Arieto. Just… Arieto.

You’ve brought this upon yourself.

“If we’re only talking exterminations, we’ve got good results.” Tsuneyoshi Washuu glowers at the two men before him. “But we failed to capture the crucial owl.”

Arima stands beside his half-brother, before their father, silent and diligent as always.

It’s Yoshitoki, the kind one who once protested why his brother was kept in a garden and not in their house with him, the one Arima can’t trust now, who speaks. “We are deeply sorry, sir.”

The owl’s laughing eyes stare up at Arima. He has her pressed into his bed not even a week ago. Morning light filters around them. She’s free and dangerous and unique, and kissing him with a ferocity unmatched in even her fighting – which he also knows is pretty damn ferocious.

Tsuneyoshi’s expression remains stern. His displeasure oozes from him. “We must defeat Aogiri’s One-Eyed Owl – no, the One-Eyed King -”

Arima feels completely alone.

“King and Owl, we are,” she once sang into his ear, and he pushed her away, and she pouted and told him this was why he’d never been with anyone.

She’d caught him in a particularly low point, and then she realized his insecurities.

“Aw, I’m sorry. I can show you,” she suggested, and he felt more frightened than he’d ever been, but he found himself nodding.

Yoshitoki was supposed to breed. Arima was a failure and good for death. But Eto taught him that lovemaking could be just that – love – and that ideals meant more than familial duty.

“Whether or not it’s worth it will depend on your actions. Kishou, you have ownership rights.” Tsuneyoshi nods.

Arima always feels a little sad when Tsuneyoshi calls him Kishou. It’s a familiarity that feels like disrespect, because Tsuneyoshi doesn’t know him and never will.

Eto knows a thing or two about parental conflict. Not that she’s dealt with hers well, to Arima’s mind, but at least she sympathizes.

Arima bows to his father. Ownership rights were Eto’s idea. She already calls Kaneki their child, and she has the perfect new name for him – Haise Sasaki.

It’s the name she told him she would have picked for a kid if they lived in a world where they could marry and live happily ever after, like “a fucking fairy tale.”

She’s profane and childlike, and he loves her. They’re the One-Eyed King and the One-Eyed Owl, and like Eto reminds him, “Put together we’re a full set of eyes.”

Scenario where Ui confesses his feeling to Hairu and her reaction.

*rubs hands together with glee*

Ui closes the door to the copy room. Hairu’s humming at the printer, which seems to be jammed again, but that hasn’t dampened her mood. Hairu’s not commonly annoyed by the little things, and that’s one of the reasons he loves her.

Speaking of love, that’s why he’s here. Alone. With her.

His heart beats fast as she looks up and smiles at him. “Koori!”

——————————————————————————————-

“What are you doing?” Arima Kishou stares at the sight of Hirako Take crouched at the copy room entrance, ear pressed against the closed door. Ihei Shio is giggling, Arima Yusa is trying to shhh him, and Souza Rikai has slid some sort of wire under the door.

Hirako turns bright red.

“Ui’s confessing to Hairu,” hisses Shio. “C’mon.”

And so Arima finds himself engaged in the childhood shenanigans he never had time for, as he presses his ear to the door for snippets of young love.

——————————————————————————————-

“Hi.” Ui waves. His other arm has a rose behind his back. A pink rose to match her hair.

“Hi.” She waves back. “We’re out of colored ink. It’s so sad!”

“Your hair is colorful enough,” he jokes.

Hairu gasps. “Did you just – just make a joke?”

Ui flushes. “Maybe.”

“You’re so cute, Koori!” She dances over to him and kisses his cheek.

“H-hairu, I have to tell you something.” His voice is now a squeak. His eyes are glassy and unfocused and he’s quite possibly more terrified than he has been in battle.

Hairu’s eyes grow. “What’s wrong? Koori, you can tell me anything.”

“I – I – I…” He fumbles for the words stuck in his throat. As a last ditch effort, he holds out the rose.

Hairu pales.

And then an avalanche falls. “I think you’re beautiful and happy and kind and sexy and the world is better for you in it and I love you and I’ve loved you for a long time but been too afraid to say anything -”

Hairu tackles him in a hug. “You’re the cutest thing ever!”

“Huh?” The thorns prick his flesh.

“No!” she gasps, taking the rose. “Bad rose! Don’t hurt Koori!”

She looks into his eyes, smiling so brightly he really should wear sunglasses.

“I’ve never had someone love me before.”

“You have, you just didn’t know,” he croaks. His heart pounds. Why isn’t this easier?

“Why aren’t you smiling? I love you, too, silly!” Hairu tugs his lips into a smile. “Are we dating now?”

“Yes, if you’d like to.” Ui’s eyes fill with tears.

“Yay!” Hairu twirls him around. “This makes fighting the stupid printer worth it!”

“I tell you, it’s worse than a ghoul,” Ui says.

“You made a second joke! I’m so good for you.” Hairu kisses him, because aren’t people supposed to kiss when they’re in love?

Ui nearly falls over, but he hangs on to her – or her lips, really. She tastes like melons and bubblegum, and he can’t get enough.

The door falls open.

Ui shrieks, but Hairu just blushes and keeps on smiling.

“Congratulations,” Hirako says. Shio waves from his position on a cramped pyramid of Yusa and Rikai.

Arima stands behind them and holds his thumb up.

Hairu glows even more.

Karren escapes from Eto and makes her way back to the Tsukiyamas (which has not been raided by the CCG yet)

Oh goody, more angst for my wicked heart.

Karren stumbles out of Aogiri’s headquarters, her eyes still half-sewn shut, hr lips 100% sealed. Help me, she wants to whimper. I want to die.

She can’t go home to Master Shuu. He’s depressed enough.

But where else can she go? She only has one home, and it’s with Tsukiyama Shuu.

She half-walks, half-crawls to the mansion like a drunk, like the worthless servant she is, hoping to climb inside her room without anyone noticing she’s been gone.

She needs to kill Sasaki for hurting Shuu. No – to atone for her own selfishness. Because she’s very, very bad, and she needs to be Kanae, not Karren.

Kanae doesn’t even realize that she’s collapsed on the steps to the Tsukiyama mansion until she hears Matsumae scream.

Get up, move.

Chie Hori sees her and runs upstairs like the brat she is.

Don’t worry, let me alone, Kanae wants to say as Matsumae lifts her off the stairs, but her mouth is still sewn shut.

Mirumo hovers over her, and then Matsumae shoos him out because she knows Kanae’s secret. This is all going so wrong – why can’t she die already – and then Shuu’s being pulled into the room – how did she wind up in her room? – by Chie.

He lets out a wail and rushes forward, yanking out the thread to her mouth and cursing in French.

“Be gentle!” Matsumae says, working on Kanae’s eyes.

“I’m sorry; I’m so sorry,” Kanae says, bordering on delirium. “She knew – Master Shuu, it’s all my fault.”

“Your fault? No, mon cher, never.” Shuu’s shaking. How could someone do this to Kanae? He wouldn’t even treat dinner like this.

He’s going to find them, and kill them.

He tries to take off her jacket to check for wounds, and Kanae starts and immediately claps her hands over her … rosy chest.

Shuu turns dead white.

“K – Kanae?” he asks in a small voice, a voice that says why didn’t you trust me?

“Not Kanae.” Matsumae applies a warm cloth dipped in some sort of lotion to Kanae’s bruised forehead.

“What’s your real name, belle femme?” he asks.

She squeezes her eyes shut, though they still hurt from the thread. There’s no point in hiding what’s already been exposed. “Karren.”

Tears leak down her cheeks, but Shuu’s placing a blanket overher chest as he helps her out of her jacket, and he’s calling her sweet rose and liebling and he seems more alive than he has in months. And though Karren can’t quite believe it yet, Chie and Matsumae can see it’s because of her.

Scenario where Akira stumbles upon Donato and has a conversation with him and Amon realizes she’s missing.

Akira approached at her father’s grave with trepidation. A gray-haired man knelt there, and as far as Akira knew, her father had had no old friends.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

Donato Porpora turned around.

“Jesus Christ!” she yelled, deliberately. Father had taught her well – her hidden quinque soared towards the ghoul. Don’t you dare disgrace Dad’s grave.

Donato laughed and easily sidestepped her blow. “My, my, you’re a fiery one. And here I thought graveyards were sacred.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Touché.” He leant against the gravestone of someone she didn’t know, but her ire burned all the same. No corpse deserved his filthy hands on their final memorial.

“I came to see the resting place of my future in-laws.” Donato smirked at her, and Akira’s cheeks turns pink.

“You leave Amon out of this,” she hissed. “You aren’t his father. My father was like a father to him. He didn’t trick him into silence while killing children.”

“No, he just convinced him to help kill ghoul children, am I right? I know about the Fueguchis.” Donato enjoyed her discomfort.

“He’s not yours.”

“Would you like to see pictures of him as a kid before you fail to kill me? He used to love the donuts I bought him.” Donato smirked. “Don’t worry, I can’t kill my future daughter-in-law.”

——————————————————————————————-

“Have you seen Akira?” Amon paced in front of a bored Seidou and amused Touka. “She won’t pick up her phone.”

“Nope.”

“She said she was going to visit Mayo’s grave,” Kaneki said, entering.

“Thank you for being helpful, Eyepatch.” Amon nodded curtly at the three ghouls – fellow ghouls – before heading out. He’d gotten her engagement ring fitted, and he wanted her to have it immediately.

He didn’t see anyone in the graveyard, though, and suddenly Amon’s intuition – the one her father had taught him to listen to – told him something was very, very wrong.

He wanted to call her name, but if something was wrong, that might be the wrong move. Amon scanned the hills of the dead to see a lone figure standing below a tree.

He jogged over, desperate to ask if someone had seen her.

“Hello, Amon.” The man turned around, and Amon froze.

“Where is she?” He clenched his fists.

“Up here.” Akira waved from the tree, where she was nestled in its branches, quinque ready. “He wanted to tell me all your fun childhood stories. I said I’d listen only if I could hold a quinque at his throat.”

“I like her,” Donato said.

“I don’t like you.”

“That’s why I like you.” Donato held out a picture to Amon. His face was smeared with chocolate frosting. “I held onto this the entire time I was in jail.”

“That’s nice,” Amon said stiffly.

“Of course, you can’t eat those now, can you.” Donato looked sad.

“No thanks to the likes of you.”

“And the likes of you now. Think on that.”

“If you think on the trauma you caused me and everyone else.” Amon crossed his arms. Akira nodded with approval.

Donato raised his eyebrows and melded into the twilight. Both former investigators just watched him go.

“There will be a time for justice,” Akira said finally. “Now isn’t it.”

“He’ll hurt someone else!” Amon gasped.

She leapt to the ground. “And you’d never forgive yourself if you were the one who killed him.”

He swallowed and stared at the ground.

“Stop being stubborn.”

Amon half-smiled. “You’re one to talk.”

She took his hand, and he slipped on her ring.

Scenario where Kurona and Juuzou have to talk about what happened without trying to kill each other (let me dream okay)

Just minor attempted murders okay?

“Just – please – please let me kill him!” Kurona lunged forward, but Kaneki held her back. She broke into sobs. “He killed our sister! She had Rize’s kagune too!”

Suzuya peeked out from behind Hanbee and Nakarai. Mikage and Tamaki stood behind him, ready to attack anyone else who got ideas.

“Please!”

“He’s my friend! He was raised to kill. I killed, too, when I had my memories wiped, remember?” Kaneki met Tsukiyama’s eyes.

“Damn threw me off a building.” The gourmet’s eyes soured at the memory of Karren. But he’d told her it would all be okay, and okay did not include vengeance on a brainwashed Kaneki.

“She was my best friend – she loved me no matter what,” Kurona sobbed. “R-r-remember when you lost your Shinohara? That’s what you did to me, and you laughed. You made it into a game.”

Suzuya’s eyes widened. His mouth formed a perfect red circle, and for a moment he felt like he was losing Shinohara again. And again, and again, over and over and over – the Owl kept stabbing him –

“No,” he mumbled. “No, no, no!”

“Hey.” Hanbee caught his arms.

“Mr. Shinohara knew what you did. He loved you regardless,” said Nakarai.

“But I don’t love – me …” Suzuya took a step towards Kurona. He was visibly sweating. And then he burst into tears. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“You killed her,” Kurona whimpered.

“Do you … do you want to kill me?” Suzuya held out Jason as tears streamed down his face.

Kurona took a step forward, but she didn’t reach for the quinque. “No. I want her back.”

He looked at the sobbing enemy before her and felt an unexpected stab of pity. He looked like a child. A child she had called “Rei” without knowing what that meant.

“I don’t forgive you, Juuzou. But I think – I think together, we can be on the same team making the world better.” Kurona held out her hand, and Juuzou flung himself into her arms.

Ayato tries to get take Hinami a special gift. He may reluctantly have to recruit Touka and Kaneki for aid.

Oooh what kinda gift? Since it’s unspecified, my mind will create its worst.

They were walking down an expensive street in Tokyo when Ayato saw it.

A ring, decorated with what looks like a yellow topaz butterfly.

He nudged Hinami, and she blushed and smiled. Then they kept walking.

But he remembered the ring a week later for Hinami’s birthday.

Well, he began by stumbling out of bed, cussing himself out for not remembering her birthday.

Yomo looks at him with mild disapproval, but Touka knows she has no ground to stand on when it comes to swearing.

We’re in a rebellion. We’re working for public enemy number one. I don’t have time for this shit!

Yet, the ring still matters to him. Everything about it was delicate and precious, like Hinami.

“Touka, meet me in the kitchen.” He stomps past his sister.

“What’s up?” Touka hurries after him, worried.

“It’s Hina’s birthday.”

“I know.”

“Wanna help me rob a jewelry store?” He grins.

“Ayato!” She shoves him. “Sure, let’s risk our rebellion for jewelry for – oh. Oh.”

Ayato’s face is beet red. “Stop.”

“You like Hinami,” Touka sings.

“Shut up!”

“If you like her, just buy her the ring.”

“It looked expensive.”

Touka frowns. “How expensive?”

“Never mind. Forget it. I don’t – I don’t need to blow through Re’s savings.” He brushes away, but she holds him back.

“I’ll see what I have.” To Ayato’s horror, soon she’s marching upstairs, yelling, “Wake up, king!”

And that is how Kaneki and Touka nearly bankrupted their own rebellion giving Ayato cash for the ring, and why they felt entitled to spy on the kids that evening.

“I – I saw this and thought of you.” Ayato holds up the butterfly, whose yellow diamonds sparkle even in the moonlight. “I’m very glad you were born.”

“Ayato!” Hinami shakes her head. “Is this?”

“The ring we say before. Special ring for a special girl,” he says uneasily.

Hinami throws her arms around him.

Oh my god; why is she crying? Ayato gasps.

“I love it!” She pulls back, smiling. “You know, everyone says I’m sweet, but you’re also a sweetheart, Ayato.”

Around the corner, Touka eyed Kaneki.

Shirazu is tormented by thoughts of his family so Saiko takes him out to cheer him up. Shiraiko feels appreciated (dead ship? nah. ghost ship.)

Gimme all the Shiraiko; it’s undead just like he will be hahahahaha sob

Saiko can tell that Shirazu is having one of those evenings.

The evenings where he paces around in his room, shows zero interest in Urie’s workouts, and if she listens really intently at his door, she can hear him cry and whisper prayers to every God he’s heard of.

This calls for a Saiko-intervention. At the very least, she can cheer him with her tits.

Saiko pushes open the door. “Shiragin?”

“Wh-what?” He stumbles to his feet, pretending he wasn’t just clicking through photos of his dying sister and crying.

“Your eyes are red,” she tells him, puffing up her chest. “C’mon. Let’s blow this joint.”

“I don’t smoke.” He looks horribly offended.

Saiko rolls her eyes. “It’s an expression, Shiragin! Let’s get out of this house for a bit.”

She grabs his hand and pulls him past Haise’s room, where Sensei is undoubtedly reading, downstairs, past Mutsuki counting Urie’s sit-ups and out the door. “We’re getting ice cream!”

“Did you see anything?” Shirazu asks quietly as she drags them into a store. He knows it’s futile to suggest that fatty ice cream will hinder their efforts.

“No, I didn’t see you crying.”

“Saiko!”

“Hold on.” Saiko digs out a full pint of chocolate and pays for it. “Let’s go to the park.”

“And eat the whole thing?” He goggles at her.

“Don’t tell Urie. It’s what girls do when they’re upset, and I think we’re better for it.” She plops down on the grass and holds out a spoon. She doesn’t even have the dignity to sit on a bench.

Shirazu gingerly takes the spoon and settles besides her.

“You know it’s okay to show your softer emotions, too? Silly man.” Saiko taps his nose, smearing chocolate on it.

“I’m scared,” he admits.

“Me too.” She leans her head on his shoulder. “Guess that’s why we got each other, then.”

Scenario where Hairu has nightmares about the Garden and calls Ui up in the middle of the night.

It’s a well-kept secret that Koori Ui both loves and needs his beauty sleep.

So when his phone rings in the middle of the night, it had better be another Owl Operation, or something of that magnitude.

But to his surprise, it’s Ihei Hairu, not Arima.

“Hairu? What’s wrong? Have the Quinx eaten someone yet?”

She has to laugh. “Koori! No, I just …”

“Just what?” He can hear her sniffling.

“I just had a nightmare and I needed to talk to someone, and I thought of you – Arima’s too scary to wake at night…”

She called him instead of Arima! Ui scrambles out of bed. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

He walked her home a few hours ago, so even in the dark early morning streets, Ui knows his way.

He arrives in his pajamas and his overcoat, and Hairu has to burst out laughing again. This is why she called her Koori.

She tugs him in and begins crying again.

“What’s wrong?” All this for a dream? No, he can’t believe it.

“I grew up in a weird place,” she says tentatively.

“The dream?”

“For real. I just dreamt I was back there.” Hairu wraps her arms around herself and looks very, very sad. “They were hitting my mom and saying she was too old, and someone pulled me away, and I never saw her again – and I just – I wish I’d been older and stronger. Like Arima.”

Ui barely breathes. Just what sort of hellhole was she raised in? He’s sick. “Hairu, it wasn’t your fault. Ethically, even, you were a kid.”

She blinks back tears. “I kinda wanted you to condemn me.”

“I can’t, because there’s nothing condemnable.” There’s so much more Ui wants to ask her, but he doesn’t want to upset her further. “Do you want coffee? A hug?”

“A hug would be nice.”

He wraps his arms around her, and she leans her head on his chest. They have a big raid on the Tsukiyama’s coming up this week, after all. “If I try to sleep again, can you stay?”

“If you’re okay with that.” This is the closest Ui’s ever been to a woman, and this one is precious to him.

Her light, fluttering heartbeat against his heavy thuds feels so right.

Scenario where Tokage tells Urie and the other Quinx (possibly including Shirazu?) about Mutsuki’s past misdeeds. Possibly in front of the rest of the CCG like the monster he is.

OH MY GOD THE ANGST I LOVE IT.

this takes place in an alternative universe where Shirazu never died, sometime after Rushima, but before the Clown Raid.

“You’re promoting this monster?” Tokage stretched out a hand to brush back Mutsuki’s hair. The quivering boy slapped him away, but that didn’t stop his laughter.

“What’s so funny, punk?” snapped Shirazu.

“Yes, and he’s Mucchy, not a monster.” Saiko crossed her arms.

Urie glanced at a sweating Mutsuki, and Suzuya Juuzou had gone unusually still.

“Unless you’re a cat, right?” Tokage winked at Suzuya, who paled.

“N-no,” stammered Mutsuki, desperate. “No, you’re wrong.”

“You killed the kitty?” Suzuya’s eyes were wide.

Because he would remember, wouldn’t he, Mutsuki thought in horror. He liked Suzuya. And he’d hurt him. Again.

“And his family, ain’t that right?” Tokage cracked his knuckles, and that was it for Aura.

“Fuck off.” He leapt to his feet, Hsaio on his heels.

“Nah.” Tokage leered at Mutsuki. “Tell me, who was first: your dad? your Mom? your brother? Did you kill your brother and make up the abuse to cover it? Huh?”

Mutsuki doubled over. “No – ghouls killed them, you know that – ”

“He’s clearly upset.” Saiko marched over and tried to place her hand on Mutsuki’s shoulder.

Mutsuki pulled away. “Ghouls killed them – I am a ghoul – I am – I am – I am – ”

“Say it, boy.” Tokage lifted Mutsuki up by his collar. “You are grotesque. And now your Rc count is out of control, you know. You’re a menace.”

He shoved Mutsuki to his knees. “Look at his Rc levels. He’s a real ghoul now. Tell me, what exactly did Torso do to you to make you like him?”

Mutsuki hurt too much to scream. Salt streamed down his burning cheeks.

“I’m bad, I’m bad, I’m bad,” he sobbed.

“Did you kill the cat?”

Mutsuki didn’t respond until Takage pinched his cheek. “Yes!”

“Did you kill your family? Did you eat a dead instructor to survive at the auction? Did you dismember Torso like you wish to be dismembered?” Takage kept pinching Mutsuki just the way he knew Mutsuki hated, and the boy kept whimpering “yes” just to end it.

“So, there you have it.” Tokage straightened. “I did my duty by keeping an eye on him, and now you’ll do yours and exterminate this vermin. Quinx.” He spat at them on his way out.

“I’m not a Quinx,” said Suzuya, leaping forward and kneeing Tokage right in the groin.

Higemaru took a step towards Mutsuki, who jerked his head up to see – to see Urie staring at him. Just staring.

He cried out and scrambled back against the wall. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care what you did. You don’t have to be sorry to me,” Saiko said stubbornly.

“We like you,” Higemaru added, and Hsaio nodded with a stern glance towards Aura, who immediately added, “Me too.”

“I like him, too,” Suzuya told Tokage, chewing on a strand of black hair. “I don’t like you. Wait, Mutsuki -”

Everyone’s eyes were on him as Higemaru handed Suzuya handcuffs. “I believe this could be considered interference with an investigation.”

Suzuya clicked the cuffs around a protesting Tokage’s wrists. “If I hadn’t had Mr. Shinohara, I would be worse than you. So I don’t look at you with disgust, because you’ve never done that to me.”

“Come here, boy, my ghoulie friend.” Shirazu crushed Mutsuki to his chest. “Like, am I supposed to be worried you’ll eat me? As if.”

Saiko threw herself atop the two, and Hsaio and Higemaru dragged Aura over.

And through the mass embrace, Urie’s fingers reached out to tap Mutsuki’s shoulder.

“I’m gonna hurt you all,” whispered Mutsuki.

“If we could handle Urie, we can handle you.” Saiko grinned.

Mutsuki’s eyes lingered on Urie. Do you hate me?

“Hey.” Urie smiled stiffly. “You know…whatever you’ve done, you’ve been who you are the entire time we’ve known you. And we like you for who you are. Saiko’s right, I think I’ve been more grotesque than you.”

Mutsuki’s heart beat quicker. Could they – could they all accept him?

“Can I hug you?” Urie asked.

A man…asked him permission to touch him? No one did that.

Mutsuki nodded as tears filled his eyes, and for once he found himself in a safe sea of people who loved him. His family.