#not aspec

So these posts could be written by different people who live in my brain

And you would have no way of knowing who (unless we tell u)

And chances are we don't know either lol

Why or when do you think your favorite Ghouls would purr?

Okay NGL I was very confused for a sec why I got this ask on my TG aspec sideblog. But now I see you're asking a bunch of TG blogs and so,,, I am honored to be one of those. Thank you. 🥺

Now. I have no idea how many people know this, bc I haven't mentioned it in a while, but my main is @kyanitedragon. Normally I don't personally subscribe to the ghouls purr headcanon - it leans a bit too animalistic for my preferred interpretation of ghouls.

But! The idea is cute (who doesn't like purring??) and I did play around with it and go a very different angle and made up these headcanons:

Cats don't just purr from contentment, but also often purr when stressed, and there's a theory that cat purring aids in healing, which feels really ripe for worldbuilding considering that ghouls have regeneration. Maybe they go hand-in-hand — purring whenever their regeneration kicks in, or maybe they tend to purr when their regeneration gives out — instinctually using a more primative form of healing

(The theory also says that cat purring can lower stress and aid healing in humans too, so consider that for your ghoul x human ships! It wouldn't be an enhanced form of healing for humans, but it would still be comforting and have minor healing properties like the cat purring theory!)

And then I later made this post about Akira and how I see her reacting to ghouls purring, given she's a cat lover.

And then in my full ghoul au @2-steps-forward, I ended up further worldbuilding that ghouls purring is... kind of the ghoul equivalent in regards to the "boys don't cry" in toxic masculinity? Purring = affection or weakness, depending on the context. And that's something that in ghoul culture, generally speaking, is only "acceptable" in certain contexts / around certain people. You're only "supposed" to purr around your significant other, or your family when you're a kid. Otherwise, the only exception is self-soothing when on death's door. Any other time, you'll get looked down on. (Or so ghoul culture says.)

So these headcanons below are based on that worldbuilding:

Kaneki: When he gets bursts of happiness, purring will tend to reflexively come out, and then it'll startle him and thus abruptly stop. He'd probably cough and try to hide the sound.

Even when he learns what it is, he doesn't really purr often? He doesn't have many people he's close to as it is, and he cannot purr in front of Hide, and as he's been avoiding him since becoming a ghoul he doesn't necesarily have the opportunity for it to even happen around Hide anyway.

During his torture at Yamori's hands, he would purr in an attempt to self-soothe. And it may have become a secret coping mechanism in his own room at his group's hideout.

Hinami's really the only exception. During those 6 months together in their group, there would occasionally be some cute purring cuddles between them. But sadly, the key word here is "occasional", given Kaneki's mindset at the time. And it was probably born from Hinami taking it upon herself to hug him and purr and encourage it, thinking he needed it. (He always needs it. But sometimes he's too "busy" for purrs and cuddles. He's gotta track down their next targets or keep searching for Kanou and Rize.)

As Haise, between his uppity nature and his amnesia making his knowledge of ghoul culture reset... I think he would purr a lot. Half of it is overcompensation, trying to prove he's not a monster. And half of it is genuine affection. Or it's a weird mix of both. It's complicated. Don't ask him about it, he barely understands it himself.

In :re, Kaneki absolutely purrs around Touka once she married him. It's on accident at first, but when Touka doesn't mind it, he just doubles down and gets it all out.

And you bet he finally purrs around Hide post-dragon arc when it's no longer a secret!! Hide is thrilled and cuddles him and absolutely starts petting him like a cat. (Which Kaneki scoffs at and rebuffs but he honestly kinda likes it.)

Touka: She doesn't purr that often. Just, naturally. Which kinda sucks for her as she's a very "screw society, do what you want" person and wouldn't mind purring. It just... doesn't happen for her.

As a little girl she'd purr during long hugs or cuddles with her family. But after losing her dad, she hasn't been able to emotionally feel that sense of deep love or comfort enough to purr. Although, those early days/weeks she and Ayato probably cuddled up and purred to help each other cope.

Is it something she naturally grew up out of? Is it a trauma thing? Is it a personality thing? She has no idea.

She's purred a little bit around Hinami, but that's kind of it. And even then, it was her purring on purpose to reciprocate it, not an emotional response.

But in :re, some nights with Kaneki she might start purring and surprise the both of them. And post-canon, when things settle, I think she'd be able to purr openly and naturally, around Kaneki, Hinami, and Yoriko.

Hinami: I think her isolation from greater ghoul society and her close relationship with her family means that she purrs, like... all the time. When she's happy, when she gets bursts of affection from people she loves, when hugging. It was a shock to Touka at first, but she came to love it and absolutely indulges and encourages her. All of Anteiku finds it touching to see such an innocent and genuinely happy ghoul. Also, there's a high chance that this is how Kaneki finds out that ghouls purr. He very much worries something is wrong with her when she starts rumbling.

Nishiki: Never.

...Or so he says. He's purred once or twice around Kimi post-reveal, and then denied it each time. He used to cuddle and purr with his sister when he was younger.

Remember when Kaneki turned into Dragon and Nishiki (off-screen) gave Touka his jacket and hung out with her to comfort her? He may or may not have held her and purred when no one else was around. Just for a minute or two.

Tsukiyama: He'll purr around his Papa, but that's it.

His relationship with Kanae and Matsumae, while close, feels a bit too formal to warrant it. He sees them as family, but they're also his servants, and I think that disconnect would stop it from happening. Maybe once or twice it's happened over the years, when it felt right. Something more off-the clock and was just fun and bonding times. (Like, during a hug after his Scrabble games with Matsumae.)

If he was to purr around Kanae, Kanae would be stuck between "that is improper, do not do that!!" and loving it and wanting it to never end.