[ Closed ]

[anthropophagite]

WHO: Kaneki + Reiner + Hide + Annie
WHERE: Around Florida, honestly this is a road trip
WHEN: Thursday
WHAT: Double not dates
WARNINGS: Canon spoilers, mentions of cannibalism

[ kaneki's life is never "amazing" or "great"; it's hard to when he lives the way he does, with what he is. But the hardest part was to hide it from people who are close to him and sometimes life takes a turn and makes things easier, smoother. Annie knows, Hide knows, Reiner knows; that made things smoother. Not amazing, but a bit better. Of course he still struggles a lot, to be looked at as "not human" and worries that they look at that inhuman part whenever they are with Ken. But in all honesty, after admitting to it, after he allowed them to know, it became easier not to think about that.

And Kaneki feels that it'll be alright, in a way; never completely, NOTHING of what he is is "alright", but with his friends, the people he cares for. Yeah. It'll be.

He has decided to do more. Enjoy that state of "alrightness". So he talked to Hide and then Reiner and Annie, and he decides why not hang out together? He never really left the cities with Annie before, and Hide wants to explore America and Reiner still has to meet and get to know Hide, so it's all good if they go together somewhere. Kaneki isn't sure where, but they will get to that.

They agreed to meet near the train station, but Kaneki decided that no, they won't be going by train. Because he does have a driver's license, and thanks to being an imPort, kaneki rented a car - not a hoover car, he doesn't know how to handle that - a black simple one that wouldn't be too expensive to rent for a day, and he drives off to the meeting point. On the luggage he has all sort of traveling utensils that might be necessary along with towels (in case someone goes skinny dipping again HI REINER) and, of course, he brought along his imunosuppressant drugs and those special "sugar" cubes. Another good thing? He isn't wearing the eyepatch. He can't drive with it. ]

Comments

[soldiarity]

[ The invitation is a pleasant surprise; while Kaneki's news has been something to settle into, Reiner is relieved that Kaneki isn't responding by hiding himself away completely like Reiner was concerned he would. The day shouldn't be too difficult, either, what with them all spending time together like this, and going... wherever. It doesn't matter to Reiner, he just likes to travel.

It should be interesting, meeting Ken's friend. Reiner doesn't know how it'll be spending time with both Kaneki and Annie at once, but he's not anticipating much awkwardness will be a problem. All he's brought along with him is some water, some protein bars, his Survey Corps jacket in case it gets cold enough, one of the books he got during his previous not-date with Kaneki just to have it along, and as usual (just in case) his 3DMG blades -- all of it packed in a shoulder bag. As also usual, he can't help but be impressed by the train station.

He waves when he sees Ken. ]

Hey! I'm not late, am I?

[lyingheart]

Only if I am, too.

[ Annie also comes with a backpack, and her gear is inside, minus her usual box carrying sword replacement set. She's been working on fixing her gear since October, and has taken it on various test runs on her own and at the lab where she works. Today she's bringing it along in case they get into something stupid where it's helpful. ]

... Renting?

[ She nods to the car. ]

[nagachika]

[It's fully likely that Hide's been there with Kaneki since the morning--let's be honest, Hide's not the most earliest of risers, but when it comes to going on exciting things like trips--Who could even sleep? Sleep was something he could get when he was dead.

He waves an arm at both Annie and Reiner--his own bag already pushed into the trunk of the rental car. An extra pair of shoes(He'd still not solved his sole-melting issue), energy bars(you have no idea how much he had to eat since using this superpower), and a change of clothing.(Fire friction due to highspeed sucks.)

He greets the two with a wide grin, and then a salute with one hand.]

Naaaah, neither've you are late! Hey, hey, Annie-chan! And you must be Reiner-kun, haaa? Nice t'meetcha, I'm Hideyoshi. Hee-day. [Have a hand, Reiner.]

[anthropophagite]

[ Kaneki smiles when he sees the other two, knowing perfectly well he doesn't need to introduce Hide. Afterall, he is one social butterfly and can handle first meetings much better than Kaneki ever will. Ken, however, is also on the move to open the car's truck so the other two can put their things inside. ]

Hello. You can put your things inside.

[ And when a smile that won't leave his lips he nods to answer Annie ] Yeah. I have a driver's license, so I thought I could make use of it here. I promise I'm not a bad driver.

[ there will be no accidents, really. Ken behaves when driving, too ]

I was thinking we could all go to the Silver Springs. Hide got super excited about it, so I know what he thinks- [ but YEAH Reiner and Annie should have a saying in it ]

[lyingheart]

[ Annie moves around to the trunk and unloads her gear, reluctant... but knowing it's not going to help in the immediate sense. ]

Haven't heard of it. What's this Silver Springs about?

[ She's curious, looking from Ken over to Hide. All the parks she's looked into were more for hiking purposes, and generally were in more Northern states. ]

[soldiarity]

[ Grinning back broadly, Reiner shakes Hide's hand enthusiastically and probably just a little too firmly. ]

It's great to meet you -- any friend of Ken's has got to be an interesting person.

[ Hide seems more comparable to Reiner's own temperament, in fact, which is something Reiner picks up on only because the rest of their company is much more subdued or sullen.

Reiner lets go of Hide's hand and goes to put his stuff in the car too, listening all the while. ]

Driving will be better anyway, with everything we're bringing. If Ken gets tired I can take over. [ Annie can vouch! ] Springs... like the season, or the bodies of water?

[nagachika]

[He flashes Reiner a wide, good-natured grin, squeezing the others' hand for a moment before letting go. ...Dude, you have huge hands, what the hell are you made of.]

Heeeeeeh--same goes for you, bud. [Anyone Kaneki manages to befriend... can't be that bad a person.]

An' I think it's Springs, like the bodies of water. Yeah, Kaneki?

at silver springs in a kayak hunting down manatees

[lyingheart]

[ Annie is a shitty wingman, probably. Sort of. It may be why she ends up approaching Hide and bids farewell to eighteen dollars worth of money she's earned to see if he'd check out the kayaking on the river thing. Sure, Annie's never been, but how hard can it be? There, Reiner, she left you alone with Ken, have fun with your bad selves.

Well, they do get a crash course in how to kayak to start, and past that, they get released out on the river with their cells, life-vests, and sitting tandem in a kayak. ]

Where did they see they were seeing manatees the last few weeks?

let's find one and bring it home

[nagachika]

[He'd never gone kyaking before. Heck, he'd never been in a boat before. It's a damn good thing they gave the strange blonde pair a crash course in Kyaking basics before they went out--otherwise, any manatees that MIGHT be in the water would be chased off without a chance in heck due to constant capsizing.]

--I think deeper water is where they'd be, right? I mean, they're pretty big, so I don't think they'd chill out anywhere near the water's edge, right? Though they are pretty slow-moving...

[He turns his head toward deeper water, before casting his kayaking-buddy a grin.] Won't really know for sure until we look, right??

can we name it cuddles

[lyingheart]

[ at least he seems interested in this... Annie mostly figures something physical is easy enough to get used to doing. let's all be kinetic here. she looks at him, then looks out at the waters as well. ]

Staying toward the center was their suggestion anyway.

[ She holds her paddle in neutral position. ]

Are you setting our stroke speed, or am I?

we can name it cuddles.

[nagachika]

[Annie would be hard-pressed to find an outdoor activity that Hide wouldn't be interested in. At least, not one that he'd show no interest in until trying it. He could always decide later that it wasn't fun at all and tap out any time. His impulses often got the better of him--but today, he was full ready for a boating adventure.

And manatees.

And talking with a real beauty. What could go wrong?]

Centre of the lake it is--also. Ah. I think it'd probably be better for you to set the stroke speed. ...I might get a little into it and accidentally use my powers if I'm in control--yanno?

and it shall be our cuddles

[lyingheart]

[ That was exactly the reason she asked; it's good to hear he's reasonable with what might happen if he wasn't paying attention. Annie makes a noise of acknowledgement in her throat before moving her paddle into position and using it to turn the nose of their kayak toward the center of the river.

It really is a nice day, all things considered. Annie picks a fairly sedate pace finding the whole experience strange. It does mean she lapses into quiet for her own thoughts, looking at the river (it really is striking how clear the water is) and the shapes of fish darting around underneath them.

... Sorry, Hide, you ended up with the not chatty of the two shifters out here today. ]

[nagachika]

[He grew up with Kaneki his whole life--having to deal with someone who didn't talk as much as they stayed inside their own head was not only his specialty, but it was something that would never bother him. He'd fill in for the silence left, and he always would.

He concentrates, mostly, in keeping the pace even and steady, careful not to let his hands take control of the flow they had managed to keep(it was odd, the boat rocked more than a few times, a couple apologies let out here and there) but somehow, they managed.]

Hey--I think I see some frogs over there. Ne, Annie-chan, do you think manatees eat frogs? Or are they vegans, maybe. ...Eating river weeds sound a little gross...

while hide and annie are kayaking [ Reiner and Ken ]

[anthropophagite]

[ so apparently Annie and Hide disappeared for a moment and went kayaking - leaving both Reiner and Kaneki behind. While Kaneki doesn't mind being with Reiner at all (hey, they have been to dates hung out before, so it's not new or awkward), it doesn't register why they would leave without them, besides this: ] Maybe Annie did accept a date with Hide, after all. [ because kaneki is 98% sure his friend asked Annie out.

In any case, kaneki has the map of the park in his hands and he is not planning to just stay put and wait for both of them. he turns to Reiner with a smile, and tugs at his sleeve for a moment ] Well, while they re gone, we could go check the Glass bottom boats. I still haven't seen an alligator. [ and he wants to. There is no way he is leaving without seeing one ]

[soldiarity]

[ Reiner almost doesn't notice Annie and Hide have wandered off somewhere until he and Kaneki have been alone for several minutes, and until Kaneki actually mentions it. ]

Huh. The two of them, really? [ Hide seems decent enough to Reiner so far, though, so he's not concerned about anything except Hide's own safety. ] We should get busy ourselves then, you're right. Glass bottom boats?

[ Cue Reiner looming over Ken's shoulder to read the map. ]

You can actually see the water under the boat...?! Let's do that!

[anthropophagite]

Well, Hide always asks pretty girls out the moment he meets them. [ Kaneki laughs softly, amused.

Kaneki tilts his head to the side, to give Reiner room to look at the map. ] Yeah, the bottom is made of glass so you can see the animals underwater. And because the water is so clear, it's even easier.

[ he smiles, nodding for a moment ] Let's go! It'll be fun. [ and said this, he starts walking. he doesn't know if the boat trip will take long, but hey. If it does, better for Hide, Ken imagines. he'd probably be happy to spend time with a cute girl. ]

[soldiarity]

... Is Annie pretty?

[ ... Weird... but obviously some people had to think so, and Hide was hardly the first. Reiner's idea of a pretty girl is clearly a little narrow.

Anyway, rather than wasting his time mulling on Annie's appearance, Reiner turns his attention back to Kaneki and the map before he starts to follow behind Ken as he walks. To the boats! ]

I wonder how many animals they have down there. We're not allowed in the water, are we?

[anthropophagite]

Er- [ kaneki's face gains some color. Maybe he shouldn't have said that to Annie's friend, he doesn't know if Reiner is... well, protective? of her. ] ... isn't she? [ insert a small awkward laugher here.

Well, Annie IS pretty and cute, Kaneki thinks. She is also very serious, but Kaneki doesn't really dislike that. But he is just commenting on it without any other intention, he hopes Reiner doesn't think too much of it. ]

Ah, no, I don't think we are. [ a pause, followed by a playful smile as Kaneki pats Reiner's arm ] Please don't go skinny dipping here. [ and once they reach the boats, Kaneki will wait for Reiner to get on first, following after.

He supposes they'll be seeing fish, a lot of it, but what Ken really would like to see are the gators. ]

[soldiarity]

You said it, not me. I guess she must be, for Bertholdt to like her. He was always staring. It's harder for someone like me to judge a thing like that.

[ In terms of Annie and Hide, she is not the sort of person he would bother feeling overprotective over when it came to... well, guys. If anything, he might worry about the guy in question, but that only goes to prove that things between Reiner and Annie are sort of complicated.

He smiles crookedly, shrugging his shoulders after a moment and rubbing at his neck, looking over toward the docks at the boats. With a brief laugh: ]

I wouldn't do that here. Anyway, if we can see the animals from the boat there's not even a point, right?

after the whole kayak and boat shenenigans [ Hide and Ken ]

[anthropophagite]

[ while kaneki doesn't need to eat as often as other people normally do, at least he still remembers others do get hungry and they do need to buy food. The dining place was full (no surprise there, he supposes; apparently the park is popular), so Kaneki decided to stay outside away from the crowd while he waited for others to get whatever they felt like eating.

He was drinking coffee instead, adding the small cube he often joins in to curb whatever itch of hunger he might get. Sitting outside, he watches people having fun and the lcear water close to the esplanade. He also takes the chance to glance at the Park's map - oh yeah, they could go check the animal exhibits after eating ]

[nagachika]

[Food might not be terribly important to Kaneki anymore--but it was still hellishly important to him. American food was a bit weird to him, still, but the moment he saw 'hot dogs' on the menu at the diner--he was sold. He was coming back out of the hall; food wrapped in tinfoil and a can of something sugary and carbonated in the other; it's not hard to find his friend.

Scuttling over to him, he gently nudges him with an arm(an action he's found that's like trying to push a wall; in recent), he offers Kaneki a grin. But ... he's staring down at the others' drink. A curious look already passing over his face.]

...You can drink that? [He asks, a question he never really got to ask before; having always wondered--Ghouls were known to fake-eat and drink things--but. If Kaneki didn't have to force himself, Hide was going to tell him so, right now.]

If it's gross, you shouldn't force yourself, yanno.

[anthropophagite]

[ the nudge causes Kaneki to look up at Hide, but he doesn't really react much to it other than that. He still smiles, waiting for his friend to sit down, when he asks about the coffee.

Ah. That's right, the fact that ghouls can taste coffee is not a known matter to humans. Kaneki looks down at his drink, and he has to remind himself that yes, Hide knows; it's alright, Ken.

An his answer will come in japanese. They are in America, no one will understand him if he speaks Japanese, so he is not so nervous ]

I can't pretend to eat food like most ghouls do. I'm... pretty bad at that part. [ he is pretty bad at being a ghoul in general. He knows. ] But ghouls can taste coffee. It's the only thing that still tastes the same. [ ghouls don't know how humans taste coffee, but Kaneki is in the position to actually be able to answer: the way ghouls and humans taste coffee is the same. ] Coffee beans too, but they aren't as tasty.

[ kaneki puts down his cup for a moment ] This coffee isn't particularly good - it's burned and they add too much water to it. The result is a bitter, thin shot lacking any sweetness or character. [ and then he smiles playfully at Hide ] I guess I became an expert.

[nagachika]

[It was actually a good idea, and he'd likely make a mention to it later. Speaking--less so writing, though--in Japanese would be a perfect way to keep most conversations private. Especially when dealing with... this sort of thing. He takes a sip off the can of drink he'd purchased while Kaneki speaks, a look of surprise crossing over his features at this information.

He'd never heard this before. Not even his book--the one he'd bought a while ago, now, on ghouls--had mentioned that they could drink coffee. A half dozen more questions and confirmations bubbled up in the forefront of his mind. That explained why Kaneki worked at Antieku; and why despite how little he'd seen the other eat; a cup of coffee was often present. Why those ghouls he'd followed to Aoigiri's Hideout had bought coffee in a vending machine. He remembered drinking that can of plain coffee on his own; remembering how bitter it was without sugar or cream in it.]

Haaa... you're like a food critic there with your descriptions. An 'expert'? More like a coffee snob. [A teasing smile crossed over his face, and he winks an eye at the other. He's... happy, in a way.] ...Just explains a few things, huh. I guess I should have realised sooner that coffee was an exception.

...At least I'll know what to get you from your birthday from now on, right? Right?

[anthropophagite]

[ Kaneki chuckles softly. Sure, he is a snob. It's funny because, before?, he didn't care at all about coffee, the difference between coffee beans and the way they were prepared. Now, he does. because it's the only thing he can say he remembers the human taste of. It's also a small connection between both worlds.

He does like coffee, so much. ]

Annie gave me coffee for my birthday. [ yes, he did spend a birthday in heropa, and would have done so all alone if Annie hadn't dropped by to give him his present. ] Reiner gave me a steel coffee thermo.

I guess people noticed I'm into coffee a lot. [ he doesn't mind. Kaneki glances at Hide, as he chooses his next words carefully ] Anteiku... is a safe place meant for ghouls. [ Hide already knows, he is certain ] Touka-chan, Yoshimura-san... Nishio-senpai...

all of them. [ all of them are ghouls. ]

[nagachika]

If all I could really drink was coffee, I guess I'd be into it, too. [A hand reaches up, and he scratches his cheek. A small chuckle escaping.] Yeah. I know they're ghouls. I mean, I never would have guessed on my own. But Nishio-senpai always gave me a bad feeling, and now I know why.

Wish I could kick his butt for what he did to us, but it's kind'a in the past, right? He works with you guys. [He pauses, now, thinking a little more on the other subject. Birthday... Kaneki's birthday.]

...Haa. I missed out on your birthday, that's right. [He was missing back home. He'd gotten him a book. A book that's still sitting on his desk, back home; with Takatsuki Sen's signature on it.] Pity I didn't bring your gift with me. I got Takasugi Zen to sign a book for you, yanno? [He flashes the other a small grin.]

...You went missing, back home, you know.