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video | un: ramenkage

[ There’s a lot of important posts going up on the network lately. So much so that Naruto has been kind of apprehensive about posting this. He can't really articulate as well as everyone else and while he wishes he could say something useful about everything that's happening, he's kind of overwhelmed by it all and just taking it as it comes. His issue is determinedly unimportant, but desperation has got the better of him. So here he is. Hi, he's new. Be nice. ]

So uh, I was wonderin' if one of you could help me with something…

[ His usually whiskered but now strangely bare cheeks (thanks cloaking device) are slightly pink as he scrunches up his face. He looks… kind of embarrassed to be asking something like this so openly, because it’s like admitting inferiority, but this kind of stuff just isn’t his forte. ]

I dunno what to tell people when they ask what I do, or where I come from, or anythin' like that.

[ Coming up with an entire backstory? All by himself? Surely you jest. The most he’s managed is dressing his clones differently and calling them his brothers, any more creative than that and you’re asking a little too much of him. He’s entirely new to this community and finding a place in it is hard enough without also having to find a place in this random world too. ]

An old lady asked me why I wasn't in school, an' when I told her I stopped goin' to school when I was thirteen she didn't take it well, so I dunno what I'm supposed to say, y'know. In my world I'm a shinobi, is there anythin' like that here?

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They'll tell you not to be reckless even at my age. It's just how people are here.

[He offers a helpless shrug in the face of this. Much as it might feel limiting to some, Haise feels some level of comfort in it. But then, he'd always longed for that normalcy because he never quite had it]

But regardless of appearances, the reality is that we're here to help these people. Maybe they don't know it, but we do, right?

[It's some sort of silver lining. At least among themselves they can be as they are, for the most part]

Well.. yeah, people tell me not to do that where I'm from too, but.. [ People have never told him off for weilding blades or running up walls. Maybe people here are just... boring. Naruto smears a hand over his face like he's trying to wipe away his distaste and make it look more agreeable. It doesn't work, but he does give a defeated sigh. ]

I guess. I just wish it didn't have to be a secret, y'know. So that, if someone needs me, I can run in and then they'll know straight away that it's gonna be okay.

Some of us have it a little easier in that regard.

[Haise can admit as much, and sympathy seeps into his tone. He can't remember being much younger than he is right now, but having capabilities beyond what this world would expect is something most of them are becoming familiar with, if they weren't already.

He considers the issue further, understanding that it would be a struggle to feign utter normalcy. It's lucky for him he can at least pose as a police officer, which is some vague approximation of what he did back home]

I don't think people will expect someone as young as you appear to be that capable, because it isn't the norm, but... You can always tailor a background to explain some skills. For instance, perhaps your father was in the military, and perhaps you took courses in martial arts from a young age.

[Those sorts of things could explain at least some level of skill. Nothing as flashy as slinging spells about, but he did say shinobi...how flashy could that possibly be?]

Ooh- Hey! That could work, y'know...

[ He says, his sour look falling away to be replaced by a much softer one; childish wonder or maybe he's just focusing super hard on thoughts starting to fit into place. ]

An' it might even be kinda true! I mean, I dunno what my dad did for sure, but he was probably a shinobi and that'd make sense for me an' my clones to be brothers, too. We're good at it because we all train against each other. [ Aw, he looks much happier with that prospect. The idea of making himself any less exciting and loud than he currently strives to be was not something he was looking forward to. He laughs, apparently settled with the idea. ] Oi-- Thanks, y'know. I still don't really know how stuff works here, so I probably woulda never come up with somethin' like that.

Clones...

[He's tempted to ask, and yet that might derail the subject]

It'd be helpful if the dossier included a little more information on this version of Earth, especially for people who come from other worlds entirely.

[He folds his arms with a hum as he considers this, supposing he ought to mention it to the support personnel. Although some among their number had useful information, it's difficult ensuring that everyone has access to it...

Not to mention, backstories do need some individual tailoring]

But I'm happy to help. If you've got any questions, I can probably give you a hand, since where I come from is similar.

Yeah! First thing I saw when I got here was the things movin' around out there, with people inside 'em, and I didn't know what to think, y'know.

[ He's talking about cars. But he had no idea what a car was. Still doesn't. ]

Oh, yeah? [ He's forgotten that this conversation was supposed to be about him for the moment and peers, interested, at his new companion. ] What's your backstory then? [ It's.. unclear whether he means his literal backstory or the one he's made up.. or both. But let's be honest, he'll be happy with either. ]

Ah...do you mean cars?

[He can't help asking, because that's what it sounds like to him. While there were plenty of ways people might get moved about, like elevators, they wouldn't be 'out there', and so he believes his guess is reasonably safe.

When asked of his own backstory though, he considers that, squaring his shoulders like he's been called at attention]

Where I'm from I'm an investigator with the CCG. Using that as a basis, it made the most sense to pose as a police detective in this world.

[Today, Naruto gets the answer to both potential forms of his question]

I dunno. [ He shrugs because... well, does he mean cars? No-one's ever really clarified. A car could be a totally different thing from what he saw, for all he knows. ] Maybe? They were in the middle of the street, and had windows and a roof like a little house, but they were movin' and made out of.. metal, I think. [ A moment of consideration. ] They looked pretty cool, but dangerous. I dunno if I'd like to fight one, y'know?

[ He knows what the police are because surprisingly ~~for some reason~~ Konoha had a police force once, but he's totally lost at the former explanation. ]

What's a sss... a see... a CCG?

That does sound like you're describing a car. I don't think they'd make very sporting opponents, since all they have going for them are weight and momentum. You could compare them with a carriage, if you're familiar with those.

[He thinks, perhaps, a shinobi would know what that is. But worlds can be so vastly different that they might have different names for the exact same thing]

The CCG is the Commission of Counter-Ghoul. Where I come from, there are beings called ghouls. While the police handle matters involving humans, the CCG addresses those involving ghouls, since particular training and equipment are necessary.

[Somebody has given the spiel a few times by now]

Ah, like a horse and cart, or a daimyo carriage! Just one that moves without anythin' pulling on it? I get it, I get it. [ He can kind of see how that makes sense. This world has all sorts of things that seem to work without anything helping them - like the picture boxes with the antenna, and the boxes that take people to the top of places, or even the stairs that move by themselves...

However, what he doesn't get, what he can't apply similarities from his own world to, is what is explained to him next. So, he does the best he can with what little he has. ]

Ghouls... [ Uh oh, here we go. ] You mean... like ghosts? [ He looks terrified already. ]

Basically. There are mechanisms inside it that allow it to move and operate, but we'd need somebody with more knowledge of mechanics to explain the finer points.

[Haise reads a bit of everything, but he isn't really an expert in that department. At least the basic concept doesn't seem too terribly confusing to his associate, and that much is a boon.

Certain concepts were incredibly abstract for others]

Ah, no, not like ghosts. I've had people ask if they're undead too. [A forced little laugh goes here, almost but not quite airy] Ghouls are born just the same as humans are, and you wouldn't know them apart from humans just by looking at them most of the time.

Oh.

[ In his world there's really no such thing as monsters. There are bad guys who do bad things and perhaps alter their physicality to make themselves into monsters, but at their base they're still human. However, as with every world, the souls of the dead haunting people is still a very easily understood concept, and one that frightens Naruto to the bone.

Naruto's expression immediately drops back to normal. If it's not a ghost, he doesn't have anything to worry about, though the name.. ghoul.. still gives him the creeps, a little. ]

Okay. So, what makes 'em different to humans then?

Ghouls have a far higher concentration of RC cells than humans do, as well as an organ called a kakuhou which is an organ that stores those cells. Those cells are used both for regeneration and to form something called a kagune...consider it a bonus appendage.

[To put this in the simplest terms possible, though later he'll wonder if "bonus appendage" is a little too light for a predatory organ. He likes to think that this will at least conjure a clearer image]

The digestive enzymes their bodies generate aren't suited to consuming the foods humans eat, so their diets are limited. [He omits to just what, for the moment] By the same token, those foods taste terrible for them.

[ RC cells... kakuhou.... kagune... enzymes??? These are all words that make Naruto's brain go whaaat but he tries his best, albeit with a lot of squinting, to translate what this guy is saying regardless. ]

So.. Ghouls are like humans, except they have lots of some kinda special cells that mean they heal fast and grow like, extra arms?

[ Well, almost. He's kind of getting it? He's fought a scientist once who messed with his own cells in an attempt to make himself stronger and faster than he was.. It didn't go well, but if a ghoul's genetic makeup is altered from birth, then maybe they're okay. ]

If they can't eat human food, what do they eat? Bugs? [ He's had to eat bugs. And worms. Pretty recently, actually. Living with frogs for an extended amount of time is never great as far as diets go. His expression makes his disgust clearly a personal kind. ]

The form of a kagune is determined by a few factors, but some could be seen as similar to an extra arm.

[Overlarge and red as such limbs are wont to be. That's the easier part of this explanation, and there follows a momentary hesitance on Haise's part because what comes next is not so simple.

No matter how many times he explains it, he knows it's rather disturbing to most people]

Ghouls can only derive nutrition from the flesh of other ghouls or humans.

[And other ghouls taste absolutely terrible, in case anyone ever wants to know]

[ Okay, so.. We've established that Naruto is easily frightened by spooks and the like, so it should be no real surprise that Haise's words shock him.. but that's something he's never had to come into contact with, never even had to imagine. There aren't really any such thing as zombies or cannibals where he's from - perhaps there's the odd ghost posession story involving it, but never anything quite so literal as this.

Before he freaks out entirely, he takes a moment to think. Haise had said the CCG were like police, but special police to deal with these beings specifically. If the ghouls were totally bad then surely there wouldn't be a police at all.. there'd be something like ANBU where he's from, black ops, secret police who put threats out before they have a chance to be public knowledge for the sake of the people. The fact that it's all organised enough to have a specified police force is telling.

Maybe it's his selfless empathy, his will to understand and learn about other people, his desperate need to get on the same level as everyone he meets, but something tells him Haise doesn't feel any distaste toward Ghouls. Naruto is familiar with what disgust and hatred looks like, and he's not seeing it on Haise's face. ]

O-oh. Do they.. uh.. Eat dead people, or-- [ He's trying to ask if the fact that Ghouls eat people is a problem for the community, but he's kind of grossed out by it, sorry. He'll be understanding to a point, but he cant normalise eating people. This kid can't even eat raw vegetables without wanting to barf. ]

Newly dead...or they hunt.

[Haise is sure that he doesn't have to spell that out in great detail. It seems better not to, especially with the visible reaction to the notion. The discomfort is only natural, something to be expected from anyone hearing about it. Eating people is a horrific thing, and despite his own circumstances, Haise is keenly aware of the fact.

It disturbs him that his body can only continue to live because others have died. He doesn't hunt, but...

He looks down and away, to something Naruto can't see. His shoes, most likely]

That is why there's the CCG.

Edited 2017-03-02 11:55 (UTC)

[ As a person who both enjoys food and being alive, the idea of eating people really does turn Naruto's stomach quite a bit. Enough to make him physically uncomfortable to the point where he has to shift around in his seat for a handful of moments while he considers what to say next. ]

That's scary..

[ Because it is, and Naruto at the very least will always be honest if a little tactless. ]

So.. if that's why the CCG exists, what do you guys do? Stop 'em hunting? If ya do that, how're they gonna survive?

[ It's mad to think he's considering the survival of what essentially boils down to creatures that eat people, but... There's something about Haise's tone and manner that's bothering him still, something that makes Naruto want to withhold judgement a little longer. ]

[It's a complicated question, and the only answer Haise issues at first is a thoughtful hum. He doesn't consider the reality of it to be pretty, and so he's often avoided discussing it with those he's met in ALASTAIR. There are no clear-cut answers to be had under the circumstances, and he exists between two worlds he isn't wholly part of by virtue of his own altered biology]

We particularly focus on those that kill for sport, or overindulge. Ghouls who moderate their habits are more difficult to spot, and some will find means to sustain themselves without drawing very much attention. Those who count as serial killers, however, we tend to pursue.

[Any ghoul is supposed to be destroyed on sight, technically. But it's in Haise's benign nature to take them into custody instead. Whether his mercy is misguided or not, he hates the idea of destroying someone for being what he is.

What fairness is there in that? If he can convince his superiors that keeping them alive is useful, then that's what he'll do]

I'm not...privy to the exact means of provisioning meals for those who are kept in Cochlea. That's a prison facility for ghouls.

[He knows the main ingredient, because he was one there too, but...]

Mm, so ya give 'em their fair shot? [ He nods, looking a little more pleased now despite the topic of conversation and the look of gentle discomfort he'd been showing not even a few minutes ago. ] That's good. I mean, you said they're born like that, right? It's not their fault..

[ He's still not certain how he feels about the eating people thing, but there might be ways around that. Substitutes, or.. Alternatives? Maybe..

Naruto scratches his head. ]

I guess it's hard to understand for people who don't live it every day, huh? [ He looks up then, an apologetic expression on his face like he's silently saying sorry for the difficulty he's experiencing wrapping his head around all this. ]

[The closest thing to a fair shot is sparing their lives, and it's an unfortunate reality Haise is reluctant to weigh others down with. But for the same reasons that Naruto is disquieted, humans in his world are too. It's something he understands quite well, despite his own dietary limitations.

Maybe he's even more keenly aware of it, just for that. He avoids consuming anything but coffee in front of others quite intentionally. even if no one would recognize "stew" here. Even if no one else is a ghoul]

I think anyone would find it a challenge. It's one thing for a tiger to eat a man, but when it's two beings capable of holding conversation with one another...the difference is palpable. Really, you're taking this better than most.

[If he knew he was speaking with a shounen protagonist it would make so much sense though]

An' I guess it's different when ya think about it bein' one of us, y'know? Like.. Someone you're close to, someone that someone you love is close to. It could be anyone. But if it was someone I cared about - from back home, like my teammates - then I think the last thing I'd wanna do is immediately think about 'em bein' a monster.. But then ya have to think... There's a ton of people out there who are other people's Sakura, an' if I'm willin' to look past it for my Sakura, then I should do the same for them too, right?

[ He's not entirely sure where he's going with this; he puts his finger to his temple like he's got a headache, massaging small circles. Deep existential conversations aren't his usual schtick, usually it's more defiant fact but this issue is a little more challenging than most. ]

I guess I just.. Well.. I don't know if I can ever think someone's bad without any reason, y'know. Most often it's not their fault. [ Born with it.. That's important. It doesn't have anywhere near the same gravity, but... He was born with his own monster, after all. He looks up then. ] So it's good they've got police like you to keep 'em all in line, just like humans do. Ain't no reason to treat 'em any different.

[The world might be a kinder place, if more people thought like Naruto does. Haise doubts that it'll ever quite be that way where he comes from, but it's a very understanding outlook, and he's surprised to see anyone turn around from being horrified to such reasoned empathy so quickly.

But he can appreciate it, for that rarity.

At the same time, he has to worry that kindness may be taken advantage of, someday]

It might be dangerous to say that no one is ever bad without reason, or rather... Sometimes those reasons don't mitigate their actions, or aren't very good ones. For instance, someone who kills simply for gratification isn't a person I would excuse, especially compared with someone who did it to survive.

[There's a drastic difference, and people on both ends of that spectrum exist. Benevolent as Haise himself is, he does try to keep that reality in mind. Has to, for that matter]

But part of knowing that difference is taking the time to understand.

[And so that's not to say that he's disagreeing with Naruto's reasoning. He only hopes to lend some caution to it]

Edited 2017-03-09 07:20 (UTC)

[ Naruto can't help but think of Pein in this situation, of how enraged Naruto had been and still is with the destruction he's causing apparently without cause... but then he thinks about Sasuke and his revenge spiral, and Naruto's own quick fury-fuelled thirst for revenge and the negative surge he'd felt from Kyuubi deep inside of him. He swallows. ]

Yeah, sometimes what people do in response to bein' treated badly doesn't make up for it, or mean they can get away with it.. but I still don't think anyone is born bad. [ He wasn't, Sasuke wasn't, maybe even Pein wasn't. He hated Zabuza more than he could really bring himself to comprehend, but even then Zabuza had been tainted by the setting he'd found himself in, and now Naruto can't remember why he'd been so livid with him. ] I'm not sayin' they get let off, y'know, but everyone deserves a second chance.. If they blow it after that, then.. [ He shrugs. ] Then it's probably time for jail or confinement or whatever.

Some people cause so much ruin, the only second chance is detainment.

[Haise knows that he got a second chance for reasons he'll never be able to discern. Apparently Kaneki had killed Amon, though he can't find much by way of information about it, and plenty of ghouls feared his resemblance to the person he once was... Though Olivia has told him that Kaneki was a kind, gentle person. It leaves him unsure why he was given his particular purpose.

But it's a confinement of its own, much as he tries to ignore or forget that]

I wouldn't say they were born that way. Some to have physiological conditions that will lend themselves to destructive behavior...sociopathy and psychopathy are supposed to both come from malformations within the brain, for starters. But in an ordered society, sometimes people who cause that much damage have only imprisonment as a best possible outcome.

[There aren't always ways a person might redeem themselves, and Haise can't think of an instance in which they wanted to. Donato had certainly been unrepentant, and so was Torso. ~~Seinen versus shounen up in here~~.

On the other hand there were people like Hinami, who didn't seem to deserve the same treatment at all]

There are those who don't deserve what they've endured, but there are also those who will never look back on their actions with remorse, in my experience.

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