Fandom Thorns

S n o w

“Let me see your Kagune,”

In compliance to the doctor’s orders, a blue limb emerged from Akane’s tail bone, extending so that it was in between her and the pink haired ghoul. She watched him study the limb with a combination of curiosity detachment. Curious about what he had to say, yet not really caring about the state of her well-being. She still went for her yearly doctor check-ups more out of habit than anything else. It was also a good excuse to visit an old acquaintance.

Akira Horiyama had been her family doctor since she was eight. A friend of her mother’s, supposedly, though she wasn’t sure if their relationship could ever be described as friendly. Dr. Horiyama was a strange one. He didn’t seem to like ghouls or humans, though she’d heard he’d taken on a human wife. He also cared for ghouls like her at his own risk, so it could be argued that he liked both…but looking at how easily he ate and killed his own kind, one wouldn’t think so.

A ghoul full of contradictions.

But then, wasn’t everyone?

“It doesn’t seem that much worse than before, but you are still lacking in nutrition if the pallor of your skin is any indication . Coffee can satiate the hunger a little, but it doesn’t provide what your body needs in terms of benefits.”

“Finding corpses isn’t easy.”

A pitiful excuse she knew and Dr. Horiyama’s look said as much. Sighing, Akane retracted her kagune and glanced out the window of the small clinic to where her caravan was parked. Beyond that, the streets of Meguro—10th ward of Tokyo. It didn’t look as bad as she’d thought would given a ghoul raid just happened a day ago. People still walked the streets unafraid; Humans, at least. She hadn’t seen any ghouls out and about yet, but given the amount of white coats she’d passed on her way to the clinic, it was understandable.

They were armed, frightened by a potential attack, and trigger happy.

“If you’re on your way to Sumida I’d advise caution. That place is rigged with explosives or so I hear.”

Akane blinked. “How did you know?”

“All the ghouls I’ve talked to are flocking over to the 7th ward with this new gangs success, claiming that it’s become a safe haven for ghouls and that Thorn is different than all the other ghoul groups that have tried. I don’t imagine your father to be much different—fool that he is.”

Akane wanted to defend her father, but her mindset was much the same. She didn’t understand what he was thinking when she read his surprise text after he’d closed off all contact with her for years. Freedom? What sort of freedom was he looking for? Freedom to kill? Freedom to die? She’d seen it on the news. The CCG wouldn’t give up until all the hostages in Sumida were freed and the lost territory retrieved from the monsters. More battles. More deaths. Even if the CCG were all gone, it wouldn’t change anything. Humans would still fight to for their right to not be eaten; Their right to protect the dead bodies of their loved ones from desecration.

She still couldn’t wipe from the mind the look on that boy’s face as he watched his family eaten by her parents. She probably never would.

Who should she have protected back then?

Who should she side with now?

“The only thing you need to protect is your own health.”

It was unnerving how Dr. Horiyama had read her like a book. But then, he had known her for 12 years, ever since she was a child. Taking the package offered by the medical professional, Akane nodded her thanks before leaving the clinic and making her way to her brightly-colored caravan, parked across the street. Dr. Horiyama had his own family to consider. She had hers. She would head to the 7th ward. She would find her father. She would give him a piece of her mind. Afterwards…that could be decided later.

Akane reached for her keys.

Hanako adjusted her purse on her shoulder, keeping her head down as she stepped off the train. It's only been a few days since the attack in the attacks in the 7th and 10th and instead of feeling safer she felt quite the opposite. Ever since then all she could think about was the fact that eventually, there was a high chance for retaliation from the CCG and it terrified her. For the CCG to find her after being on the run meant that 8 years of hiding, of being Tsubaki Minami would have been for nothing if she was just going to have a needless death at their hands. She didn't need anymore needless deaths in her life.

Its been so long since she had been in 10th ward but everything felt as if were yesterday that she and Haruka had move here to start a new life after the death of their family. It was a fimilar comfort she felt being here once again despite the climate, however she wasn't sure if being in this ward was a great idea but she couldn't help herself. There were so many memories buried here in hopes that things would get better. But alas the only things that really happened when she lived here were almost monthly fights over her brother's territory that she had to help defend regardless of her own morals. Their job back then had simply been to stick together and protect each other. Something Hanako felt she turned her back on in the end.

She let herself wander around the ward for a while, lost in her own thoughts, before finding herself standing feet from the CCG building. She stood quietly outside staring the building up and down, the ghouls barely made a dent. Their attack was so unnecessary and it...it didn't make sense. When her friend had called her few nights ago she wasn't surprised when she was told her brother decided to attack the building. From the second she found out she felt an urge to call him, to convince him not to be stupid enough for him to go and do this, to tell him that lightning wasn't going to strike twice. But she knew he wasn't going to change his mind, and after all Haruka was a strong ghoul. She was sure he could take care of himself, beside with almost 4 years of being estranged would he even answer her call? She couldn't dwell on that now. It was no use thinking about what could've happened but she couldn't believe that he died in the attack. The day after the attack and the news that all the ghouls involved were murdered, she couldn't help the feeling she got in her knees as if she wanted to drop right there and start sobbing. Hell she still had that feeling, even now standing in front of the building, probably not too far from where Haruka died. She didn't like the idea that she was officially alone. She ran a hand through her hair, staring back at the ground hastily wiping at her face. They had started a war with casualties already, but what was going to be the cost?

Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.

Nimble footsteps echoed down the hall as a thin frame swiftly made its way through the building, umbrella bouncing to the side. Cursory glances and muted whispering revealed the air of wariness those within his immediate vicinity held, shuffling off elsewhere as he strode by with clear purpose. Marx has somewhere to be, and he was not one to underperform no matter the circumstances, even if the matter was only one of punctuality. He would supposedly be assigned a new partner and consequently reassigned to a new ward, partially as a result of his last partner’s untimely demise at the hands of those wretched ghouls. Of course, the main reason for the shift in routine was due to the recent ghoul terrorist attacks in the 7th and, to a lesser extent, the 10th ward. More bodies were needed to fill the gaps left behind by the failed Thorn Extermination Operation. Marx only hoped that his new partner was more experienced than his last had been.

He soon arrived at the meeting place and let himself in. It seemed the others had begun without him, despite his timely arrival, and there were still investigators missing. Well, with time being a precious commodity these days, Marx couldn’t exactly blame them. He frowned all the same, silently promising himself to dismember an extra ghoul today to remedy the discrepancy. Catching on to the end of the conversation, his eyes flicked over the ghoul profiles on display with analytical efficiency. After a moment, he looked back up to gaze coolly at Kohaku with what could be called quite a stare, but something quite closer to it. Marx didn’t blink often.

“Associate Special Class... Marx Hawthorne.”

The words seem to come out in a lazed drawl, smitten with boredom. Perhaps he couldn’t stand to exist in a moment too long devoid of ghoul extermination. In some ways Marx was glad the 7th ward counteractive measures had failed: it gave his enemies a fighting chance to keep things interested before their inevitable deaths at his hands.

“Is there any more information on these three? Any combat reports, prior sightings or speculative analysis?”

Marx gestured to the sheets that held the information on the three S Rank ghouls previously mentioned. When in doubt, start at the top and work your way down. Marx needed leads on on who ran what and how, and his hunch was on the more dangerous individuals possessing a higher potential for leadership. If he could investigate where they were sighted or, if he were lucky, the ghouls’ actual hunting grounds and pick up some clues as to their current whereabouts and plans. That’s how he usually did things and it had worked thus far. Rounding up the big fish was only the first step to striking Thorn’s effective use as a terrorist organisation. Cut off the heads and burn the stumps before they can regrow, as they say...

S n o w StarryKnights

kano nakamura, first class investigator

ㅤIt's been a while since CCG's 7th ward branch was utterly destroyed. It was something unexpected. A while since the Thorn Extermination Operation failed. A while since another group attacked CCG's 10th ward branch. A small sigh escaped Kano's lips. The day dragged on and Kano knew they were late. Practically shoving their way through the bustling streets of the 8th Ward, Kano's walking pace was reasonably fast, even stepping on people's feet every now and then. They weren't really that much of a people person.

ㅤThe light, speedy footsteps turned into slow, heavy ones when a certain group entered Kano's mind. Eventually, a crooked smile was painted all over Kano's face. There was always something about the Thorns that made them excited. Enthusiastic. Eager. Quite frankly, they didn't care about exterminating the group itself. It was a matter of need, for Kano. If it weren't for the thrill of watching ghouls at death's door, or the constant urge to get rid of those annoying Ukaku-type ghouls, Kano wouldn't have been an investigator. "Firefly," Kano hummed to themself. "Firefly. I'd like to meet you and your kind."

ㅤKano froze. The thought of leading their partner, Rank 2 Investigator Morumotto, to the ward branch slipped out their mind during the walk. It was only now, when they were almost halfway there, that Kano remembered. At some point on their way back, their phone rang. They didn't think of that. Kano answered the call. "Oi, kid." they said, in a calm tone, "Where are you?"

.

Not Calm

Akane listened to music through her earphones as she drove. Calm music soothed her. It pacified the savage beast within her, eager to kill. To taste human flesh. It distracted her from darker thoughts and voices which tempted her to give in to her baser desires. Sometimes, while drowning herself in those sounds, she could almost believe herself human.

Eyes on the road, Akane signaled right as she prepared to change lanes. It had been a while since she’s driven through the streets of Meguro that she’d forgotten how congested certain areas could be. Or how slow some people were. Perhaps a new route was in order. She wanted to get to the 7th ward before nightfall, after all. Resolving to double check her map the next time she got the chance to pull over, Akane turned the wheel, smoothly rounding the corner onto another street.

Then the CCG building of the 10th ward came into view.

Normally, Akane would just drive past such a place. The longer she lingered the more at risk she was. However, she spotted something that made her pause and blink. A ghoul? Akane hadn’t been sure at first. But, the closer she got, the more certain she became. Beneath the pretty clothes was a scent only those blessed with a well-attuned sense of smell could detect—a scent that was distinctly ghoul.

Though, if Akane were to describe it in a simpler way, ghouls just didn’t smell as appetizing as humans did.

Stopping her caravan—though not the engine— near a curb that wasn’t too far from where the female ghoul stood, Akane rolled down her window. It was an odd sight. Ghouls rarely ever had a reason to visit the home of Doves, least of all look like she was about to cry while doing so. The scene was strangely captivating.

Akane observed the other girl for a bit before finally speaking. “You shouldn’t linger too long. It’s dangerous for people like us to be at a place like this.”

Skita

Hanako was so caught up in her thoughts it wasn't until she heard a woman's voice that she even realised the brightly colored van pulled up next to her. Another ghoul? Thats the last thing she expected to see today with how dangerous it's been. But then again, she really couldn't talk since she was in front of the CCG building of all places. She jumped slightly, startled and tensing up, she turned around slipping in to an easy smile as if she wasn't just seconds away from crying. "It's dangerous for us to be out in general, me here at the CCG isn't changing anything." She let out a joyless giggle, twirling her hair between her fingers as she looked back at the building. "I wanted to see if it was worth it."

"Thanks for your concern." Hanako shook her head and started to turn and walk away. She only got a few steps away before she stopped again, turning to look back at the woman. It's not every day she saw someone, human or ghoul, show concern for someone other than them.

"Hey I'm normally not this bold to ask a stranger but, you wouldn't be going to Sumida by any chance? I'll pay for coffee if you could give me a ride." She smiled again looking up at the lady.

QuirkyAngel

Akane blinked, surprised when the girl turned around and asked for a ride to Sumida, though she really shouldn’t be. Dr. Horiyama had stated that many ghouls were flocking to the 7th ward, despite the fact that its situation made it very likely to turn into a battleground. She still didn’t understand it. Why jump into danger? However, she was in no position to judge either…especially not to a stranger. She had her own reasons to go there.

After a moment’s pause, Akane replied, “I am.”

Settling back into her seat, Akane took the wheel, checking the mirrors for approaching cars—or Doves. “Feel free to hop in. There’s plenty of room.”

Three people used to live in there, after all.

The girl’s offer reminded her that she ought stock up on some coffee beans before hitting the road again. Akane didn’t especially like coffee. Didn’t especially hate it either. It was just one of the few things she could consume without throwing up. Like water. In some ways, living on the road was easier for ghouls. In some ways, harder. Not having a consistent place to find corpses or coffee was one of those difficulties.

She didn’t know why she agreed to give the other ghoul a lift. Sympathy, perhaps? The girl had been close to tears when Akane saw her. However, Akane would be lying if she said her reasons were all altruistic. A part of it was curiosity. She wanted to know what it was that had made the other ghouls so sad while looking at the CCG building. The image burned itself in Akane’s memory, such that she knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she immortalized it on canvas.

Another part, one she was more reluctant to admit, was a desire for companionship. Living the way she did, it was hard to build permanent relationships, whether with her own kind or humans. Akane tended to keep her distance from people. It wasn't good. However, it was the only life she knew. At the very least, Akane got the feeling that the other ghoul was like her—easily slipping into a false smile, yet still ‘humane’ enough to shed tears.

Once the other ghoul was inside, the Tsukimori Caravan would move once again.




Skita

Hanako looked around in awe as she stepped in to the caravan. The woman wasn't kidding, this had to be the most spacious vehicle she'd ever been in. Did she live in this thing? Drifting from place to place makes the most sense because of what they are but wouldn't living in a thing like this be lonely? It seems like it would be a lonely thing driving this from place to place, she couldn't help but feel kind of bad for the girl. Its still curious that she decided to give Hanako a ride but misery does love company after all. Hanako took a seat, leaning forward. "Thanks again! The longer I stay in this ward the more I want to be home."

She stared out the window, her thoughts shifting to the 7th ward. Home again, huh? It didn't take too long for her home to become a war zone. Didn't she leave the 10th for the same reason? And yet here she was going back somewhere potentially dangerous. But what about the ghoul she met? Why was she going into Sumida? Did she want to join the Thorns? Or did she simply want see the 'peace' they promised? She's was curious but it probably wasn't her place to ask.

"I'm a student back in the 7th," Hanako starts attempting to strike a conversation. "My college wants to pretend like it's 'business as normal', like the 7th isn't a war zone. Humans love pretending like the world revovles around them, don't they?" She laughs another humorless laugh. "I'm H-...Tsubaki Minami by the way."

QuirkyAngel

Akane mostly kept her eyes on the road, though she did briefly peek back when Tsubaki mentioned being a student. She had never attended college before. Never attended school, in fact. Her parents didn’t think it wise to send their ghoul child to a place full of human children. The risk of an ‘accident’ was too high…not that her family’s lifestyle permitted enrollment into public education anyway. Akane didn’t mind. She enjoyed being homeschooled and the freedom that came with it.

She could learn at her own pace. Practice reading and writing on her own time. Her learning wasn’t limited structure or restrictive curriculum either. It was whatever she wanted it to be.

However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious about how the other side worked. Seeing humans in their uniforms, Akane sometimes wondered what it would be like to go to school. To attend classes and hang out with others her own age. To learn from professors in their field. Idle thoughts, and yet, thoughts that persisted within Akane to this day.

“I’m Akane Tsukimori,” Akane replied. She slowed the caravan to a smooth stop when a red traffic light appeared. “While I can’t say I know much about what humans love, I figured that thinking the world revolves around themselves is a trait all living beings share.”

Selfish humans. Selfish ghouls. She’s met both.

Foot on the brake, Akane lowered her earphones to around her neck so she could better hear Tsubaki. It would seem the other ghoul wasn’t going to Sumida because of Thorn, but because she lived there…and remained there for school. It wasn’t what Akane would’ve done if she were in Tsubaki's shoes. However, she felt no attachment to any particular ward either. The caravan was her home. “Though...I can understand the humans in Sumida wanting to think positive given their situation...”

War-zone was certainly what Akane imagined the 7th ward to look like after Thorn’s aggressive takeover. However, from what Tsubaki revealed, it would seem the humans there were still living peacefully. Or at least, pretending to. One can only live so peacefully in a spider’s web—especially when one’s defenders have been removed. Akane had little doubt that there are ghouls in Sumida that would take advantage of CCG’s absence in their area to feast.

“So you live in Sumida?” It was a rhetorical question. She supposed she ought count herself lucky to have picked up a ghoul living in the 7th ward. It saved her a lot of time. “Do you know anything about Thorn?”

She also wanted to know what college life was like, but she figured personal questions could wait. Her priority was her father.

Green Light.

Akane shifted her foot to the gas. They would soon be entering Shibuya.

Skita

7th Ward, Thorn Hideout

Dresden Hawthorne

Dresden rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do", he frowned as Shiho handed him a piece of paper. He scanned the contents for a moment before folding the paper up.
The mission wasn't meant to be a seek and destroy, rather a seek and...convince. Infinitely less boring than the former, but he supposed killing off troublesome ghouls wouldn't help them win over their own people.
Too many ghouls were used to being stepped on and treated like animals, no doubt many of his own kind frowned upon the actions Thorns had taken.
He scowled at the thought.

Fucking cowards, he thought to himself as he stashed the paper in his pocket.
Of course, his sister was one of those cowards, a ghoul unwilling to fight for their right to simply live. He understood her hesitation but given everything they had lost...He didn't see how she couldn't find the will to fight.

Ainslee was far from a practiced warrior, but she had some experience with combat. She'd taken lives before, if only because she had to.
Dresden's train of thought was interrupted when Roan walked back in, tray in hand. The savory smell of coffee was quick to dispel his worries. Roan was a quiet kid, but man did they make a mean cup of coffee.

"Thanks kid", he grabbed a cup and took a sip.
Holy shit was that good.
He tipped the glass toward Shiho.

"Your missing out chief, this kid makes some bomb as coffee", he smirked. How any ghoul could dislike coffee was beyond him, but even with her poor taste in beverages, Dresden couldn't help but respect Shiho.
After all, she put this entire operation together. So, he'd do his best to keep things peaceful during this little meeting, as dead ghouls wouldn't do the Thorns any good.

"I'll go see this Rorschach, and convince them to tone things down. And if he refuses, I'll try and only break a few bones", he chuckled.

"Oh, and if my sister comes by, do me a favor and keep an eye on her, last thing I need is for her to stumble into some kind of trouble".
Dresden gave Shiho a mock salute before turning and heading out. He had a meeting with an art teacher.

S n o w jaylen

"Oh, I see... I see... So that's how it is."

Marx's eyes crinkled with pleasure and the outline of a stretched smile was partially visible beneath the dark hues of his face bandages. His mind was darting between probabilities, his eyes darting between statistics, his index finger tracing invisible lines on the page in his other hand. They knew the most about Rorschach, so that particular ghoul would be the easiest to disfigure- decipher. He chuckled softly and set the paper down, keeping himself in check was so difficult these days. Being the Terror of Twelfth was fun, but it wasn't exactly enough. Marx wanted- needed- craved something more, something better. Perhaps Rorschach was that something.

"I believe Rorschach is a connoisseur! The murderous artist paints the streets red in hopes of being noticed, to be feared or respected."

Marx stood up and pointed a slender finger at Rorschach's face, stabbing his finger into the paper and creasing it.

"Mr Rorschach is not with Thorns, or rather, his goals do not align with theirs. Thorns want freedom for ghouls, or whatever ridiculous pipe dream they've fantasised about. Rorschach wants to make art for Tokyo to see."

Marx's smile widened a fraction and he couldn't help but muse to himself. While Rorschach was murderous subhuman vermin, his methods were not too disassociated from Marx's own. There was a certain taste, an element of acquired skill and a lack of conscience necessary to perform such deeds. Art wasn't exactly his style, but...

"I will go to the 7th Ward- oh, and I will rendezvous with Investigator Ishumari along the way. Rorschach is an isolated case but it won't take long for Thorns to find him. We should stop their growth before they become too bothersome to deal with."

It was a brief moment of clarity, but it was situations like these where Marx truly proved himself useful to the Taskforce. If his deductions were correct, eliminating Rorschach would preemptively reduce Thorns power before it could grow stronger and remove yet another wild threat from Tokyo's streets. If the artist himself were to be working alone, then killing him now before he made any new friends would prove to be the best course of action. Despite his deviant tendencies, Marx did take his job somewhat seriously. Snatching the paper on Rorschach up and depositing it into his waistcoat inner breast pocket, he made for the door in hopes of getting to his destination all the faster. His hand raised in farewell.

"I'll report on all the fun I'm having when I reach 7th~"

S n o w StarryKnights