bakerstreet | Natural Enemies Shipping Meme

Natural Enemies Shipping Meme

Natural Enemies Shipping Meme

Most of us are fortunate enough to not be plagued by "natural enemies" - or even worst, a group that serves as an opposing force. But that doesn't mean that there isn't swaths of society that just do not play well together. Hunters and demons. Predators and prey. Outlaws and lawmen. Vampires and slayers. Montagues and Capulets. The undead and the living. The list goes on. You know, the usual and the unusual alike. It seems like wars will always rage between them. Maybe it's better for these types to just avoid each other, lest there be bloodshed.

What if, though, you - yes, you - were a member of one group and you developed feelings for someone that should be a mortal enemy. Of course, the feelings weren't the expected ones of wanting to gouge eyeballs out; instead, it was love, and a returned one at that. That would be quite the predicament, wouldn't it? But what would it be like? What drew you to them? Would your love be a pure, romantic one, or more of a love/hate? And would you allow that to sway you or repress all those emotions until you burst?

Most importantly, would a happy ending be possible?

HOW TO PLAY

Comment with your character and preferences, plus any information because this meme needs at least a little! People are going to want to know who their character should "hate."
Tag others.
RNG or choose what kind of relationship you're playing from ROUTE and the tone of the eventual ending, which will theoretically color the thread.
Play! Play out anything that strikes your fancy. Draw inspiration from the meme or come up with your own ideas.

ROUTE

ROMANTIC LOVE: Despite who they are, you care for them. Whether this means you'll ignore outside influence, fight your own demons to be with them, run away with them, or change the system depends on you.
LOVE/HATE: You despise them and all the stand for, but you can't keep away.

END

HAPPY: No matter how bad life is, it will take a turn for the better.
TRAGEDY: It may be good now, but eventually, everything is going to fall apart right in front of you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[ well, he's a ghoul (sort of), and ghouls are hated by humans, so there's that.. ]

_{[There's a saying that once you hit the bottom, you can only go up from there. Kaneki Ken had hit, quite literally and figuratively rock bottom and when Hide had found him, finally at last...it felt as if someone had pulled the ground right out from under the both of them like a rug. There was still a ways to fall, it seemed, but while Kaneki had been slipping further and further, Hide was determined to drag him back out of the hole he was in. That's what friends were for. What was the point in having them if you couldn't depend on them?

It all started with a reassuring 'I know' and the rest is a blur Hide wants to forget. How he managed to drag Kaneki out of there is still a mystery. Leave it to the human body to come through at the most dire of times. Now it wasn't just Kaneki who was a wanted person - Hide too was equally 'wanted' as it were. Outlaws that would be living on the fringes of society for some time. If they stayed much longer in the little flat Hide had holed them up in, it wouldn't be long before the CCG found them.

Hide can't even begin to imagine the sort of stuff his friend has been through. Well, he has a creative mind but who really wants to think of things like that? Most of the time spent hidden away Kaneki's been out of it. He was probably half starved (or worse) before he found him and although the thought of eating another person makes his stomach twist, there's no blaming Kaneki for what's become of him. The first day he'd left Kaneki passed out on the futon couch to go to the konbini three blocks away, only to notice a pair of shoes left near the railing of a bridge. After a bit more investigating he'd found the body of a young woman washed up, bobbing close to the shore. How he'd managed to drag the body back to the flat without anyone noticing is still a miracle. He had planned to section her up, as disgusting as the thought was, but there hadn't been much of a chance to. When he'd returned Kaneki had been up and, well, decided to have his fill in the sitting room of the nameless woman.

All Hide could do was leave him to it, a hand over his mouth to stop himself from gagging at the smell and sounds, dutifully standing watch near the door, paranoid that someone might come knocking.

It feels like it happened months ago, but it's really only just been shy of a week now. He's coming back from the kombini with a bento again, feeling starved himself. When he'd left Kaneki the other boy had been laying down, unresponsive on the futon, resting. Thankfully, when he returns he's still there, breathing even. There's a quirk of his lips as he moves into the room, setting his bento aside. The room smells like bleach (a necessary evil to erase the stench of what little had been left of Kaneki's meal) but he's getting used to it.

He doesn't want to spook him, but it would be nice to have a bit of a chat. They kind of need to. They can't stay here for much longer. They need a game plan, and even though Hide was smart, he couldn't be the only one calling the shots. Especially when he wasn't sure if Kaneki would even follow them.]}

Hey sleeping beauty, are you gonna get up? The night's still young, Kaneki.

Edited 2014-11-29 06:11 (UTC)

[ he's been lost in his head for-- a while now. sometimes, he isn't sure where he is, but some part of him seems to always be aware of hide's presence. if he'd been more himself, if he'd been capable of crawling his way out of his fucking brain, he might have told hide to leave him. it's too dangerous. he's at his limits, half-starved, at any point he might turn on him--

but he couldn't. all he can do is think of the numbers, as all his mistakes flicker through his mind like a movie reel. he could have helped, he could have saved them all. if he'd been stronger, faster, better. if he'd been smarter. if he'd avoided arima. instead, he'd sent them to their dooms, and it's all his fault, and hide had come to find him anyway. hide had known. hide hadn't cared. he hadn't been frightened, even with the blood on his skin and with his eyes wide with madness and the centipede threatening to unfurl at the slightest provocation.

somehow, he hasn't attacked hide. he doesn't understand it, himself, but he's grateful, so grateful, and when he brings him flesh--cold, drowned, but it doesn't matter, doesn't matter--he tears into it with the closest thing to passion he's felt since the attack. this-- this flesh will save them both. he'll get stronger, he'll find his way past the numbers, past the clamor in his head, and he'll save his friend. it's the very least he owes him, he knows, he knows.

.. he doesn't know what day it is. he doesn't know the date or what time it might be, but the ceiling is real and hide's voice is at the door, and kaneki feels almost sane for the moment. he rolls toward his friend--human, vulnerable--hands curling in the coverlet. his left eye is black and scarlet, a quick reminder of just what he's become. ]

You should have left me. [ matter-of-fact, because it's true, no matter the ache in his chest at the thought. this person.. this is the most important person in the world to him, and no matter how he's tried to keep away from him, in the end, he's still dragged him into the mess his life has become. ]

_{[Kaneki rolls over and looks at him with mismatched eyes, his lips turned down like they have been since he found him. Others might see a monster, a vile creature, an enemy to the human race, but all Hide sees is his friend. Kaneki may not realize it, but from Hide's vantage point, despite everything that's happened, the way he's curled and tucked away, he's the same little boy Hide felt compelled to reach out to all those years ago. The thought makes his lips quirk in the opposite direction of the ones he's currently staring at.]}

Now why would I do that? Especially after I went to all the trouble to find you.

_{[The atmosphere that surrounds his friend is one of doom and gloom and honestly? He has every right to feel the way he does. That said, that's not going to stop Hide from reaching out to him. Kaneki is Kankei, regardless of his change in diet or hair color or body. That's not going to change.

He reaches for an old wooden chair in the corner, pulling it over to set it in front of the futon, taking a seat without any fear or hesitation. Kaneki's always been the tragic sort.]}

Sorry to disappoint, but you're stuck with me. Don't make me superglue us together to prove a point. I don't think that'd be fun for either of us.

Hide. [ he's uncurled and practically on top of hide in less time than it takes to blink, hands gripping the other teen's arms, face almost too close and eyes very wide and stricken. ] Don't you understand? Just because my life's turned into this doesn't mean you should be dragged into it. I was trying to keep you safe.

[ all the fight seems to go out of him and he slumps, brow sliding into the crook of his neck. he can't help but inhale deeply, gathering up the scent of his friend. he smells.. good, of course, but more importantly, he smells like hide. ]

I don't mind dealing with ugly things as long as I know that you're okay. But now you're in as much trouble as I am.

[ he draws back, dropping back onto the futon and curling his knees to his chest, his arms around his thighs. he can't think of how to fix this, suddenly. he doesn't know if anyone from his group or anteiku are still alive, and he's not sure how to clear hide, and he doesn't know what he should be doing. ]

_{[Oh he does understand. He understands more than Kaneki gives him credit for. He knows the amount of danger he's put himself in and he's fully aware of the consequences. Does that bother him? Not really. Not as much as it probably should. But that's Hide for you - he was always a bit of a thrill seeker in an unconventional way.

He doesn't shrink away when Kaneki grabs him suddenly, nor does he dare to push him aside when his forehead meets the crook of his neck. It doesn't last for long though before Kaneki's withdrawing, physically and mentally back into himself. When he hugs his legs to himself it makes him seem so small.

It's Hide's turn to sigh, a hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck before he drops it to his side, dead weight. A moment later and he's leaning forward, elbows on his own knees, chin in hand.]}

Hey. Look at me. I was bound to wind up in trouble anyway, regardless of whether anything happened to you or not. You know me...I just can't keep my nose out of anything. You didn't drag me into anything - I'm here because I want to be. Not because I'm some unfortunate victim of circumstance or anything like that. You're my best friend.

.. I'm a ghoul, too, though. And that's what the CCG is going to care about, that you're helping me.

[ he sighs softly, uncurling his arms and digging the heels of his palms into his eyes, pressing so hard that he sees stars, until his eyelids bruise and his eyes ache and he can feel the hard edge of bone in his eye socket. at last, he draws them away, though, the bruises already blooming and fading as he does so. ]

You're really.. just such an idiot, you know. [ what is he supposed to do now? hide had made it all but impossible for kaneki to push him away the way he had with touka. he curls his toes against the futon, brows drawing together for a few moments. ] .. I need to try to get in contact with Banjou-san and the others. We can't stay in this place for much longer, I'm sure. [ he hesitates, then uncurls slightly, reaching up to hesitantly touch fingertips to hide's cheek. ] I'm-- I'm not going to let anyone hurt you.

Do you really think I care what the CCG cares about?

_{[Pot and kettle, Kaneki. You're just as much of an idiot and he knows it. There's a soft puff of his cheeks that deflates at the touch to his cheek. Without hesitation he reaches up with a hand of his own to grab those fingers and give them a squeeze.]}

I must be the luckiest guy in the world.

_{[He's smiling now, the curl of his lips a little quirk. Maybe he should be a bit more serious, all things considered, but it's easier to laugh than cry.]}

My best friend's my knight in shining armour.

[ he swallows hard, staring first at those fingers curled over his, then transferring his mismatched gaze to hide's face. hide, who's stood at his side since they were children, who'd rescued him, who had dragged a dead body here and let him eat, who'd seen him half-mad and starving, and hadn't fled.

the comment earns a faint flush, heat in his face and the tips of his ears. ] .. I'm not much of a knight. [ he turns his hand in hide's grip, returning it almost desperately. ] Even monsters sometimes have people they love, though. And I'd rather be dead than lose you.

[ sometimes, he'd rather be dead, anyway. but he has too much to do right now, and too many people he needs to apologize to. ]

_{[It's Hide's turn to flush now, as Kaneki squeezes his hand in return. Kaneki's desperation is more than evident, but he's always been a little desperate, a little hopeless. His smile falters when he hears Kaneki refer to himself as a monster. Out goes his other hand before two fingers give a resolute flick to the other boy's forehead. He's serious now when he speaks, but the smile is still there, unwavering on his lips.]}

I don't want to hear you use that word toward yourself ever again. Second, you're not going to die and neither am I, so stop being so morbid, Kaneki. You're not in this alone, okay? Besides, two heads are better than one. We'll figure it out.

Hide-- [ he can't even find it in him to be embarrassed as heat rises to his eyes, vision blurring. his free hand lifts, touching the tears as they spill down his face. he's not-- upset. he's not sure what he is. he's felt so empty for so long, driven only by his need to protect (others, himself). and aren't those words he's longed to hear? but hide doesn't know the things he's done. he can't imagine what kind of person kaneki's truly become.

somehow, he doesn't think it will matter.

he smears away the moisture, lips curling faintly. ] You're very confident about this.

_{[Kaneki's cheeks are wet and the sight only makes Hide smile wider. Not because he wants to see Kaneki cry, but because he knows it's out of relief, not sadness. He wants Kaneki to be open to him. They're supposed to be. They're best friends. There shouldn't have to be secrets between them, even though Hide knows there is. All he can do is offer a shoulder to lean on and two ears to listen.]}

Course I am. Why wouldn't I be? You don't have to do everything by yourself, Kaneki. You can rely on me.

[ he huffs shakily, squeezing the hand in his grip briefly. ] .. As long as you stop taking such stupid risks. No more finding bodies for me. [ he takes a deep, trembling breath. ] I can do my own hunting.

[ he releases him, but only to shift closer, folding his arms loosely--and a little hesitantly--over hide's knees, peering up at him. ]

.. Once I get in contact with Banjou-san, we'll head there. It's not a big place, and the others are ghouls like me.. [ well, full ghouls, but in the end, that hardly matters. ] .. But you'll be safe with Banjou-san and the others. Only Tsukiyama-san might be a problem, but he knows better than to annoy me.

_{[Kaneki connecting with him is a good thing. The closeness is encouraged further with a grin. He wants to hug his friend, in all honesty. Squeeze him tightly to his chest. He's missed him, far more than Kaneki probably imagines. But he doesn't want to spook him. Kaneki's never really been the physical sort and it probably wouldn't be the wisest move right now. He'll let Kaneki come to him. It's better that way, for now anyway.]}

Alright I promise. Cross my heart. I'll try not to do anything too stupid.

_{[The names make him curious about what sort of people they're attached to. What were these other Ghouls like?]}

Hey, if you say it's safe I'm sure it is. You've always been a worrywart.

[ slowly, his kakugan fades, leaving his gaze matching once more. he smiles faintly at the promise, curling himself as close as he dares. this isn't like with banjou or hinami. they know him for what he is, they're ghouls like him. hide is human and fragile, and he's so afraid of disappointing him, of revealing that his faith in kaneki is misplaced. ]

I'm not being a worrywart about Tsukiyama-san, at least. I think.. I think that he's changed, but don't be alone with him, okay? Always at least make sure that someone else is in the room with you if he's there.

[ his eyes slide shut, struggling with the urge to simply lay his head on his friend's knee. breathing in the scent of him, listening to his familiar voice-- he can forget the numbers, forget the sins written on his heart. just for a few moments. ]

He's called the Gourmet for a reason. Though he's mostly behaved himself since he fixated on me.

_{[Little by little, he can see Kaneki begin to lower his guard. It's a good thing too; Kaneki shouldn't have to feel nervous around him. If anything it should be the other way around, even though it isn't. It's not like he hasn't known for a long time about what Kaneki had become. It just hadn't mattered.

He sticks out his tongue a little bit, letting his fingers curl over the edges of Kaneki's arms.]}

So he's your stalker? Like an actual one. A creepy fan? You really attract the weirdest people, you know that?

_{[But...under his joking nature he knows to take Kaneki seriously. If this guy wasn't to be trusted, there's no way Hide wouldn't be on alert himself.]}

Noted, though. I won't end up alone with him.

Mm, he wants to eat me.

[ he no longer understands just how alarming that might sound. after all, it's been a part of their interactions for so long, it's just.. normal. and anyway, is kaneki truly any different? he mostly eats ghouls, after all, cannibalizing them for their strength. ]

He's been useful, though. And as long as he's with me, I can keep an eye on him.

[ he finally lets his head sink down, fingers curling in the fabric of hide's shorts. ]

.. You're taking all of this so well it's kind of scary, Hide.

kaneki ken | tokyo ghoul

Ha...ppyish? Kaneki's life is already a Tragedy so...:' )

so tragic it's almost come around full-circle into a comedy

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