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Since September 22nd of last year - bringing it to eighteen weeks, three days, if I'm not mistaken?

[He's not, and he knows he isn't.]

Alright.

Are you sure that there is no one else from back home here, other than you and Banjou-san?

I don't necessarily mean other Ghouls, either.

[Tsukiyama asking him if he'd been threatened by anyone when he arrived stuck with him, causing him to wonder. He imagines that if someone from the CCG were here, they would not hesitate to do something about any one of them, human now or not.]

There's one other that I know of, a man called Naki. He's highly dangerous - S-ranked, and affiliated with Aogiri Tree. Blond hair; entirely too much eye makeup. About 173 cm. His left ear seems to have been mangled by something; I don't know what happened, and I don't plan on asking. He's incredibly childish and he seems to have difficulty hearing things clearly, but he's incredibly sadistic and closely associated with Yamori.

I've been keeping him close for the sake of keeping an eye on him and containing him if things go poorly; it's still in your best interests to not engage with him if you can avoid it. If he comes to you then so be it, but he won't take kindly to you - there was an incident while you were captured that led to Yamori's death. Naki's sense of priorities and emotional stability are both notoriously poor; he'll blame you for what happened, whether you were responsible or not, simply because you were the one Yamori was last seen with.

[And all of that is...technically true.]

As for the doves...it's very difficult for me to say. I haven't heard any of the names we should avoid like the plague, at the very least; there's no way to be certain that none of them are here, though.

As far as anyone should be concerned here, all four of us - Naki included - are humans and always have been. Do you understand?

[In all honesty, Kaneki wasn't sure what he was expecting as an answer. Something in so many words is not unexpected from Tsukiyama, mind, but the amount of detail he seems compelled to give him is staggering.]

I understand.

[He had been more concerned about doves being here above all else, but knowing about this other Ghoul is better than being left in the dark. That much he can appreciate so he'll know to be careful, if and when he sees him.]

There is also something else I have heard about. A criminal organization called Team Rocket.

Do you know anything about them?

[In contrast to Kaneki's apparent sense of...being really wigged out by the situation, Tsukiyama is entirely settled; there's something comfortable about this - it's familiar and it's easy and it's not unlike that discussion by the lake back in November, and there's something calming about being called on for his information rather than for the sake of trying to repair any burned bridges.

It's like home, and he isn't sure how he feels about that, but for now he doesn't have to feel anything at all and so he quite simply won't.]

"Anything" is a bit broad, n'est-ce pas? I know some things, but not as much as I would like; is there anything specific you want to know?

Well...I want to know how dangerous they are. I know watching out for them is something I will want to do regardless, just to be careful, but...

It sounds like they have been around for a while.

[Meaning there is either a pretty vast number of them, no police force to keep their activity in check, or a police force that tries but is just exceptionally incompetent.]

Some are more dangerous than others.

For the most part they lie low, or engage in petty theft - the sort that will try to steal from you in dark alleyways. They have a base in this city, actually, though I don't know where. Either way, they generally try to keep themselves concealed, and so we don't know how many of them there actually are.

Once in a while they mobilize as a group and they do far greater damage that way, though I have yet to actually see it - it's just something I've heard about.

There are a few individuals that you need to be mindful of, however; I know of two in particular. One is that individual making demands to the network and threatening to destroy Cherrygrove; he was stopped, and I'm told he generally always is - his plans are grandiose but suffer from a lack of foresight. He's definitely one of theirs, though he'll try to deny it.

The other is more of a wildcard; he vanishes for months on end only to show up again, usually declaring some sort of 'war' on anyone who's willing to challenge him. The last two times war was declared, he proceeded to hold entire cities under seige with elaborate bomb threats and destroyed large portions of those cities with the explosives that weren't found in time. He calls himself Seth; he hasn't been seen since November, so from the sound of it we're due for another message from him soon.

They've been around for years, however, you're right about that.

[...this will likely be a bit of a stretch, but it can't hurt to ask.]

Do you know if they have any sort of larger goal beyond stealing and destroying cities?

No, I don't.

However, if they do, apparently it requires us in some way - "us" being those who are brought to this world. Some people don't wake up in New Bark Town, like you did; some wake up in Goldenrod City. Those are the ones in the organization.

So if they wake up here in Goldenrod, they're automatically part of that organization.

[It isn't a question so much as it is confirming for himself what Tsukiyama already said.

Though he does have one more thing to ask, concerning this.]

And those attacks you mentioned...do you know if people have ever gotten seriously hurt during them?

I don't know that either, unfortunately, but the attacks seem designed to minimize the chances of it. Seth gives us advance warning before he strikes, as does this other individual running around. Three days to a week is standard, I believe.

It's more than enough time for people to leave the area, should they so choose.

[That is...very strange. It appears almost as if they really do just want to cause property damage, as opposed to actually going around hurting people- especially if notice is given beforehand. That, and they want to see if anyone will actually come stop them...]

I see.

[There's a short pause here before Kaneki says anything else, trying to get his thoughts together again.]

Other than Team Rocket, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you about this place, if that's alright.

You can ask me anything you want, Kaneki-kun, I don't mind.

I heard that there is...something that happens here, sometimes. It happens often enough that people know when to expect it, but what happens exactly can't really be predicted, so much.

People disappear and reappear without warning, in different areas. It isn't really the same as going back home, though. Sort of like...when my Abra brought me to Goldenrod, but random.

Is that true?

[...Kaneki, why.]

I...believe I know what you're talking about? But if that's all you've heard regarding it, your contact was either misinformed or withholding something from you.

[NO REALLY THAT WAS SUCH A ROUNDABOUT WAY OF-

...IS YOUR INFORMANT OKAY

...ARE YOU OKAY]

[He would like to think he has this under control

but

he really doesn't]

Well

[haha oh god he can't do this. In his defense, the original description was simply 'three-day biannual madness' and if he hadn't asked he still wouldn't know what the heck.]

Apparently people have problems with their...memories of what happens, too, after it's all over. But that's all I know about it.

[...Okay, either your informant was seriously shifty or somebody took a brick to the head mid-conversation and he's not about to pause this to go KANEKI-KUN ARE YOU HAVING SOME SORT OF LEGITIMATE MENTAL EMERGENCY because that's going to be super-offensive if you're not. So hang on, let him try to. Uh. Work out what's. Going. On?

You obviously seem to have some idea of what you're aiming for, otherwise this wouldn't be a question, but at the same time the question itself is so...goddamn confused when all the other ones were straightforward, so -

...what the hell are you doing, are you trying to ascertain whether he'll give you valid information if yours is deficient, or...

...

KANEKI.]

Remind me to teach you how to do this sort of thing properly one day, all right?

But yes, there's something here that happens every six months that can have that sort of effect; I was present for it the last time that happened. We're due for another round of that in May, I believe, assuming what I've heard about it is true.

It's not nearly as simple as you're describing it, however; my memories of it are hazy, but some people receive..."gifts" from home, to put it very lightly - items they wouldn't have here. They only have them for the duration; they're gone after those three days.

Of course, people like us receive certain physical gifts from home as well, and they aren't nearly as pleasant. Don't worry about it too much; you'll be fine without eating for that period of time.

There's also the possibility that you'll see people that normally aren't here - people you know, people that are important to you. I've had that happen myself, actually.

Did that tell you what you wanted to know?

[GOD HE HECKED UP, HE HECKED UP SO BAD.

Though this is actually more information than he had previously so that...helps...not that the conversation is any less of a disaster on his end. He was doing so well.]

Yes, it did.

[...]

And...thank you for answering my questions, Tsukiyama-san.

[It still feels weird, talking to Tsukiyama like this. It's just as nerve wracking as he expected it would be, but at the same time it's a great weight off his shoulders now that he's actually doing it.]

Of course; anytime.

[...]

You're still doing well, I assume...?

I'm fine, yes.

...I found a bookstore in town, so I've been spending a lot of time there lately.

[It's been better than just spending all of his time holed up in the hotel, at least.]

[...Ah.

He isn't entirely sure if Kaneki realizes what he just did or if he's being hideously naive; either way, he's certainly not going to discourage that.]

I can't say I'm surprised to hear that; I'm still not sure the reading selection is to my liking here, but it's interesting, I suppose.

[A little bit of both, perhaps...but moreso the latter, most likely.]

Interesting is an understatement. I kind of like them, though. It's different.

[He still has yet to do some truly thorough digging, though, but what he's found is enough to keep his interest for a while.]

[Fortunately for you, he's a bit beyond acting on it quite as viciously as he would have several months ago back home.]

That's one way of putting it.

It was good of you to contact me, you know - merci.

[...oh. For a moment, he isn't sure how to respond. Saying 'you're welcome' doesn't...seem right. Once again, god bless the fact that they're texting so he couldn't say that instead, um.]

Well, I did say I might again sometime, didn't I?

[...give him a moment to come up with a response that isn't "...oh. c:", hang on.]

So you did! And it's good to hear from you.

Do let Banjou-san that you're in one piece, will you?

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samsa - 2015-01-30 03:51 (UTC) - Expand