Kaito Mori et Haru Tsuyumi
Idle tapotait de dessous la petite table en verre, un adolescent un peu court qui regardait son pouce rapidement en allers et retours à travers l'écran élégant du téléphone intelligent dans ses mains. Une tasse en carton brun avec de la vapeur montant de lui est un couvercle d'jar assis sur le dessus du verre à quelques pouces de lui. Un petit bâilleur a échappé à la bouche large du jeune homme aux cheveux noirs alors qu'il s'inclinait la tête sur le dossier pour laisser ses lunettes glisser dans son nez. Le grincement d'une porte coulissante en verre le distrayant et faisant tourner sa tête vers la droite, les cheveux enflammés dans sa bouche et faisant son discours légèrement étouffé. "Il y a l'homme du hurleur. Comment s'est passé le jour du firft?"
Un chanfrein étouffé a échappé au tablier portant un jeune homme qui se tenait mal à l'aise dans la porte, un sac à dos en cuir a glissé autour de son épaule bruissant légèrement alors qu'il marchait vers le siège vide en face de l'homme à capuche et lâchait son sac à côté. "Hé Kaito... c'était euh... c'était bon. Je crois que j'ai déjà foiré royalement."
Craquant les brins aléatoires de cheveux hors de sa bouche, Kaito s'assit droit et poussa la tasse de café à vapeur vers son ami, avant de croiser ses bras et de sourire. "Nah. Tu ne pouvais pas gâcher ce mauvais Haru. Tu es encore trop dur avec toi-même. Qu'est-ce que tu as fait? Lâche un plateau?"
En lui grimpant le café offert et en prenant une petite gorgée, le serveur saboté secoua la tête. "Merci. Et non, je n'ai pas déposé de plateau, j'ai en quelque sorte... glissé mon manager dans la table du condiment parce que j'ai versé de l'eau sur le sol." Comme il l'a dit, le jeune homme aux yeux sombres a pris une autre gorgée et jeté un coup d'œil dans l'espace, une souillure coupable sur son visage.
Tilting légèrement la tête, Kaito a pointé un doigt. "Mais a-t-il été aussi blessé? Ce n'est pas comme si tu l'avais infirmé."
Secouant la tête à nouveau légèrement, Haru rencontra le regard brun de son ami. "Eh bien, non. Tout le monde se moquait de lui, même les clients, et quand il s'est retourné pour me confronter, j'ai cru que j'allais me faire crier et virer sur place, mais il a commencé à rire avec eux. C'était vraiment déroutant; il a agi comme s'il n'était même pas en colère contre moi."
Un léger sourire a joué sur le visage pâle de Kaito alors qu'il a mis son téléphone dans la poche de son pull. "On dirait que tu as un patron avec un sens de l'humour." Son front gauche s'est levé au fur et à mesure. "Il t'en a parlé après ou quelque chose comme ça?"
Déplacement insouciant dans son siège, le serveur s'exprima tranquillement alors que ses yeux s'inclinaient vers sa boisson. "Ouh... non. Non, il m'a juste dit d'être plus prudent et de me laisser seule pour le reste de la journée. »
Les mains plus longues de l'homme sont montées dans l'air en riant. "Alors vas-y, arrête de t'inquiéter pour ça! Tout va bien. Les gens font gâcher ce nouveau gars parfois, donc votre travail est en sécurité. Refroidir."
La poignée serrée que Haru tenait sur sa coupe commença à s'adoucir un peu pendant que son visage retournait chez Kaito pour tirer sur un petit sourire. "Ouais, je suppose que tu as raison. Merci Kaito, je m'ennuie un peu ces derniers temps. Je suis surpris que tu te sois montré, d'habitude personne ne vient me voir ici parce que bien... tu sais. Ça fait flipper tout le monde. J'ai eu du mal à m'adapter à vivre si près de leur maison moi-même. Je les vois dans presque toutes les rues. Mais, je suppose que c'est mieux que de vivre dans n'importe quel quartier... »
Brushing une main à travers ses franges, l'adolescent a poussé son poing dans sa paume. "Vous plaisantez? Je ne laisserais pas une colombe spéciale m'empêcher de venir vous rendre visite. Et si l'un d'eux a essayé? Ils seraient là pour une sacrée danse."
Le visage de Haru s'était considérablement éclairé depuis qu'il s'était assis. Prenant une autre gorgée de café dans sa main, il se leva et fit un geste dans la rue tranquille située devant le magasin. "Je n'en douterais pas. Alors... tu voulais venir voir mon nouvel endroit? Ce n'est pas si loin d'ici, et c'est en fait une jolie quie..."
S'étirant les bras au-dessus de sa tête et fermant les yeux, le jeune homme à capuche bleue gémit. "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a? Je suis surpris que tu aies même trouvé un endroit comme ça par ici. D'habitude, ils sont-Huh? Haru?" Le regard légèrement flou de Kaito s'est recentré sur son ami maintenant debout inégalement en face de lui. Les poils sur les bras de Haru se levant droit alors que ses yeux s'élargissaient, et il se tenait raide comme une planche. Un regard d'inquiétude s'est effondré alors qu'il repoussait sa chaise et se levait pour s'étirer la main. "Haru, ça va, mec? Parle-moi. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?" En regardant par-dessus son épaule, les yeux de l'adolescent ont scanné la rue en dessous. Il a vu quelque chose en bas? Une colombe peut-être?
La confusion de Kaito a rapidement été répondue par un cri étouffé qui sortait de la gorge de son ami. Les bras de Haru volaient pour saisir sa poitrine alors qu'il trébuchait autour du porche, retombant sur la chaise qu'il venait de se lever et de frapper le plancher de bois avec un coup dur.
"HARU!"
Vaultant sur la table basse avec une vitesse inhabituelle, le jeune homme paniqué s'est mis à genoux à côté du serveur tombé. Ses yeux avaient commencé à s'éblouir alors qu'il regardait dans l'espace, les respirations sortant furieusement et faible alors qu'il continuait à s'emparer de sa chemise blanche sale. Kaito n'a pas perdu de temps à battre les mains de son ami et à presser sa paume sur la poitrine de Haru dans des tentatives de compression. "Non, non, non! Ne fais pas ça! L'homme Haru, allez! Lève-toi!"
Les cris et l'agitation du porche en plein air commençaient à attirer l'attention. Les passants de la rue en bas explosent dans une panique confuse.
"Il se passe quelque chose? J'ai entendu crier sur le balcon..."
"Il y avait certainement des cris! Appelez une ambulance! Vérifie-les!"
"Tenez-vous là-haut! On vient chercher de l'aide!"
Les bruits rapides de pas précipités qui s'engouffraient dans l'étage principal du café s'estompaient tout simplement dans le bruit blanc qui retentissait dans l'esprit de Kaito. Sweat versant son visage alors qu'il griffait ses dents et maintenait son impromptu RCP, en gardant son regard verrouillé par le coup de sang de Haru, regard vide.
"C'EST HARU! Allez! S'il vous plaît! Hérou! Réveillez-vous!"

Une semaine plus tard...


"...Dans d'autres nouvelles, Shi no te perd rapidement, c'est l'attente du 2ème Ward. Les patients qui cherchent un traitement à l'hôpital pour le virus mortel se rétablissent régulièrement du bord de la mort dans les soins des infirmières et des médecins talentueux amenés de Kyoto, et bien sûr, l'utilisation efficace de la vaccination faite par de nombreuses entreprises publiques dans la Ward. Un hôpital a également remercié personnellement les enquêteurs de la GCC qui ont défendu la Ward... »
Un grand téléviseur plasma derrière l'écran en verre d'une boutique électronique a effacé les nouvelles du matin d'un ensemble de grands haut-parleurs installés sur les deux côtés. Quelques personnes dans l'inondation de la circulation des pieds ralentissent légèrement pour tourner la tête vers l'image de deux hommes appropriés avec des mallettes agitant les mains d'une femme enduite de blanc, avant simplement de se déplacer et d'être portées par le flux des corps. Beaucoup de travailleurs bien habillés dans la foule portent des masques en papier mince sur leur bouche et leur nez, avec quelques tissus qui sortent de leurs poches.
Ils n'arrêtent pas de dire que tout va s'améliorer... que la grippe ne sera rien d'autre que l'histoire d'ici la fin de l'été... mais sont-ils vraiment en train de dire la vérité? Les Ghouls meurent encore par centaines... les humains meurent encore par milliers... je n'appellerais pas ça "récupération" du tout. Pas du tout.
De l'autre côté de la rue, sur le patio d'un café, un homme à capuche bleu regardait à peine le bord de sa tasse en carton pendant qu'il prenait une gorgée. Bientôt écraser la tasse vide et la jeter par-dessus son épaule et dans une poubelle voisine empilée jusqu'à déborder avec les choses. Sa chaise oscille fortement alors qu'il repoussait pour mettre ses baskets usées sur la table et retourner regarder vers le bas à la petite tablette dans ses mains. L'écran affichant un article concernant le taux actuel de la criminalité de Ghoul, et la lente montée des incidents depuis le début de la pandémie de virus.
Je ne sais toujours rien... personne ne le sait. Et si je ne trouve pas quelque chose bientôt, quelqu'un va faire une autre cascade stupide qui rendra tout plus difficile. J'adore les grandes villes. Vraiment.
Kaito Mori
"I was never a fan of standing around. Why waste the only life you're given by doing nothing you know? But this flu...And everyone just dropping dead...It makes me feel useless. I'm still gonna see what I can do. It might take a few holes in my gut, but hey, no pain no gain."
Appearance: Kaito has medium length, usually straight black hair that occasionally hangs over his face. His features, such as his darker brown eyes and short nose, are usually behind a pair of sleek glasses with a thin metal frame. His shorter stature of 5'6", and his usual attire of a thick blue hoodie with clear signs of age and stains, making him appear younger than he actually is.
Species: Ghoul
Mask: The mask that Kaito wears when going out 'shopping' is based off of the character Grey Fox from the video game Metal Gear Solid, a game that both he and his brother played quite a bit in their childhood. The mask itself was crafted by Junki after he picked up a bit of metal work skills from apprenticing with a family friend. The mask itself is made from durable steel, bent to shape fitted with soft foam on it's inside. A wire mesh covers the back of the 'T' shaped cut out in the mask's center, making visibility a bit of an issue at first, but the lax teen has since adjusted to the spotty vision.
Due to the mask's single switch activated orange LED 'eye' in the middle of the wire mesh, the CCG has labelled it's wearer 'Cyclops'. Though those who are a bit more keen on the mask's inspirations have simply took to calling it's wearer, 'Grey Fox'.
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Personality: Kaito is a rather lax, go-with-the-flow kind of teen. He tries to make light of most situations, and does his best to see the good side of things. Though he can be a bit stubborn or aloof when someone talks down on his beliefs, he mostly keeps his problems to himself, not wanting to drag anyone down with his issues.
The teen is also always striving to do things that no one has tried before. Risk taking being one of his defining points. This sort of rash mindset developing due to his distaste of inaction, and doubt of his parents teachings to avoid all confrontation even if it means letting someone else take the fall. That said, he doesn’t go out of his way to make enemies with groups such as the CCG, other Ghouls, or humans if he can avoid it. When he does don his mask to go out
Biography: Young Kaito was born to a loving mother, Anzu, and a good natured father, Bunta. He was the second child of the Mori family, being also the brother of the Mori’s first child, Junki. The family lived in relative peace in the city of Takayama, in a small townhouse on the edge of the city. Bunta made a living as a carpenter in the area, taking after his own father and up keeping the many historic buildings in the area. While Anzu, took her time in taking care of their two boys at home and putting them through a basic home school education.
The Moris were always extremely sensitive and paranoid about their Ghoul habits. Both mother and father drilling young Kaito and Junki since birth about why they were different from other kids in the neighbourhood, and to never speak a word about their family’s ‘different lifestyle’. At first, the brothers were confused as to what their parents were so worried about. Other kids ate meat, so what was so different about them other than the fact that was the only thing they ate? It wasn’t until they were told where their meals came from, and what they were capable of that they began to understand, and even become frightened by their parents lessons in Kaito’s case.
Both Anzu and Bunta felt guilty, but did what they could to make their children more comfortable with their nature. Teaching them how to control hunger, their physical strength and agility, and of course, in the event of an emergency, showing them how to weaponize their Kagune and their bodies to be able to defend themselves if escape from the scene was impossible.
In between their lessons and meals, Kaito and his older brother found leisure in the human aspects of life. The both of them getting hooked on media such as video games, anime, and even some aspects of western culture due to a local book store stocking translations of American comic books. The younger of the two especially enjoyed stories involving superheroes, relating their inhuman powers and noble feats to what he could be capable of. The dark haired boy’s hopes of the future began to be filled with dreams of being a superhero; using his great physical abilities and ‘red magic arms’ to protect his friends and family, as well as other Ghouls from the ‘bird guys’.
However, Kaito’s ambitions were quickly shattered once he excitedly revealed to his parents his plan despite Junki telling him to keep it to himself. Their father giving them an intense scolding about the dangers of getting involved in affairs they didn’t need to, and began to monitor what the children read and played to prevent any further ‘dangerous thinking’.
Though he did not dare show it in the eyes of his parents, Kaito began to feel a bit of resentment for the family’s morals. He was frustrated that instead of treating their Ghoul abilities like a gift that could be used for the greater good, that they were being treated like something to keep locked away, and that even if they were able to do something to protect a random stranger, attempting it would be foolish.
Years passed, the nerdy boy growing up into a nerdy young man alongside his brother, ahead of him in age by three years. Kaito began to forget about his hidden dreams of being a Ghoul superhero, but never let go of the fond memories he and Junki shared with the comics and media involving them. His personal interest in TV shows and movies leading to him becoming fascinated in the more real aspects behind their production. Thus he began to make amature props based off of fictional franchises in his free time, with Junki and his father’s occasional assistance. Kaito’s knack for building leading to his father to encouraging him to also join in his carpentry endeavours, but the teen turned him down, and revealed something that shocked the entire household.
Kaito wanted to move away. To Tokyo, specifically. While he was happy with his simple life living with his parents and his part-time job at a local grocery, he felt that he could do more with his life if he received a proper education. Thus, using money that the family had kept saved for the kids futures, and after a heartfelt goodbye and a gifted mask from his brother, Kaito moved to a small apartment building in Tokyo’s 20th ward, Nerima, to attend the Design course at Nihon University. While still keeping his hobbies on the side, scavenging popular suicide sites for food, and making a few friends both human and Ghoul, things seem to be going well for the aspiring prop maker.
That is, until the flu hit.
Rating: C
RC Type: Ukaku
Kagune: Kaito's Kagune usually manifests itself as two red, smooth, wide arms with rows of sharp 'fingers' at the end of them. Years of private practice at mastering the many tricks and abilities his Kagune has to offer, he's able to crystallize the two extra limbs and rapid fire projectiles from their endings. He’s also able to sharpen the right side ‘arm’ into a blade-like appendage to assist in close quarters.

Delsin Grey
"Japan...I've read a lot about it's culture and it's history while planning for this exchange program. In general, media is a big focus there, and it's history has mostly kept the people to themselves on that one land mass....But there's another fact that came up multiple times while I was researching the country. Specifically about it's capital city. Ghouls, a species extremely close to humans on a physical, but not a biological level, have a higher population density in Tokyo than the rest of the country. With their diet, it would make sense for why they thrive there, but there's still a few things I want to know. The articles can only tell me so much; if possible, I'd like to find out many things for myself in my time there, but that flu likely isn't going to make it easy.
Appearance: Delsin is a 5’ 4”, slightly pale skinned teen. He wears his semi long black hair parted to the left, has green colored eyes, and smaller features such as his ears that are usually hidden by straight hair clumps. The boy’s usual attire includes a grey turtle neck sweater, thick blue jeans, and a pair of worn black snow boots.
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Personality: Delsin is a bit of a quiet guy. He mostly keeps to himself unless someone actively engages him. Though a lot of people mistake this for shyness, it is more so that he doesn’t feel the need to talk with others if it has the chance to lead to him being distracted from a current goal. Delsin ‘overthinks’ many things in some regard, his family and friends have needed to tell him on multiple occasions to slow down or take a break, but to Delsin that would mean losing out on opportunities.
The way he thinks it, is that if he manages to set up and plan his life as soon as he can while still young, he can enjoy the rest of it with less stress and worry. Despite his rather distant view on most around him, Delsin still cares for the people close to him and will put them above his own goals without hesitation if there is a reason to. His friends have also been slowly making him a bit more lax, with Delsin being able to find time to do more leisurely activities.
Backstory: Being raised in the north western provinces of Canada, Delsin lives in a world of little to no change. The city he lives is a community of only a few thousand people, where excitement, public events, and even Ghouls are almost unheard of. He lived a rather simple life; being raised by middle aged mother and father along with his younger brother Trevor in a middle class neighbourhood. His determined and focused personality allowed him to excel in school and impress both his parents and teachers alike.
Though he mostly revolved his life around school work even in his early ages, he managed to make a few friends. One such friend was a boy named Carrick Giro, a care free humorous boy that had moved there from a province in the south eastern part of the country. Carrick was able to show the boring student how to entertain himself with things other than school and work such as social media, video games, and music, though he also unfortunately got Delsin involved in a few fights between other kids, forcing the two to learn how to throw a punch or two.
After graduating from High School with grades peaking in the low-to-mid 90s, the focused teen turned his attention to further education. Landing himself in a rather vast and active school in a much bigger city, Delsin went to school for half a year before his interests were peaked by an exchange student program offered by a visiting a Japanese school. Seeing the chance to study abroad as a new opportunity, Delsin decided to take the offer after two years of planning, and unfortunately had the timing to land in Tokyo during the Shi no te pandemic.