8 years had gone by. The ruins of the mansion they had lived in were withering away.

Not only had it been reduced to only the foundations, which were still huge, mind you, but also time had taken its toll on the place.

A wall was still standing, at the very least, and there were some remains of the second floor at the back of what used to be a house, perfect for sheltering someone, anyone, from the unforgiving rain.

Despite the pitiful state in which the house found itself in, they were still guided here for some reason or other.

Nostalgia, trying to close cycles, merely paying their respects to a grave without bones. Reasons could vary, but something was for sure.

In the end, they were all here. The four Ghouls that had met each other as children now found themselves again, facing each other.

Even if they didn't remember their faces, or if they were wearing their masks, it was easy to determine who they were. Nobody came to this forsaken place anymore, after all.

Isori was the first to arrive. She was wearing her old high school uniform, a white blazer, a black skirt and thigh high stockings. She kept her hair in the same fashion she had for a while now, short but with two long strands of it falling down her shoulders.

She was feeling nostalgic, after all. Something had made her enroll into the college here in the 5th ward. Namely, the doves, but that was not really important. At least not right now.

After a year of having lived as a ghoul, Isori had finally taken into the fact that she could only eat humans flesh. Or Ghoul flesh, but that was icky.

She wondered if the old man that had cared for them felt the same every time he saw her eating meat? Thinking it would be so much better if he didn't have to kill to eat. What about the others?

Yeah, that was a good question. What about the others?

Where were they? What were they doing? What did they do with their lives after they parted ways? Would they even remember her, recognize her, as she was now?

After exploring some more, and as she was about to venture forward in the only roofed part of what was left of this mansion, she heard something.

Someone was approaching, and they weren't being subtle about it.

A dove? A ghoul? A simple human wondering what she was doing there? It could be any of the above.

Regardless, Isori was quick to turn around and face them, still making sure her kakugan did not surface, just in case it was a human after all.

She never really did expect that the one that was going to be there was someone who had a nostalgic feeling to them.

One of her 'siblings'. Something just told her that that was the case, even if they were hardly recognizable any longer.

Still, she wanted to be sure. No, she needed to be sure. If they weren't, well, they smelled an awful lot like a Ghoul. What was a ghoul even doing here?

"Hello!" She said, chipper as ever. "What are you doing here? And who are you? Ah, I'm Ayakishi Isori, if you were wondering." She smiled.

Hopefully, it wouldn't devolve into a fight.

---

@Zombehs@Raijinslayer@Savato

---

'This is stupid.'

At the back of a white Audi SUV travelling through the fogging afternoon of Tokyo, Asoka drowned herself in her thoughts as the vehicle got closer and closer to the 5th Ward. There wasn't enough traffic in her taste, not as much as usual anyway, as such being fashionably late was going to be tricky to perform without trying too hard. Of course, she could just tell her devoted driver to take the long way since the guy in question owed her quite a few services at the present and was in no position to just say no to the lady. But the foul smell of 'new' that was the inside of the 4x4 coerced her to just deal with it and go as is.

As Asoka stared out at the gloomy Tokyo, earbuds on to pretend she was zoned out whilst listening to music, but she was too concerned about this ridiculous idea of retracing her roots to be content with anything else by the sounds of the car rolling. Going back there was irrational, and irrational things were what got her into the shitter in her realm of expertise. But something deep down compelled her to, Asoka needed this for reasons she barely understood, like how people have this compulsory need to feel better about themselves all the time. It irritated her, of course, but the little Ghoul went with her heart on this one.

"That's close enough, Kaien."

"I can get clo-"

The driver, appearing to be in his thirties, was cut off when he seemed genuinely ready to help her get closer. She didn't speak over him, Asoka just opened the adjacent door while the car kept running. Kaien quickly slowed down and stopped, giving a very confused glance to his passenger as Asoka just stepped out, leaving her Umbrella and handbag in the vehicle. After all this driving, even if it wasn't even an hour long drive, the fresh air was rather relaxing to the little shit who was once raised in these very grounds.

Now exposed to the light of the outside, it was clear as day that no effort in concealing herself was made during this little excursion. She wore the typical Burberry trench coat with tailored black jeans and black, high-healed boots to go with them. A pair of black leather gloves were also routinely used by her when going out, though they served a purpose that went beyond just looking good. Finally, Ray Ban sunglasses during a not-so-bright day made it evident she was just showing off for the occasion. She never did hide her vanity ever since they separated. Her hair was the usual dual ponytail, a style she never really let go of since she was little.

"I'll be back in ten, tops. You can fap or play Gameboy while waiting."

Asoka turned to face him, lowering her head just a bit so he could see her green, round eyes before she'd give him a wink. With that, she'd kick the door closed behind her. And she was off, walking through a deserted street, the one she was given the location of via one of her mystery siblings who couldn't help but to cross the line. It took her a couple of minutes to finally meet the rotting house once again. The nostalgia was indeed strong and emotions would be flaring deep inside. Asoka stood for a good minute in the front yard of the edifice before she'd mutter to herself the exact feeling this place gave to her.

"Mouldy."

Completely unimpressed with this vestige of the past, Asoka didn't have the spark many would when revisiting such a crucial part of their lives. To her, this just looked like overvalued garbage that would serve better as compost than anything else. Well, since she was here, she may as well, find which one was daring enough to find her and drag her out into such a place. The little ghoul didn't use the front door but one of the many shattered walls of the building to get in, making her end up in what was the kitchen before it burned away.

'Smells like mold too. Ugh.'

Her overpriced Lavender perfume couldn't dissolve the foul odor of humidity completely rotting away the wood. Walking away from the more exposed areas, she quickly captured a new scent, on that was more familiar than the unholy loser ghouls she'd work with on a daily basis. This was interesting, finally she'd confront one of the ghosts of her past. Asoka was indeed not going full on stealth, not even minding the creaking floorboards that were at the verge of shattering anyway. The heels pressed deeply against them and made almost a crescendo effect as she got closer and closer to Suzu.

And then they stopped for a few seconds. The girl introduced herself and Asoka recognized that curious little munchkin from way back. Finally, she emerged from the door frame and walked in as if she were a guest in a talk show. All that was missing was the clapping. She stopped once more to lower she pointless sunglasses, exposing her very green eyes to scrutinize the positive female before her. She focused her attention on the face and hair, but dedicated a bit on breasts and ass too, or what she could see at least. Smirking, she could barely recognize Suzu as a young woman, let alone the fact that she was taller than Asoka.

"Holy shit. Well haven't you blossomed into a pretty little thing, Suzu."

With that comment she removed the glasses entirely, setting them in her collar before approaching the pink haired ghoul. The taunting smirk and the provocative tone did give off unclear signals. As Asoka got in arm's reach, she'd jump in for a hug with her younger sister. A sign of affection, perhaps, but one should not look too deep into the crooked ghoul. She captured Suzu's smell while making a very good impression, things she could use to her advantage later on.

"Damn. What have you been up to all this time, Suzu? You look pretty freakin' good, man. You know who I am, right?"

While keeping the hug as long as possible, she did separate their bodies while keeping her hands on Suzu's waist, gabbing a good feel in the process, so she could at least look at her in the face. A lot of people she worked with didn't like that, especially in business, and that's what made this a lot more amusing.

---

"The youngest gang boss to walk the streets of Tokyo, if hearsay is to be believed," A voice would say as a figure walked out from the pouring rain, all that could really be seen of them was the icy blue glow in their eyes. As he approached, they'd be able to see the glow was coming from a strange metal mask that the figure soon removed, revealing a soft smile and empty grey eyes. Walking forward, Itsuki couldn't help but notice how Asoka was all but groping Suzu's, well, butt. "Glad to see you two getting along after so long, and you both have grown into very beautiful young women. In fact, I feel a little dull in comparison."

Itsuki's attire for the occasion was mostly a long, thick black cloak that reached down to his knees, the hood drawn over his head to protect himself from downpour. Underneath his cloak, one could see a pair of worn jeans, combat boots, and some kind of black shirt making up the rest of his garment. The cloak had seen much use, as it was covered in patches of similarly colored material, making the patching hard to spot, even with the stitching keeping it all together. He clipped his mask to his side, not needing it for the current situation. However, something that Asoka would probably notice was that Itsuki had yet to really drop his guard, no matter how relax he seemed. His hands were kept in front of him slightly, his legs spread apart, and his eyes always seeming to flick over towards any sound he heard.

As Itsuki was now a closer to the two women, they'd a look come across his face as he took a sniff of the air, his gaze focusing on Suzu in confusion for but a moment before he continue.

"I'm honestly surprised to see anyone else around here, to be honest, especially you, Asoka. I've heard quite a couple things about you through out the years, though nothing too . . . recent, that make me thing you're not the shy little girl who clung to the old man's leg like you were surgically attached."

@Savato

@GrafRoy Zeppeli

@Zombehs

---

---

If Kasachi was to be honest, it was rather unpleasant to walk as part of the crowd on the sidewalk. It was so slow, the unsavory scents usually overpowered everything else, and it tickled his urge to feast even if he had fed well just earlier. The heavy rain helped with the second at the least as it muddled his sense of smell slightly, dulling the scents of the countless humans he passed by. Truthfully he needn’t have bothered, but for the sake of disguise a black umbrella was unfurled above his head. His outfit as a whole was rather cheap and plain: brown hoodie, pair of beige cargo pants, and black combat boots.

The streets quickly became more and more deserted the closer Kasachi got to his destination. It seemed like new buildings and developments sprung up in between each of his annual visits to the old man’s grave. For a few years now he had wondered how long it would be until some company decided to purchase the land and tear down what remained of the mansion. It was always a pleasant surprise to find that the building, even rotting and in shambles, still remained and today was no different. Sure there were some new buildings within a couple of blocks which meant this would probably be one of his last visits, but he didn’t let the thought bother him.

It was a bit more difficult this time around thanks to the heavy downpour, but Kasachi managed to pick up on various scents from the edge of the property. There was of course the heavy decay that clung to the area after all these years, but more faintly were numerous others; far more than he had siblings. His eyebrow climbed slightly at that and he wondered for a few moments if this burnt down husk of a mansion served as refuge for some unfortunate souls. Well, it couldn’t hurt to take a look around the building after he paid his respects. He folded the umbrella and then set it aside for now.

Voices guided him towards the back of what still stood, and Kasachi circled around the outside. He could have been as careful as he wanted to, but with its condition there was no telling when a squeak or untimely creak might give him away. It wasn’t like most of the walls hadn't given way by now, and he managed to find a favorable position downwind to survey the three. Beyond the fact that he was the only male among the three, Itsuki’s mask did a fairly good job of giving away his identity to Kasachi. As for the other two… it took him a bit longer, but eventually he figured the shorter had to be Asoka leaving the last as Isori.

Unsurprisingly, the first step he took into the mansion’s remains caused the flooring to splinter and crack beneath his weight. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace in case any of the three had been startled before he nodded towards each of them. “Itsuki. Asoka. Isori.” He quirked an eyebrow at the two of his sisters' closeness, a faint tinge of amusement in his voice when he asked, “More than just sist-”

The question didn’t manage to finish as his head turned slowly to look past his siblings and further into the building’s remains. Now that he was actually in the building and recognized his siblings’ scents, the unfamiliar ones were far clearer. Yeah… and it wasn’t just lingering scents either, the sources were hiding in the back at this very moment. “Seems like we’re not the only ones here at the moment,” he mentioned to the others, “I’ll go take a look.” A slight bend at the knees and he cleared both his sisters, still landing softly enough on the second floor to only cause a small groan from the decayed structure.

---

Isori had to take a moment to take into the girl's features. Putting together bits and pieces of her memories, dragging some other more muddy ones out of the forgetting pond that could be her mind and then drying them off before finally recognizing the girl.

"Asoka?" She simply said, before Asoka approached her and groped her.

Still, Isori didn't really mind. It was some friendly skinship... right? While she still had that nagging feeling at the back of her head, she didn't act on it, however.

"I know who you are, and you too are really pretty." She said with a smile on her face as she embraced the petite girl. "And real small too! I wish I could take you into my bag and take you everywhere with me." She then rubbed her cheek against Asoka's head.

Yeah, it was like snuggling with... what, a dog? No, nothing so insulting for Asoka, but it still felt odd. Finally, someone she could actually remember and call a friend.

Then, Itsuki arrived. It was truthfully a surprise to see yet another one of her 'siblings' in here.

She then let go of Asoka and approached him. That was certainly Itsuki, somehow Isori couldn't confuse him for anyone else.

"That's you, Itsuki? Oh my God, you are so grown up! My God, how long has it been since we last saw each other!" She ran up to him and put her arms around his chest, hugging him rather tightly. More so than a normal human could.

"I-I..." Somehow, she felt a knot forming up in her throat.

Seeing them after so long, and then thinking back of everything that had happened to her. It was just too much, and Isori really felt like crying.

"Where were you? Where were you all of these years? I felt... so lonely. So lost...." She started crying as she hugged Itsuki. "Itsuki...!" She wailed.

Finally, someone that could (probably) understand her.

After that, another man came. The last one, Kachi.

"Kachi!" She let out, before letting go of Itsuki and just about to glomp the other guy as well, but he seemed a bit more serious.

Like him, Isori had also picked up something interesting in the air, but paid it almost no mind. Perhaps because he didn't feel much animosity coming from whoever smelled like that.

He jumped to the remnants of the second floor, with enough finesse to not make the thing not to collapse in on itself. Once he did that, though, a single boy sprung forward against Hyouta.

Both of his eyes were of the distinctive black and red color only a kakugan provided and a sword-like white kagune, coiled around his hand, sprouted from his middle back. A ghoul.

He tried stabbing Hyouta right between his eyes, obviously still not used to handling his kagune. His movements were sloppy, easily avoidable for any one experienced Ghoul.

"Get the fuck outta here! You don't belong here!" He shouted.

"Kachi!" Isori shouted as the young ghoul tried to stab her sibling.

Independant of his attack, and whether he was able to hurt Hyouta or not, he would follow it up with another shout. "Now, Mii-chan!"

"Yeah!" The voice of a girl echoed in everyone's ears, before she appeared from behind the rubble, the kakugan evident in her eyes and an ukaku kagune sprouting out of her shoulder blade.

Projectiles approached the other group of three, and Isori had to jump in front of the others and make her kagune sprout in order to stop the incoming projectiles.

Crystallizing her kagune around her arm and stopping the incoming projectiles was an easy matter, but now it would be rather troublesome having to explain why she now had a kagune, and a kakugan in her right eye.

"Oh no! They are also Ghouls, Kazu-kun! what do we do now?!"

Isori wanted to say something, but decided to let the others decide on this matter. She hadn't been a ghoul for too long, so she wasn't entirely sure of how one dealt with these situations.

The heads of some other children then became visible behind the rubble. They seemed to be a lot of kids.

---

Itsuki grin faded ever so slightly as Suzu ran into him like she did, and his eyes seemed to take on a cracked expression as she began to sob, asking him where he had been all those years. No tears built up in his eyes, but he did reach up and tussle her hair, that same smile on his face, kind, soft, and yet, not all there. And the expression of conflict in his eyes just seemed to resonate for a bit as he answered in a tone as soft and comforting as his smile.

"I'm sorry Suzu, I just. . . . kinda lost my way after the old man passed, and by the time I found myself, everyone else was gone." He looked up, somewhat surprised by his brother's arrival and his subsequent revelation. As he rushed forward, with Suzu close behind him, something about the scenario just struck him as wrong. Time seemed to slow down, his sister's tear-stained words breaking into his thoughts as, suddenly, two figures with blazing red eyes burst from the dark, their voices distorted by the fog of war as Itsuki's mind suddenly shifted back into the hell that was the 24th ward. He was with one of the few friends he'd made in that pit, a weaker ghoul by the name of Ichigo who made his living scavenging off the leftover's of stronger ghouls. He was looking at Itsuki, his hand outstretched, fear in his eyes as the first figure sinks their teeth into his neck while the other digs their kagune-coated hand straight through his chest. Suddenly, the world gets hazy, the beat of his heart racketing up with every milisecond turned into days upon days as he sees Ichigo morph first into Suzu, then Asoka, then Kachi, before finally shifting into his greatest regret.

His breath hitched, his pupils widening to such a great size, it seemed like the entirety of his irises had been consumed by the gaping maw. She stood there, her flesh hanging in ragged, chewed strands, only her face untouched by the savagery as the two ghouls feeding on her took on familiar visages. The Ripper and Argentum, the ghoul's who killed her. His love, his only true joy and desire in his life that he felt body and soul, and all he could see in her beautiful face, her cherry red lips, smooth, porcelain skin, her short, shining black hair, and her deep chocolate brown eyes. From her perfect lips spoke the same phrase, over and over in the sweetest, yet at the same time, most mocking of tones as she beckoned to him, with one ravaged hand, there hardly being any flesh or muscle on it any more due to the monster's savage feeding.

_{Where were you, Itsuki? Why did you come for me? Why didn't you protect me?}

As time returned to it's normal speed, and the apparition faded away, so did their words, but not the effect they had. In what had been to most probably a split-second, he felt like he'd just spent hours witnessing these terrors. A change overcame him, his smile finally dropping, his head taking a strange tilt to it, and his dead eyed kakugan burst to life, the blaring white of his eyes focusing in on the two attacking his family. There was no thought's right now, only honed paranoia and insanity as he suddenly rushed forward, his cloak fluttering behind him in the breeze as a familiar ache spread along his lower back, followed by the sharp pain of his kagune bursting from his back, four twisting tentacles covered that would launch out with such speed that it'd be nigh-impossible for the young ghouls to interpret what just happened to them as the boy was seized by the throat in mid-air, barely given the chance to breathe before he was slammed into wall he had sprung from so hard that it gained even more cracks, creaking dangerously to signify it's weakness.

The girl would be given a similar amount of mercy, as at the same time she'd be gripped by her pertruding Kagune being swung into the ground with such force that she bounced. She was right in front of her brother, but before she could do anything, Itsuki's foot would come down lightly, but firmly, on her chest, and her vision would be the grasping clawed end of his blackened Kagune, her brother staring down a similar sight as he reared them back, about to kill these two children if no one intervened. His expression as he committed the deed was hollow of any emotion, as if none had truly resided their in the first place.

@Zombehs

@GrafRoy Zeppeli

@Savato

---

---

His sister did deserve much more than just a hug, and Kasachi would have to make it up to her after this. For now, as his feet touched the second floor lightly, he had a brat to take care without bringing the whole place down around them. A palm knocked aside the Kagune strike before his other hand wrapped around the sword-like weapon, clamping around it even while something distracted Kasachi.

What? Well namely his brother’s disproportionate response as four tendrils burst from Itsuki’s back. Of concern was also Isori’s own Kagune and who the hell had done that to her, but he pushed it aside for now. Not to say the anger that rose faded completely as his grip tightened enough around the young boy’s Kagune to crush it slightly. He also shook the boy like a rag doll for being an idiot and continuing with his failure of plan. Should have realized how badly outmatched they were and let the girl Mii back off.

Dropping back down to the first floor, he placed himself between Itsuki and the girl, Mii. They might have been impossibly fast for the young ghouls, but his own Bikaku had little trouble in lashing out and wrapping around the tendrils, forcing them to Itsuki’s side and his brother to stop. He held onto Kazu for a moment before tossing the young ghoul to Mii’s side with a light flick of the wrist. A pair of wings burst from in between his shoulder blades as warning for the young ghouls that he was not as tied up as they might think. “Bring the others out here. Now.” It was a mostly calm tone except for the promise of violence that lingered as an undertone.

With that said, he turned his attention towards Itsuki with a frown. From his brother’s expression it seemed like he had truly intended to kill the two young ghouls, and Kasachi couldn’t agree with it. Even if they had been idiots who attacked first, they also apparently didn’t know any better. Within the remains of the mansion he had grown up and on the anniversary of the old man’s death, was it any wonder why he felt for this group of orphans. “Stand down. I’m not letting you kill a bunch of brats in what’s left of where the old man brought brats like them. Like us.”

Itsuki’s Kagune should have been a Rinkaku-type if he wasn’t mistaken and given the strain it took to hold them in place, Kasachi was fairly sure he remembered correctly. Hopefully the cracking of knuckles would reach his brother and he wouldn’t need to punch some sense into his elder.

---

@Raijinslayer

---

Suzu's little return of compliment made Asoka grin in joy, she did enjoy the occasional compliment after all. Though the difference between a compliment and an ego stroke were quite clear when the eldest of the four showed up in his turn, opening with Asoka's resume. A weak chuckle escaped her being as she turned to face a frame she'd recognize despite the effects of time.

'Oh yeah baby, work the shaft.'

She withheld such a response however, Asoka of all people knew how important the first impression was, even if she knew them beforehand. Messing around to show off a bit of her nature was one thing, abusing and being downright dirty was another. Luckily, Suzu had the right idea of focusing her attention on Itsuki. Asoka didn't mind, though she'd let go a lot slower of the younger ghoul's waist than the latter did. Her mood would shift when Suzu leaked her eyes out at the presence of Itsuki, prompting Asoka's left eyebrow to arc.

'Wow, really? Sob story already guys? Give me a break.'

Her distaste for the moment was well concealed however as her expression displayed more of a charmed yet surprised look than a discontent one. Asoka clearly felt a form of disgust, believing that such baby-like behavior was so surreal and almost ridiculous for survivors like them to express. But she was lying to herself, most likely, and felt a hint of jealousy for not having the same relevance. No matter, it wasn't like they were anything special in the end. She winked at her tall sibling as the final one made his entrance. Now genuine surprise struck the female ghoul, because Kasachi was quite the opposite of Itsuki in terms of growth. Now Asoka's size was never truly a problem to her, it got some rather disconcerting perverts on her side after all, but a short guy was always quite a sight to see.

"Kasachi, you look ... Dandy."

'Shorty.'

She snickered, pushing the otherwise serious man's buttons before everyone froze because of some random noise. Placing her hands on her hips, Asoka wondered if they weren't indeed having unwelcome visitors to their buffet lacking get together. Then again, perhaps this little event would remedy this event of such a lack.

"Heehee, you didn't tell us you prepared a whole party for us, Suzu~"

And with that said, a couple of kids went nanners on the adults. Asoka was unimpressed, of course, as undisciplined ghouls were the daily grind for her. They were kids to top it all off, and they faced off against four adult ghoul survivors. Clearly there was nothing to fear. While the three others were busy 'defending' themselves against the young assailants, Asoka dusted off the living room's couch that had been moved and probably used as bed for many homeless and sat comfortably on it. Leg over the other, she watched the events unfold until her oldest 'brother' had a steel cord snap in his head.

What they did and who they were fighting off barely interested the little ghoul when she noticed just what made this whole trip worth it. While the males she had clear memories of being fighters, she never recalled Suzu being like this. Let alone that weird Kakugan. Itsuki however, she remembered him being weird, and those messed up eyes of his refreshed her memories very well. Finally, Kasachi, his eyes were boring but sprout out of his back was a ridiculously rare thing to see. At last, Asoka knew why she'd have to care for them more than the rest.

"Heh, you guys are such pushovers. C'mon, they're kids. And they look like hobos. And they look sooooo cute with their heads sticking out like wack-a-moles!"

Before the moment was broken and they'd emerge from their hiding spot, Asoka took a quick picture with her phone of the kiddies struck with fear of the adults in the room. She didn't stop there and took a quick snap of each of her siblings while they were in their overly serious Ghoul paradigm. At least now she wouldn't forget what they'd look like if they were to vanish again. She stood up and walked closer to have a better glimpse of the kiddies, smacking Itsuki on his posterior like she was the boss.

"Loosen up boyo, you're even making me feel nervous. Listen to your midget brother! He seems to be the voice of reason today."

With that small jab against Kasachi, she stuck her tongue out at the more reasonable male of the gang, exposing her black tongue piercing. She thought it looked hot, and nothing was permanent on a ghoul so it was really a whatever choice. Asoka then bent over forward, one hand on her hip and the other reaching out for Mii's face. Swiftly she nabbed the little girl's cheek and pulled on it.

"So, whatcha doing in this rat hole? Hope you didn't break anything of value, otherwise ... I'd have to wack you like the little moles you are~"

She messed with the kid, though the strong grip she had on the cheek displaying the difference of power between the kids and the shortest female of the gang. Ironically, she'd be the most physically apt of the gang and Asoka was confident she could handle these kiddies if they were to get a little too agitated. They were likely no different from the shits she'd recruit in the streets with absolutely no education.

Despite of whatever reaction Itsuki would have at Hyouta's threats, and how he stopped him, two small girls, seemingly twins, approached the man, hurrying out of their hiding spot and grabbing one leg each.

Despite their small frame, and as it should be expected from Ghouls, their grip was fierce and unrelenting.

"Don't do anything to Onee-chan!" The one clad in pink shouted at Itsuki.

"S-She did nothing to you... we are just trying to live here, so please... go home!" The one in blue followed up.

"Keep him like that!" There was the pitter patter of yet another set of feet through the remains of the mansion, before he jumped and aimed to cut Itsuki's kagune with his own, a rinkaku kagune, coiled around the boy's waist, taking the form of a serrated blade.

He would then spin in the air to be able to cut Itsuki's kagune and free the child that was nicknamed 'Mii-chan', expecting her to already be in the grasp of the older ghoul.

Of course, his attack failed completely and he hit the ground, hard, after Hyouta's intervention.

Kazuya hit Mii somewhat hard, but still, the both of them stood their ground as Mii caught Kazuya with her arms open.

"Are you all right, Kazu-kun?" She asked him, but the boy offered no reply.

Instead, he started walking towards the others. Whatever they were doing here, well, it didn't matter.

His quick kagune sprouted out again and was quick to coil around his hand and take the form of claws, "Go home." He asked the group of ghouls, his eyes black with his kakugan. Any other human would be terrified at the sight, as the boy seemed deadly serious about killing the lot of them.

Kazuya seemed to be a bit more experienced, and the other boy didn't seem half bad either, but their small bodies certainly gave them an edge in speed and in evasion over the Ghouls that were bigger than them and probably better in every other physical aspect. Kazuya thought that it would turn into a battle of attrition then, see who would tire out first.

"Let's just stop!" Kazuya shouted, trying to get everyone's attention, and hopingly stopping everyone on their tracks from further hurting the others.

Even as he was, he didn't want to test his luck against the older ghouls.

That's when Mii's cheek was pulled by Asoka, "W-What are you doing? Please stop. Please." She tried to bark back, but her scared demeanor definitely did not make for much snark coming from her.

"Look, we don't have food and we don't have much else for you to steal. If you want our clothes, then take them. But just leave us alone. We don't want any more trouble." As he spoke, Kazuya's eyes started welling up.

"But you attacked us first." Isori said, her kakugan disappearing and her kagune retracting back into her shoulder blade. "If anyone has to apologise, it should be you guys for suddenly springing in on us like that. That's not nice, you know?"

She approached the little boy and bent down some to pat his head and look at him in the eyes as she half scolded him.

"I-I, that's-! Okay... I'm sorry about that. It's just... some doves have been lurking around the area. Toru-nii went to check it over and... he never came back. I got scared, thinking you guys were the same a-and I just... Well, that. We don't want to cause anyone problems. We just want to live here like we've done until now and just live a happy life here. I know Ghouls may not be allowed that, but I don't want these guys to have to go through the same shit I've gone through."

That's when Isori hit the boy's head with her fist, lightly, but enough to make the boy let out a pained cry.

"What you on about, bitch?!" His answer was met with yet another fist from Isori.

"You shouldn't talk like that. You are still young, so you don't need to be swearing so much. I don't know what you've gone through, but I'm sure you can live here without a problem if you don't make too much of a fuss. The doves are busy with the turf wars with that one Ghoul group, so I think they'd overlook you guys if you stay quiet enough." She smiled at Kazuya, before turning to the others.

"Right guys?" She knew that wasn't true, though.

The doves had the upper hand right now in the skirmishes all around the 5th ward. They didn't want to leave any rock unturned, so they constantly swoop every area where they thought Ghouls could be hiding to get rid of them.

They should be all right living here for a month at most, and that was being generous. They could very well be dead by the time the week ended, but Isori had to reassure them in some way.

She just hoped that the others caught her drift and followed up with that.

---

---

Huh. Eight years really did put a 180 on Asoka’s personality, and it was hard to even associate the word meek with the younger girl he saw right now. It was a bit jarring, but Kasachi supposed he had no one but himself to blame for this unfamiliarity with his siblings. A slight tilt of his head seemed to ask if this was really an appropriate time for photos, and then he muttered, “Really now,” as he made a show of looking down, even if only slightly, at the shorter raven-haired girl. His lips did curl upwards in amusement though before he focused on Itsuki again. His older brother might have had about half a foot on him, but that evidently didn't translate into any great difference in strength. With a hand on Itsuki's chest, his Bikaku flexed, and he shoved the older ghoul away from the brats with a grunt, disentangling his Bikaku from Itsuki's Kagune afterwards.

With all Kagune freed up, his two wings swept the twins up before they could make it past him and wrapped around the two of them, leaving only their heads exposed. It wasn’t a crushing embrace, but the lack of any give definitely hinted that could change at any moment. As for the other boy that charged onto the scene despite all this, one of his Bikaku snaked around the serrated Kagune and then the boy’s torso, holding him helplessly in the air rather than let him hit the ground. With a sigh, his Bikaku whipped through the air briefly to shake the captured boy like a ragdoll. Ultimately harmless in the end, but Ghouls were hardly immune to disorientation and even adult Ghouls he had done that to weren’t too coherent afterwards.

His one free Bikaku angled downward, tip of the blade following Kazuya’s movements. Despite that Kasachi’s eyes remained focused on Itsuki as he waited to see if his brother had calmed down, or if they were really about to do this. Not that he wanted to fight any of his siblings, but he also wasn’t about to let them kill off a bunch of brats that didn’t know any better. He still respected his father and what the old man had believed in after all this years.

“Pft.” A slow shake of the head accompanied Kasachi’s amused scoff. “Giving yourself a bit too much worth there.” Really, the brat thought the four of them had nothing better to do than rob a few kids? Isori seemed to have a decent handle on things for now, so he let the three captured kids go. It wasn’t exactly a gentle toss, but they weren’t going through any walls, even those with eight years of neglect, at the least. Really, it was just a few tumbles before they came to a stop around Kazu, Mii, Isori, and Asoka.

Seeing as both Isori and Asoka had gone over to one of the brats, leaving only Itsuki in front of him, Kasachi spared a glance back when his youngest sister, presumably, asked for their support. “If they stay quiet enough. Try this on the doves, and you’ll all just end up dead. Like geez, even if the old man was at peace, this display probably has him rolling in his grave.” As if embarrassed he had to take part in all this he rubbed at the back of his head and sighed.

If it weren't the anniversary of the old man's death he probably would have avoided the 5th Ward to be honest. Ever since The Apex Hunters had appeared, the group had stirred up trouble with the Doves and constantly got into fights and skirmishes. Apparently a few days back the Doves had managed to take out one of the stronger Ghouls in the group and were pressing the advantage with everything they had. Dove Squads moved in on previously safe houses and hiding spots, racking up the body count as The Apex Hunters reeled from their loss. From what he heard the group had been forced to give up quite a bit of territory as they retreated and regrouped. Hardly a good time to be a Ghoul in hiding really.

"It'd be better if you all headed to a different Ward though," he said honestly after a moment.

---

---

Itsuki eyes flicked towards, Asoka, then Kachi, before letting his Kagune disperse with a slight sigh. He payed little attention to what happened afterwards, only concerned with one thing at that moment now that he had confirmed that there was no actual threat. "Kachi, be wary, seems like Asoka means to sexually assail the all of us before the night is out. And I won't argue that what I did might be overreactive considering the assailants, but I've learned the hard way not to underestimate someone just because of their age." Itsuki, backed away before Kachi could proceed to push him, putting his back against the wall, watching and listening to the kids as they spoke, learning a couple things himself as well. But as everyone spoke, his gaze drifed over to his youngest sibling, or more to the point, the kagune that she shouldn't have. He'd heard lots of stories of half-ghouls, but none of them had been happy ones, especially those of humans being made into ghouls by some sick scientist's experiments. His fingers curled into fists as he began to feel a familiar surge of anger flow through him, but he quickly let it dissipate as he knew that getting pissed at shadows wouldn't solve anything, and going after whoever did this wouldn't stop whatever had happened.

Turning his attention to the small group that had made themselves known, he decided to wait rather than add in his own two cents to the issue. Instead, he studied the children, the dynamics among them, the weak links, and the pressure points that could be pressed to break their spirits. the girl and the older boys seemed to be the more capable of the 5, though that wasn't by much, and the twins were either smart or stupid for asking for forgiveness the way they did. Probably stupidly naive, but trying to calm the situation down, even in such a childish fashion, might've given them some pity in the eyes of a ghoul. A Dove would've killed them all outright, though, no doubt about that. They were all young, and obviously not related, but had come together out of necessity like many orphaned ghouls. How ironic that they come here for safety and a place to live.

"A group of orphans, living in the ruins of an old mansion that just so happened to be the place where we were gathered so many years ago in much the same way. It's quite the poetic coincidence, I must say, that they come to live here at the moment of our impromptu reunion. And I do have to agree with Kachi on this one, kids, if things are as bad as he says, than you're probably going to die if you stay here."

So much for waiting, though I never have been the type to sit still and wait for my turn to speak. Always having to speak, always need to break the silence, even if that means conversing with myself.

---

At least Itsuki wasn't stiff as a bone anymore. His upcoming comment however made Asoka release the female known as Mii-chan as per her requested and proceeded to flip off her 'brother' with a discontent look.

"Remind me next time to shatter your coccyx. Clearly you'd prefer that, little M."

She pointed at her elder brother with the same major finger she'd flip him off with before poking his nose with it. A little chuckle made it evident she was messing with him, but then again he probably had the right idea that Asoka wasn't as predictable as before. Crossing her arms as she turned to face the flock of kiddies now all emerging to expose their true numbers, the shortest of the adults counted them all and took notice of just how bad they looked. Evidently, they weren't pampered like the four of them had the chance to be back in the day. They definitely looked like crap.

While Kachi seemed amused at the explanation of the more volatile boy's response, Asoka held back a rather crude laughter. Bits and pieces were let out and her face turned red in the effort. Steal crap from a moldy vestige of a burnt house? Someone of her caliber? Well, she wasn't that great but Asoka did make the effort to at least look classy enough. To assume such things were both insulting but also hilarious. It reminded her just how stupid kids could be, and that made them all the cuter.

And then, a speech of encouragement. It went from sob story to hope most people like Asoka were completely disillusioned of. The laughter stopped but the awkward stare began toward Suzu's direction. With some sound advice from the males, reality still didn't seem to strike them all too well. It appears as though Asoka was going to be the bummer of the gang this time around. Someone had to be, heck she'd even be the deathdealer if they'd have to mercy kill them.

"Bad or not, you know the death toll for kiddies without guardians is massive. I'd say, whether they stay or move, given what those annoying Doves have been doing the past weeks, one or two will survive through sheer luck. And that's within the year"

Asoka mercilessly announced the facts, most likely imposing terror to the hearts of the innocent little beings before her. But it was true, they would most likely die barring the lucky or clever. Clearly most were not clever seeing as they've rushed the four adult ghouls without even thinking it through.

"And you said one of your pals got grabbed. Assuming he or she got locked up, it could very well be that they'll spill the beans to avoid getting butchered into a Quinque for a few more weeks. Running won't be so useful then now would it~"

Smirking, at least she prepared the little ones to what was the reality of their situation. It'd likely come as a shocker too for her siblings as such a lack of consideration didn't fare very well for Asoka's image. It didn't matter however, she wasn't conducting business and if anything she got those apt to survive on their toes.

"We see kids like these every day, guys. You shouldn't nut because you see some in person. No matter how ... Cute ... They may ... Beeeaaaaahhhhh shit."

The twins just had to be there, being all cute and almost the exact same. The two just looked so adorable and perfect, there was just something about them being twins that added to the cute factor. Disposing of her more serious and party pooping demeanor, she approached the two lads and knelt down to their level. Asoka grinned almost creepily at them, though that could be because she did put off a disconcerting show on how they'd all die.

"And what are your names? You look so young. Are you scared of the creepy men who took your friend?"

"So violent, it's almost endearing, though I admit you have me stumped on the Little M bit, not quite sure what you mean there." Itsuki returned his sister's gesture with a smile of his own, not seeming to take the threat to heart. He might've said more, but Kazuya stepped away from Isori and placed himself between Asoka and the twins, giving her a cool glare that failed to hide the fear in his eyes.

"Look, we're sorry for attacking you, we were scared and desperate, but if you've got nothing else to do with us, then just leave us be. Like I said before, we don't want any trouble and you guys seem like just that." As he spoke, the child's eyes turned to glare at Itsuki, remembering how quick the man had been in trying to kill them. Nothing good could of mixing up with these people, he was sure of it. But a voice spoke up from her place on the ground.

"But Kazu-nii . . . maybe they can help save Toru-nii. We don't know where he is, or what they're doing to him. What if the lady's right and they . . . they . . ."Mii started to cry as her thoughts turned to their missing brother and his likely fate at the hands of the doves, curling up into a ball as her sobs got louder and louder. Kazuya clenched his teeth, glaring angrily at Asoka before walking over to put a hand on his sister's shoulder, only for her to jump in him and cry into his jacket. He said no words, but only looked at the adults around him, giving a silent message to them all: Go away! We don't need or want you here.

Itsuki was rather unfazed by the scene, though he no longer had his smile up, he seemed more subdued rather than saddened. He said nothing in response to the display of emotion, simply deciding to recline against a wall and keep to himself. While he did feel for their situation, he wasn't about to go on a suicide mission to save some random kid, and hedoubtedany of the others would either. It was just a bad call, and something that likely end up with them on the wrong-side of a Quinque blade.

---

And her brother didn't get it. Somewhat awkward, then again it was somewhat of an inside joke from her environment, but even so people usually caught on pretty fast, all Asoka needed was to gear her sibling onto the right track. The adorableness of the twins became secondary to the little show she was about to display to Itsuki. Straightening herself, she'd present her flattened left hand at the level of her chest before explaining herself.

"You see Itsukiwi, according to Asokaism, the world was once all chaos. But then a very hot Goddess came down and divided the miserable people into two categories: The M and the S."

She put the emphasis on the letters, and as S was pronounced, she lifted her right hand in the same position as her left, imitating a form of scales. Surely he had picked up her little, stupid joke and it did take some theatrics to get the foul tension in the air all gone. Especially after her speech on how these munchkins were going to get slaughtered. Asoka beamed at Itsuki, proud of herself that she got to mess with him. She did often dream of shocking her old housemates with this change of behavior for there wasn't the slightest hint of discomfort or hesitation in her words.

Her large smile drowned out with Kazuya's intervention. He blocked her view from the almost perfectly identical blonde kiddies, and that she did not like at all. The young dealer cocked an eyebrow upon feeling the full force of Kazuya's disdain for the orphan quads that simply wanted to meet in this Godforsaken place. Then the other girl of the gang spoke up and just cried her eyes out. A drop of sweat leaked out of Asoka's forehead and made its way through her cheek. She was definitely uncomfortable with her crying all of a sudden.

'Great, I made a kid cry. Give me a break.'

"Look, sweetie, I wouldn't mind giving an asskicking to a couple of Doves, but there's no way I'm going anywhere near Cochlea. And neither should you little pests. You may want to, erm ... Move on?"

She struggled this time around, clearly her words were not that well presented this time around. Asoka rubbed her right temple with her fingers, taking this reaction really not as well as she should have. The other kids still looked terrified, and who could blame them, a bunch of a ghouls in which one was dead eyed just barged in and paraded the fact that they would die pretty horrible deaths. Smooth move, Asoka, even smoother on your part, Itsuki.

Kazuya's glare however reminded her of what she was about to do before Mii starting bursting into tears. A brief 'Heh' escaped her lips before she scooted to their direction. Swiftly, Asoka nabbed the young boy's chin with her thumb and index. She got him good, and he could feel the intense force applied from just the two small fingers, likely smaller than Kazuya's. Asoka knew exactly how to catch people like this, after all it excited those into dominant females so she learned. She lowered herself on one knee to be at his level.

"Now you, a prime M alright. You just love to take a beating. Give it a rest, I'll rip Itsukiwi's family jewels off before he caps one of you."

With a smirk, she closed the gap between little boy's face and her's before employing a softer and more hospitable tone.

"You'd make a fine man in a few years. But keep this up and you'll make a nice Dove suitcase. But before that, your buddies with you are going to come and save you. I'm sure you know how this little scam loop works, the Doves study this stuff after all. They're close to your age when they start learning this actually."

By now, she had managed to get close to four of the five, getting a good feel of them as well as their smell. There just remained one boy who didn't speak out much, most likely not as outgoing as this little ball of energy. In any case, what seemed like playtime for Asoka was her testing the waters.

---

---

He pulled his hand back when it seemed Itsuki had come to his senses and held his hands up in a gesture for peace. When it didn’t seem like his elder held anything over Kasachi’s interruption he exhaled softly in relief. That turned into a heavy sigh as he turned around to look at Asoka with a cocked eyebrow. He couldn’t exactly argue with the hard facts that the second youngest laid out, as harsh as they were. Though he could have pointed out that her and Isori couldn’t have been any older, and were probably younger than most of the brats when the four of them had gone their separate ways.

The dubious expression remained as he watched Asoka literally switch on a dime as the twins rolled to a halt nearby and caught her attention. The callous edge in her tone might have disappeared as she addressed them, but it was still a bit off putting how she spoke to them. As if to emphasize his expression Kasachi cocked his head at the exchange between his two siblings… A glance at the brats showed that they were either confused or didn’t care about the byplay, which was for the better really.

“It’s probably Corniculum,” he pointed out for Asoka as he rolled his neck and hummed happily when it cracked. As it stood, if Kazuya didn’t want their help then Kasachi wasn’t about to try and drag the five with him even if it was for their own sakes. A hand ran through his hair, and he sighed sharply at Mii’s muffled sobs. If the old man was alive he would definitely have Kachi’s hide if he simply walked away and abandoned the five to their fates. He could watch over them from the shadows like some guardian angel, though that was painting far too pleasant a picture, and wouldn’t last long. Once the CCG realized that the five were apparently of importance to Wraith, they would come down hard.

“Please don’t try converting any of them to Asokaism, especially not while they’re still so young,” he remarked as his body tensed. The dual Kagunes receded inside with a few shudders on his part and he relaxed again afterwards as he looked between each of the brats. “Lil Asoka wasn’t wrong though. Even if the Doves miss ya in the following weeks, there’s still plenty of ways you might go within the year.” He didn’t- actually scratch that, scared is exactly what he wanted the brats to be. Scared people, humans or Ghouls, tended to live a lot longer especially if they managed to take control of their fear.

---

Asoka's little show did put things into better perspective for Itsuki, who rolled his eyes at the display.

"I'd say that a third person exist in this system of your's, the neutral ones who rather not give or receive." He'd mutter with a bit of gruffness, his ego ever so slightly affected by his lack of recognition, but in his defense to himself, it had been on a topic that he'd been very far away from the forefront of his thoughts for a very, very long time. As his siblings spoke to the kids, however, he began to think more on the subject. He knew that the smart thing was to let the brats sink or swim by their merits, as it would likely lead to trouble if they tried to care for them . . . but the old man would've done it. If it hadn't been for his kindness, than Itsuki would likely be dead or in the service of some other ghoul's gang by now. He'd been saved from the true realities of living as a ghoul in his early days of living, and he now had the chance to do the same for another group of kids. How could he ever face the old man in the next life if he didn't at least try.

With a sigh, he walked passed the other two, making a motion for them to follow as he walked into the rain, waiting until he was far enough away from the children that they wouldn't be able to hear tgwm, but close enough so that he could keep an eye on them, though he asked for Isori to keep an eye on them as well, just in case they tried to make a break anyway. Once Asoka and Kasachi arrived, he'd begin to layout his plan.

"Okay, I've changed my tune on this whole deal, if for nothing else but the memory of the Old Man. I was thinking of taking a nearby abandoned warehouse as a place of residence for myself, as I've nowhere to live after my years of absence. I'm willing to take the brats in with me as well, as it'd definitely be big enough for all of them, but the problem is that it's inhabited already by a gang of ghouls. I've done some preliminary scouting of the area already, and none of them appear to be very strong, and though they do have a numbers advantage, it wouldn't be anything I couldn't handle. However, I'd rather have this done quietly and efficiently, so as to lessen the chance of drawing the Doves attention. As such, if you guy's would be willing to help, it'd be appreciated. I can't offer anything in return, and the only real reason for suggesting is that I believe we owe o the old man to do this. One good turn deserves another and all of that. So, you in?"

---

Upon her comment on the little kid's fate at the hands of the CCG, big brother number two had the right idea to pitch in his own idea as to what prison the little one would be in. This prompted Asoka to lift an eyebrow and orient her glace at the green eyed cannibal.

"Heh, contrarian."

She'd remark with a strong level of snark in her voice barely a second after his input. Kasachi would follow up with how it would be bad if she indoctrinated the innocent minds over here to her recently created religion. This earned a chuckle, but a full blown laughter would be released when Itsuki tried to catch up from his ignorance with such a silly reply. Shaking her head in a condescending manner, she rolled her eyes before stretching her arms up in the air before releasing a rude yawn with her mouth uncovered.

Distractions aside, they all seemed concerned about what to do with the kids, despite of course being ghouls who kill sentient, innocent individuals for a living every day, usually. For Asoka, the thought wasn't as surreal as it would be for the males of the gang for instance, as they were clearly the more ruthless of the bunch. Just by looking at how Itsuki acted, it wasn't hard to tell that he was one of those creepy, violent ones she had to deal with more than once when trying to get some respect in her own ward. It did come to a surprise when he made the effort to gather the two away from the kids to have a talk. Asoka honestly expected him to just make out a plan to mercy kill them without alerting the kiddies and go on with their lives.

But no, he did not, quite the contrary actually. This left Asoka somewhat flabbergasted, unable to utter a thought for a second. The female ghoul quickly tried to discern what was going on, and eventually she got it.

'Guilt tripping, huh? Fuck me, nostalgia biting us in the ass again. Some crazies would even call this fate.'

She sighed in the middle of her brother's monologue, having already understood what he expected from them before he'd ask for their help. Fighting for things she couldn't own or make use of wasn't something she was used to, nor feeling like it would be of any positive effect to her being, at all. Asoka turned her head, arms crossed as she zoned out the rain with such a dilemma in her hands, to give a glance at her second oldest sibling, having already asserted that he was most likely the more stable one of the two before her. She wanted him to at least give her a look, something to confirm whether he'd be with or against such an idea. Eventually, she'd voice her opinion.

"So, you want us to risk our lives to kill a bunch of nobodies, bring some smelly kids we just met in some shady warehouse with you, the guy who made them shit their pants, as babysitter? Am I the only one seeing this as late night joke material?"

Mocking her brother's suggestion, she both expressed the ridiculousness she felt in this plan but also a need to calm down the seriousness of it all. They were just kids they could abandon from all she cared, so why be all direct about taking care of them? The old man's legacy was one thing, but it shouldn't be a priority to survivor ghouls like them.

"Look, the best thing we could do is just mercy kill them. Probably the kindest thing they'd even known to be honest. I ain't killing any kid however, I'm way beyond getting this new Burberry dirty."

Asoka acted as though she had absolute no care for them, putting her clothes before the very pity act she offered. Upon finishing her sentence, she did turn back to look at Isori, as well as the kids nearby. Those twins were so fucking adorable, and made her feel all fuzzy inside. Asoka grimaced, filled with both cringe and guilt toward what ran in her mind. Playing the bad cop here wasn't exactly her position of choice, but come on, a little reason was needed. She'd want to hear what they'd have to say about the options before she'd obviously choke and nab herself a set of dual kiddies.

---

---

“Pft.” He met Asoka’s gaze, but otherwise didn’t respond any further. It hadn’t even been half an hour, but he recognized she had a way with words at the least and was in all likelihood better spoken than him. There was no need to spark a verbal back-and-forth he’d probably regret. He blinked several times at the roaring laughter Itsuki inspired and simply shrugged at the kids who seemed more nervous with each second. Looking away from the brats, he watched the rain fall and even focused on individual droplets, switching as they splattered on the ground, until the laughter died. A glance between his “siblings” and Kachi nodded ever so slightly as he turned on a heel and followed after Itsuki.

The older male’s 180 was… somewhat surprising, but Kachi didn’t really have much insight into Itsuki’s mentality. He couldn’t say he trusted the older male, not after what little he had seen, but if Itsuki wanted to try and take care of the brats than his support was there. His future was filled with a staggering amount of free-time given his siblings seemed to be… well, or close enough to it. They were all so different from what he remembered, but that was what happened over the eight year fight it must have been for each of them to survive. He shook his head slightly and focused on the main issue at hand here, namely what to do with the brats.

Kachi didn’t miss Asoka’s glance, but his dismissive shrug was probably unhelpful at best. Regardless of how good or bad the idea was, they couldn’t do anything if the brats weren’t cooperative, and Asoka so helpfully pointed out exactly why the five would balk from the idea. Asoka’s proposal was good in the fact that it didn’t really matter what the brats wanted, but lacked any real redeeming points beyond that. “The brats would probably object to the suggestion. Might as well just leave them alone like they want, and maybe Kazuya might catch your fancy one day.” It did seem like some of the brats had caught her eye, but he had a feeling it wasn't the spunky, if slightly brainless, blue-eyed boy.

Without waiting for a response from her, though Kachi did keep an eye on her just in case she took offense, he glanced at Itsuki. “Give me the warehouse location and I’ll go take care of it. You’ll probably need the time just to convince those five that they have any reason to trust ya.”

---

"No one's asking you to kill a kid or risk your life, I've been staking the place out and it's full of mostly chumps, lightweights, ghouls that you can probably beat with your eyes closed if the rumors I've heard about my silver-tailed sister are worth anything, sparse as they tended to be. As for convincing them, I'll admit, I was just going to tell them that they can either try their luck with me for a greater chance of surviving as a group, or go it alone and watch as they all get killed off one by one by either other ghouls or Doves. I'm only doing this because it's what the Old man would've done, otherwise, I really can't say I care." Itsuki cracked his neck a little, feeling a bit stiff after standing in the cold for so long. As Kachi gave his own thoughts on the matter, Itsuki couldn't help but frown at the thought of having to actually talk to the kids, but he realized that if this was going to happen, he'd probably have to eventually, so better to just get it over with. "Fine, just do your best to be discreet about it, I don't want to have to deal with Doves sniffing the place out, it's a miracle they haven't bust down the door already to be honest."

He'd give Kachi the address, the basic layout of the warehouse that he'd been able to guess from the outside, and an estimation of how many Ghouls were present and their patrol schedules. It seemed to be a group of maybe 12-15, though it could be more, with two pairs of guards patrolling around the perimeter every night under the cover of shadows. Once that was done, he'd give another sigh before beginning to trudge on back to where the kids and Isori were, giving Asoka some parting words as he walked passed, ruffling her hair a bit as he did so, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"You can either help stop the trainwreck of a conversation that's about to happen between me and those brats, help Kachi clear the place out, or simple bow out and go about your day. Whatever the reason, it was good to see you again and glad to see you've made a place for yourself. Try and visit from time to time, I could use a smart-ass to keep me company from time to time." He chuckled as he tapped his forehead a bit before continuing on. "As I'm sure you'v noticed, not exactly the brightest bulb after these 8 years or so." With that, he'd walk over to Isori, who was currently in a conversation with one of the twins while most of the other kids kept an eye on the group, wondering what the adults had decided.

---

"You're asking me to fight ghouls. No matter how shit they are, it's still a risk I factor in, idiot. All you need is one outlier in their gang to make you shit bricks."

Arms crossed, Asoka wasn't particularly amused by the second portion of Itsuki's statement about her. While the title surely stroked her ego, she didn't like to have it used in a manner to downgrade the threats ahead. You can't lead a pack of unpredictable ghouls without knowing yourself to never underestimate an enemy, or a situation in general. She'd eventually back up under the rotten porch of the decayed house, realizing just how bad her hair had gotten. The pigtails did the damage control, but goodness were they just a pain to wear at this point. Removing the elastics used to apply her style, she released her shoulder blade length hair. As she brushed its entirety with her gloved hands in the attempt to remove the mass of water caught in them.

"Besides, suck my dick all you want, I know you two morons are hotshots among our suitcase carrying friends. If the group is that weak, one of you should be enough, let alone some circlejerk coalition between the two of you."

Nonetheless, if she didn't have to risk anything major, she was game to have this happen. May as well boost that karma slightly to make Asoka feel better about herself. So the two boys exchanged information about the place and how it could go, the little female ghoul didn't seem to interested in that. If she were to assault it, she'd of course look it up in her workplace and plan out how she'd make others do it for her with minimum damage to her assets.

But then something awful occurred, something that defied common sense to those who knew who Asoka was as a woman. Patting her on the head, messing with her hair and then acting all big brother-ish. How demeaning it felt for her, a power monger megalomaniac with a severe superiority complex. It was unacceptable. A vein plopped out of her temple, and her eyelid twitched when Itsuki made it back in. Resisting the urge to shatter her own teeth in anger, she simply took in a deep breath before replying.

"Yeah, I'm happy with my place in this world alright ..."

And with that said in the most monotone of voices, she made it evident to the male that something wasn't ticking right. Though as he'd take the action to understand what was up, he'd be met with strong, forward kick on his tailbone. She promised she'd go for the coccyx after all. It wouldn't be surprising that she'd pull off so easily, even on a high rated like Itsuki, after all she was the skillful one of the gang. The kick was swift, and shouldn't be all that damaging by someone her size. Except she'd a ghoul. The coccyx would evidently break and the sheer force would propel Itsuki forward into wooden rubble within the house.

This would hurt, somewhat, but as a ghoul it would be rather easy to shrug off by Itsuki. What would be harder would be the organ inevitably damaged there. The glorious family jewels. If he were also a Bikaku, the Kakuhou would also take a beating and deliver the most amusing of reactions. Now standing as authoritarian as ever, she slowly unbuttoned her prized coat before handing it on the opened door behind her. She was wearing a red plaid shirt, unbuttoned enough to show her cleavage.

"... Now you should learn yours, my beloved big brother. There are two things you should know. One, don't touch me like that. Ever. Two, just because we're quote on quote, "Siblings", doesn't automatically make us best friends. You're right on one thing, you are dumb. You know who I am, so don't push it."

Rolling her eyes, she'd turn her head to face Kachi, the one who didn't seem to out of touch with reality, as she cracked her knuckles. She wasn't going to beat the crap out of Itsuki, not unless he'd retaliate, but she did feel pumped and the need to exact ritualistic actions and free herself from unneeded equipment took over.

"I'm game for this charity work, but I'm not butchering some hobo ghouls. I'm a bit above doing the dirty work these days, sweetie."