クインクス

I'LL GET ALL THE CREDIT. // independent & private tokyo ghoul rp. semi ia.

[batoushoujo]

　　SERIOUSLY, HE SHOWS UP, AND IS INSTANTLY FUCKING UNBEARABLE. They should send him off to some remote island and he can maintain the safety there, where he never has to bother another fucking human again.

　　She doesn't actually take a swing at him, but she sure comes fucking close; keeping his distance is a wise decision. She bristles again at his shitty comment, though, and her shoulders tense like she's just barely holding it back.

　　"And you're welcome to shut the fuck up!" She hisses back. At some point, their rage is going to spawn a whole new curse that they're going to have to deal with, before they even catch wind of the one they're here for. Which, speaking of wind, what kind of fucking bullshit is he accusing her of now?

　　"I smoked one, like a fucking hour ago," The tomboy snarls, but boy, does she sure wish she had one now. Except, not really; the smell is getting worse, and there's no way she'd want to add to it. He just spent an entire car ride with her; is he really stupid enough to think that she suddenly reeks like this? Whether he's just being a piece of shit or if he actually believes that, both are bad looks.

　　Tem glances around the area, then shoots Urie a new glare at his added distance. "Oh, yeah, did that help? Found yourself perfectly breathable air just a few more steps in? Asshole." And then she's back to looking at the platform, and she takes some time focusing on each end of the tunnels on both sides. Obviously there's cursed energy here; the larger curse has surely attracted and spawned smaller ones, but if she can isolate some of their forms...

　　Without consulting her 'partner,' Tem suddenly turns and hops down onto one of the tracks, peering for another moment into the darkness ahead before she decides to try her luck and head inside of it.

[bureaubitch]

WITH HIS BACK TURNED, Urie can't tell if Tem is looking in his direction to be able to notice he's raising his middle finger towards her. He doesn't keep it up for long, because that might imply that he's listening to all her stupid cussing ( or that it's worth more of his attention than a quick gesture and a roll of his eyes. )

The smell's really bad, though. He'd never admit it in a thousand years, but half the reason he's turning away is because his eyes are watering and his gag reflex threatens to trigger hard enough to leave him doubled over and choking...

He buries another cough into his sleeve and hopes the fabric, along with the mask, mutes the sound. ( Not that it's easy in an abandoned station, where every sound echoes off the high ceiling. )

Maybe, though... could that smell be related to the curse? Some kind of poison gas that it's spreading...?

Urie glances over his shoulder, debating whether or not he should share his thoughts with Tem, but instead find that she's missing from the platform. ( Huh... he can only hope the curse got her this time. Good riddance. )

Still, even with that thought, he glances down at the briefcase in his hand. He should be ready for a fight anyway, and if she's found their target, he'll know about it pretty damn fast ( one way or another. ) In the meantime, all that's left to do is follow the path he thinks she's taken, but in contrast to his earlier haste, it's more of a cautious saunter this time.

[batoushoujo]

　　SHE'S TRYING NOT TO RUSH TOO MUCH, but she also isn't going to let him make her miss out on the action. A sweep on his stupid coat indicates she's on the right track, and not long after, she's trotting down the stairs as well.

　　It's definitely eerie, being so empty and all, but it's the same for every place that a curse has been entrapped in. It's exactly the kind of atmosphere she'd expect, but that's exciting to her. Even after half a decade of this, it's still like living out a fantasy story.

　　She's been trying to shift from being annoyed to observant, taking in their surroundings as she finally catches up with Urie. Of course, there's not much to note; outside of ending up in something's domain, there's not much to look for besides the main curse itself. And if it's become enough of a problem to warrant sorcerers' to evacuate the area, then they're not going to stay hidden for long.

　　Plus, the smokey smell is getting more pungent, and she's starting to get an idea of what's going on. It's a wonder how anyone could stand boarding here, but people can put up with a lot to make it to work on time.

　　The semi-grade 1 approaches her coworker, who is now holding something out to her. She takes it with much less disgust than he seems to be handling it with, confusion flashing briefly across her face as she spots the cover and then quickly contorting into rage.

　　Tem throws the magazine back in his stupid masked face with a growl of a huff, and then starts to yell at him.

　　"And you say I'm annoying! How about you focus on finding the curse, Mr. Workaholic, so I can go back to never having to see your ugly face again?!"

[bureaubitch]

SO WHAT? SHE IS ANNOYING. Force of habit, but Urie wouldn't raise his voice so loud in a subway station, even an abandoned one, so she's just proving his point. He bats the magazine off of his shoulder and kicks it as it hits the concrete of the platform, watching it join the others in a heap.

❝ You're welcome to wait upstairs while I do all the work, ❞ he suggests as he swerves out of range of her trigger-happy fists. ❝ ( You're only going to get in my way anyway... ) ❞

He's never liked working in a team; it's an inherent problem that someone is always stronger than the other. Get dragged down by the useless, or get overshadowed by the talented--there's no middle ground, no fulcrum on which to balance where there's something to gain from an unequal partnership.

There's only loss. He's seen that.

It's not just the smell surrounding them in the station that makes his eyes suddenly sting and bile rise in the back of his throat, but he has to turn and mask a gagging cough with the sleeve of his coat.

Ammonia, butane, formaldehyde, tar... there's nothing good in those shitty things Tem likes to suck into her lungs. This whole station reeks of them, and it can't all be her fault. She's already in a shitty mood, but just like the chemical reactions in a burning cigarette, Tem's always had this effect on Urie too.

❝ How many of those fucking things did you smoke? ❞ he accuses, and backs up a few more paces to demonstrate that she repulses him. ( How the fuck are they supposed to find a curse under these conditions, anyway?! )

[batoushoujo]

　　REALLY, SHE'S JUST TOO ANGRY BOTHER. All this time apart has made her take peace without Urie for granted, she thinks; or maybe it's made her a little more patient, since she doesn't have to deal with him almost every single day for training and classes.

　　Tem is on the opposite side of viewing the car ride here; she's glad they get to take something private. She doesn't hate public transit, but why should they have to ride with the common man when they're literally going in there to save their asses? She'd be more shocked to hear that Urie would have preferred that. Maybe it's easier to ignore and be ignored in a group, or something.

　　She almost forgets to thank the assistant herself, but tosses one back there at the last second before he drives off to park somewhere and help with the veil. She doesn't exactly rush, so Urie is practically a speck by the time she turns around. An indignant grunt pops out of her, and she rushes along after him, though as soon as she starts hurrying, she hates herself for it. What a jerk. She hope he trips.

　　The smell of smoke is obvious to her, too, but it's weirdly fresh and stale at the same time. She pauses at the entrance of the station and sniffs a few times, curious. It's definitely coming from within, and there's a distinct difference in it than the normal smell of cigarettes. Finally, she enters as well, and gives the turnstyle a testing push before hopping it. At this point, she can't see Urie at all, but she can sense both his cursed energy (truly cursed, honestly) and that of the spirits in this area, so she just sighs in annoyance and then moves off in their direction.

　　The further into the station she gets, the stronger the smell is, and even she doesn't like it. Some solace, though, is knowing just how much Urie must be suffering already. Serves him right.

[bureaubitch]

THE ABANDONED STATION looks like something out of one of Yonebayashi's video games--like something set after an apocalypse. Once he's skipped the barrier, Urie slows down and takes the time to look around, checking to see if there's any kind of hint towards what they're dealing with here.

The weirdest thing is the smell. People usually smoke by the exit, lighting a cigarette once they're out in the street. So why is it that it seems to grow worse when he approaches the escalators descending towards the platform? Is it just that he's more sensitive than usual today? ( It's a side effect of his cursed technique that messes with his senses. Lately, even the brush cleaner for his oil paints makes his head throb and his gag reflex trigger ... )

The escalators are still running; the workers must have left the generators running when they fled. The machinery groans and thumps, echoing through the tunnels without the usual swarm of passengers to muffle the noise. A quick glance over his shoulder reveals that Tem is catching up, so Urie doesn't waste time as he descends the staircase between the two escalators. ( Safer footing in case the curse chooses this moment to reveal itself. )

The platform is just as quiet as the ticketing area. A little bakery and newstand sits between the two empty track lines, but at least there's finally some signs of chaos down here--the magazines are strewn across the concrete, probably disrupted by a stampede of people pushing towards the exit.

Urie keeps his eyes and ears focused on his surroundings, but he can't help but kneel to pick up one of the magazines--some stupid rag with a large-breasted anime girl on the cover. He picks it up by the corner with his gloved hand, holding it out like a contagious lab specimen and offering it towards Tem as she joins him on the platform.

❝ Hey. Don't you like this kind of thing? ( Now's your chance to steal as many as you like... ) ❞

[batoushoujo]

　　UGH. JUST HEARING HIS VOICE IS IRRITATING HER. She wishes he'd keep his stupid mouth shut (as if she's not the one who spoke to him first). His presence alone is suffocatingーseriously, it's surprising that that isn't what his innate technique is.

　　And, of course, the first thing he does is be an asshole. (Again, like she hadn't done it first.) "Fuck off." Oh, come on, seriously? A mask? They're outside. It's not that strong. Tem takes a long drag of her cigarette, and pointedly leans towards Urie to expel the smoke in as steady of a stream as she can muster. Once her lungs have been completely emptied, she tosses the rest of the cigarette on the ground and stomps on it to put it out, then makes it a point to body past him to get through the doorway first.

　　Once inside, she adjusts her jackets, shaking it to smooth it out. If they can just get in, kill this curse, and get out, she can move on with her life and avoid this douchebag for another year, at least, she hopes.

　　At the very least, the meeting is short and simple. There's a big bad curse causing problems here, it shouldn't be too crazy but the location is complicated (subway station, sore subject), and it seems to be emitting a lot of cursed energy, so they'd like to send in two of them just to be safe. Plus, Tem isn't a full grade 1 yet (and maybe if they stopped pairing her with others and let her exorcise a curse on her own, she could prove herself and get promoted, too...!), but two is better, regardless.

　　The assistant concludes her speech, and after determining that both parties understand, they set out to leave for their destination. Urie, of course, immediately settles himself into the passenger seat, leaving Tem to stew in the back, and for the assistant to have to suffer through this terrible atmosphere the entire trip there.

[bureaubitch]

HE USED TO WEAR HEADPHONES for situations like this, when he wanted to send an obvious signal that he wasn’t listening and wouldn’t care even if he did. Time seems to have worked a little bit of magic, though, because Tem manages to shut up while she’s in the back seat of the car—maybe she can learn after all. ( Maybe she just wants to impress the driver, as if it matters what someone so unimportant thinks about any of this shit. )

When they arrive at their destination, Urie gets out of the car without thanking the driver and without waiting for Tem. It’s stupid that they had to drive in the first place when the destination is a subway station, but he gets it; curses and public transportation don’t mix. He gets enough sideways glances when he’s out in public as it is. People don’t like the shadows under his eyes or the way his thin lips are permanently curled up into a sneer. They’d like it even less if they knew what he was capable of.

The morning commute is already over and the streets wouldn’t be crowded at this time of day anyway, but there’s something unpleasant about the still aura surrounding the station. The shops aren’t even closed properly, and a lingering stench of cigarette smoke hangs off the stonework.

… unless that’s just Tem. ( She won’t see him sneer under the mask, which is a shame. )

If he were a nicer person, he’d stop to look over his shoulder and make sure she was following. But he’s not nice, so he enters the station and hops the turnstile without a second thought.

[batoushoujo]

@bureaubitch

　　TEM IS IN A PRETTY GOOD MOOD. In the time since graduation, she feels like she's accomplished a decent amount; worthy of being called a sorcerer. A few times, she's even gotten to accompany Haise on more dangerous missions, which are finished with relative ease alongside the special-grade.

　　This time, he won't be around; he's not needed for this one, so his students (former! Tem would remind him) should get all the experience they can. Though there's a tinge of concern at the plural, students, Tem is optimistic; with Saiko and Higemaru both ranking below her, maybe they'll be accompanying her today for a little exercise. Saiko's grown a lot from her days as an unwilling student, and Tem would love to see her in action.

　　Milling around the office as she waits for the support staff to come along and fill them on the details, the semi-grade 1 steps out for a cigarette. She's about halfway through it when someone approaches, and she turns to face them with expected joy on her face that quickly crashes into utter disappointment. Disgust, even.

　　The cigarette nearly falls from her mouth as she stares at Urie in shock, and she snatches it out of the air just before it can, the smoke she'd inhaled earlier spilling out from her lungs and mouth.

　　"What are you doing here? Weren't you on the other side of the country for some special assignment? Or did they kick you back here for being too much of a tightass?"

[bureaubitch]

UNFORTUNATELY, URIE KUKI IS BACK. Despite his best efforts to stay the fuck away from these people, this place that's still haunted by the memory of when Shirazu Ginshi was part of the squad...

( How many minutes has it been since Urie got off the train? Not enough for him to be thinking those thoughts already. Fuck that. )

He's nearly reached the door when he's greeted by the worst kind of distraction. Not that he didn't know he'd be seeing Tem, but he was hoping he'd have more time to himself before his day was ruined. ( He's not even sure he wants to give her the credit for having that kind of effect on him, but the curl of smoke coming out of her mouth pisses him off. )

❝ Put that shit out, ❞ he requests, keeping himself several paces away from Tem and her cigarette. He's sensitive to scents, and she knows that, so there's a significant chance that she's doing this on purpose. ❝ ... It stinks. ❞

To emphasize his point, he reaches one gloved hand into the pocket of his grey trench coat and pulls out a disposable face mask--black, just like the rest of his outfit ( minus the coat ). He has to set his briefcase next to his shoes to affix it, and he narrows his eyes at Tem as he snaps the straps behind his ears.

[bureaubitch]

batoushoujo​:

　　IT’S…KIND OF NO FUN when he both doesn’t get it, and it doesn’t bother him. The latter especially. For once, it seems they aren’t going to argue, because this totally killed her vibe.

　　“ …Yeah. Of course you don’t. Nevermind. ”

THAT’S IT?  Ah, good ... “ ... just get that paperwork done by 9 tomorrow morning. ( I need it for the Division meeting. ) ” 

[batoushoujo]

@bureaubitch​

　　“ Hey, Uri-tan, how many Christmas trees did you manage to steal this year? Were there any kids around who were able to change your heart, or will I have to hold out hope for next year again? ”

[bureaubitch]

IF THAT’S A REFERENCE to something, it’s lost on him. “I don’t even celebrate...”  ( It’s just an excuse for excessive corporate commercialization, after all -- why do they even need the day off?! ) 

[bureaubitch]

falsedove​:

　　WELL, HE HADN’T REALLY EXPECTED MUCH BETTER OF A RESPONSE. Sasaki sighs a bit, hiding most of his disappointment, but not all of it.  “ This is what I mean. You’ve got to socialize a bit! We’re all working for the same things, here. It’ll be a lot easier if we can all work together. ” 

WHAT THE FUCK ... “No.” The way he says it makes it neither fully a question, nor fully a dismissal. “You’re oversimplifying, but even so ...” This is combined with a wave of his hand. “You all can go work together without me. I don’t mind.” 

[bureaubitch]

falsedove​:

　　AH, HE REALLY DOESN’T CHANGE, DOES HE? Sasaki supposes there’s something comforting in that fact; things have been changing a lot lately, and for the worst, really. To have a familiar interaction with Urie, despite the negativity of it all, is actually quite uplifting.

　　Sasaki remains in the driver’s seat for only a second longer than Urie, and when he stands outside of the car to shut the door, he sends a glance his subordinate’s way. It had been a mostly silent car ride, but the sharp comment now is what’s gotten him thinking.

　　“ Efficiency is always the goal, isn’t it? ” The investigator remarks pleasantly, knowing full well what Urie means.  “ But rushing things is no better than dong them inefficiently. Surely you’ve picked that up by now, Urie-kun? ”

( DON’T PATRONIZE ME. )  He knows how investigations work -- knows how to run them well, to good effect, to get decent results. Rushing? Please ... he’s just trying to eliminate some of the bullshit that goes into these routine and useless conversations ( meaning, generally, the moments where Haise brings emotions into it. ) 

“Do you actually want to discuss methodology right now?” he snaps, still not sparing more than a cursory glance in his mentor’s direction. He’s studied the rulebooks enough to have justifications ( he’s good at twisting them to suit his present needs ) but he could swear half the Bureau just uses those things as a resting place for their coffee cups. 

[bureaubitch]

The awkwardness, Urie decides, is Sasaki’s fault. This is a decision he arrives at based on the following logic: the rest of the squad is missing ( Mutsuki and Shirazu ) or asleep ( Yonebayashi ), and every other morning when Urie heads out to HQ at this same time on his own, it’s perfectly pleasant. The variable that has changed is Sasaki. 

He pretends to be unaffected as he opens the passenger side of the company car and climbs in, already looking at the window at the street instead of his mentor by the time he closes the door and fumbles for his seatbelt. 

“Let’s just make the interrogations quick ( so I can do something more useful. )”  /  @falsedove​

[falsedove]

@bureaubitch​

　　“ Urie-kun, you should be spending more time getting to know your classmates! They’ll be vital in your growth and in being successful as you get sent out on more difficult missions! “

[bureaubitch]

Sasaki is lucky that Urie spares him a glance. The headphones are on his head for a reason  ( he doesn’t want to talk )  and the fact that there’s no music playing is irrelevant. He raises a hand, slides the headphones backwards, and levels a blank glance. “ ... What?” 

[zipofcloud]

[bureaubitch]

*taps mic* i know i’m slow on here but let’s try a starter call ! tap the like button and i’ll put together something short for our muses ㅇㅅㅇ

[quotemadness]

Sometimes things come out of your mouth that you regret later on. Or no, not regret. You say something so razor-sharp that the person you say it to carries it around with them for the rest of their life.

Herman Koch (via quotemadness)

[bureaubitch-a]

urie doesn’t know the rules to any sports

[bureaubitch]

urie keeps a regimented schedule. alarm: 6 a.m. he goes straight to the gym after that for a quick workout. shower from 6:30 to 6:45, and he gives himself until 7 to get dressed  ( it’s not like picking an outfit is hard when everything he owns is black or charcoal gray or purple so dark it’s almost black. )  that includes the minute or two he devotes to his hair. and then more or less precisely at 7, he makes breakfast and a cup of coffee and reads the newspaper that’s been crammed through the letterbox. sometimes that lasts until the whole squad is ready to drive to headquarters together, but other times, he’s out the door by 7:30. taxi, subway, walking ... it’s not hard to make it to work by any of those ways. he’s just happy to be starting the work day by 8:30 a.m. at the latest. 

but all of that demands an early night, so he usually has the door to his bedroom shut by 10 p.m.  ( ... alright, 9 p.m. or 8 p.m. depending how annoying the others are )  so he can sleep at 11. usually the closed door is a sign that he doesn’t want to talk, and gratefully, yonebayashi is too busy hiding in her own room and mutsuki is too timid to bother him. he can often count on sasaki crying in the master bedroom  ( or whatever he does in there )  so it’s really just shirazu that ... 

10:58 p.m. 

❛ why the fuck are you in here. ❜   urie aims a kick at shirazu’s knees from under his sheets.  ❛ ( get off my bed. ) ❜    /    @ginshitty​

[bureaubitch]

#he has a gigantic crush on akira and him and urie are grinding peens when everyone else is asleep

❛ ..... it was one time. ❜