at the Hunter.

"Even without a mask you might catch some, uh, unwanted attention," Halla said with an apologetic tone.

"So staying out of the sight of people would be best. Masks, maybe, depending on where we are. But keep to the shadows, that's my suggestion," she shrugged.

 

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