And when he speaks that word, you will descend into your very own world of fear...

[somethinghidden]

WHO: Simon Newton and OPEN TO ANYONE
WHERE: Heropa, Nonah, De Chima, and Maurtia Falls.
WHEN: Jan 31 thru Feb 12
WHAT: Simon tours the Porter-cities to get a feel for them while searching for a second job! Also, continuation of memory shenanigans with Kaneki backdated to Jan 31.
WARNINGS: With Kaneki, talk of cannibalism and murder. Others, idk but will update as necessary!

Openers below! Starters are in prose, but I'll write to match your preferences.

Comments

[somethinghidden]

The moment Kaneki asks him, Simon wills away the iron tang of blood and the sinewy feeling of flesh. The thought revives those feelings a little bit, but at least it seems he's more in control of it, so he isn't nearly as sick as when he'd first experienced it.

"It was hard, it was blurred by tears, and you were talking to someone," he starts before really trying to focus on any other aspect of the memory. "Someone holding an arm, and you said... You said that you're human."

But then, then that. No, he doesn't want to recount the whole thing; he hopes he's said enough, please let that be enough.

[anthropophagite]

The description causes Kaneki to go silent and look down at his own hands now resting on his lap. There were many instances when he was crying, but only one when a woman was holding a arm and shoved it down his throat. That was Touka-chan, he was certain, and that had happened few days after he woke up from his accident.

".... I... am human. At least a big part of me is. But I don't think I can say that with much confidence. Not all of me is human, not anymore..." it was a complicated situation then, it still is now.

[somethinghidden]

The sick feeling returns despite Simon's best efforts. While he nods slowly and tries to accept Kaneki's vague explanation, it's apparent he's disturbed and terrified and grossed out but doesn't want to show it or to look freaked out. It's quite difficult knowing how to react or how to feel about it.

"Which means there is a part of you that isn't human..." Simon lets that trail off. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when he thinks that maybe it's that non-human part of Kaneki that craved human flesh. Or perhaps, still craves it. He shudders with the thought before it's suddenly interrupted by another one. "Wait, then what I saw—was that really something that happened to you? Was it a memory?"

[anthropophagite]

Kaneki swallows dryly and nods softly; he can't look back at Simon, he doesn't dare to, but he does answer with a nod. It was a memory, and it was indeed something that did happen to him.

"In... my world, there is a species called "Ghouls", who can only... feed on humans. They can't eat anything else." just that. Just human flesh. "I had an accident and- they transferred ghoul organs onto me and since then I became.... like that...." Kaneki closes his eyes harder "I can't... eat anything else, I-" he trails off, before he lets out a choked sound "I'm sorry-"

[somethinghidden]

"No, no, no, it's—"

Simon stops himself short, unsure of what he's trying to say. It's not Kaneki's fault that Simon saw his memory, though it is a wonder of how that came to be. Similarly, he can't be certain that Kaneki had ghoul organs transplanted into his body. But he eats human flesh, it's the only thing he could eat, and that thought remains quite horrifying.

"I'm sorry, too. For seeing it. Sorry, really. I don't know what to say about it, but... I don't know that I should blame you for it, you didn't ask for it."

[anthropophagite]

"I'm not hurting anyone, I promise." he knows it's hard to believe that, but Kaneki wants to make sure Simon understands he would never hurt anyone actually...that might happen "The government knows of my situation, they have been helping me - no one is getting hurt because of me, I swear"

[somethinghidden]

Looking at the boy, Simon can't help feeling bad. It's no wonder he's such a wallflower, but it's not as if he can just coop himself up forever. Humans are typically social creatures, and Kaneki can't just lock himself up forever. He also cannot help going hungry, and Simon can understand that. It's terrifying, but... Kaneki himself can't help those urges.

"Okay. Okay. It's—it's okay. I believe you; you didn't choose this, and you can't help that it's happened to you. I believe it when you say you're not hurting anyone..."

But here he wonders just how he sates his hunger. Where does he get human flesh? Cadavers from the morgue? Simon shudders again and tries not to think too hard about it. And that's proving to be quite a challenge.

[anthropophagite]

"it's...it's not okay." Kaneki doesn't think so, Kaneki thinks it's gross and disgusting and it's definitively not okay, none of it. But it feels better to hear that the other believes him when he says he isn't hurting anyone.

"... please don't tell anyone." it's not fair to ask this, kaneki knows. "People... would get scared and I-" he doesn't want to be seen as someone disgusting, even if he is.

[somethinghidden]

Simon tries not to look so pathetic and disgusted about the whole thing, instead attempting to seem more assuring. He licks his lips before replying, "I promise, I won't tell anyone anything about it. I wouldn't—that's just not right, not when it's not up to me."

Then he lets it fall silent, giving them time to process things.

"I'm sorry I had to see that. I don't know why or how I got your memory. Are you all right?"

[anthropophagite]

"Thank you..." and no, Kaneki is not alright, but he chooses not to answer that question. Instead, he will focus on Simon now.

"... the memory I got from you... what happened?"

[somethinghidden]

"Uhh, that." Simon quirks his brows and lets out a small sigh. "It's hard to say. I mean, at first you asked me who Elizabeth was, yeah? She's from my world, a therapist. My hypnotherapist, actually."

He swallows before licking his lips. "What exactly did you see?"