Masanori and 0 squad kids attempt to make a cake for Uihai day :)

“All right, you all. Listen up.” Shio leans forward. “We’re baking a funfetti cake for Uihai day.”

Masanori adores the day between his parent’s birthday. His parents are so sweet to each other and get presents for him, too. “Yesssss.”

“I brought all the colors of the rainbow.” Rikai holds up half a dozen tubes of frosting.

“I brought the mix.” Yusa hols up a box.

Shio pouts. “We should bake from scratch.”

“Shio, we’ll burn the house down and then have to explain to Ui and Hairu why their son is dead,” Yusa replies.

“What does dead mean?” Masanori squints.

Shio giggles. “Eh – ask your parents.”

“Not cool! I thought you were the fun uncle!”

Shio gasps. “My heart! No!”

“Tell him.” Rikai makes her way to the kitchen.

“Dead just means you’re not on earth anymore…you’re in heaven where there’s cake all the time and no one ever gets tired,” Shio says, hugging Masanori.

“Okay.” Satisfied, Masanori races after Rikai. Yusa just shakes his head.

When Ui and Hairu return, their apartment smells like burnt sugar.

“Masanori? Shio?” calls Hairu as she opens the door.

“Surprise!” yell four voices.

Masanori wears a virtual kakuja of rainbow frosting, and the Zero Squad children are equally smeared with icing.

Hairu laughs. “Well, well.”

“We baked you a cake!” squeaks Masanori.

“Well, Yusa insisted on taking it over. That was probably a good idea,” admits Shio.

“Then you, what, had a frosting fight?” Ui asks, hands on his hips. Their entire kitchen looks like a thousand Kanekis were released in it.

“Precisely,” Shio says happily.

Masanori beckons Ui down. He wipes green icing on the tip of Daddy’s nose.

“Now you’re one of us.” Shio nods. “No one can escape the icing.”

“I’ll be a ghoul for a moment, then.” Hairu uses her mouth to eat the icing off Ui’s nose. “See, all better.”

Masanori’s Trick or treating adventure!

“Look at me, Daddy!”

Masanori twirls around, showing off his black bobbed wig. “I’m YOU! Uncle Uta helped me.”

“You look just like Daddy,” Hairu says with a grin. She’s Rapunzel, and Ui is Flynn Rider.

“Yay!” Masanori claps his hands.

Ui is too happy to speak, so he hugs his child instead. “Now, be safe out there.”

“I will!” Masanori hurries outside to join the other GOAT children.

“Trick or treat!” Masanori first rings Touka and Kaneki’s door.

“Yes?” Touka, dressed like a fortune teller, falls back. “It’s a CCG investigator! AHHHHH!”

Masanori giggles. “No, it’s just Masanori!”

Kaneki, having been forced into a purple dragon costume, hands Masanori sugar tubes.

“Thank you!” Masanori skips to Ayato and Hinami’s next.

“Rawr!” Ayato is dressed like a pirate; Hinami, a yellow parrot. They hand Masanori chocolate.

Naki is Frankenstein and Miza his bride.

“Oo-oooooh.” Miza zombie walks towards the children, and they shriek.

“What tasty children!” Pennywise Itori greets them next, with angel Yomo and devil Uta behind her.

“Watch out, I’ll use my quinque,” teases Masanori. “Wait, Uncle Yomo, are those your ukaku wings.”

“With some help from Uta,” Yomo says uncomfortably.

Nishiki is dressed as a spider and Kimi a butterfly, connected by a web, and they hand out homemade cupcakes to thrill the children.

The Quinx mansion is next, and Saiko greets them as Gintoki. Hsaio as a ninja and Shirazu as a shark appear behind her, followed by Aura as perhaps a ghost – a white sheet, as any rate – and Higemaru as some monster of his own devising. Urie and Mutsuki join as Cookie Monster and a cat, respectively.

Cinderella Yoriko and Prince Charming Takeomi hand out more baked goods, and then it’s on to the Tsukiyama’s.

Chie as a bat hangs in a tree, snapping as many pictures as she can.

“Greetings, mortals!” Tsukiyama thrusts open his front door, dressed in rich wizarding robes. Kanae as an elf holds up ring pops.

Arima opens his door, mortified. He’s dressed as a black goat, and sexy witch Eto looks all too pleased with herself.

The children plod over to Hirako’s, where the three Musketeers pretend to attack as a giant Shiba hands them Kit-kats. Hajime appears to chase off the Musketeers, complete as Superman.

Kurona as a vampire and Seidou as a greek god provide Masanori with his favorite gift yet: caramel, the sticky stuff Mommy and Daddy don’t often buy after he smeared it across the entire kitchen.

An enormous version of Maris Stella answers the door at Akira and Amon’s, and the Suzuya Squad as Robin Hood and his merry men – including Hanbee as Maid Marion – swoop in to deliver Skittles.

When Masanori turns around, he sees all the parents gathered. “All right, off to our last stop.”

“Where?” Masanori asks.

“You don’t think your other uncle would miss this, do you?” Hairu asks lightly.

The adults are still wary as they enter the jail. But their reserve soon gives way to laughter when Haise Sasaki greets Kaneki in Furuta’s voice. “Hi, me! We look cute today!”

“I hate you,” Kaneki says.

“I love us,” says Haise. He showers the children with chocolate, and Masanori thinks himself the luckiest kid alive.

can I get some cute fluffy Furukane? I need something to deal with ch 143

*hands out antidotes to Ch. 143*

“Wait, wait, wait.” Kaneki waves his arms around. “You’re telling me your grand plan was to turn me into a kakuja monster and bring everyone down with you?”

“It hinged on my death, yes.” Furuta sips his coffee.

“Fruit, that’s the stupidest plan ever.” Touka scowls at him from where she’s wiping tables across the cafe.

“No, the saddest.” Tsukiyama winks at him. “I love the drama, though, Souta.”

“But we want you to be alive.” Kaneki touches his shoulder. “I want you alive.”

“I know.” Furuta flushes. He wasn’t counting on Kaneki kidnapping him that moment he confessed his grand upbringing. He wasn’t counting on Kaneki being so decisive, on declaring that the world must know the truth about the Garden. On Kaneki pitying him.

And slowly, as their plans against V took shape, he’d realized he needed Kaneki in his life. He awoke happy to be alive because Kaneki was there.

Kaneki cared.

Kaneki watches Furuta with a smile. Shio runs up to show off his latest moves, Touka curses him for knocking over her cup of coffee, and Furuta actually smiles.

If Furuta can change, if Tsukiyama and Touka and Kaneki himself can change, the world has a change of uniting across species.

He hopes Furuta hasn’t guessed his feelings yet.

Across the table, Furuta hopes the same. He’s already told Kaneki everything he did to Rize. They’re planning to raid Kanou’s lab again and rescue her. He knows she’ll probably hate him – and should – but once they’ve rescued her, once he’s rectified at least one thing he’s done wrong, he plans on kissing Kaneki.

Hirako forgives Hajime.

My face is gone.

Hajime Hazuki staggers around the tunnels, feeling a floor slimed with blood, feeling his entrails hanging out of him, feeling but not seeing.

His face is a hole, and it horrifies him.

He hears the Oggai screaming as Kaneki Ken bites them.

My beautiful face…he sees Dad and Mom when he looks at his face. And he was too fucking weak to save his last memento of them. Death would serve him right.

I want to see. He can’t even cry now because his eyes are just a hole.

He collapses on the floor and feels laughter bubble up, though he has no mouth to laugh with.

Then arms grab him, and he’s being whisked off God knows where. Took you long enough, CCG.

He hopes the rest of the Oggai recover, too.

Hajime awakens to feel – his eyes again! He tries to sit, to touch his face, but his limbs are restrained. Huh?

He’s scared, but he forces open his eyes.

“He’s awake.” Arima Yusa stares sullenly at him.

“Hah?” Hajime squints. He’s in some makeshift medical center. Other Oggai are tied to beds, tight enough that their circulation is cut off. A few human investigators are chained less tightly.

“You lost, kid.” Hirako crosses his arms.

“So did your kids,” Hajime sneers.

Yusa squeals. He bursts into tears again, and Hirako too sniffles.

“Pathetic,” Hajime taunts.

“No. What’s pathetic is living only for revenge.” Hirako kneels by Hajime’s bedside. “Hajime Hazuki, I forgive you.”

“I don’t want your pity, weakling!”

“Forgiveness isn’t weak. Shio loved you, you know, and he would forgive you. So would Rikai.” Yusa says through sobs.

“You had parents once,” Hirako says quietly. “The reason I fought was for people like them – killed by ghouls when they deserved more from life. I’m not forsaking their son. They loved you and wanted more for you, and so do I.”

“I killed them! I killed Shio and Rikai!” Hajime screams. “Stop lying!”

“I’m not lying.” Hirako stands. “By the way, if you’re wondering: that’s how Kaneki won against CCG. By fighting for something other than revenge.”

Oh my please i need happy uncle Shio headcanons to distract me from the canon pain™

Don’t we all.

Uncle Shio once brought watercolors to Hairu and Ui’s house. He wanted to introduce Masanori to painting. When Ui and Hairu returned, they found their walls covered in color and Shio with a very guilty expression. Masanori, however, did not look guilty.

Shio taught Masanori all his favorite elaborate flips and spins while fighting.

On the eve of Masanori’s birthday, Uncle Shio once snuck himself, Rikai, and Yusa into the Uihai house to decorate the entire place with glitter, confetti, a piñata, a cake, and more. Ui and Hairu nearly ruined it when they grabbed the quinques, mistaking the three for intruders.

Once, Shio introduced Masanori to his snarky friend Hajime. Hajime dutifully taught Masanori allllll the curse words, which embarrassed innocent Shio. Ui’s hair turned white for a day after that.

Shio has found Masanori scooping ice cream out of a carton not to eat, but to arrange in a swirl that resembles Shio’s hair.

When Masanori was two, he was drop-dead tired and sniffly, as kids do. Shio carried him back home and Masanori whispered “I love you, Uncle Shio,” in his ears. Hairu opened the door, and was puzzled to see Masanori fast asleep and Shio crying.

A scenario from Souta/Nimura’s childhood in the garden?

TW for sexual slavery and Tsuneyoshi being a lecherous skank.

“Souta, come meet my new cousin!” Ihei Hairu tugs Souta by his hair.

“Ow!” He winces. He’s been across the garden to avoid the screams of the latest birth. He doesn’t like people screaming.

“Come on!” Hairu races across the grass to the central tent, and Souta dutifully follows.

“Look at him!” Hairu holds up a chubby-cheeked infant with a wisp of white and blue hair. “His name is Shio! Isn’t he the best?”

Shio cries, and Hairu gasps. “Oh no!”

She shoves the baby into Souta’s arms, and to his amazement, it quiets down.

“Oooh, you’ll be a natural papa someday,” says Shio’s mother, circles under her magnificent eyes. She’ll have a month to hold and nurse Shio, before another Washuu warms her bed.

Iyo and Rize approach, but their faces are considerably more downcast. They’re nearing the age when their bodies change, and soon they know this will be their future.

“Can I hold him?” Hsaio Ching-Li pouts.

“You’re already holding Yusa.” The one-year-old hangs on her hips, and two-year-old Rikai has her arms around Hsaio’s legs. Furuta tightens his grip on newborn Shio.

“Congratulations.” Arima Kishou strides in and bows towards the exhausted ghoul. “Tsuneyoshi is here.”

And indeed, the demon Washuu himself sweeps into the tent.

Furuta nervously offers his dad the baby. Everyone holds their breath for his approval; but Furuta is too giddy that Daddy’s fingers brushed his to care.

“He’s a beautiful child,” Tsuneyoshi pronounces. Shio’s mother sighs in relief.

As Tsuneyoshi leaves, Furuta watches his eyes linger on Rize, whose chest is beginning to blossom. She wraps her arms around herself.

This isn’t fair. He doesn’t want her treated like this. Rize doesn’t want this.

Souta knows he has to save her.

Ayato coming back and finding the base destroyed, many of goat dead, Miza tending to a “sleeping” Naki and his sister, Hinami, Tsukiyama and the half-hassed bastard missing.

Ayato smells the blood before he emerges from the underground. He hears the army of ghouls murmur behind him. He hears a sob.

“Miza?”

Ayato stops short.

Children – the Oggai – dead. The white suits are now bloodstained. And Miza sobs at Naki’s side.

He’s dead. Ayato’s stomach rolls. “Miza, where is Touka? Hina?”

“Yomo sent them on.” Miza wipes her eyes. “Who – who are these people?”

“The people we’re fighting for,” Ayato says grimly. “Looks like we’re having a battle sooner than expected.”

He sounds calm, but inwardly – Touka! Hinami! And that half-assed bastard. Where are they? Uncle Yomo?

Up ahead, he sees two CCG investigators moaning on the ground.

“Bind them,” Ayato orders. He’ll tend to them later.

Further still, he sees a stumbling figure in a torn trench coat. “Yomo!”

The Raven’s eyes widen. “Ayato.”

He rushes towards his uncle. “Where are the others?”

“Follow me,” Yomo says firmly. He immediately slouches over, and Miza props him up.

“Lean on me.”

More wails come from around the corner. Arima Yusa is punching Hirako Take over and over and over in his shoulders.

“Take!” Yomo gasps.

“Where’s Shio and Rikai?” Miza asks with dread.

Hirako turns his bloodshot eyes to Yomo. “I couldn’t save them. They – ”

He breaks down in tears, and Ayato snaps his fingers.

“We have to keep moving. Bring them along,” he orders. Two more ghouls pick up Hirako and Yusa.

A distinctly human smell comes from tunnel 14.

Many investigators.

Ayato motions for the wounded to stay behind. “Miza, watch over them.”

She nods, and he prepares to attack. No one is hurting Touka and Hinami. He can’t even imagine them dying yet.

“Charge!”

Ayato flies forward on his ukaku.

Touka meets his eyes. HInami is with her, and the Aogiri children – surrounded by CCG agents.

“Back the fuck off!” Ayato screams. If he’d been a second later, they’d have killed his sister and – and her, his butterfly.

A little investigator, that tiny Arima, turns around to face him.

Suddenly, Ayato screams.

That’s Arata’s kakuja.

“Dad!” screams Touka, firing Rc shards towards the investigator.

The investigator tries to move, but the armor locks.

“You bastard!” Ayato feels himself crying, but he sends the investigator head over heels towards Touka.

Touka hurls his quinque across the tunnel.

“The only reason I’m keeping you alive is that Kaneki loves you,” she hisses. Suzuya looks horrified.

“Speaking of Ken, where is the half-assed bastard?” snarls Ayato. Most of the investigators have surrendered, and those who haven’t have been killed. Kaneki won’t like it, but this is fucking war.

And that armor hurts him.

“He saved me and got caught up ahead,” Hinami cries.

“You won’t win!” Ayato yells at Suzuya before grabbing Hina by the hand. “Everyone who’s not guarding the prisoners, with me!”

“This way!” Hinami leads Ayato down the tunnel, treasuring every second by his side.

Masanori admires his father’s ability to ride horses and wants a horse of his own. But first…he needs to learn how to ride.

“GIDDEYUP!”

Ui enters his small apartment to find Masanori yelling atop Hairu, who scampers about on her hands and knees.

She whinnies at the sight of her husband and gallops towards Ui.

“What on earth?”

“I want to ride horsies like you, Daddy. So Mommy is teaching me.” Masanori stretches up his arms for a hug, which Ui gladly returns.

“Mommy’s probably a tame horse.” Ui smiles. To raise this kid, he’s had to develop his own mischievous side. “I’ll try to buck you off.”

Masanori sticks out his tongue. “You’ll fail.”

He climbs on Ui and cheers. “Go, horsie!”

“Neigh!” calls Ui, clamoring forward and shaking his head.

————————————————–

“Is this already on Youtube?” Yusa whispers, peering into Ui and Hairu’s windows.

“It’s live streaming.” Shio smiles as Eto likes the video.

“We can teach Masanori to ride, too,” Rikai suggests.

“Assuming Ui doesn’t kill us.” Shio giggles as Saiko comments her approval below the video.

—————————————————

Ui’s phone lights up. Hirako.

Neighhhhhhhhhhh

He shrieks and stumbles, but to his relief, Masanori hangs on. Maybe he’s ready for a pony yet.

“Shio!” Hairu screams, running out of the apartment. “Get back here, you brats!”

ui feeling guilty about shio’s death

My hear! *narrows eyes* He better mourn in the manga because I’m still crying about it in real life.

Ui watches Hajime toss his kids’ heads before Kaneki.

He wants to feel numb, but all he feels is despair.

Hairu’s relative.

His kid.

The kids he trained for years. The kids who never failed to make him smile – even during this fight, Shio’s dramatic dive drew a smile.

Surely they weren’t traitors. Hirako was to blame, the coward who’d grabbed a hysterical Yusa and run before Hajime had taken the last Arima.

Shio was gone.

Rikai was gone.

They’d been alive an hour ago. They probably woke up this morning happy.

Ui feels tears in his eyes. This isn’t fair.

He blames Kaneki. He blames Hirako. He blames Hajime and Furuta and himself.

If he’d not hesitated, he could have shoved Shio out of the way.

He failed to save him.

He’s lost more family.

But two kids lost more. Their lives.

Ui watches Hajime taunt Kaneki. Why is he on the side of those who’d laugh at children’s deaths? Kaneki looks as anguished as Ui feels.

“A word, Hajime.” Ui shoves past the brat and kneels before Kaneki’s torso. “Tell me the truth.”

Tell me why they died for you.

Au where yoshitoki has a spine and supports matsuri to choose his own way and stands up to tsuneyoshi for matsuri also also for Furuta

Bless you. I love Yoshitoki.

TW for sexual assault and homophobia.

Washuu Yoshitoki paces back and forth in his office. He’s caught Matsuri writing love notes to Urie Kuki three times in the last few months.

It’s wrong. Matsuri is married to Iyo until they produce a child, and in that time he ought to be faithful to her. Yoshitoki never betrayed Matsuri’s mother – he even tried to find her last year, until Tsuneyoshi found out.

Has he taught Matsuri nothing about honor?

Yoshitoki tries not to laugh. He’s a ghoul killing ghouls, someone who bred a child and then allowed his family to take away its mother. The mere notion of honor is preposterous.

“You’re not really worried about that,” Marude says from behind him, ever the voice of reason.

Yoshitoki winces.

His son – Tsuneyoshi’s grandson – is gay.

“There’s nothing wrong with him being gay.” Marude watches Yoshitoki carefully.

“I know.” Yoshitoki breathes in deeply. “But Tsuneyoshi doesn’t.”

How can he explain their secrets to his best friend without betraying him?

Suppose he arranges for Iyo to divorce Matsuri. She’ll be happier, and so will Matsuri.He’ll have to ferret her away to freedom of sorts, lest she face Tsuneyoshi’s wrath.

How can he explain this to Marude?

“I don’t know your secrets,” Marude warns, “but I want to help you.”

Yoshitoki half-smiles. “Contact a divorce lawyer.”

“Shouldn’t you consult Matsuri first?” Marude raises his eyebrows.

“Yes, yes I should.” Yoshitoki sighs. Nothing is normal in this family. Matsuri can wait.

Tsuneyoshi, however, summons a Washuu family meeting the next day. This can’t be a coincidence. Yoshitoki swallows.

“Wonder who’ll die today?” Furuta giggles as they enter Tsuneyoshi’s quarters. His half-brother is a strange one Yoshitoki can never figure out. Souta despises V, yet he always angles himself directly in front of Tsuneyoshi, desperately angling for attention he never gets.

Arima nods at Yoshitoki, impassive as ever. He stands with Ihei Hairu, surrounded by Zero Squad children and Hsaio Ching-Li. Iyo and Matsuri stand close to the door, Yoshitoki and Furuta beside Tsuneyoshi’s desk.

Tsuneyoshi turns his dark eyes to Matsuri. “Is this woman not pleasing you, grandson?”

Matsuri chokes, and Iyo turns deathly pale.

Yoshitoki hangs his head. This is all his fault.

“Your father here was looking into a divorce lawyer,” snipes Tsuneyoshi.

Matsuri goggles at Yoshitoki. “Dad?”

“Matsuri.” Yoshitoki stares at him. “I know.”

“Don’t we all know?” Furuta jokes. His face falls when Tsuneyoshi yields no response.

Matsuri shakes. “I – I can’t -”

“What’s wrong with Iyo? I rather liked her.” Tsuneyoshi’s eyes rake over her. “Not man enough?”

“He’s man enough to know he likes men,” Yoshitoki says quietly.

“What was that?” Tsuneyoshi’s voice is deadly.

“Stop manipulating my son. You’ve taken his mother; you’re not taking his love life on top of that. And you’re not stealing Iyo’s, either.” Yoshitoki can’t believe the words running out of his lips. When was his soul replaced with Marude?

“Father, I don’t understand.” He pleads. “You can’t even respect Souta enough for attention. Why is our family mere tools to you?”

Tsuneyoshi glares daggers at Yoshitoki. “Do you want to die under a quinque?”

“It won’t be mine,” Arima says quietly.

“Souta would, right?” Tsuneyoshi smiles at Souta, and for a moment, the boy’s face brightens.

“It’d be all of us against you, old man.” Furuta sniffs.

Yoshitoki remembers the parting kiss from his wife, the plea that he raise their child well. If you have to fight for him, fight.

And he responded, I will.

He’s long hated that he never fought for her. He will damn sure fight for her son, and all the sons and daughters of the Washuus.

Yoshitoki yanks open the office door. “Let’s go, Matsuri, Iyo.”

To Tsuneyoshi’s ire, the entire family files out of his office.

“Get back here.”

“We’re done lying!” taunts Furuta. “Well, lying for you.”

He angles himself closer to Yoshitoki, with the same eager eyes he bestows on Tsuneyoshi.

Yoshitoki smiles at him, and Furuta gasps with happiness.

“Father.” Outside the mansion, Matsuri has tears in his eyes.

“I know you think you’ve disappointed me. You haven’t – I’ve been the disappointment of a father.” Yoshitoki embraces his son. “I’m sorry I ignored your pain.”

Matsuri hiccups. “I love you, Dad.”