#As for lily and mikuni I feel like that needs to be resolved by misono

[childrenofthesun77]

Assuming that the whole 'mahiru is the vessel needed to bring back the count and the 9th servamp will be the servamp of vainglory' theory will be correct, it's interesting how both mahiru and touma can be accused of this sin even if the way it applies to them is opposed.

What touma wants is to be acknowledged and to that end he was willing to become the villain who destroyed the world before mahiru and tsurugi managed to change his mind:

Mahiru's way of being vainglorious seems a lot more positive at first because he wants to be a hero who saves others, but it's self-destructive and encourages laziness in others:

But thankfully we see mahiru starting to let go of the need to make other people proud of him and to prioritize making himself proud in his conversation with tsurugi:

and later when mahiru has a meltdown because he fears his uncle might be dead and suggests sacrificing his life to save the world kuro rightfully yells at mahiru for acting hypocritical and not listening to his own advice:

(I want to mention here that I really love how horrified kuro looks as he realizes that mahiru's reckless hero behaviour comes from a very self-destructing place:

because not a lot of manga I know really acknowledge that maybe the way a lot of their protagonists try to be heroic is actually pretty unhealthy and shouldn't be encouraged? Like Sigurd pointed out at the C3 meeting, it's kind of shameful that the children have to save the day)

Which is why I love that mahiru decided to trust kuro to handle tsubaki without him going with him:

He decides to stay back with everyone else, showing that he has learned that he doesn't need to be the one to do everything and can stay back with the others to buy kuro time.

Interestingly we see touma doing something similar. Opposed to his old need to have the whole world acknowledge him he now wishes for everyone to believe he's dead and he's helping to protect the city by creating a huge barrier without making it known that's he the one doing this:

He's helping the protagonists seemingly with no intention of earning acknowledgement for it.

I think in a way it could be cool of servamp to subvert the shouned trope that for the finale battle the only one able to defeat the big bad is the protagonist while everyone else just watches on from the sidelines, not allowed to do anything because this is the protagonist's moment of glory.

What if lily's plan when he put kuro in mahiru's path was that if kuro tried to stop tsubaki at the gate surely his eve would need to be there with him, right? Because of course he needs his eve to fight and then there's also the distance limit. So why not make the vessel you need at that gate for the ritual to work kuro's eve? Then the vessel would be at the place where you need them without you even needing to do something because naturally they would be thinking they are doing the right thing by going with kuro to fight tsubaki together. And surely someone as vainglorious as mahiru would never pass up the opportunity to be the hero who stops tsubaki. It's foolproof!

Unless of course before the ritual the vessel learned to let go of their vainglorious nature, accepted that it's okay to take a step into the background and trust in others. And additionally also found a way to break through the whole forced proximity thing that the servamp and eves had going on.

I don't know, I feel like it would be a neat bow on mahiru's character arc and a unique way to thawrt the antagonists' plans if the creation of the servamp of vainglory failed because the 'it has to be me' guy they wanted to use as the vessel decided against glory and stayed back to let his partner handle things with tsubaki alone because he trusts him. Kuro on the other hand wants to make up for his past regrets and resolve the conflict through communication this time. Learning to trust in himself again by managing to talk tsubaki out of going through with the ritual on his own would be a logical conclusion to kuro's arc.

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Tetsu calls Misono and tells her their son is missing. (Tetsono, Fem Misono)

“I feel bad for leaving Tetsu to take care of Yuu alone while I go out for drinks. He was the one who insisted I go out to relax but he has a lot on his hands. Business has picked up now that it’s winter break and a lot of people are visiting for vacation.” Misono sat in a restaurant with her sister and friends. “I’m sorry I’m not much company today. I can’t help but worry about Yuu and Tetsu.”

“Alicein woman are a lot of things but mostly worriers when it comes to their family.” Lily chuckled as he glanced between Misono and Mikuni. The sisters pouted at him but their expression only made him smile wider. It was moments like these where he could see the resemblance between the two sisters. “You are both very bright but you tend to over think the problem and drive yourselves crazy.”

He recalled a memory of when they were children and said: “When you first came to the manor, Misono, you had your own wing. Mikuni was worried people wouldn’t hear you cry so far away. She took a sleeping bag and camped next to your crib. Later, I went to check on Mikuni and thought she was missing after I found her bed empty. The entire staff spent hours searching for Mikuni but she was only protecting her sister.”

“You said we overreact but that story just shows that we’re not as bad as others.” Misono retorted and everyone at the table laughed. “Yuu started crawling a month ago and we have to chase him down the halls sometimes. When Tetsu takes him to work, we have to keep the nursery’s door closed or else he’ll escape into the onsen. Imagine when he starts to walk.”

Tetsu had converted a room at the onsen into a nursery for Yuu. He inherited his family’s business and he felt responsible to do his best. Yet, he also wanted to be a good father. Between the staff at the Alicein manor and Tetsu’s onsen, they were fortunate enough to have a lot of people to help them watch over their son. “I can’t believe it’s almost his birthday.”

“We must throw a big party!” Mikuni decided. “I already have my presents for him picked out. We should talk about what you’re going to get him so we don’t buy the same thing.”

Their conversation was interrupted when her phone rang. Tetsu’s name flashed on the screen and she became worried that something happened at the resort. The others must’ve noticed her fears because Mahiru placed a hand on her shoulder. Misono forced a smile to reassure them. “Tetsu’s calling but it’s probably nothing.”

Misono answered the call. She couldn’t hear Yuu crying through the phone so she was slightly reassured. She hoped that he merely needed her help to find one of Yuu’s toys. “Misono, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Yuu started walking.”

“He took his first steps? This is great! I wish he would’ve waited for me to come home so I could’ve seen him walk for the first time. You have to send me a video, Tetsu. I’m coming home right now.” Misono excitedly jumped to her feet. She had a proud smile on her face and it was so wide that it started to hurt her cheeks. Lily stood and jingled his car keys, signalling that he would drive them to the onsen.

She placed a few bills on the table but then she paused. “Wait, you said there was bad news too. Did he fall and hurt himself? We babyproofed the nursery already.”

“I was playing with him and I forgot to close the nursery door. He walked out and I lost him in the crowd. I think he’s still in the resort but I haven’t found him yet.”

“What?” Misono screamed.

“There’s another good news. Yuu’s pretty fast.” She knew that Tetsu was trying to say something to make her feel better but his words didn’t help.

A million terrible scenarios appeared in her mind and she started to panic. Yuu was still a small toddler so people could accidentally walk into him without seeing him. He might wandered into a hot spring. What if someone decided to kidnap her son? “Lily, we need to go to the onsen right now! Get me there as quickly as possible. I don’t care how many people we run over!”

“Misono, let’s stay calm.” Mahiru took her friend’s arm. She was a mother as well so she understood why she was worried for her child’s safety. “It’ll be quicker if I take you home on my broom. We don’t have to worry about traffic. Mikuni, Lily, meet us at the hot spring.”

With Mahiru’s help, Misono was able to return home quickly. They landed near the back entrance and Misono rushed inside. She ran down the hall to Yuu’s nursery and noticed Tetsu in the hall ahead of her. She stopped in front of him and he caught her when she started to fall forward. Between the short run and the panic, she was out of breath.

“I already told the staff to help look for Yuu. My sister is watching the front entrance so no one can leave with him.” He told her. Tetsu felt Misono relax in his arms but that only made his guilt rise. When he saw Yuu take his first steps, he was in awe that he could only watch him. The moment Yuu walked out the door, he jumped back to reality. He chased after him but he lost him in the hall. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. We just need to find Yuu.” She said and he nodded. Misono knew that Tetsu loved their son and he wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Her mind raced as she thought of the most effective way to find Yuu. “Tell me the area you’ve already searched. Maybe we can play that nursery song he likes. He might make him sing along and we’ll be able to hear him.”

She stopped when she felt something run into her leg. Misono looked down and she was relieved to find Yuu hugging her. She sank onto her knees and gathered his tiny body into her arms. She felt strong arms around her and she knew that it was Tetsu hugging them. “You gave me a heart attack, Yuu. Where were you?”

“Wah?” He was too young to answer her question. She was so relieved that she forgot her early panic and merely stroked his violet hair. Misono didn’t know where he went but she noticed small crumbs on his cheeks. She wondered if he went into the kitchen but the staff would’ve seen him and told Tetsu.

“Did you go on an adventure?” Tetsu asked and Yuu tilted his head slightly. Their answer came when they notice Hugh walking down the hall.

“Did something happen?” He asked when he saw the family. Hugh could see the slight tension in their shoulders and how they held Yuu protectively. “Yuu walked into the waiting room and I gave him some biscuits. You two didn’t tell me that he could walk yet so I was surprised when he came in. Then, he heard your voices and walked out to go to you.”

“He just started walking a few minutes ago.” Misono was glad that the situation was resolved quickly. She leaned her head against Tetsu’s strong shoulder and melted into his reassuring warmth. Now that the panic was gone, she could see how frantic she was acting and began to giggle. Yuu didn’t understand why she was laughing but he started laugh along with her.

“He’s fast like I told you he was.” Tetsu said proudly and patted his head.

They heard a commotion from the entrance where Mikuni and Lily crash into the onsen. “Who kidnapped my nephew?”

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Kuro and Mahiru first night home after C3. (KuroMahi)

“It’s great to share a home cooked meal with Uncle again! We haven’t done that in a long time. He said he’s able to stay home for a while too.” Joy filled his voice and shined in his eyes. Kuro was glad to see Mahiru so happy. The smile he had reminded him how strong his partner was. No matter what they went through, it didn’t break Mahiru’s spirit but made him stronger. “Kuro, can you help me?”

With the question, Mahiru held up his pajama shirt. His arm was still in a cast so he had to rely on Kuro. He never complained and his support touched Mahiru. He watched Kuro and his uncle make dinner and he hoped that they will continue to grow closer. The two were important people in his life. Mahiru was shocked that his uncle was a part of C3 but he still loved him.

“There you go, Mahiru.” He said when he finished buttoning his shirt. Mahiru thanked him with a smile, without noticing the blush Kuro had. He scratched his cheek and replied. “Who would’ve thought that I would be the housewife one day? But, if I am the housewife now, I get control of the grocery list. Cup ramen is now at the top of that list.”

“I might only have one arm but I’ll still wrestle that ramen cup away from you.” Mahiru playfully hit his arm with his cast. The doctors said that he would be able to take off the cast in a week. As an Eve, he healed faster than others. Mahiru couldn’t wait until he was able to take it off. He enjoyed cooking ever since he was a child. But he discovered that he loved eating with company even more.

“Thank you for helping me, Kuro. I can handle everything else on my own.” Mahiru walked to his bed and pulled the covers aside. At that moment, he realized that Kuro didn’t have a place to sleep. Kuro usually slept in his uncle’s room but he wouldn’t be able to do that now. He didn’t want to make him sleep on the floor since his wounds were healing as well. The couch and cat bed would be cramped for him.

He considered letting Kuro share his bed and the thought made him blush. His bed would be too small for them to share without laying close to each other. While Mahiru liked Kuro, he didn’t know if he felt the same. He thought that it was best to wait before he confessed.

“I have an idea.” He took Kuro’s arm and led him to the living room. He started to pull the cushions off the couch. Despite his confusion, Kuro helped him take the couch cushions and piled them in the corner. Mahiru grabbed a bar in the couch and pulled it up with one arm. A bed unfolded from the couch and he patted the mattress with a small grin. “You can sleep here tonight, Kuro.”

“I never knew the couch had a bed in it.” Kuro hopped onto the mattress.

“As if I would tell you that there’s a bed in our living room. I already have enough trouble dragging you away from your video games.” He giggled. “I’m going to get you some pillows and a blanket. I better not catch you playing the Wii when I come back, Kuro.”

Mahiru walked down the hall to the linen closet. He stood on his toes and reached up to grab one of the spare pillows. He believed that he would still be able to carry everything in one arm if he was careful. Slowly, he tugged the blanket towards him. The pillows piled on top of the blanket began to slip and Mahiru rushed to catch them.

Before they could collapse on top of him, a hand stopped them from falling on his head. Mahiru looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Kuro. He was standing close to him and he could feel his breath against his ear. Kuro reached around him and took down he blankets for him. “Your arm is still broken so don’t try to do everything on your own.”

“I can still do simple things, Kuro.” Mahiru took a few pillows from him to help him carry them to the living room. He set them on the bed and said, “This mattress isn’t the most comfortable but it should do for now. Hopefully, we could find a better arrangement tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, I can sleep anywhere. You should know that better than anyone.” He crawled onto the bed and leaned against the back of the mattress. He picked up the remote controller so he could watch a movie before going to sleep. They barely had time to relax since they were taken to C3’s headquarters. Kuro was a little surprised when Mahiru sat next to him. “Shouldn’t you go to sleep first? You need to rest so your arm can heal quickly.”

“I can say the same to you. I’m not going to bed until I know you’re resting.” Mahiru had to admit that he had another reason he wanted to stay with him. He wasn’t able to relax with C3 watching them and he missed the quiet nights he would share with Kuro. He yawned and leaned back against the couch. When he glanced out the window, he mumbled. “It’s still snowing…”

“C3 was already having trouble containing so much Jinn but that’s going to be more difficult now.” Kuro sighed. Guilt griped his heart painfully when he thought of his brothers who lost their Jinn. He wasn’t able to save them. If only he regained his resolve and courage sooner, he could’ve faced his siblings years ago. He felt a warm, comforting hand over his and he realized that it was Mahiru. He was the reason he was able to fight now.

Mahiru hooked their pinkies together. The gesture was to comfort Kuro but he also wanted to feel his strength for reassurance. “We have a lot more to worry about than last year. There’s the Jinn and subclasses that escaped C3. Misono said Mikuni took Lily. We have no idea what Tsubaki could be up too either. I can’t believe Tsubaki blowing up my school earlier this summer is the least of my problems right now.”

He let out a heavy sigh and leaned against Kuro’s arm. Mahiru closed his eyes and said: “But, thinking simply, everything will be fine as long as we’re together.”

“We were able to do accomplish a lot already. You did the impossible and gathered most of us Sins. You even got us to get along. Hyde said that he’s trying to contact World End so all of us can meet soon.” Kuro nodded. They meet almost a year ago but so much had changed.

Mahiru must’ve been thinking the same thing as he quietly mused to himself. “Next month, it will be the anniversary of the day we met. Do you want to do something special?”

Before Kuro could answer, Mahiru yawned loudly and fell asleep against his shoulder. He reached over and gently moved him so he was laying on the bed. Kuro didn’t want to wake him up so he intended to carry him back to bed once he was sleeping deeply. He adjusted the blanket over Mahiru before he continued to scroll through the channels for something to watch.

With his sharpened senses, he heard someone approach the living room. Kuro knew that it was Toru. He nodded to the man and lowered the volume of the television to be respectful. “Mahiru’s sleeping. I heard you got a call from C3 earlier. Did something happen? I need to know so I can protect Mahiru.”

“We have a second headquarter outside the city and we’re making plans to transfer the subclasses there.” Toru told him. He worked for C3 but he never met the Servamp of Sloth before. Kuro rarely interacted with humans so they didn’t feel the need to contain him. He was infamous for his disdain of C3 though. “Why didn’t you listen to my phone call.”

“There was no point.” Kuro shrugged. “If it was something important, you would tell us. Mahiru thinks highly of you and I trust his judgement.”

“He’s a lot like his mother. I couldn’t abandon him. My job didn’t allow me to be there for him as much I wanted though.” Toru wanted to keep his family blissfully ignorant of vampires of sorcerers. Then, he discovered that his nephew made a contract with the most dangerous of the Servamps. “I expected him to be angrier that I kept so many secrets from him.”

“Mahiru understands why you did and he still trusts you.” Kuro told him. Toru noticed how Kuro was lightly brushing his fingers through Mahiru’s hair. He wondered if Kuro knew that he was stroking his hair or if it was something he did unconsciously. After watching them interact that afternoon, he knew that they were close. He patted Kuro’s shoulder.

“Mahiru had to learn how to do a lot of things on his own but he has you now. I’m trusting you to protect him.”

“I’ll do my best,” Kuro promised.