maskormenace | 10th Mission // Text // Links are IC

Jacob Taylor here. I've got an update on the investigation into the OTO. That's Otherworld Technologies Organization for the new people on the Network: they're a group that's been responsible for a lot of the bad things that have happened this year. The report is here for anyone who wants to take a look at it.

If you're going after the OTO, be careful. They're seriously bad news. But we need to keep chasing them down, before they hurt more people. The government's been supporting our operations so far: they're on our side on this one. If you find anything out, you can tell me or another member of the RISE team.

That's not the only thing I wanted to talk about, though. Last week, a friend of mine took a life in combat. He's facing the consequences for it now. I've done the same thing plenty of times, in the military and out of it. And I know some of the OTO's scientists didn't survive the raid on their cloning facility last month.

It's a heavy thing to deal with. Sometimes it's necessary. But a lot of people think imPorts are dangerous right now. If we do too much damage, we're going to risk proving them right about us. Doesn't matter if it's because we're battling bad guys.

I think this fight with the OTO is just getting started. It's not going to be the last time we have to make those kinds of choices. And we need to work together if we're going to beat them. I figure that'll be easier if we're all clear on where we stand. About what we're willing to do to get it done.

So here's what I want to ask you: would you kill, to save a life? Or is that going too far for you? And how do you want to hold people accountable for something like that?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That sounds messed up. But familiar. It takes a threat to get people together in my Galaxy too. Or at least the appearance of a threat.

I don't blame them for seeing ghouls as a threat, they are. And up until 1980's there was absolutely no way of stopping them. But yes, that threat certainly brought together many.

What changed in the 1980s? New weapons?

In a way. A family called the Washuu formed a special group to fight off ghouls and their tactics were incredibly successful. When the technology allowed it, they made new weapons, forged from ghouls themselves.

So the tide turned. Ordinarily I'd say that was a good thing. But it sounds like they took it too far. It went from defence to extermination, right?

I don't blame humans for that. I know why they'd do such a thing and it makes sense. But the Washuus are secretly ghouls who are passing as humans, and that's how they were so successful in killing ghouls. They use their authority to keep their nature a secret, and use it to shape Japan as they please.

They're killing their own kind. Why? Just to be on top of the food chain?

Or maybe they just dream of being human.

Why would they? Humans are just food to them, right?

It's not that simple. A ghoul lives their life walking through bones and blood. It's a sinful existence, and so some will fall into despair and others will start seeing life as disposable and easy to take. But as monsters, we will always look at you, who can live without such things, who can exist without this sort of sin. This is why we live among you and pretend to be human, too. It's not just because of hunting. It's because we want to pretend we aren't monstrous.

[Jacob's silent for a minute after getting this text, because damn, talking to Kaneki can be A Lot. Then, simply, he says:]

For what it's worth, I don't think you're a monster. You might have to eat humans, but from what I see, you treat us like people. Not snacks. That counts for a lot.

[ this is what happens when you ask too much about kaneki's world and ghouls, jacob ]

That's a very human thing to say. Thank you, though. [ even if doesn't really change how kaneki sees himself at all ]

10th Mission // Text // Links are IC

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