[ Open ]

[enucleation]

WHO: Kaneki + YOU
WHERE: Any imPort cities
WHEN: During August
WHAT: Day in the life of Kaneki Ken
WARNINGS: Cannibalism

[ Cemetery ; Night ]

[ Kaneki is registered and as such, he has access to dead bodies the government provides, all legal and all donated to science (which imports fall under, so it's alright). He goes to the laboratories in De Chima once a month to get his meal, but in fact, he is not a fan of this method. He downright hates it. His paranoia tells him that they take the chance to study him and keep an eye on him, as well on the amount of flesh he eats (which is the reason why Kaneki makes sure to always take one body a month. Nothing more, nothing less) and in a way try to control him like that.

But one body a month is not nearly enough for him. He shares his house and food with two other ghouls, Hinami and Touka, and makes sure there is food for all three of them. Kaneki is also a glutton; ever since he started consuming ghouls in order to gain power, he became a glutton just like Rize used to be. And in this world, he doesn't have other ghouls to consume, but he is still a glutton and thus he eats A LOT. And besides, it also gives him power, a power he is thirsty for. So that's why he gathers food from other places that aren't controlled by the government. Touka helps, sure, but she probably doesn't dream on just how much Kaneki actually eats.

He raids hospitals and morgues, mortuaries and cemeteries, in search for bodies to steal and consume. He never sticks to the same town and certainly goes to cities where imPorts don't reside so there won't be attention towards this matter; or if there is, they won't downright scream "imPort" if they start investigating. And this is what he is doing tonight: raiding a cemetery. About six hours earlier, during the afternoon, there was a funeral and Kaneki made sure to drop by to see where the grave would be; once that's located, he decides to come back later, during the night, to dig out the corpse.

It's not pretty, but this sort of thing is a lot safer than raiding hospitals. Missing bodies from hospitals are, after all, a lot easier to spot, while in cemetery, he just has to put everything back in place before down. It's easy when you have 8 tentacles on your back to help you. wearing his mask and usual black clothes, Kaneki easily digs out the corpse, which he will put inside a black body bag and set aside for a moment as he closes the coffin and puts the dirt back in place with the help of his kagune.

Though he may look distracted, he WILL hear if anyone approaches. ]

[ Library ]

[ Ever since Hinami-chan arrived, kaneki has decided he'd continue to home teach her the best he could. Which means books are necessary, though sometimes he isn't all that sure what exactly should he be teaching her. Literature is easy to him, but she should learn math too, science, history... and now as a hero, maybe she should train a bit considering everything that happens in this place - not as a ghoul, but maybe running or swimming?

regardless, he is still trying to figure out what is best, and Kaneki decides a trip to the library might help. See what school books are there for Hinami's age, and maybe try to teach her those. In the end, he finds many, yes, but also confusing; after all, the way Hinami-chan was learning, was different from this world's curriculum. He'd have to figure out, but of course that means grabbing a whole bunch of school years for children between 11 and 16, and carrying them around as he tries to find a decent dictionary. Maybe an English-Japanese dictionary as well..? Sure, the communicator can be accessed mentally to translate everything Hinami needs, but... ] ... feels more realistic I suppose...

[ he mutters those words and decides to archive the question for when he is checking out the books.

However, before he does, he passes by the international section, checking what authors from his country he might find. Or from other countries, too. Kaneki even places the school books on the floor, to pass his hand through the bindings of the books on the shelves, smiling softly as he sees titles he recognizes. he hasn't read in such a long time... he hasn't enjoyed reading in such a long time too. He feels like he lost his touch with the books, that he is no longer able to picture everything clearly as he reads them and thus he can't truly enjoy them.

Kaneki misses it so.


If you miss him at the library, though, you might find him on the streets bumping against you. With the many school books on his hands - easy to carry for a ghoul, sure, but still many that take his attention - Kaneki eventually bumps into someone, and some of the books fall on the floor] Ah- I'm sorry.

[ Shopping ]

[ Kaneki is certainly not a fan of shopping, but he has to sometimes. Sure, he saves a lot of money on food, but there are still necessary basic things he needs such as toilet paper, laundry detergent and TONS OF COFFEE. In fact, that's the only thing he seems to get, as the other things and buried underneath the huge about of coffee, all different brands and types, and most of them still in beans and not instant. If anyone gives him a weird look or not, he doesn't seem to care, and the people that work on the local super market are already familiar with Kaneki's... obsession with caffeine.

If he isn't filling up his shopping cart with coffee, you might find him over the girl's section, grabbing a perfume, if only super confused to what sort of perfume he should pick. he is sniffing various kinds and none seem to please him, making a face whenever a perfume is too strong for his tates. If anyone is nearby, they'll notice cute hairclips with cupcakes on them, clearly meant for a little girl, and he also has a cute handbag. Whoever this is for, they are clearly spoiled by Kaneki he is a nice big brother ok ok ]

Comments

[shopping] of course

[nagachika]

[One of the last things he expects to find one Kaneki Ken doing is shopping for girly, sparkly things. The first thing he wonders of course, is if they're gifts for Touka. But--Hide can never resist being Hide.

Sliding up near his friend, deciding now was a good time for a break from his usual city patrol--He's going to slide a pretty green sequined bow into the half-ghoul's hair.]

I know ya got this habit of changing up your style, but man, this is a whole new stretch, even for you.
But you know I'll support it, even if it's weird!!

[enucleation]

[ Kaneki isn't startled by Hide's presence, though he didn't expect a green bow on his hair. He tries to have a look at it, before he turns to the other with a smile. ]

You shouldn't call it "weird" if you want to be supportive, you know? [ he reaches to take it off, though ]

Are you on a break? [ or are you ignoring your job, Hide? ]

[nagachika]

I can call it weird while being supportive. [He flashes a wide grin before flapping a hand at him, adjusting his goggles about his neck with a little bit of a wry look.]

I can be on break, yes. Or maybe I'm scouting the shop for suspicious activity. Suspicious people. Suspicious cupcakes.

[It's not ignoring when your job was literally running around public places, being sure to keep imPorts and locals out of trouble. He hadn't even had to chase after any shoplifters today, it was a good day.]

[enucleation]

Well. I can be very suspicious if you'd like. Just need to pull my hoodie up. [ Kaneki moves his hand to drop the green bow, but not before his fingertips brush the other's wrist gently.

A more intimate hello, in a way, since he's far too shy to do anything more than that - besides, they are in public ] How have you been? Better? [ since that clusterfuck of a swear-in.

Hide, so much is happening, he wants to tell you, but there is so much at the same time. he isn't hiding it, but where to begin. ]

[nagachika]

If you wanna do that, I could definitely use it as an excuse to question you. [He holds up a finger in front of his face, giving Kaneki a very stern look before it fades back into his usual lazy grin. Fingers of his free hand curling a little as that wrist is touched, and he leans in just a little.

His expression flickers a little; something a little more morose seeping into it.]

Yeah, it's been alright. My boss gives me funny looks sometimes, but he's chalked it up to propoganda, so I didn't lose my job or anything.

My roommate though... [Haha, Maine...]

[enucleation]

[ Kaneki nods. it's good Hide's boss ignored it ] What about your roommate? [ one day, kaneki will learn Maine is Hide's roommate, but this is difficult because everytime he meets the guy he is trying to kill kaneki for some reason. At least Ken knows his opponent's name, but he doesn't think it'll matter much next time ]

Do you need help with that? [ after all, Kaneki is the ghoul. ]

[nagachika]

He's this really big quiet space marine guy. Still haven't intro'd you two, but I should. Anyway. During that dinner thing, he saw all of that stuff and I guess he has prior experience with you. Uh.

Doing your dinner thing. He got real up in arms about it and disapproved of me and you interacting. And then he had the gall to accuse me of the same stuff that propo video did.

I mean, we talked it out and I argued my point, but. That guy's like a bear. Ain't sure I convinced him of anything.

graveyard smash

[deadtective]

[Hazel hangs out in cemeteries quite often. it's something that she hasn't really mentioned to anyone (including those who know her secret) because she's aware that it's toeing the edge of acceptable morbidity. there's giving respect to the dead, and there's an interest in history, and then there's simply sitting alone in a graveyard at night.

that doesn't stop her from going, of course. the silence is peaceful, and it helps her gather her thoughts on nights when she feels as if the restlessness will completely overwhelm her. this is the closest that Hazel will ever get to being where she ought to, and there's a small measure of satisfaction she can take from that. after the circus of noise and people that had been her roadtrip with friends, she needs this tranquility more than ever.

it makes sense, then, that she'd notice the disruption of her quiet pretty quickly. she turns to peek over the headstone she's been leaning against, only the top half of her eyes visible over the tall stone. in an outfit that stupid and obscuring she doesn't realize that the intruder is Kaneki, and so her response is a lot drier than it would have been otherwise.]

Hey, come on. At least let him get comfortable in there first.

[she hopes that the unexpected presence of someone else is enough to scare the person away. Hazel feels strongly enough about the defilement of graves for nefarious purposes that she'll get up and engage if she has to, but she's honestly not in the mood for standing up right now unless it's to head back home.]

[enucleation]

[ wowowowow excuse u that outfit isn't stupid it's awesome you are just jealous

or not.

ANYWAY.

Kaneki is in the process of finishing closing the grave, patting the dirt as if that will solidify the ground a bit more - or perhaps he is a bit regretful he has to do this, but as immoral and rude as it sounds, it's still one of the ways to get food. Sure, the dead person had no saying in it, but hey. They are dead. And Kaneki isn't. And nobody else has to be in order to feed him. It's better this than the option most ghouls use which is to hunt living preys.

But as he hears a voice, his head quickly turns, glancing at the girl and recognizing her on spot. Hazel. Who doesn't seem to recognize him, but who can blame her? he is trying not to be recognized. Kaneki stands up, thinking for a moment if he should tell her or not. She isn't exactly human, and he considers her a good friend, so he doesn't think she will tell on him, but Kaneki also doesn't want to show this side of him to her. It's not the kind of thing you want your friends knowing, since this is how Kaneki eats - this is "restaurant", and it's gross to admit to it.


........ aha.

Kaneki sighs, shakes his head and reaches for his hoodie ]

Hazel.

[ she might recognize his voice, but in case the mask he is wearing muffles it, Kaneki pulls down his hoodie and allows her to see the white snow hair that was hiding. ]

[deadtective]

[oh. oh, shit.

well, things may have just gotten a little bit more awkward. the headstone hides the complete look of recognition on Hazel's face, limiting it to just a sort of up-down motion from her eyebrows, but it's still pretty easy to tell she knows who it is now. guess she's going to have to get up after all.]

What, you can tell it's me just from that much? You couldn't even see my whole face!

[a protest with no real weight whatsoever, just something to keep the mood light. she stands finally, pausing to dust off any dirt that may have clung to her before starting to wander over. how long has she been sitting out here anyway? she's lost track at this point.]

[enucleation]

[ he smiles under the mask, shaking his head ] I can recognize your scent. And your voice. [ ghouls have heighten senses and they help in these cases.

Keeping the mood light is very helpful, considering Kaneki has a dead person inside a body bag which he will carry back home to eat. Certainly not the best way to start a conversation, but they are all monsters here. ]

... Sorry you had to see me... [ shopping for food? No. Too morbid ] ... doing this. [ he touches the back of his neck with a small sigh.

But that begs the question - ]

What are you doing here?

[deadtective]

[she almost wants to ask what she smells like, but refrains. Hazel isn't sure she could deal with a confirmation that she smelled mostly like preservative chemicals; better to leave it unknown and continue to hold onto the small sliver of hope that maybe this, at the very least, was still normal.

her gaze falls to the body bag for a moment, shifting into something pensive. finally she shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks back at Kaneki.]

...there are worse things that can happen to a corpse. Don't apologize.

[because she'd know, wouldn't she? she was that awful, much worse thing that could happen to a body.

at least this guy would know where all his parts were, had made it to a proper burial site for a few hours. it was more than Hazel would ever get. anyway, she sure as hell wasn't going to judge Kaneki for something that he couldn't help.]

But, uh, I'm just hanging out. I like hitting up graveyards when I need someplace quiet, they're good places to think.

[it's one of those moments where her truth is weirder than any lie she could have told. Hazel knows that it's macabre, especially knowing what she is, but...well, this was the closest she'd ever get to a coffin. and cemeteries really were quiet.]

[enucleation]

[ kaneki doesn't think much about comparing people's smells. "This is Hazel" or "This is Hide", but he doesn't really compare what he smells to anything specific since thanks to being turned into a ghoul, he can feel the smell properly either. Regardless, he won't get into it if Hazel doesn't.

He isn't very sure how to act right now. With a body bag nearby, still needing to pat the dirt a bit more to make sure no one would suspect anything, and hazel looking at him. They are both terrible, but he realizes people require tact... which he sort of doesn't have, not the way he should, at least.

Kaneki hums, looking around for a moment ]

... they are.

[he has issues with silent places, mostly because he gets to think and thinking is bad when you are Ken Kaneki. His mind always wanders to terrible places. ]

... okay, sorry, but I need to make sure nobody notices the grave was moved. [ he had to say it. And it's clear he is a bit... awkward about it because really kaneki really. he does move towards the grave again and one tendril of his kagune comes out after he lifts his shirt a bit - or it'd get ruined. The tendril will pat the ground (quite hard, actually) ]

I know I have bodies that the government provides. It's just... [ there are two more cannibals in this city and he is feeding them as well? He also eats like a pig? Aaand the bodies the government gives him taste like crap? How to explain this, exactly? ] ... I don't want to be dependent on them.

[ he will take the chance to pull down his mask ]

cemetery; late

[scleras]

[Uta had caught Kaneki's scent accidentally, but having done so he couldn't just leave it alone. He's curious as to what his fellow ghoul is doing out at night, and so he finds himself following at a distance.

Among the methods the other had mentioned when talking about finding alternate food sources, digging up graves hadn't been one of them. Is Kaneki so desperate for flesh that he's had to resort to this to get what he needs?

The artist keeps himself downwind, and far enough away that hopefully his scent won't give him away. When the other ghoul is approached by a human, he tenses but doesn't reveal himself. He'll wait until Kaneki is leaving, placing himself directly in his friend's path.]

Embalming fluid leaves a terrible aftertaste.

[enucleation]

[ she isn't exactly a human. But it's not like many would know that, even as a ghoul. But she is also a good friend of his, so it wasn't a problem for her to see Kaneki getting his food at the cemetery.

In any case, with the body bag over his shoulder, Kaneki is ready to leave - mask and hoodie back in place, there is no way he's going to walk the streets with his face uncovered - when he sees Uta right in front of him. He is a bit surprised at first (he didn't even sense him...) but after a couple of seconds, he smiles under the mask. ]

It's better than the chemicals they put in the bodies the government provides.

[scleras]

Are there chemicals in those? [He hasn't picked his first one up yet.] I was going to offer you mine to make things easier on you, but if you don't care for them...

[Uta didn't like the idea of eating food that was just handed to him in the first place. He'd thought they'd be less obvious about filling them with unpleasant things, though. Making them unappealing right off is only encouraging behavior from ghouls that they've been trying to avoid. It seems counterproductive.

But they shouldn't stand around in the street and talk about this while Kaneki has a dead body slung over his shoulder.]

Let's go somewhere we can talk.

[enucleation]

They need to be preserved since they go to the laboratory. And inside the laboratory they screen which ones are of interest to the laboratoy, and they give us the ones that are too damaged or worthless. [ so they get the scraps. Kaneki doesn't mind the scraps, he minds all the crap they put in them. If he is lucky, he manages to get a fresh one that hasn't been worked on, but that's rare. ]

But thank you, Uta-san. We actually have some back at home. [ "we" as in Touka and Hinami included, because they all live in the same house. But yes, Kaneki is getting some extra food, so to speak. For himself.

He also appreciates the suggestion. kaneki nods and adjusts the body bag, before he moves. His first options is to find the woods or somewhere completely desert and away from the general population. ]

[scleras]

[Uta is particularly fond of Kaneki's mask. It's one of his better works, and fits the other ghoul well, in his opinion. He feels a bit of artistic pride seeing him in it now, even if this is a grave robbery and not a proper hunt.

He follows behind, keeping his voice low.]

When people have this much power, they can get too restrictive with others.

[They think this is fine, playing it safe. Give the ghouls no more than what they can live off of and punish them for finding alternative sources. They're the monsters, after all.]

Does the rest of your family know about this?

[enucleation]

[ kaneki likes the mask quite a lot as well. he feels much more comfortable in it when fighting, or hunting or doing anything that is not... morally acceptable.

he hums softly ] They say we have freedom here, but... [ he doesn't trust the government. It's one of the reasons why he also doesn't rely on the donated bodies that often. ] ... it's the way things are. It's to be expected because of what we are.

[ but the question leaves Kaneki to look ahead and avoid Uta's face for a second. Well. His family... ]

Touka-chan raids with me often. Usually hospitals and morgues rather than cemeteries, since those bodies aren't altered. [ but right now? She doesn't know he is here, doing this alone. ]

... I eat more than she does.

library!

[housebroke]

[ Libraries have an appeal for a number of reasons - starting with the obvious and spiraling into the point of hopeful silence. Not that Sark is incapable of finding quiet elsewhere, but within the possibilities of research, there's a glimmer of calm that can be found within the shelves. And besides, knowing where he is, how he came to be here, and perhaps the history of where he's meant to be living within has its benefits. He'd rather not be taken for an idiot and if reading the entirety of what there is to offer is what it takes, then he might as well spend at least a good portion of his free time coming to realizations that might only further be used for his benefit.

Wandering the stacks, Sark makes quiet mental notes to himself, fingers trailing across the spines like braille to a blind man, tipping his head so as to read anything that might sound pertinent. Occasionally, he pulls a book free from its holding between others, and even more rarely he truly pulls it out the rest of the way, until he's found himself a small stack of history books worth perusing. Meandering comes next, coming upon the language section to see what there is to offer, meaning to brush up on a thing or two.

Which is all well and good at least until some muttering comes along and Sark quirks an eyebrow. He's never quite able to mind his own and with fingers hesitating on pages, he clears his throat to announce his presence. ] I've found books always offer the sort of tactile learning that some things just aren't able.

[enucleation]

[ he didn't mean to be heard, but Kaneki also wouldn't mind. Or he wouldn't have muttered out loud, even if he did it because he was distracted with his decisions of what book to pick and if he should pick it in first place. The dictionary loses interest in his mind, and the voice besides him gains it, as Kaneki turns his eyes from the book towards Sark.

Kaneki meets the man with a smile and a nod after ]

I think the same. Practice is important, but books can provide clear information which can help quite a lot. And I think it's a lot of fun to picture things with the help of words you read.

[ so Kaneki does like books a lot. Which is no surprise because he was a Japanese Literature freshman back in his world. ]

I'm Ken Kaneki. [ meeting new people has alaways proved interesting to him. ]

[housebroke]

[ Sark hadn't believed anything other than that the other man was muttering to himself, but he was something of an intrusive busybody. Everyone's business was his own business, a fact he'd been taught by Irina early on. Because without the skill of listening in, one might miss pertinent information that might be of use later on.

Manners, however, are a whole different ballgame and it takes him a moment to slip a smile out of nowhere, one of greeting that fades as quickly as it came, leaving a quietly smooth blank slate in its place. Not aggressive, simply neutral while he listens.

And then nods. ] I believe hands on learning certainly comes first, but there is quite a lot to be said about the skill of visualization, especially when one is meant to be using the skill in everyday life.

[ But ah, an introduction. Something that is sorely lacking around here. ]

Sark. It's a pleasure. [ The name offered is nearly abrupt, an implication that he intends to give no more. But he's all class afterwards, his softly spoken uppercrust british accent adding that much more of a note of gentle manners. He can play damn good pretend when he wants to. ] Especially considering we're actually meeting some place of worth.

[enucleation]

[ kaneki will forgive him for being intrusive. After all, imports like to meet other imPorts, something like that - it'd be a lot worse if it was a reporter or a fan of Heroes. Or an enemy.

He is also fine with an abrupt and short introduction, nodding at the man to let him know he heard and knowledges his name ]

A fan of literature then? [ kaneki is too, even if of late he hasn't indulged so much in that.

Except now, but most books he is carrying are definitively for someone else (who is also a lot younger) ]

[housebroke]

[ He's no fan of Heroes, nor is he looking to make enemies quite so early in the game. No, for now he's invested in meeting people simply for the art of it. For the necessary connections that come down the line of company, no matter how close.

But he nods once, curtly, a short glance given towards Kaneki's almost childish stack of books. ]

I am, yes. One of the reasons I enjoyed learning other languages quite so much was my enjoyment of reading. Literary interpretations are always an interest of mine - where one thing can mean others in multiple languages.

[ It's honest without being too honest; blatant without giving much away. ]

[enucleation]

[ connections are important, kaneki thinks. If not to be allies, at least to be informants. And he so thrives on information, receiving when he shares. That's why networking will always be an important part kaneki plays, even if he can be rather awkward during socialization.

Kaneki hums ] That's true. It also works the other way around, how a meaning can be lost when translated.

In a way, I'm glad for the communicators and how it allows us to understand other languages so easily. I'm able to read works in their original language and it feels a bit like a different book. small>[ or felt. In fact, he hasn't read in a while ]