Masanori gets lost in the mall while shopping with Ui and Shio and Hairu doesn’t know. Ui and Shio go on a quest to find him.

“Where’s Masanori?” Ui pauses. He was just here a second ago.

“Uh.” Shio pivots. “I see no pink haired child.”

“Where is my kid?” Ui shrieks.

“Koori – can I call you that -”

“No, you may not.”

“You’re practically my brother-in-law. I’m calling you that.” Shio giggles. “We’ll find him. Where would Masanori like to go?”

“Where can he cause mischief?” Ui asks. Hairu’s going to kill him.

“Stop panicking.” Shio feels unqualified to be the adult here. “Hmm. The arcade?”

But there is no Masanori in the arcade.

“Where to?” exclaims Ui over the shrieks of children who all have their parents and who aren’t in danger due to being fully human.

“The toy store?”

But there is no Masanori in the toy store.

“The escalators!”

But there is no Masanori riding the escalators.

“Where next?” cries Ui as his phone buzzes. Hairu.

How’s shopping? 😉

Everything’s fine, he texts back.

His phone rings. Hairu’s calling them.

“Hi?” he squeaks.

“Ui, what’s wrong? I never asked if everything was fine and now you’re being very vague and unsettling,” she says.

“I’ve lost our child!” he wails.

“Put Shio on the phone.” Her tone is crisp.

“Uh-huh. Yeah, we were in the clothing store looking for sneakers and then he was just gone. No, we’ve already tried that. Yes, Ui’s still breathing.”

“Well.” Shio hangs up.

“He’s probably been kidnapped!” Ui gasps.

Shio ignores him to call Uncle Arima. “Hey, Arima? We need reinforcements.”

Twenty minutes later, Hairu appears with Arima, Eto, Hirako, Yusa, and Rikai behind her.

“No,” Arima is saying to Eto.

“Yes.” She stomps her foot. “If we want to find a mischievous child, we need to think like one.”

“So like you?” Shio teases.

“Someone like me.”

“I think it’s a good idea.” Hairu holds up her phone. “I have Uncle Furuta on line.”

“What?” wails Ui. He does not want to talk to that creep.

“Ui, if you lose that kid I gave you, I will decapitate you myself,” Furuta says over speakerphone.

“Not funny.” Ui’s voice breaks. “Where is he?”

“Let’s see. If I wanted to cause mischief, and worshipped my inspector parents, where would I go?”

“He’s with the mall cops?”

“Probably.” Ui can hear Furuta shrug. “Though if they haven’t called you, I bet he’s just spying on the mall cops.”

Ui growls. “Thank you.”

That hurts to say.

As they approach the security station, Arima suddenly whirls around to the dense, decorative foliage outside. “Hello.”

He hauls a sheepish Masanori out.

“Masanori!” his parents both wail, rushing towards him.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Masanori throws his arms around him.

“I just wanted to see what the mall police do. Then they tried to call the police on me, so I hid,” Masanori says sadly. “Wait, why is Uncle Arima here?”

Suzuhan/Pocahontas

Anonymous asked: After that Mulan-Mutsurie mashup, I dare you to write Disney-film mashups for: Ayahina, Touken, Takirona, Akiramon, Uihai, Nishikimi, Tsukikana, Arieto, and Shiraiko. Ty and good night.

Anonymous asked: Can you also do saikohsiao utaren and suzuhan for the fairytale Disney mashup? Bless your heart
I’ll be posting these once a day (probably) until the list is done!

Mutsurie/Mulan: here.

Ayahina/Sleeping Beauty: here.

Uihai/Tangled: here.

Akiramon/The Hunchback of Notre Dame: here.

Tskukikana/The Little Mermaid: here.

Nishikimi/Snow White: here.

Takirona/Frozen: here.

Shiraiko/Beauty and the Beast: here.

Arieto/Cinderella: here.

Touken/Aladdin: here.

Utaren/Hercules: here.

Battle rages around, and Suzuya Juuzou is bored.

He’s seen enough slaughter. Right now he’d prefer to see the returned Mr. Shinohara – life restored – rather than witness demise after demise.

“Retreat!” shouts Furuta, and the squadrons begin backing down the tunnels.

Kirishima launches towards him, and Hanbee Abara gasps. She’s the one who left Mr. Shinohara flowers. He remembers her.

“Kill her!” screams Furuta, but Hanbee can’t. This is more than hesitation; this is refusal.

Before Suzuya can think, he hurls himself before Hanbee. He tries to hurtle a knife, but Hanbee knocks him back. “I -”

Suzuya stares at him, and Kirishima pauses.

“Go!” Hanbee cries.

Suzuya begins to shake. Why –

“Arrest him!” spits Furuta, and Hanbee is knocked to the ground before Suzuya. His arms are twisted behind him, and to Suzuya’s dismay, tears stream down his cheeks.

Now Suzuya hesitates, but Miyuki Mikage runs up to grab him.

Suzuya stays, head hanging, as the ghouls flee and Hanbee is shackled. First Mado, now Hanbee.

Was he too soft a leader? Is this all his fault?

————————————————————

Suzuya feels ill. He ought to give up. Mr. Shinohara has been chosen to carry out Hanbee’s execution before Tokyo, and he can see the pain in the dead man’s eyes, but that won’t stop him.

“Suzuya, if Hanbee were here right now, he’d tell you to avoid being like him. To say what you’re thinking,” Mizurou Tamaki says.

“You know Hanbee had a reason. He only acts for you, after all.” Mikage stares at Suzuya.

Suzuya stands. For once in his life, he knows what to do.

———————————————————–

“We’ve got to rescue that investigator,” declares Hinami later in their crowded conference room. They held off an invasion, so now it’s time to go on the offensive.

“How?” Touka scowls. It’s all her fault – she knows he recognized her. “That’d be stupid.”

“We’ll mount a rescue. For him and Yoriko. That’s her name, right?” Tsukiyama eyes Touka. He skims Suzuya’s note one more time. The little Arima seems sincere. How quaint.

Kaneki Ken draws himself up. “Prepare for another battle.”

But Kaneki doesn’t really want another battle. Is the death of all I love carried in the drumming of war?

———————————————————–

Shinohara Yukinori does not want to kill Hanbee. He loves the tall, awkward man who follows his son. He didn’t come back from a coma to kill humans.

But Hanbee has violated CCG – violated humanity. Life demands his blood.

Hanbee is tied to a post, helpless but defiant. He only concern is the effect this will have on Suzuya.

Across the square, masked ghouls appear. Their kagunes spread wide across the street. The Centipede leads them.

Shinohara raises his quinque.

“No!” Suzuya leaps forward from the crowd to wrap his small body around Hanbee as best he can. “If you kill him, you’ll have to kill me too.”

“Suzuya.” Shinohara is terrified for him. “Stand back.”

“I won’t! I love him! And I love them!” Suzuya points at Kaneki. “Look around you – this is the path that hatred has brought us. The path of Big Madam and the arena. Look around you. You gave me a second chance and now you have yours; you can do differently.” Suzuya’s voice breaks.

Shinohara stares at him. His eyes moisten, and he sees the child he raised. He raised Suzuya to this moment of defiance. Suzuya is everything he wanted for him, and more.

Shinohara’s voice rings out. “From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me.”

Furuta leaps forward and aims Rotten Fellow.

“No!” Hanbee will not let Suzuya’s father die again. He launches himself in the path of Rotten Fellow.

“Hanbee!” screams Suzuya, and he hears Kaneki scream, “Suzuya!”

Both men fall atop Shinohara, their abdomens split open.

“You rotten fellow!” Itou Kuramoto yells at Furuta.

“You’re the real scourge!” Yonebayashi Saiko joins in.

“They’re traitors!” Furuta protests.

“Are they? Or are you, Washuu?” Kaneki Ken strides across the square to hold Suzuya and Hanbee’s stomachs shut with his own kakuja.

Kirishima Touka fires an Rc bullet into the director’s head.

When he doesn’t die, Kuriowa Iwao raises his voice. “He’s a ghoul! Capture him.”

“Suzuya, hang on.” Shinohara’s blurry face looks down at him. “You are both important.”

Suzuya winces. “I’ve had worse.”

“I haven’t,” Hanbee mutters.

“Why did you save her?” Suzuya whispers. His heart shudders. Is this what it means to die?

“Because she gave Mr. Shinohara the flowers,” Hanbee says. His hand reaches out to squeeze Suzuya’s.

“They’ll live,” Kaneki assures Mr. Shinohara as Suzuya loses consciousness. “With Banjou’s Rc treatment followed by suppressants.”

“They better, sir,” says Shinohara.

Masanori risking his life out of something ridiculous

“Masanori, I don’t think your parents will approve.” Nimura Furuta cannot believe he has to be the voice of reason here.

Well, he’s still being selfish. Masanori dies and he’ll get blamed and who needs that.

“I know!” Masanori creeps out further onto the tree branch. He is going to rescue Furuta’s tie. Dad just talked to him about being responsible, and throwing Uncle Clown’s tie onto a tree in the prison yard probably isn’t responsible.

He just wanted to see Furuta’s kagune retrieve it, but apparently Furuta can’t use his kagune here.

“The guards won’t approve either.” Now Furuta’s getting nervous. The brat’s directly over barbed wire.

“Masanori!” screams Ihei Hairu.

Fuck. Furuta winces.

“Mom!” Masanori waves.

Ui Koori is right behind her. He freezes upon seeing Masanori. “Oh my god.”

The branch cracks, and with a yelp, Masanori finds himself clinging to a bark-held tree limb above rows and rows of toothy wire. “Uh. I’m scared.”

“Okay, calm down, Ui,” Ui mutters to himself.

“Get on my shoulders,” Furuta says.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m tall. You climb on me, Hairu climb on you, and we reach the kid before he gets impaled.” Furuta sounds cross, like he still hates that he actually likes the GOAT children.

When Hairu finally reaches her son, Masanori is crying and so are the adults.

“No I’m not,” snaps Furuta.

“Are too!” Now safely back behind the prison walls, Masanori stomps his foot.

“Masanori, what were you thinking?” Hairu demands.

“I wanted to be responsible. I tried to bring out Uncle Fruit’s kagune and then when it failed I wanted to get him his tie back.” Masanori’s lips tremble. “But it’s still up there.”

“We’ll buy him a new one,” Ui assures his son, wrapping his arms around him.

Hairu hugs her family. “Masanori, your life is worth much more than a tie.”

Masanori is from @hamliet’s “The (Mis)Adventures of GOAT.”

UtaRen/Hercules

Anonymous asked: Can you also do saikohsiao utaren and suzuhan for the fairytale Disney mashup? Bless your heart

I’ll be posting these once a day (probably) until the list is done!

Mutsurie/Mulan: here.

Ayahina/Sleeping Beauty: here.

Uihai/Tangled: here.

Akiramon/The Hunchback of Notre Dame: here.

Tskukikana/The Little Mermaid: here.

Nishikimi/Snow White: here.

Takirona/Frozen: here.

Shiraiko/Beauty and the Beast: here.

Arieto/Cinderella: here.

Touken/Aladdin: here.

“If you keep going forward, you will lose your life.” The masked man stares at his former lover.

“I don’t have a choice.” Yomo Renji forces his way forward. He doesn’t expect Uta to help. Why would he?

Uta’s almost hurt by Yomo’s lack of acknowledgment. Accuse me, fight me, do something.

But Yomo moves on, towards his family.

Uta watches. This is why he can’t live with Yomo.

But he still wants Yomo to live.

————————————————-

Yomo expects the screams and clashes of battle ahead, but he does not expect the laughter.

He rounds the corner to see Hajime Hazuki, that Oggai, and several deranged investigators slashing at Hirako and the Zero Squad children. Only a few yards beyond, Touka stands with terrified children. Hinami is nowhere in sight.

She can’t be dead. Yomo draws himself up.

He sees Itori and Nico peering around another corner. Yomo’s fears rise.

“Hahahaha!” CCG’s laughing Director appears with a squadron behind him. “Oh, No-Face, just in time!”

The lead investigator – the little Arima – opens his mouth, and Yomo turns to scowl at Uta – just as a massive kagune rips through the walls.

A chunk of the tunnel hurtled downward – and Touka screams Yomo’s name – then Uta watches his friend crushed under Dragon.

The world echoes around him. Uta warned Renji. He was a good friend.

A good friend who just watched his best friend die.

Uta staggers against the wall. He knew this would come.

“Everyone, meet the dragon!” Furuta spreads his arms wide. “It’s a living quinque made from all the Washuus!”

“Washuus?” asks the little Arima, his eyes wide.

Touka lunges for the investigators. “You bastards!”

Uta notes her stomach is rounder. So Yomo was about to be a great-uncle.

But now he’s dead.

And he got Renji killed.

Uta can’t take anymore. He marches straight through the battle for Furuta. “You.”

“I?”

“Give me the medication.” Uta doesn’t care. He’s bringing Yomo back from the dead. Fuck it.

“Hmm, the most powerful clown fighting the most powerful kagune dragon? Is there a downside to this?” Furuta taps his chin.

“Fighting?”

“See, your raven’s swimming with a new crowd these days.” Furuta drapes an arm around the ghoul and points towards Yomo, whose body is being absorbed by dragon. Several screaming investigators meld with the kagune.

“Not a chance!” Uta flies towards the dragon.

“You’ll be dead before you defeat him!” Furuta calls cheerfully.

Uta dives into the rubble and struggles towards Yomo. He can feel himself being absorbed – slowly – and the farther in her goes, the weaker he feels.

Good. Because Uta knows something Furuta doesn’t.

Suddenly, CCG, GOAT, and Oggai alike watch four kagune types spring from Uta’s back. Each tattoo swirls open to form a kakuja. His eyes glow, and he easily cuts through the kagune to rescue Yomo.

“H – h – how?” Furuta stammers. “You’d have to be – have to be -”

“A Washuu.” Uta turns around to face Furuta. “I’m your original One-Eyed King. Your struggle is over, son.”

He snatches Kanou’s wretched medicine and pours it into Yomo’s mouth. “Come on, swallow.”

“Uncle Yomo.” Touka rushes to his side.

Suddenly, Yomo gasps and spits up directly into Uta’s face. Which Touka thinks he deserves.

“Remember, I can’t live without you,” Uta whispers.

“What are you?” Yomo is amazed. He can feel his limbs. He feels better than he has in ages.

He feels Uta’s love.

(based on one of @midnight-in-town‘s Uta theories).

shio discover memes

soutasnotebook:

Glory be.

“One does not just simply walk into GOAT’s layer,” Shio lectures Hajime.

“What the fuck, kid?”

“You can’t be undermine by your own youth if you insult me over mine.” Shio points to his head with a smirk.

“Are you meming me?” Hajime is aghast.

“Shio!” Hirako, Yusa, and Rikai burst into the cell. “What on earth are you doing.

Shio holds his hands out. “Memes.”

“I have discovered memes, and I must use them!” cries Shio. “Hajime knows they’re the best. Yusa, Rikai; you must know the beauty.”

“Look!” He holds out picture’s he’s saved on his phone.

“I hate you,” mutters Hajime.

“Shio, that’s enough.”

“He can make memes of us too,” Shio pleads. “Hirako, these are the best way to communicate ever.”

Hajime snatches Shio’s phone, which of course has no service. In two seconds he displays his own meme.

“Yesssss!” Shio giggles, and Hirako groans.

@hamliet

“Come on, Special Class Ui.” Hajime snickers.

“Squad Zero’s meme game is nothing to laugh at,” Ui snaps.

Hajime holds up the phone he stole from Shio.

“Yusa, your turn,” Hirako hands him the phone.

“He protec but he also attack,” says Yusa.

“That’s not how you meme,” lectures Ui. “You need pictures!”

“Understood, sir. I will correct.” Yusa draws a deep breath.

“I won’t give you the time.” Ui holds up a meme.

“Haha, Squad Zero has weak memes!” taunts Hajime.

“Oh yeah?” Shio holds up Hirako’s tablet.

“Shio!” screams Rikai.

“Here we gooooooooooooooo.”

Ui gasps. “Take that back!”

“No.” Rikai scowls.

“Shio, you’re fighting Ui instead of Hajime. Hajime is is a meme master. Fight him like one,” Hirako says.

Hajime holds up the phone.

Squad Zero huddles for a moment, then emerges with their meme.

“Huh?” says Ui.

“Oh, you didn’t know Arima and Hairu and Furuta are all part ghoul?” Hirako blinks. “Sit down, young ones, and listen to our story.”

Suzuya and choses not to fight Touka please!

~~What do you mean this isn’t canon~~

Suzuya gasps. The ghoul he hit with the knife – she’s the – the one –

She brought Mr. Shinohara flowers!

But why? Is she like Sasaki, a nice ghoul?

She meets his eyes, dragging the knife out of her flesh.

Why do I have to kill her?

“Why did you do it?” Suzuya’s voice trembles. “Why did you bring him flowers?”

“Because no one deserves to die, of course!” Yotsume activates her kakugan, shoving Kirishima Touka behind her.

“But you kill us for food.”

“We don’t. We eat corpses, don’t you see?” Touka rasps. Her own ukaku flies out behind her. No way is she letting this kid – the one Kaneki spoke of so fondly – kill any of her kids here.

Her eyes fill with tears as she recognizes the quinque he wears. “Kaneki loved you, you know.”

Suzuya feels Arata restrict his movements. “What…”

“That’s my father’s armor,” Touka spits at him. “Good luck killing me with it. How would you like if I killed you with your precious Shinohara?”

But she didn’t kill him with Shinohara. She gave Mr. Shinohara flowers.

Her father…Arata is her father…Does she miss him, too?

“What are you waiting for?” bellows Furuta. His eyes gleam.

He knows what Arata is.

Suzuya sends a knife straight into Furuta.

The director gags.

“Suzuya!” screams Hanbee.

“He’s tricking us!” Suzuya points at CCG’s Director. “Capture him!”

“What – you – no!” cries Furuta, but Keijin and Mizurou are already on it.

“We’re going to talk this out,” Suzuya decides.

Tsubaki figuring out Furuta’s plan and so one night she snuggles up with him in his bed and keeps repeating something like “I don’t want you to die” and he has a //realization// like “holy shit she really really cares about me”. Lots of crying and cuddling on both side? If you don’t mind writing the prompt, of course!

*Clutches my heart and my soul.*

Furuta has good word that Urie and Kuriowa will be appearing in his office tomorrow. Rio and Roma will be ready, and so shall he.

But tonight, sleep.

If all goes well, this will be his last sleep.

Furuta snuggles into bed, clutching the rubber ducky Tsubaki gave him “for good luck” before he left the garden. He curls up in a fetal position and drifts asleep. He dreams Tsuneyoshi recognizes him, and when he awakens at 3 am, for some reason he’s crying.

“Soutaaaaaaaaa,” whispers a voice.

“What?” Furuta shrieks and bolts upright.

“Bro!” His little sister – tonight of all nights – tackles him. “Souta.”

“I’m Kichimura now,” he protests.

“No, you’re still Souta to me. And to yourself.” Tsubaki snuggles beside him. “I need you.”

“You’re strong enough.”

“Am I?” Tsubaki’s eyes widen. “But you’re going to leave me. I don’t want you to die.”

Furuta squirms. “I’m not gonna die, kid. I’m Director of the CCG. I’ve got plenty of guards.”

“You want to die,” she accuses. “Don’t deny it! I’ve heard all your stupid plans with your clowny friends.”

“No you haven’t!” Furuta gasps.

“You taught me how to spy on people. Please.” Tsubaki starts crying. “I love you. I don’t want you to die. I didn’t have a father or a mother. I need my brother.”

“Tsubaki, everything will be okay.” If you die, you can be cured, you know.

“Not if you die.” Tsubaki pokes his nose. “I don’t want you to hurt people. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Or incite people to hurt yourself, which is your plan. I want you to be happy.” Her voice cracks. “Why can’t I make you happy?”

Furuta looks stricken. “I …”

“Don’t lie, for once, Souta!” Tsubaki wails. “You think you’re all alone, but I don’t want you to be! I will care if you die. I love you.”

“Dad didn’t! Dad didn’t even recognize me!” Furuta yells back. A tear slips down his cheek, and he rubs it away.

“I’m not Dad!” Tsubaki shakes him. “Not everyone is Dad. Not everyone will hurt you. If you go, right now, to CCG and bow down and say I am a ghoul, the world needs help, I promise you many will curse you, but many more will help you. You could have been friends with almost all of them. You still can.”

Furuta narrows his eyes. “You stole that from somewhere.”

“Crime and Punishment,” she admits glibly. “But I’m your Sonja.”

“Tsubaki, Raskalnikov marries Sonja.”

His sister rolls her eyes. “Because she loves him. And he loves her. I love you, and you love me, although we have familial instead of sexual love.”

“You’re to young to know about sex!” Furuta shouts.

“Souta-chan, I read a lot.” Tsubaki nods. “You have to stay alive, or I’ll read all the worst things.”

“You will whether I die or not, and you know it.” Furuta pouts.

“Don’t die,” she pleads, crying again.

She wraps her arms around him, and Furuta allows himself, for one moment, to feel recognized. To feel loved.

Holy shit.

He’s done too much. He’s broken. He’s so broken. There is only death for him.

There’s only death for everyone, right? Furuta squeezes his arms around her and begins to cry. “What am I gonna do?”

“Hug me,” she responds.

It’s a start.

But like an ember, the possibility of a future begins to burn in his mind. By morning, he’s ready to face Urie and Kuriowa – and ask for help.

Oh golly, I was the one who asked for Fruit having a lil sister and aaw I absolutely adored it, thank you! So is it fine if we ask for more scenarios with Tsubaki?

Yes please. Much like her brother, Tsubaki loves attention!

“You sure you’re okay? He was your father, after all.” Uta peers at Souta from behind his mask.

Furuta snickers as he lounges on Tsuneyoshi’s desk, besides Daddy’s dead body. “Nah. He didn’t even know what I looked like.”

Donato laughs, but Uta hears hollowness in Furuta’s voice.

Donato pauses suddenly. His eyes narrow.

“What?” Uta asks.

The Priest holds a finger to his lips and springs towards the air vent above Tsuneyoshi. “Ha!”

“Go away!” calls a defiant child’s voice.

Furuta gasps now. Donato yanks open the vent, and down tumbles a little Washuu who looks eerily like Souta.

“Tsubaki?” Furuta is terrified. If Tsuneyoshi so much as touched his sister, he’s going to mutilate his corpse until there’s nothing left.

“I was supposed to be spying on him because he’s ignoring people in the garden but I was so scared when you came in I just hid – I’m sorry!” Tsubaki bursts into tears and launches herself at her brother, who catches her.

The girl stops suddenly. She slaps Furuta over and over. “Why? Why? Why?”

“You know our father was a piece of – garbage.”

“You aren’t. Why are you continuing his murder spree?” Tsubaki looks at Donato and Uta angrily. “Why don’t you help my brother?”

“We are,” Donato says.

“I don’t like you. I don’t think you are.” Tsubaki clings tighter to Furuta. “I don’t think he’s happy.”

“I’m happy with you, Tsubaki,” Furuta whispers. He tries to wink at Uta, but fails miserably.

Uta smiles. He isn’t lying.

Melodrama, it runs in the family.

TG Characters & their Disney Theme Songs

Kaneki: Two Worlds

Touka: God Help the Outcasts

Hide: Friend Like Me

Nishiki: A Whole New World

Kimi: Part of Your World

Hinami: Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

Ayato: I See the Light

Tsukiyama: Be Our Guest

Karren: Reflection

Amon: Kiss the Girl

Akira: How Far I’ll Go

Seidou: Hakuna Matata

Kurona: Almost There

Aogiri as a whole: Court of Miracles
Eto: Friends on the Other Side

Arima: Jack’s Lament

Matsuri: I Just Can’t Wait to Be King

Ui: I Can Go the Distance

Hairu: Once Upon a Dream

Juuzou: Out There

Urie: I Won’t Say I’m in Love

Mutsuki: Let it Go

Shirazu: A Girl Worth Fighting For

Saiko: Someday My Prince Will Come

Hsiao: I’ll Make a Man Out of You

Higemaru: Honor to Us All

Aura: Not One of Us

Furuta: Hellfire

CCG as a whole: Mob Song

Itori: Poor Unfortunate Souls

Roma: Try Everything

Donato: Be Prepared

Uta: Circle of Life

Yomo: Zero to Hero

(bought to you by the exhausted and crack brains of @trashyhumanespresso & @hamliet)

But guys what about Rize? I nominate Les Poissons.

Uihai where Hairu is brought back as a full ghoul and Ui has to figure out how to deal with that and what side he’s on now?

I like the way you think. (I also kinda wouldn’t be surprised if this happens?)

“Oh Ui my dear.” Furuta waves Ui into his office. “I have a surprise for you.”

Ui approaches suspiciously. There’s a figure buried under a white sheet on Furuta’s desk. How many heads has the director arranged into a sculpture now? “What?”

“This!” Furuta yanks the sheet off to reveal Hairu, gagged and bound.

Two kakugans.

“Hairu!” cries Ui, lunging for her.

“Ah, ah, ah.” Furuta shoves him back.

“You bastard! What did you do to her?!”

“Nothing really. Kanou did it all. i’m not a scientist, but I’m flattered you think so.”

“Shut up and answer me.” Ui lowers his voice. Not Hairu. She can’t be.

“Only ghouls can be brought back. We were planning on turning her into a one-eyed, you know, kinda like Kaneki Ken. But turns out she was already part ghoul.” Furuta dissolves into laughter.

“Liar!” Ui’s seen her pass through Rc scanners.

Furuta snickers and cuts the gag off Hairu. “Hairu, my sweetheart, do you want to tell Ui about yourself?”

Hairu can’t move. She’s too afraid – even death did not frighten her, but Ui knowing – well, she can’t bear it.

“You’re going to tell him. We can do this the nice way or the hard way.” Before Ui can react, Furuta holds a knife at his throat.

“Stop.” Hairu’s breathing races.

“Tell the truth.”

Hairu’s face crumples. “It’s true, Koori.”

“More!” Furuta crows.

“I was born as a failed experiment between ghouls and humans. We’re a special type whose Rc cells can’t be detected by CCG’s scanners.” Hairu gasps through her tears. “How could I – how could I tell you and break your heart?”

Ui’s heart hammers. All this time, she’s been lying to him. She didn’t trust him. She is an enemy.

“Goodbye, Ui. Let it never be said I don’t keep my promises.” Furuta lifts the knife.

“Bastard!” Hairu leaps from her chair, snapping all restraints. Her red rinkaku, not unlike Kaneki’s, slams Furuta to the floor.

She looks at Ui tentatively.

He can barely breathe, but somehow he knows she, the woman who saved his life, is not an enemy. He grabs her hand – she may be a ghoul, but she’s warm and alive. “Tell me everything.”