[ Video ]

[ghoulking]

[ do you know how to cope with being murdered in some haunted house by some creepy omnious voice talking to you? You don't sleep and decide to drown in work. That's obviously what you should do. That's obviously what kaneki is doing.

When Kaneki comes to the screen he is wearing glasses and is surrounded by books and two computer screens, and he looks like he hasn't slept in years (because, let's be honest, he hasn't). He will get right to the point when the video feed starts, offering a small smile and a bow of his head ]

Hello. I wish to bring something to you today. Years ago, an imPort by the name of Kate Bishop started a FAQ, with the idea to give every imPort the information they needed about this world and their situation. It was a good idea, but once she was ported out, this FAQ became out of date and it hasn't been updated in years. I wish to bring it back and follow what Miss Bishop wanted to do. I already have her FAQ, which I'll be adapting and updating but given two years have passed since it was written, I think it's necessary to add what today's imPorts want to know and worry about.

That's why I'm making this post. If you have any question you want to see in this FAQ, go ahead and ask. I'll be adding them to the document. And of course, share the document once it's ready.

Comments

[d33tached]

Yes, perhaps you should.

[His smile fades after a moment, but it's not into irritation. It's fascination, curiosity that colors his expression now.]

"San". I've heard you use such a word before. Mako, as well. [And a few others, all seemingly from Japan - which leads him to ask.] It is Japanese in origin, is it not?

What does it mean?

[ghoulking]

Oh- I always add them out of habit. Those are japanese honorifics for addressing or referring to people, and they can indicate respect, familiarity, how well two people know each other.

[ kaneki moves the things he has on the desk, giving room for D33 to sit there if he wants to. ]

"San" is the most commonplace honorific and is a title of respect typically used between equals of any age. Like "Mister" or "Miss". "Sama" is for people with higher ranks, clients or guests. "Kun" is used to address younger men, boys, teenagers or anyone with a junior status. And "chan" is the female version of "kun" but it's also used towards anyone who is endearing like animals, lovers, close friends.

[ A QUICK JAPANESE LESSON BY TOURS TRULY ]

[d33tached]

[D33 takes a seat on the desk (positively looming over Kaneki at that point, what with the height difference). He nods thoughtfully as the other man explains, trying to make a mental note of all the various meanings. It truly is fascinating, D33 thinks. He'd never really stopped to consider the differences between languages before arriving in this world (R01 had been fluent in several, though D33 had never been allowed to ask about them).]

Kaneki-san, then. [His lips curl a bit as he says so.] Though, I suppose I do not typically attach a "Mr." to your name.

[ghoulking]

[ kaneki smiles. ] You can call me whatever you'd like, with or without "san". [ saying "Dee-Thirty-Three-san" is a bit of a mouthful, so Kaneki doesn't add san to his name, but that's honestly the only reason. Was his name smaller, he probably would have ]

I don't think it matters how people call me, anymore. It was strange at first, I admit, but everyone kept call me "Ken" the first few months and I ended up just going along with it. [ its a sort of familiarity kaneki is definitively not used to. He introduces himself as Kaneki now and most people call him that, but there are still some who call him by his given name and Kaneki learned to not mind it at all. ]

[d33tached]

Ken. [Yes, that's right. Somewhere along the line, Kaneki had been introduced to him as "Kaneki Ken" rather than the westernized "Ken Kaneki" that's attached to the ghoul's network posts. D33 had never questioned it. In fact, he's really grown rather fond of the name "Kaneki" - more so to the person who it's attached to, of course.] I suppose that would be your first name, then.

Do you find it strange that I and others refer to you by your surname instead?

[ghoulking]

[ it is embarrassing to hear D33 say his given name like that. He sure can say he is used to it but...Kaneki nods softly] Ken is my given name, Kaneki is my family name.

It's not strange though, everyone calls me that even back home. Ghouls don't care much for family names because they change them constantly so they will be difficult to track- [ Rize had different ones before, he remembers that. He also knows Nishio-senpai changed his ] So they often address each other by their first name. Touka-chan, Yomo-san, Hinami-chan.

I guess in my case it's still a human attachment. [ plus he never needed to change his family name since he has no plans on disappearing and changing his life ]

[d33tached]

A human attachment? [D33 raises an eyebrow - that should be signal enough that he's about to pry deeper.

[He considers the thought for a moment, shifting a bit on the desk where he's sitting. Had Kaneki ever mentioned anything about being human before?]

Are you human?

[A ghoul, D33 knows. But perhaps there is a way that he could be both? Kaneki certainly seems human to D33 most of the time. So much so that the man regularly forgets that he's technically engaging in a relationship with a fairy tale monster.]

[ghoulking]

Oh- [ that's right, most don't know Kaneki used to be human, not anymore. Those who did have left or forgotten it because of the Porter, and right now Kaneki is just a ghoul. Kaneki touches hiw own chin with a small smile ] Hm. I was born human.

I was turned into a ghoul artificially, through an experiment, when I was eighteen. Well, technically, a Half Ghoul. [ but before then Kaneki certainly was human. He ate normal food, had a normal life; he was so pure and gentle back then, and to an extent Kaneki still considers that his "pure self", untainted by the world he is forced to live in now ]

[d33tached]

[D33's brow furrows as he looks the man over, making a thoughtful sound - but it's clear that his eyes are searching for something, exploring, trying to make sense of what Kaneki has said. It's a familiar look for D33 - always curious.]

Artificially. As opposed to authentically, then.

If you don't mind my asking, Kaneki, what exactly is the difference?

[ghoulking]

Uhm- the difference is that ghouls are born. A woman and a man and then a baby - the same way it is for most mammals. [ kaneki wasn't born a ghoul, he was born human. ] But if you are talking about how I and a natural-born ghoul differ, it's not really that much. [ he hums thoughtfully as he thinks about what he has learned over the years ]

I suppose hybrids are always stronger in nature, so half-ghouls could be too but I've met many born-ghouls who are incredibly strong. [ and also some humans ] I smell like a female ghoul and I've been told by ghouls I taste great. [ which is not normal; ghouls taste awful to other ghouls. Kaneki would know, that's what he eats back home ]

And I don't have the pathwa... [ kaneki stops, turning to D33. He doesn't know how ghouls work so telling him this will be a moot point and probably really confusing; Kaneki doesn't want to bore him with confusing details either ] My internal physiology is a bit different from a ghoul's, but ultimately very similar. I'm definitively more ghoul than human, though.