Sunday, December 29, 2019

Mystic Christmas Episode 5 Part 1

Narrations by talking about how Tetsuya is wandering around Kabukicho Ichibancho holding up a signboard meant to attract customers and wearing a Santa costume he got at some bulk retailer. At this time of night lots of customers are around looking for a distraction, and that means it’s time to make money. Narration compares Tetsuya to some migrating fish as he walks from Ichibancho to Hanazono St. to Golden Gai.

Tetsuya then notices a tenant somewhere has put up a new bar. Narration says that while the shops may change, the location does not. It’s a town with an isolated atmosphere. There Tetsuya spends his days working the whole time, doing what looks like gambling from the outside and living as if there was no future.

Narration wonders when was it that Tetsuya first stepped foot in this place. At that time, there was someone (re: Kengo) with him who isn’t here now. This was a a town that accepted noobs that were lost for directions in life and dreams to follow. And this was a town where those who found their dreams left to pursue them out in the world. Those who search for their dreams come to Kabukicho, and one day they leave after they find it.

Tetsuya’s seen many lost people come in, and he’s watched them go. Even still he remains. He still feels like a newcomer, but lately he’s been getting colleagues that are like underlings to him.

Tetsuya comments that customers seem more sullen this year all around town. At this time of year there’s usually more activity happening, meaning the influence of Christmas is waning here. Tetsuya is concerned since the downturn of business will affect their food budget, so he hopes Santa will do something about it.

As Tetsuya looks around for customers, he notices something strange at one of the trash pick up spots in one of the back alleys and goes to check on it. In said alley, Tomte is frantically running through as if running from the fact that he shouted abuse at Ded before he collapses. Everywhere he looked on the way looked the same as if it weren’t almost Christmas. There are no lights out on the trees on the streets, and no Christmas cakes are being sold.

Tomte wonders if he’s ever expressed emotions like this before, and if this happened because he regained his memories. He thinks about his hate for the saint Santa. Within his heart there is a self that laughs at what’s happening. It holds his warped belief and delights in its vengeance against Santa. But at the same time, there’s still the side within Tomte that lived with and studied Ded. The conflict between his sadness and enjoyment of the one he cares for makes him feel as though he were being torn apart.

Tomte wonders what it is he wants to do. Even if he doesn’t accept Ded’s artifact, Ded will disappear if the belief in him goes away. He agonizes at the thought of trampling on the feelings Ded entrusted to him. Because of what he’s said to Ded, Tomte feels that he can’t go back to the Santa School. He thinks about losing his home ‘again’ as he wonders where he should go.

Tomte stares up into the sky, lost for ideas that usually come to him right away. He mutters about not knowing what to do, and Tetsuya walks up to him at this point asking if he’s from the Santa School based on his outfit. He also asks what Tomte is doing lying on the ground like that.

Tomte doesn’t answer, and Tetsuya says he’s in their territory so he ought to leave if he doesn’t have any business there. Tomte starts crying, which takes Tetsuya aback for a moment as he thinks his face may have scared him to tears. Tomte cries about Tetsuya chasing him out and not having any place to go. Tetsuya sighs about him just being someone who collapsed and tells him to come with him then.

Tomte thinks he made Tetsuya mad, and Tetsuya has to quickly deny that, saying he just looks that way. He also tells him to stop crying. Tetsuya sighs over what a pain Tomte is and says he’ll ditch him there if he isn’t coming along. Tomte eventually decides to follow him.

Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The Fairy’s Place in the World.

Scene then shifts that wooded area by the dorm Moritaka practices in the morning where Moritaka is doing just that. You go over to talk to him and comment on him training even on Christmas Eve. He greets you back on comments on how early you’re up. He also says that since he’s always trained since he was young he can’t let himself skip a day.

Moritaka then asks what brings you over as he figures that the sauna village must be done. You can either mention that you never did anything with him over the event in one of two ways or say you wanted to be with him. He’s surprised you came all this way to say so to him, but he’s happy you said so. He is a little sad it didn’t turn out like so, but he doesn’t mind and asks you to not look so sad. You can then thank him, suggest you guys hang out some time, or hug him.

Going C, Moritaka is flustered as he asks what’s going on with you. He tries to protest that he’s still in the middle of his training routine and is unsure of how to react. You call it a make up hug, so he says he wasn’t mad to begin with but accepts the gesture as he rubs your back a little. Narration notes his fur is a little longer for the winter and how warm it is, and Moritaka says he really does feel attracted to you. He immediately tries to take it back, but as you two draw closer, Shirou calls out looking for him. Moritaka panics and tries to get his tail under control.

Anyways, Shirou notices you’re here too and wonders if you were both practicing. Moritaka says he was doing his usual training as he turns to you. You either agree, say you came to watch Moritaka train, or comment to Moritaka that it was really intense. If you go with C there’s an extra bit where Moritaka sputters, though Shirou doesn’t pay much thought to that.

In any case Moritaka asks why Shirou is there. Shirou asks you guys to stay calm as he informs you both that Tomte and Ded have disappeared as of last night. You both express shock, and Moritaka wonders if they were kidnapped. Shirou can’t confirm that but brings up something you and Kengo mentioned to the gang when you were talking with Tomte and Takemaru. Flashback ensues to the time Takemaru compared Santas to oni and how people’s belief affect them.

Shirou then repeats the bit about how belief is what allows Santa to exist, meaning Santa disappears if the belief in him does. If accepted for the time being, he figures that explains why Ded is gone. It happened because the people possessed by Tomte’s demons caused the faith in Santa to dry up.

You ask about the other Santa students, Yule, and Krampus. Shirou says they seem fine, and he guesses it’s because they’re just students instead of official Santas. He then wonders why Tomte is gone then since he isn’t one either. You think Tomte hasn’t really disappeared and is still in Tokyo somewhere. Shirou thought so too and and agrees, though he doesn’t have any evidence.

Shirou does remember that Tomte mentioned not having a home and a place to belong to anymore if Santa is gone, so he takes that as support for his instinct about Tomte being somewhere. Moritaka has heard about how Tomte sees Ded as a father figure, and he figures the shock of him disappearing would cause Tomte to run away. You either agree with Moritaka, ask Shirou’s opinion, or act officially and ask what Shirou thinks as adviser.

Shirou agrees with Moritaka’s thoughts and says he wants you to go look for Tomte since you spent the most time with him. Shirou also asks Moritaka to go as your guard, and Moritaka agrees and swears to find Tomte as well. You then ask where Shirou will go and if the rest of the gang with help look.

Shirou plans to go to the Santa School because the current situation has the schools in chaos. He mentions that everything may be put on hold until Tomte is back. Moritaka is surprised the Sendoff Ceremony might be on hold too, so Shirou mentions Ded being gone caused the students’ present sacks to lose their power. You ask about this happening despite the bags still existing.

Shirou explains that the bags all the students have borrow a part of Ded’s artifact’s power. He doesn’t know much since he heard it secondhand, but Ded’s bag is still around. No one can get it to work though, which Shirou describes as if its ownership was abandoned.

Anyways, the students are unable to give presents to anyone currently. People are saying Christmas may be canceled, or at least the ceremony. Moritaka says Tomte would be so upset if he heard about that. You say that while you may not know what’s actually happening, you need to at least talk to Tomte. Moritaka then gets fired up to go look with you.

Scene shifts to some club in Kabukicho as Tomte wakes up. Tetsuya notices and asks how it feels to occupy someone else’s bed. Tomte say he might cry again if he loses focus, but he calmed down a bit. Tetsuya is glad at least since he says he couldn’t put up with any more crying.

Anyways, since Tomte asked at some point where he is, Tetsuya tells him he’s in a Outlaws safe house where it ought to be warm. It’s supposed to snow that day from what he’s heard. Tomte asks who Tetsuya is and wonders if he’s a Santa since he’s dressed up. Tetsuya says he’s just a fake Santa dressed up for business reasons.

Tomte notices that Tetsuya has some resentment towards Santa and asks about it. Tetsuya says he was always a bad kid and never got presents because of it. Tetsuya finally gives his name at this point and describes himself as one of the infamous lawless people. He also calls Tomte by name and notes his school affiliation.

Tomte ask how Tetsuya knows and if they met before. Tetsuya says they shouldn’t have met before and that he just heard about him from the outside. Tomte asks why he helped him then, so Tetsuya says it’d be a problem to have someone lying around on the ground on their turf. He also adds that it’s because he’s dressed up as Santa and that he knows Black Ded.

Tomte then asks what Tetsuya did to be visited by Black, but Tetsuya’s stomach growls at this point. Tetsuya then grumbles about having not eaten last night because of Tomte, so Tomte offers to cook Christmas stuff for him as thanks.

Tetsuya figures he might as well get Tomte to do all the food prep too as he says their policy is to make everyone work. Marchosias Their knight should already have bought the food and brought it in already. Tetsuya also asks Tomte to make stuff that can be served to customers, so Tomte asks if it’s okay to make more. He then heads off to the kitchen.

Almost all of the other Outlaws walk in at this point, and Gyoubu asks how Tsukuyomi is doing as he refers to him as a white bronze mirror. Suzuka says he’s sleeping like always, though it’s fine since it’ll be busy that night and they can make him work then. Assuming it’s busy anyways. Suzuka then says it’s time for everyone to share their information.

Ibaraki says he went to check on the Santa School and says that Ded and Tomte have disappeared. He’s apparently also an organizer for Shinjuku, so he uses that to verify his info. Tetsugyuu went with Ibaraki and looked around while they were out, and to him it looks like people have forgotten what day it is and acting like it’s any other day.

Tetsuya says something big happened while they were relaxing, then mentions finding Tomte last night. He sighs about what he ended up picking up. Ibaraki starts suggesting they just tie Tomte up and dump him in the river, but Tetsuya laughs and says they aren’t like that in Kabukicho. Everyone else silently agrees.

Tetsuya then describes Kabukicho as the place where idiots in Tokyo end up in when they lose their other places to belong to. So long as Tomte doesn’t express any sort of intent to do something particular, Tetsuya has no plans to kick him out.

Scene shifts to Shinjuku Station as you say it’s time to look for Tomte, though given that you have no idea where to look you ask Moritaka for ideas. Moritaka notes that Tomte has a unique scent and says you have something with that smell in your bag, so he asks to see it.

You have a towel that you both used at the sauna for some reason, and Moritaka figures he can use that to track him even if it’s not his specialty. You can either thank him and say he’s reliable or compare him to a dog. If you go C, Moritaka protests that he’s a dog man and not a dog, and that he just has sharper senses in smelling and hearing than others.

In any case Moritaka starts leading you to the entrance of Kabukicho. He says the smell is getting stronger inside, but he does note that you guys can’t just walk in on Outlaws territory. He asks what you think and will go along with your decision. You either shrug it off as an emergency, wonder if you can see someone you know around, or say it’s time to barge in through the front.

Shino shows up to laugh at Moritaka for doing his job as a bodyguard. Moritaka is taken by surprise at his presence, and Shino calls him a dog that needs more training since he didn’t realize he got so close. Moritaka protests at not being a dog. You start talking to Shino and say he came at a good time.

Shino starts greeting you as the Originator who has the same scent as his spouse. He offers to help however he can in place of the dumb trainee and asks what brings you over. You either say you’re looking for someone, say you came to say him, or claim to be on a date with Moritaka.

In B, Shino is happy to hear that but figures that’s not really what’s up and asks again. You tell him you’re looking for someone at that point and ask to go in. In C he laughs saying Moritaka did well to go on a date with you and figures he’s just high on that, so he stops saying anything else on that. Moritaka is taken aback and says it’s not really a date, and if it were he’d have brushed up some more. Shino stops with the jokes and says Moritaka isn’t that reliable, which shocks him. He asks again why you’re there so you say you’re looking for someone and ask to go in.

Shino offers to take a message for you since there’s a lot of people around who’d pick a fight. He also asks who it is you’re looking for and a description of some kind. Moritaka describes Tomte as a Santa School student with a white branch bundle and a pad.

Shino understands and asks you guys to wait. Moritaka asks where he’s going, and you either thank him, ask if he knows who it is, or be amazed at the Outlaws info net. The episode part ends as Shino asks you to wait for the time being.

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