mistymoonyyyyy

°Waking up in the train express and arriving at Darkwick Academy with the other first year students, you're so excited and giddy about everything cause imagine getting to meet the characters you've been hyping about in comment sections like they're real and all and admitting you're just delusional by the end.

°A screen suddenly appeared in front of your face, half blocking your vision. The bold font 'Welcome to Tokyo Debunker [...]. Please complete your first quest....', WOAHHH?!?! THEY HAVE SYSTEMS TOO?!?!

°You'd be exaggerating almost anything

°Like wowwww, the academy's hella big, oh so this thing that's holding you in place is the shadow anomaly you saw on screen, oh damng the game wasn't exaggerating about cornelius height—

°You'd meet the characters, the anomalies, the important side characters and especially —OHMYGODDD IS THAT HER?!?!

°You squealed inwardly at being able to exchange numbers with the inspector you adored most from the game. The honor student saving her name in your phone with just 'MC', staring down at her phone she almost laughed with the amount of heart emojis you typed next to your name.

°Everything was going so well, obviously. You were assigned to a house, became friends with nearly all the friendly ghouls, and even got assigned to the same classes as your heroine!!! Life just couldn't be any better.

°The system was just as nice, giving you small tasks in exchange for high grade items like the infinite storage pouch or healing teabags that appear normal outwardly, but possesses abilities sought after by the Institute.

°Let's just keep these aways for now :' )

°Initially, you wanted to enjoy your life as a student at Darkwick for now before looking for a way back to your universe. Sure it's fun and all, but you already have a life over there that can't just be simply abandoned.

°Using your knowledge of the game, you would occasionally drop hints at MC about how the next missions would go and as expected, they'll return victoriously. You thought you could continue doing this until the end..

°But the peace was temporary, and next thing you know, out of nowhere, one of the ghouls was having a seizure right in front of yours eyes when they attempted to tell you something. A big warning sign appeared on the system's screen

【! ABSOLUTE WARNING! 】

Attempt to breach the boundaries of designated knowledge detected.

The subject has violated the rules governing this world.

Initiating suppression protocol!

°You're bared witness to how the ghoul coughed fiercely, clutching at his neck, his body hunched forward, as if he was choking when he was completely fine a second ago. A small patch of blood smeared his palm from the intense coughing and you stand dumbfounded at the screen breaking every little bit of the innocent, sef absorbed perspective you had all this time about the world inside this game.

°Through relentless investigation, you were determined to uncover the truth of what was completely happening. You approached ghouls, asking them to which they flatly deny you as if they've experienced this hundreds of times already. The constellation in the system would answer your heavy questions, they'll leave you clueless and desperate.

°You were blocked again and again by the system that was attempting to help you solve your dilemma, but stops when your advances were bordering breaking the rules by giving you penalties of fevers.

°Near the end, after exchanging information from a demon, you found out that this world is currently in a neverending loop. And you're merely one of the transmigrators that got transported to fuel that repetition. Even worse, after ever loop ends to begin a new one, the transmigrators won't return to their original world but will remain as another clueless general student that forgets everything.

°As terrified as you were for your impending fate, you were more worried for the ghouls who will suffer through another timeline again as you completely forget them in the next loop and live a comfortable life filled with blissful ignorance of what's truly happening.

°Then what will happen to him? How will he face you after the memories you went through together was erased ever so cruelly.

Hotarubi

Subaru

“Meow!” “Whoa! You scared me.”  He looks around. “A-Are you lost?”  In response, you rub your head against his hand. His anxious expression turns into a smile.  “If you don’t mind…would you like to join me for some tea?”  Subaru searches a few things up on his phone. "Apparently, you can’t have sweets or tea…” He pours water into a matching tea cup and elegantly places it in front of you. “I’m sorry, this is all I can give you. I'll have something prepared for your next visit. ” 

Haku

You find Haku laying down on the ground, taking a nap under the sun.  “Meow.”  He peeks with one eye.  “...Hm?”  He smiles sleepily.  “You're looking for a place to nap too?”  He lazily lifts an arm, inviting you in.  “C’mere.”  You curl up against him. “Heh. Good choice.” 

Zenji

Zenji’s playing out in the rain again.  “Meow.”  He turns and immediately beams. “Oh my! Have your little ears led you here, to my Biwa playing?” A sudden gasp. “Oh, but look at you. You’re soaked.”  Zenji springs to his feet. “Saburo! Protect the cat with your body while I’m gone. I shall have Haku bring an umbrella for you.” He starts drifting off into the distance. “Just wait, I’ll be back soon!”

Obscuary

Ed

The 400-year old vampire knows it’s you immediately.  “My. Hello there, Little Lady. You look quite lovely in cat-form as well.”  He gently scratches your ears.  “This won’t do. A lady shouldn’t sit on the floor.”  So he picks you up and puts you on his bed.  You'll be his company as he watches youtube videos for the rest of the day.

Rui

“Meow.”  “Whoa!” Rui jumps several feet back. “You gotta be careful. I almost disintegrated you.”  But his surprise quickly turns to curiosity. He studies you from a distance.  “You look mega cute. Like cutie cute!” He grimaces. “Ugh. I wish I could touch you.” Suddenly, his eyes light up. “Just a sec!”  Rui comes back with a back scratcher. He extends it as far as it will go, and scratches your chin.  He looks like he’s in heaven.  “OMG. You’re so cute~”

Lyca

Lyca walks around campus with a puzzled expression.  “I swear I can smell her…”  “Meow.”  Lyca whirls around, ears perked and claws ready.  He growls. Cats are his natural enemy. “What do you want–”  He pauses. Sniff. Sniff. “Why do you smell like…” His eyes widen. “D-Did you…eat her?!”

Mortkranken

Yuri

(For some reason, I feel like he’d be allergic to cats. He just seems like the type) You hear a shriek.  You find Yuri looking at you in horror. A hand over his mouth.  “What is a creature like you doing here?!”  When you step closer, he jumps onto an operating table.  “S-Somebody! Get that thing out!”  …Later, he’s sneezing nonstop. 

Jiro

Jiro finds you in the lab. “I don’t know how you got in here, but you’ll comprise the lab’s sanitation. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”  He picks you up, carries you outside, and sets you down. You expect him to go straight back inside. Instead, he crouches down in front of you, quietly watching.  Suddenly… “Pfft.” You tilt your head. “No…It’s just. You look like a certain someone."

Dionysia

Elias

“Meow.”  He looks down at his feet. You’re curled around his legs.  “To what do I owe this pleasure?”  He gives exceptionally good head pats. You can’t help but purr.  He chuckles.  “You’re a lovely little thing. You remind me of a certain someone.”  After a while, he lifts you onto his desk.  Elias picks up a broom. So random.  “I’ll sweep up these paper sticks. I can’t have you choking on them.” He smiles. “Right…inspector?” 

Jo

“Meow.” You hop onto his desk.  “Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here?”  He scratches your chin and strokes your back.  “Oh~Just a sec.”  He rummages through his closet before returning with some fabric.  A few minutes later, you’re dressed in ribbons.  He grins.  "I love making clothes for cuties like you. Next time you come, I'll have an outfit ready."

Mio

Mio’s working away…as usual.  You bite the hem of his jeans.  “Huh? What are you doing?”  You tug him to the nearest bench. “...You want me to sit?”  “Meow.”  “Hahaha. Fine.”  He relaxes into the seat.  You lay on his lap.  “Forcing me to rest, huh?” He smiles softly. “You’re just like her…” 

Shion

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It felt like you couldn’t escape the new movie that everyone was talking about. Analysis videos, rants, opinions on the acting, and that it’s a must see movie. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to watch it with Mio, you were curious about it, and Mio has been too busy to hang out with you lately. You didn’t want to seem too needy at the start of a relationship, but he wasn’t spending time with you enough.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a less busy day for him, so you’ll surprise him with something to watch. Since it was a horror movie, you had an excuse to get close to him and cuddle up. It’ll be a step up from his stiff handholding.

You waltz over to Dionysia with a bag slung over your shoulder, and a fresh DVD packed inside. You poke your head into the room where a general admissions student said he’d be, and see half of Mio’s body stick out from underneath a heavy machine. A couple students crowded around him, passing tools to him for what you presume to be an underside repair. You felt yourself sweat just watching him, and looked around until you spotted a seat to wait on. He most likely wasn’t going to talk to you while he’s working.

.

.

You could feel your eyes begin to weigh down, your sign that you should check the time. You didn’t expect to be waiting here for… 40 minutes?! Your head shoots up to look at Mio, and he’s still doing his job. You feel a little frustrated at the fact that it was taking this long, but you did come unannounced, so you suppose you don’t have any room to complain.

You get up from the chair and lift your arms above your head to stretch your stiff body. You hesitantly walk closer, finding an opportunity to ask someone how long Mio was going to take. You spot someone apart of Mio’s crew that runs to grab a tool, and you stop him on his way back.

“Hey, sorry, do you know when Mio will be finished?” You ask, he looks at you, as if trying to piece who you were.

“Oh yeah, you’re Mio’s!” He smiles at you brightly, “he’ll be done in like 20 minutes,” he nods his head, and you give him a quick ‘thank you!’ Before walking away. Instead of waiting around, you step outside for fresh air.

You take a tour around Dionysia’s grounds, peeking at people practicing routines. You frequent Dionysia, but the talents that everyone has amazes you. Everyone has passion for their work, it’s a different environment than what you usually see around Darkwick.

You’re lost in your thoughts, when suddenly, you hear a rip and cool air wafting against your skin. An object flies past you, you quickly look down and check your torso, relieved to see just a cut in your clothes. You look in the direction of where the flying object went, and you see a card stuck in the side of a fence.

Then without warning, you’re spun around harshly by your shoulder, with Shion towering over you.

“You came to visit and you didn’t want to see me? A bit rude, huh?”

His cold, lightless eyes bear into you, and his monotone voice sends shivers through your body. He lifts up his arm to grab you, when a hand grabs it midair. Shion gets gently pulled backwards by a nervous looking Jo.

“Okay, I think you need to cool down for a bit,” they say with a calm voice, trying to disarm Shion with their kind tone.

They let go of Shion, and carefully grabs your shoulders to walk you in the other direction.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your clothes, darling!” Jo says with a cheery, reassuring voice. You look back, and Shion hasn’t moved an inch, only turning his head to watch you being pushed away. You quickly look forwards, sighing in relief that Jo was there to save you.

“It looks like he put a big hole into your shirt, it could be worse, but I’ll fix it.” Jo shuts the door behind you, taking you into a room filled with racks of costumes.

“So what are you doing here? You don’t come around unless you have business here, or you’re with Mio,” they turn his back towards you and searches the racks. You decide to leave the clothing situation to Jo, and sit down in an unused chair in the corner.

“Actually, I was waiting for Mio to finish a job,” you rest your head on your hand, gazing at the colourful fabric that surrounds you, “he’s taking longer than usual, it doesn’t take much work for him to fix something,”

Jo moves quickly to open a box under the mirrors, and searches through various spools of string.

“Actually, one of the main generators broke down out of nowhere last night. It’s taking longer than usual because… hm…” they pause while looking up at the ceiling, “I don’t exactly remember what he said, but I know a complex piece broke, and it takes a lot of concentration to repair it. But, if anyone can do it, he can,” Jo stands up, moving to kneel in front of you, and grabs the fabric of your uniform.

“I’ll have this done in no time, then I’ll let you free,” they smile and swiftly start working. With Jo concentrating, you couldn’t help but think about Mio. He works himself too hard, his talents are always needed since he builds most mechanisms around campus, but it’s not hard to tell how tired he gets. Sometimes it feels like he gets uncomfortable if he doesn’t move, relaxing moments come few and far between with him. He’s had more work to do since you two started dating, you missed laughing and talking with him in the middle of the night, it’s a bit lonely when other people besides yourself demand his time.

You hear the door creak open, you and Jo look towards it, Mio wobbles in and glows when he sees your face,

“Oh, hey MC, I thought I heard some guys talk about you sitting in the corner earlier,” he stands beside you, and looks down at your stitched clothes.

“What happened? Get cut?” He grabs the fabric to inspect it when Jo takes their hands off of it.

You playfully stick your tongue out at Mio, “Don’t worry, it was just Shion. He only snagged my clothes, Jo helped me sew it back together,” at your explanation, he pinches the bridge of his nose.

“This is what I get when I keep him out of my sight, huh?” The hand on his face travels upwards to move extra hair out of his face. The darkness under his eyes is more apparent at this angle.

Jo nervously giggles, and straightens their legs to stand, offering a hand to you. You take it and get pulled up, you look down at your uniform, trying to spot the cut.

“That should be good enough, it was an easy fix, the staff would most likely have you spend money for a new jacket. So I tried to hide it as best I could,” they scan your jacket, proud of their handiwork.

“Anyways, I’ll leave you two alone, thanks for the work Mio! I’ll properly compensate you later, and thanks for coming by MC!” They gleefully walk out and shut the door behind them.

Mio sighs, “I have to look for Shion, he can’t do things like that,” he moves towards the door, but you grab his crusted overalls and pull on him. He stops in his tracks and looks at you with an awaiting expression

“Before you do that, I want to show you something!” You release him to dig in your bag, pulling out the DVD and shoving it in front of his face. His eyes scan the cover, looking at the details on it to piece what it is you’re showing him.

“It’s a new horror movie! I really wanted to watch it with you, everyones been talking about it,” you beam. He takes the movie from your hands and looks at the back to read the summary. He proceeds to check his phone, and slips the movie back into your bag.

“Sounds cool, I’ll come over after I do some work?” He inquires, he looks for any sort of confirmation, but your smile quickly drops into a small frown.

He smiles apologetically, “It won’t take long, I promise. It has to be done today, but I’ll come right after I’m done,” he holds the back of his neck. You sigh, and lean in closer to plant a kiss on his cheek.

You smile gently, “I’ll hold you to that promise,” and walk out the room. He looks at the closed door with dusted pink cheeks, and brings his hand to where you lips touched.

You changed into your comfortable clothes and set up an old DVD player that was hidden in the corner. You were lucky enough to find a TV that was packed away in your dorm, and a DVD player was the only way you could watch anything fun. It took a couple tries to hook it up, but as long as you don’t touch anything, you’ll be able to watch the movie with no difficulties.

You physically perk up when you hear a knock at the door, and you stumble to the door to open it. Mio was on the other side of the door, with his work clothes still on. You eye him up and down slowly, with squinted eyes,

“Mio… why are you still in those…” your face turns into a scowl. He pulls a set of clothes from behind his back.

“I had no time to change at my dorm, so I ran all the way here with them,” he quickly walks through your room, and into the bathroom. He yells, “I’ll be right out!” And shuts the door. You sit on your bed, hoping to every God that he will let himself relax this time.

You scroll around on your phone until you hear Mio come out of the bathroom, you lean forward to look at him and your heart flutters at the sight of him. You’ve never thought about it, but this is the first time you’re hanging out with Mio so intimately. Seeing him wear something as basic as a T-shirt and sweatpants with his hair in a half-up bun shouldn’t make your stomach flutter, but he looks cute enough to tackle him to the ground. He notices your staring and stops in his tracks.

“Is there something on me?” His voice rings through your head, and you snap out of your trance. You quickly look towards the tv and press buttons on the remote to make it look like you’re doing something.

“No! I’m just waiting for you,” you quickly spit out, embarrassed that he caught you staring. He sits beside you with a foot of distance between you, looking towards the tv with red cheeks.

“Anyways, what am I getting into? I kinda read the summary, but it didn’t tell me much about the it,” you hum to yourself, thinking of how to sum up the movie. You never actually read what it was about, you saw a bunch of clips and thought it looked good enough.

“I’m not… too sure… honestly, I’m going into this blind with you. All I know is that a class of kids run away in the middle of the night, and creepy shit happens afterwards,” Mio quietly chuckles, and you lean aside to grab a bag sitting on your bedside.

“Want any snacks? I got your favourite,” you tease, waving the bag in front of his face. He puts up his hand and smiles.

“Nah, not right now, I’ll have some after,” he thanks, you put down the bag on your bedside, and open up your own snack. You grab the remote and get ready to watch the movie.

“Ready?” You question, he nods his head and you lean back when you press ‘play’.

As much as you try to get close to Mio, he doesn’t budge. You’re paying half-attention to the movie, and trying to Cuddle with him. When you try to get close, or he accidentally makes contact with his arm, he mumbles a “sorry” and keeps to his own space. You were worried that Mio wasn’t ready for that yet, so you tried your best to stay in your own space too. You’d be lying if you said that you weren’t a little hurt, but if he’s uncomfortable then you didn’t want to push for anything.

You turn your head towards Mio and say apologetically, “sorry for moving so much, the movie’s a bit scary,” He stops paying attention to the movie, looks at you, and turns his head sideways.

Confused, he says, “Don’t be sorry for that,” he turns his head away, and his arm lifts to grab at the back of his neck. His face turns sour, like he has something caught in this throat, “I would y’know… comfort you… but I think I’d fall asleep, I wanna be awake when I’m with you.” He hides his face, and you look at him with your face slowly heating up.

“That’s okay, I know you’ve had a long day. I just want to be with you,” you force out. He faces towards you more, and scooches closer, to the point of touching shoulders,

“Hm, I’ll try not to doze off, don’t blame me if I do though,” he lifts up his arm, and slowly puts it around you, pulling you closer to him. You rest your head on his shoulder, and melt into his side. You can feel his body stiffen, and you say something to try and ease his tension.

“Mmm, you’re comfortable,” you sigh. He slowly loosens up and leans back into the pillows behind him, but you can tell that he’s careful about where he’s putting the hand that’s around you. You grab the remote and go back a few minutes, because neither of you were paying attention.

He relaxes into you after a while, more comfortable about grabbing your shoulder, or grabbing your head and pulling you into him when there’s a sudden scare. He isn’t too phased by the horror, the only time you could tell he was affected was when a shock went through his body during a jump scare.

Mio stops moving and commenting on the movie after a while, you were about to lift your head to see him, until you felt the weight of his head resting on you. You only recognized that he was sleeping when tiny snores came from him.

You smiled at his cute snores, but now you questioned whether or not to shut off the movie. You didn’t want to watch it without him, but you didn’t want to wake him up after working all day long. You pause the movie and close your eyes, you decided you weren’t going to make him move.

You felt shaking, and heard a soft “MC” in the back of your mind. The voice gets louder, and you jolt awake at the sudden realization that someone was trying to wake you.

“We fell asleep,” Mio whispers, you rub your eyes to get a good look at him.

“Hmm.. more like you fell asleep,” you teased, smiling at the sleep lines on his face. Sunlight floods into your room, you laugh at the thought of sleeping through the whole night with him.

“Crap, it’s so late, I have to do stuff at Dionysia before class starts. I’ll see you later, kay?” He grabs his stuff in quick succession, and moves towards the door. You move quickly and grab him before he gets too far away from the bed, wincing at your stiff muscles from sleeping in a sitting position.

“Wait, did you get enough sleep?” You question, he stops moving and turns towards you with a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, thanks for everything, you’re the best,” you smile in turn, and pull him down so you can kiss him on the cheek.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” you let him go, and he puts his hand in front of his face to hide the redness. He waves before going out the door, and when he shuts it, you flop flat on your bed. You grab the nearest pillow and yell into it, the sleepiness washes away from you, and your body heats up and heart races when you realize that Mio slept the whole night with you in his arms. His cuteness was going to give you a heart attack.

Mio returns to Dionysia, Jo and Elias look at Mio while he rushes to get back to his dorm. While he passes, Jo and Elias look at his sleep clothes, realizing that he didn’t get back home last night. Jo whispers to Elias about the fact that he saw Mio with you last, and both of them snicker at the possibility that he stayed overnight at your dorm.

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Taglist: @gieeeeeeeeeee @tohma-ishibashi

It's quite poetic how Frostheim won the Gala, and yet, it's one of the Houses that is more devoid of collaboration and trust between comrades. And I think a lot of it — but not all — is Jin's fault. One of the few times they worked as a glimpse of a team was in Episode 1. We saw improvements in Jin's mental health; however, after Episode 13, everything was already bound to fail, in my opinion.

If they had approached the problem together, I'm not saying they could have prevented the tragedy, but the outcome would have definitely been different. If only Jin had told the other two his suspicions, they wouldn't have been late, nor would Kaito have chosen to use the arm while MC was suffering.

I can't even blame the blondie that much. She was in extreme pain, after all. Nonetheless, would he have stuck to the promise to use the arm to break her curse if he weren't alone?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Luca was familiar with the Monkey's Paw: he recognized it as soon as he finally saw it, but it was too late. Jin and Tohma wouldn't have had to call the Institute to confirm the existence of an anomaly that wasn't even native to Japan, thanks to him. Kaito could have notified everyone, since he had it at some point, but he didn't out of fear and doubt.

Tohma banning Luca and Kaito from even getting involved in the situation in the first place, while he and Jin worked alone on that same case, was a bad move, yet I understand it. He knows how those two are: one too keen on his habit of jumping into action without really thinking about it, and one so stuck in his overthinking that he's too scared to act.

Still, why treat them like children instead of companions that could have sped up the process? To protect them, perhaps? How can a child know a lesson if there's no parent to guide them? Through mistakes. And this one was, unfortunately, fatal.

I'm aware the captain and vice-captain permitted them to investigate by themselves later on... But wouldn't it be better if they moved together? Just like the towers in airports help pilots navigate through take-off safely? It was clear that Tohma didn't trust them enough to let them get involved, considering the past missions. And Jin refused to share his thought process with them, despite having confidence in Luca's strength.

The lack of communication was a problem. The fact that everyone was in the wrong place at the wrong time, without answering to messages while everything unfolded, was a problem. I believe Jin's genius and capability of figuring out everything on his own, aided only by Tohma's help, was his own condemnation. It may have worked as a Deus Ex Machina during the doomed fate of the Malveaux family, or the Faceless anomalies emergency, but all chickens come home to roost eventually.

And of course, their fruit was the first one to fall and die: if they had loved each other enough, it wouldn't have withered in the first place.

Kaito's death was the climax, when every unresolved issue had its awful repercussions.

Starting with Kaito himself, he tried to be the hero of the tale. He wanted to save MC from her curse because he knew he could do it. He finally had friends and money, and he hoped he could help MC so they could live a normal life together.

As his grandma said, he had to pave the way for his own destiny... so that for once, he could make the right decision, without running away.

He gave MC his mercy and salvation, but it led to his own (and Darkwick's) downfall. He didn't give her a happy ending, though, quite the contrary. Kaito shouldn't have fulfilled that role: it was never his to begin with. ]

As for Luca, I've always imagined him growing up with only his family and his twin, shut away in his home, trying to be the perfect heir his father wanted. He told us how he has never had many friends, and no one came close to what Kaito and MC were to him.

So, of course, when he once again failed to protect someone he could think of as more than a mere friend (a brother, perhaps?), he had a meltdown.

By not giving anyone mercy or forgiveness anymore, which are two profound acts of love, and starting to kill everyone regardless of their allegiance, he may have contributed to the fruit's death or shrinking. ]

I know Jin's troubles. He had a lot of bad experiences, regarding relying on others that continued to ruin his trust (even Tohma himself, from his point of view). He's probably suffering from mental illnesses himself. It's rough. I can't even comprehend how difficult it is for people who have gone through the same (my heart goes out to them). 

But shutting everyone out while refusing to get help is not how you heal from it, unfortunately. And the thing that pains me the most is that he tried to seek support by removing the soundproof anomaly, but it was too late. Once. Again. He didn't try to stop the ineluctable situation: he just lit a cigarette and gave up. He is the best captain Frostheim would ever have: just not in this state. ]

Tohma was the trickiest one for me to analyze. He clearly cares a lot about Jin and MC, and even the Chaos Combo. However, his own tendency to work in the shadows for a greater good, not only by himself, but with Alan too, was a breaking point in the story. He tried to make Jin lean on him again. He wanted his forgiveness, despite everything.

The ex-Vagastrom clearly carried a lot on his shoulders, but maybe the things he couldn't disclose were the ones that contributed to the ending. Maybe if he had more faith in others, he could have prevented Kaito's death. Who knows. Poor Tohma. I'm sure he had his reasons not to. ]

For instance, if I remember correctly, the only fruit that showed signs of improvement during the story was Vagastrom's. And for a good reason: in every mission they took part in, they tried their best (well, emphasis on tried) to be team "players". Hell, even Leo was so keen on stopping Alan from wandering off, because it was better if they just stuck together (Episode 19). Sadly, the fruit wilted as soon as Sho began to secretly work for Hyde.

Ring a bell? Once again, secrets after secrets.

They couldn't love each other fully, it's obvious. That's why the tree was bound to die. And the Monkey's Paw (and whoever brought it to Darkwick) had to underline how you must never play with fate. This specific outcome was inevitable, given these circumstances.

----

On the other hand, it's even wrong to say Frostheim's ghouls are incapable of teamwork.

Heck, how amazing was the end of Episode 1 or 20? Where those four united their strengths not only to successfully save every child in Mr. Long-Leg's mansion, but to retrieve the Hringhorni AND seal the Rinfone on an island?

Maybe the writers wanted to emphasize that even the best of the best fall short if they don't trust each other enough to build a strong relationship based on mutual reliance; to build a strong Philia. How can you do that if you close most of the doors, hoping the dogs will obey blindly?

In conclusion, it was a disaster. It was unfortunate. And it was a shame. Frostheim could have genuinely been a dream squad, but I guess in life, you have to learn things the hard way.

And that's okay: it's not like people should know everything about you. Knowing when to stop talking or keep secrets is a mature trait that is preferred to have every day. However, as Luca likes to say, balance is crucial. Both extremes can lead to mistakes, which become life lessons.

Yet, one mistake too many, one moment gone forever, and the delicate card house you carefully put up falls... without learning anything else.

This was their first failed mission, and it was catastrophic.

—

Phew! I hope it didn't sound like a thoughtless rant. ;v;

I'm sure a lot of the points I brought could be applied to other Houses as well.

The finale made me cry big fat tears, and, unlike most people, I would really like to see how they can play around with time loops.

I'm afraid I'm a sucker for them, but they have to be written properly, nonetheless.

You expected Jabberwock. Not something that reminds you of Ultio. 

Subaru stands unusually still. His fists clenched white. 

You know what he’s seeing.

Lyca. In a dark cell. Cold walls. Two years. 

Two years of being treated like something dangerous before anyone ever gave him a chance. 

Your chest tightens as you rub his back to soothe him. 

Ultimately, you decide to carry the search alone to give Subaru some time. The quicker you leave, the better for him.

You check each room and cage carefully. 

Empty. Empty. Empty. Until–

You open another door.  

A putrid smell hits you immediately.  The heavy scent of blood.  Yet there’s not a single bit of red in sight.

In fact, the room is spotless. It’s clean. Too clean for an abandoned building. Too clean for this putrid smell.  

A tiny squeak interrupts your thoughts. You head toward the sound cautiously. Behind a fallen cabinet sits something small. A plant anomaly. 

It looks familiar so you pull out the file and flip through some pages. 

The image matches. 

“Exterminate immediately” Is stamped on the left corner.

Strange. You’ve never seen this before. Usually Darkwick prefers containment. 

But when you lowered the papers, the anomaly stared back at you. Calmly.

It doesn’t have any claws or visible teeth. It’s even small enough to fit in your hands. Anyone would argue that it’s harmless. That it couldn’t hurt a fly. 

And yet, even after multiple raids, it has survived. Out in the open. 

Its eyes move down slowly. Studying you. It only stops at the scrape on your knee. At the little blood that seeps out. 

Your stomach twists.  You’ve been in enough missions to know.  Something feels wrong. 

You step forward. 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper.  

You draw your blade. 

You raise your hand–

Shling. 

Subaru stands before you. Holding your arm. 

“...Suba?” 

His hand trembles against yours. 

“What are you doing?” 

You blink. 

“What?” 

“Has it attacked you?” HIs voice comes out thin. “Has it threatened you?”

“No, but look.” You hold up the file. “It says exterminate immediately.” 

He glances at the paper once, then drops his gaze.

“So just because it says that, you were going to do it?” 

“Subaru–” 

“We don’t know anything about it yet.”

"Yeah, but don't you smell the blood too?"

Subaru doesn't answer, he simply kneels down.

“You need proof? I’ll show you.” 

The moment Subaru’s eyes land on the anomaly, it starts shaking. As if the temperature dropped suddenly. Like it’s scared all of a sudden. 

He reaches for it. 

“Subaru, wait.” 

But he doesn’t stop. 

“Talnandio.” 

After a few seconds, Subaru’s eyes snap open. His face goes pale. 

You immediately crouch to steady him. 

His fingers curl. His voice cracks. “...They hurt it.” 

Your stomach sinks. Because you know that look. 

He isn’t seeing the anomaly anymore. He’s seeing Lyca. 

“It’s just…scared.” 

You know where he’s coming from. You've seen it all with your own eyes. But that icky feeling…it won’t go away. 

You speak as carefully as possible. “Subaru.” He looks up. “...Your stigma only shows fragments.” 

His glare hardens. At you now. 

“...What are you saying?” 

You swallow. 

“I’m saying neither of us know enough.” You see it in the corner of your eyes. His hands shaking into fists. 

“For now, we should take it back to the Darkwick and–”

“No.” His voice shakes. “They always do the same thing. They decide something is dangerous.” His shoulders tense. “They lock it up. They don’t listen.”  

He’s looking at you. But his eyes don’t feel focused. 

“The institute never listens.” 

Your chest tightens. 

“But I’m not them.” His gaze wavers. You continue. “I trust you…But I want to trust my instincts too.” 

His jaw tightens. 

For a second, you think he understands. 

Then– his eyes drop. 

“...You think I’m wrong.” 

“No.” 

“You think I’m being emotional.” 

“That’s not what I said!” 

He stands up abruptly. 

“Then why won’t you believe me?!” 

You freeze. Not once has Subaru ever yelled at you like this. 

He opens his mouth, lips trembling. As if he knows he’ll regret what he’s about to say.

“You’re just like them.” 

This time, his words are only a whisper. And yet, they pierce right through you. 

Realizing what he’s said, his face drains. His eyes widen. He looks at you. At the hurt he’s caused. 

“How...How could you say that?” 

You stand to your feet, tears in your eyes. 

He opens his mouth. But nothing comes out. 

You sigh bitterly. 

“You know what? Fine.” You turn. “Do what you want.” 

Subaru watches silently as you make your way to the exit. 

Then he takes out his scarf. The one he usually puts around your shoulders. 

And wraps the anomaly before carefully placing it into his bag. 

____

In the Galaxy Express. 

You sit a few seats apart from him. Arms crossed. 

The argument replays in your head. The yelling. The hurt. 

But you hate seeing that look on his face. Like he might burst into tears at any moment. 

You knew this wasn’t either of your fault. You were given a mission with little explanation. 

You wanted to protect Subaru. Subaru wanted to protect the anomaly. 

He’s still holding the bag tightly against his chest.

“...MC.” 

You stare out the window. 

“MC, I–” 

Squeak. 

Your eyes snap open. The bag starts to tremble until it shakes violently. 

“Subaru! Let go!” 

You rip the bag out of his hands and throw it. But it’s too late. 

Vines explode outward. Fabric tears into smithereans. 

Subaru jumps back. But you were closer and not fast enough. 

Squelch. 

Sharp pain flashes through your body. 

A choked gasp escapes you as you look down. A vine has torn across your side. Warm blood drips onto the floor. 

Subaru stares at you with eyes full of terror. His face goes white. 

It got you. Bad. 

“MC!” 

Subaru tries to run to you but the anomaly attacks again. 

He brings out his artifact, spreading the parasol open as a shield. 

The stems slam against it. Again and again. 

“Just–” He yells through the barrage of attacks. “Just stay there!” 

You’ve never seen him move so fast. 

He dodges. Redirects every attack while making sure none reach you. 

Slash. 

He rips through the anomaly.  It drops to the ground. 

Slash. He slices through it again. And again. Until he’s certain it’s no longer alive.  

Subaru pants, staring at the limp creature for a second before turning to you. 

You’re sitting against the wall. One hand pressed against your side. A pool of blood spilling out under you. 

“MC!” Subaru is immediately at your side. His hands hover over you, like he’s afraid his touch will make it worse. 

His breathing is more uneven than yours. 

“We’re almost there.” His voice cracks. “Just hold on.” 

You nod weakly. 

His shoulders start shaking. 

“This is all my fault…”

“Subaru…”

“I’m sorry.” His head lowers. “I’m so sorry.” 

His apology disappears beneath the sound of the tracks. 

“I thought I was protecting it.” Tears spill down his cheeks. A drop lands on your cheek. “But I was just protecting myself. I wanted to be right. I wanted so badly to believe it was innocent.”

He presses into the wound harder. “I kept saying nobody listened to me.” His shoulders droop even further. “But then, I didn’t listen to you. And I said such hurtful things.”  

You look at him. At the tears. And how hard he’s looking at your wound. 

You lift your hand and cup his face. He flinches at your touch. 

“Subaru. Look at me.” 

“I-I can’t.” 

“Not the wound. Me.”

Slowly, he does. 

You brush your thumb under his eyes. 

“Subaru. It’s true. You made the wrong call.” His face crumples. “But wanting to protect someone isn’t wrong. If anything…that kindness is why I fell for you.” More tears spill down his face. “But next time…can you trust that I’m doing my best to protect you too?” 

His expression softens at that. 

Finally, he leans into your palm. And nods. 

“...Okay.” 

“And.” He looks at you attentively. “Don’t give your scarf out like that. That’s only for me.”

He lets out a tiny laugh.  You do too. Then wince. 

“Ow.” 

“Meow. Meow. Meow. Our next stop is Darkwick Academy.” 

Subaru finally lets out a breath and presses his forehead against yours. 

His eyes shut. 

“You’ll be ok.”