Hungry Caterpillar [PMMM/Tokyo Ghoul]

[Hyacinthium]

The girl had seen something out of the corner of her eye for a while now, a curious feeling like being watched and judged. But she had good reason to be on edge or malcontent and grew to ignore the sensation of eyes just as quickly as becoming aware of it.

Days spent wanting to return to a home that no longer belongs to her. A young girl, if that is something acceptable to call yourself, even a young girl...

I met it when,

[] Whose mother has taken her away from home for their own safety.
[] Who watched her mother's dying moments, urging her child to live on.
[] Living with the brother who happily teaches her the meaning of words. A growing family that she wants to protect.

Just when she thought she was acclimating to life as it was now, that thing, that thing, had swooped down with it's swirling tail and smiling face. A body that no one else could see.

She had thought it a fairy with good will, something that would be a savior meant to cure all her ills. Trusted it and petted it and curled up with the devil at night. Didn't even think badly when it said the reason it didn't approach her soon is because it had to be sure she had the potential.

Kyuubei asks her to make a wish, a contract with him, and become a Magical Girl to defeat evil Entities that plague the world.

And the idea of doing something good and just makes her heart throb in want.

I made my wish when,
[] She made a wish right away.
[] She waits a week to decide and weigh her options. Kyuubei applauds her smart thinking.
[] Her indecision costs her dearly. Another tragedy occurs while she waits and wonders. (bumps the timeframe to the next option)

Fueguchi Hinami, you have made a wish that has surpassed Entropy!​

 

[Soulful100]

Have a thing

Edit: damm imgur for removing the transparency

 

[Hyacinthium]

November 17, one week after Ryuuko's death​

For just what reason did mother have to die? Even if we didn't hurt anyone, do we really have to be hunted down and killed by humans?

Will I also someday become a ghoul that can hunt down humans without a single regret? Mother's warmth, her scent, the smile with worried eyes as father cannot be returned to

​

[I have no place to go]

[I can't live by myself]

[If I had made a wish]

Continuing to struggle with words I don't know, and refusing to eat what is given to me as my fingers rub the clover print on a dress that mother bought for me. I haven't moved much.

Kyuubei wanders around the room and shop without a care. No one sees him and he simply walks over to me softly, letting me hold him as I please. Kyuubei says that mourning is natural for all life forms on earth, but can it really be okay for me to be sad when ghouls everywhere prey on humans?

"Fueguchi Ryuuko never hunted, as well as yourself. She even avoided hurting the men that sought to exterminate her, instead focusing on buying you time. It would be likely that, if your mother had been more skilled at fighting, she could have escaped with you."

His tail sways to some formless breeze. On his perch at the couch's back Kyuubei can see the entire room, and the sight of his soft white body makes you feel safe despite his words. You can't deny them, that you and your mother had been weak from relying on your father.

It's a harsh truth but he doesn't lie to you. It makes you feel more grown up, like when big brother teaches you how to read. Like when you went shopping for clothing and mother let you help pick out matching clothing. The bunny cat acts a bit strange sometimes, and doesn't really have much of a scent...

It's a relaxing smell once you try to put it down. It reminds you of the time mother and father took you to a park that had a florist near it. There was a section with herbs and another with 'esscential' oils that were used in perfumes and soaps. Although it was a bit over powering up close, the lady that worked there said that some flowers and plants had smells that made a person relaxed and happy.

Kyuubei is like that. Last night he curled up with you and helped you go to sleep.

You think that things would probably be even worse for you if the white animal wasn't with you.

"Hinami-chan, Touka lent you that news paper and a dictionary. While she and Kaneki are gone, shall I teach you in their place?"

​

Remembering to talk with telepathy at the last moment, you happily learn new kanji with Kyuubei's help.
​

​

[Aitou]

[To mourn a loved one's death]

"Hinami-chan..." You want to scream. Mother, mother mother father and home mother died mother gone everything is

[] Leave Anteiku. You just, you just need to go somewhere new. A place you've never seen before. It's safe so long as you have Kyuubei...
[] Stay in Anteiku. Even if you have memories of your mother that live here.
[] Make a wish. Right now! Right now you can make a contract and make anything come true! Magic and miracles, you can change things! Fight Witches and save people, even become a hero.
-[]
​

​

 

[Hyacinthium]

17th, Two Weeks​

You know what you want. You know what your wish is. If you had been able to save mother...

"I- I wish that I could protect the people I care about from now on!" A strange feeling like ice curls around you, a chill as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped not on you but on everything around you. Air rises up and motes of dust frame your vision as lights dim around you.

"Your contract has been made!"

And you can feel it, newly made empty and drawn out like an old joke. Feel it move within you, warm and coiling against the barrier that is your rib cage and slowly slowly that tiny warmth blooms before you. A flickering wisp growing more intense as it lights the room. An uncontaminated ember. But you can see-

You yearn for it without knowing why, and in a singular moment of joy you reach up to grasp it. Now, now you will be able to fight alongside everyone else. You can protect them and stop being helpless! The lightness of your body leaves you feel dehydrated but your arms stretch further and further. Just a small glimpse-

Your hands finally meet and clasp that shining light, green like the plants your mother loved so much. A shock down your back where it stabs inwards to your kakuhou and rightness! Yes, yes, you see-

​

Kneeling on the couch and cradling your Soul Gem, Kyuubei hops down from the end table and headbutts your side with affection. You giggle and allow your Soul Gem to transform into a ring, and scoop him up sparing only a glance to the clover symbol that graces your finger nail. You oblige him and rub his ears, but somehow you get an oddly sad feeling. As if...

"Rejoice! Fueguchi Hinami, you have made a wish that has surpassed Entropy!"

It's probably nothing important.

"That's true! I already feel like I've gotten stronger. Dad said that a ghoul's kagune come out of our backs, and just now I felt like mine got pinched!" It probably wouldn't be the best idea to use your new powers here though.

Feeling a just a bit tired, you decide to

[] Ask Kyuubei what he thinks your power will be!
[] Just go to sleep for a bit. Maybe big brother will teach you tomorrow?
[] Sneak out and practice magic!
[] Get something to eat. You feel a bit better about things now.
[] Just transform once to see what it's like. It couldn't hurt, right? So long as no one comes upstairs.

 

[Hyacinthium]

Right! There was no time to waste. You'd have to put on a disguise and sneak out like the super spy in one of Takatsuki Sen's stories, although you hadn't really understood much of it. But once you learn more kanji it should be easy to reread it! Then you can talk about them with Kaneki and Touka...

Touka should have clothing in her room right?

"Kyuubei, could you be my look out?" Kyuubei's head swivels to you from the news paper he was reading.

"Will you be practicing with your new magic? I do not mind assisting in any scenario to leave Anteiku, but there is no need for you and I to separate." When he gets up from sitting position you can see that the paper he was reading must have torn. You'll have to apologize to Touka, although it was just a newpaper so getting a bit ripped up isn't too bad. Maybe.

Kyuubei hops onto your shoulder with tail swaying as is always, and you approach the door with bounce in your step. Heart with just a jolt more speed.

"It's safe to leave the room, Hinami-chan."

You take your time opening and closing the door, theatrics to liven yourself even more because for the first time since mother and father died, you do not find your thoughts tying back to their deaths in a way that makes you want to curl up and wilt away. There is a sense of wonder and excitement again as you creep into your big sister's room and investigate it with Kyuubei.

Looking at the ring, golden and gleaming bright even with only sunlight beaming into the room past curtains, you can't help but let a grin go across your face. Maybe it's a bit bad to feel so giddy.

What crimes you commit by living, you can possibly give back to humans by fighting monsters and curses. Mother would have wanted this too. You can be a good person despite being a ghoul, and protect all the people who care about you. Like a weight has been lifted from you, you and Kyuubei begin to compare and contrast clothing.

About ten minutes later, and wow big sis even has wigs, you are given a small lesson in grown up girl things as you try to use a bit of Touka's make up stuff to have an even better disguise...

In the end you both give up and settle for a medical mask, common for people who are scared of germs, and a pink wig that apparently makes you look a lot different because of the color and length? You never knew clothing and hairstyle could make someone so different looking. Giving a twirl to the mirror as a good bye, maybe a few twirls, you scoop up Kyuubei and hop out the window at his affirmation.

Rights and lefts, a dozen turns according to Kyuubei's instructions that led you further from Anteiku and deeper into a residential area. Not once do you catch the scent of Doves, walking among people or sometimes against the current of bodies traveling across the city just like you.

Probably not for the same reasons as you, but maybe one of them is!

You eventually reach a back alley passage created by the construction of new buildings conflicting with that of previously created ones. It seems like it used to be a well used road that was phased out by latter planning, but you don't really know much about that sort of thing. There are a few trashcans and assorted things like an old vending machine, but otherwise this spot is ignored by the rest of the world.

Kyuubei jumps off of his place lying on your head and inspects a fallen can on the ground with his paw.

"Don't worry. This alley has a lot of good targets and I'll warn you if someone comes close."

[] Transform simply
[] Transform like in the anime you saw playing on a shop's TV once!
[] Prepare your new work space for Practice first. Stack up some bottle and cans!

 

[Hyacinthium]

"R-right! Like this," Nervously holding out your left hand and pressing the feeling of softness inherent in the ring there, inwards and tighter as a verdant green light rose into the alley; the four-leafed clover marking on your center fingernail shivered and vanished as the weight of magic cut lose from the careful hold you had on it. Liquid metal bloomed into a golden Soul Gem, and engulfed you whole.

Lights. Your first thought was lights and dancing in motes around you as if they know exactly what to do.

They promptly guide you into a twirl and skip as they converge into a wide skirted dress. Around your shoulders shifts a green shoulder cape. The ensemble is pleasantly warm and heavy. It's good that your favorite color is green too, because everything is a shade of green or light cream color.

And then, how does this work exactly? Glancing back to Kyuubei who had moved to behind you, staring as though expecting something. Instead of speaking you decid to just throw your arms out and shake them at the trash and litter filling the alley.

Nothing happen per say, but you definitely feel a slight tingle in your finger tips when you try hard. Why isn't the magic working?

"A lot of new magi try saying magic words or catch phrases. Or fighting right away. Maybe just clearing up a small patch of miasma?" Suggests Kyuubei with a knowing sort of tone. It's surprisingly embarrassing to not have magic working instantly when you were hyped up earlier.

[] Try to center yourself. Your magic is in there somewhere.
[] Follow Kyuubei's advise and clean up some miasma. That's the stuff that attracts Witches after all.
[] Maybe if you attack some trashcans barehanded?
[] Pick up a stray can and try to use magic on it!
[] M-maybe you should try normal stuff like jumping or running?

 

[Hyacinthium]

Right. You just need to concentrate Hinami! You squeeze your eyes shut, slapped hands over your ears, and trie not to think.

Trying not to think is kind of hard, says Hinami's traitorous brain. Hadn't she been gone for a while now? Everyone must be getting worried. You dig your nails just a bit into the skin behind your ears. Worried. Worried that you had been too hasty, too childish, too excited. Scared of the men in suits. Horror at what would happen if you were found and brought the Doves to

Uncountable people walked on cement, a chorus of speech and the clutter of shoes, the boy over yonder doesn't like the ice cream his mother bought when she gives him a taste. His father laughs and says it's coffee flavored. A high school girl yelps as her friend points out that her fluttering skirt was too high today. Their laughter is echoed a few meters away by some men going out to eat. Work ended early. A cat hisses at something but they let the person pet them anyway. The little girl petting the cat is safe to be around. For safety, her father's percent is 90%…

Brought the Doves to home

TOUKA LOCATED AT ANTEIKU GHOUL CAFE SAFETY 78% CURRENTLY WORRIED KAGUNE USAGE STUNTED BY TRAUMA CLOSENESS HIGH
KANEKI LOCATED AT ANTEIKU GHOUL CAFE SAFETY 34% CURRENTLY WORRIED KAGUNE UNUSABLE MENTAL STATE CRUMBLING CLOSENESS MEDIUM
YOSHIMURA LOCATED AT

It's too much. Something inside of me exploded outwards in lines and numbers and words, and I can't understand it all!

You exhale and let out small cry, starting to gesturing wildly at the green dust filled air. A complex see-through globe weaving and zooming around you begins to pinpoint on a familiar location. Meaningless numbers keep moving within squares to your right tell you the temperature in Tokyo. Tiny pictures of familiar people hover in thin rectangles like bookmarks to the left.

A small delicate hand, your hand, slaps one and in an instant you can see the amount of steps a emerald figure of miss Irimi takes to deliver a fresh cup of coffee to a customer.

The elegant and gentle woman was safe and feeling guilty according to the panel below her smiling picture. Further below and slightly to the side was a section tilted 'Actions Taken Today', but you decide to ignore that for privacy sake. And the sake of your throbbing headache.

You couldn't possibly process all of this just because of your power telling you to!

"Hinami? Hinami please don't panic! It's just you and I here. I'll always be here to help you with your powers. For now, just think of only me." Kyuu...bei?

Right. He's here too. Closer than the smell of car emissions. Closer than the couple on a date that are picking at their phones and foul smelling food. He's right next to you. Soft white fur rustles as pink paw pads make pat sounds. Normal people and even ghouls wouldn't be able to hear that.

You can. You can even smell him. Hints of freshly washed clothing, everyone from Anteiku and its coffee brews, you, female humans and ghouls, a man related to a girl...

An overtone of what you instinctively know is gunpowder.

Waves of sound and smell quietly vanished from your senses along with the once growing headache. Now there was just a sphere of information with you in the center, beholden to both thought and touch. You can almost feel the pulses of knowledge before they were sent.

Kyuubei reached your side and peers up at you with large red eyes. It was an unspoken question of what you would do even as the little fairy rubbed against your leg. The warmth and contact makes you feel ever more grounded.

Reminded you of... of mom and dad when you did good with home schooling and getting your hair ruffled. Two windows popped up, but you don't want to see what they say inside. You could guess at their content already. Window one and two obediently vanished to some place in back of your sphere. A lump grows in your throat anyway.

You stared, stare at the ball around you, your own glowing finger tips, and Kyuubei who smiled back at you like always. You're starting to think he just can't be a bad person ever. Kyuubei was rated at 100% safety andhomura. Her back itched. She felt

[] Hinami felt scared of her power. There was still some ringing in her ears too.
[] Hinami was super excited, she could keep track of everyone always! Even their safetyness was written down! Wait, wait, why is Kaneki's so low?
[] Hinami just felt overwhelmed, her mind could hardly keep up!
[] Hinami was confused. She had noticed some odd things in her globe-map.

 

[Hyacinthium]

You couldn't help but feel excited! You'd always be able to keep everyone safe now, no matter what! Threat level, location, even statistics that you could admittedly only half understand...

Threat level. Big brother's safety is-

No, no, no no no. Why is it so low? No one else's numbers are that low so why is only Kaneki in danger? You can feel your heart start to violently thud as a thousand scenarios cross your mind. Is he about to leave Anteiku and go look for you? No, it hadn't seemed like anyone had found you missing yet. Everyone was busy with work and wanted to give you time to read until later.

"We need to go back to Anteiku." You gather up Kyuubei before he can question you and set off the way you came. Practice can wait, but you don't want to see another person's death. Just willing the manifestation of a single green panel comes naturally to you in this panicked state, telling you how far away Anteiku is and keeping focus on Kaneki.

Sprinting out of the abandoned alley and breaking your way back into the crowds is an easy impulse as sheer desperation snakes up from your tightened throat to your brain. You ignore the myriad of looks that strangers of all kinds grant you, garnered from your own freakish actions and mannerisms. A frightened young girl clutching at her chest.

"Hinami I would like to request that you stop running and explain your current panic to me," Kyuubei says. "It's very unwise to act rashly in your situation."

You don't care about those people or their eyes. Where as in the past you would have been shy and hide behind your smiling mother's skirts, you no longer have such a luxury to fall back on. Your mother was killed for existing wrongly and you are just something of the same existence.

Only that's wrong now.

That's definitely wrong now! Fueguchi Hinami is no longer just a ghoul that eats people to survive! Anyone in Japan who watches television could easily tell you what a magical girl is. A hero that fights monsters, an ally of things like peace and justice!

Someone sighs.

A young girl that protects the innocent. Kyuubei saw fit to make you one. Kyuubei was the one who gave you this chance, gave you the ability to be more. Even though common sense would say to not allow ghouls to be heroes, Kyuubei would always stay with you and patiently explain everything.

Your big brother hasn't done anything wrong. Nothing is his fault and it would be horrible to kill him for that. He's certainly an innocent person that would never hurt anyone.

"Go left here, Hinami."

You push past the throng of people, distance yourself from the city's unending crowds, and finally let your lungs inhale like the greedy things they are. Along you way you had unknowingly untransformed. Or perhaps you had done so earlier and just couldn't remember.

The grit and harsh sensation of asphalt digs right past your leggings and into your knees. You force your trembling legs to get up. Kyuubei must have escaped from your grip earlier, hanging from your shoulder.

You can't let what's left of your family be perse-cuted for things other ghouls have done. This was what you wished for.

"Are you listening now?" Kyuubei softly questions in the same tone as always. You rub away the stinging in your eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just-," You start in a hitched voice. "I saw something awful!"

Kyuubei nods. "Unfortunately common. Not long ago there was even a girl whose power allowed her to see death dates."

Your heart drops. "That's just too sad to imagine!"

"Similar tales are normal for those whom gain the power of pre or retrocognition, abilities concerning time, and the rare wishes leading to mindreading," He continutes listing down possibilities. "May I ask which skill your wish has granted you? Otherwise I won't be of much assistance in comforting and teaching you."

Your chest trembles due to breathing, but somehow your newest friend manages you make you laugh. There's no doubt that Kyuubei had tried to make a joke just then. Or he was going back to that strange clinical attitude that your father also had with patients. Ghouls had a slightly different idea of bedside manner.

Kyuubei was always adamant about his honesty though.

"I can't see the future or anything. It's more like, like it tracks everyone I know and tells me all about them." You sit back down beside Kyuubei. Kaneki's page hasn't changed at all and he's still waiting tables. You're close by too.

Your companion shifts toward your leg and leans on you. Kyuubei's reward is a scratch behind his cat-bunny ear.

"It says how safe they are, and some other stuff too. Touka's kagune doesn't work right because of trauma? I think that means she got really hurt," You lick your lips and remember the context clues you learned about. "And how close people are to me. Strangers are ordered in how near they are to me or those important to me. And I know how safe people are."

Kyuubei stands up the moment you finish explaining your power.

"A highly unique support ability. I apologize for not considering such a possibility, coping with the sudden influx of information must have been difficult." The mascot looks around the new alley you find yourselves in.

The sound of foot steps and murmurs are much closer than the other one.

"Hinami," Kyuubei returns to your position and stares back at your own curious gaze. "Another magical girl must have felt your earlier burst of magical energy. I recognize her and will recommend meeting her now, but if you feel uncomfortable talking to her then I will request that she introduce herself another time."

"Would she listen to you?" You ask. It's not that you don't trust Kyuubei, but if another magical girl really wanted to meet you...

You try to imagine the soft and tiny Kyuubei fighting a colorfully garbed girl and honestly cannot.

"Yui is a highly cooperative person. She has never attempt to damage myself or initiated fights with other magical girls. She is very fond of dress up games, however, I do not hold this against her considering her age." Kyuubei once again draws a short giggle from you.

That had definitely been a joke!

[] Hinami decides that she had enough excitement today. She'll meet miss Yui another day.
[] There isn't any harm in meeting a senior magical girl. Hinami brushes herself off and prepares to meet Yui.