#And Fuuma just THINKS Seishirou is losing on purpose

[completeoveranalysis]

[5]

>:|

Ok

Ok Seishirou

Ok both of you 

Objectively speaking “That was a terrible thing to happen to me” is such a banger of a line and I love that he says it so casually, holding his broken glasses, as if like-

Like it’s PURE Seishirou. To be in this narrative of destroyed worlds and broken people and terrible heartbreak (some of which actively caused BY him) and Seishirou has one inconvenience happen to him and he’s all, oh, this was a terrible thing actually. 

PEAK Seishirou sensibility.

And technically I do like that Fuuma is present to unpack the Seishirou Moment and explain what his true motives were in a way we don’t always get, even if I reject them utterly.

Because THIS TOO. 

And they’re both obviously terrible people willing and able to make people suffer for their own benefit, and here they are going “Oh yeah I totally let these people whose lives I’m ruining get away from me because it’s a bit of fun”, ignoring the part where they’re ruining their lives and psychologically torturing them and making them live in constant fear. 

Because of course they are. It’s Seishirou and Fuuma. How else are they going to frame it? 

And I OH HOW I LOATHE THEM but I’m very grumpily giving CLAMP a good grade on writing terrible people who are extremely entertaining about the whole thing.

[mairyuu]

Soulmate Mark AU

Alright, I've been in two minds whether to actually make Subaru and Kamui soulmates since they're not clamp's 'soulmates' couple. And since I'm usually against idea of soulmates this is my little protest to that trope. Plus them choosing to be together is way better than being fated to be together so yea... they actively chose each other :D

As for marks, it's the last words your soulmate will tell you. So angst assured.

Ever since he was little Kamui was taught to hide his mark. It’s spreading over back so it’s no uphill climb to hide it from view. Still, being in such position, not even he could tell for certain what mark said. Mother always said he’s too young to know; she also instructed him to not tell anyone he has a mark, not even Fuuma and Kotori. Still, being a curious child, Kamui asked them one day to read what it to him what mark said. Both Fuuma and Kotori fell quiet. It was only years later when Kamui was tall enough to reach mirror that he realized why.

Similarly to Kamui, Subaru was trying to conceal his own marking. It was three words spelled around wrist, so he was bound to read them when he was old enough to read. He didn’t cry, but did fall into melancholic mood whenever reminded of those words; Hokuto offered comfort of course, but there was little that could be done. As markings on arms were common, it was easy for Subaru to conceal his; alot of people hid their own after all, to show another person your mark is considered intimate act. Beside his grandmother and Hokuto, only person Subaru ever willingly showed his mark was Seishirou (during Bet year). He assured Subaru that just because he has a soulmate, that doesn’t mean Subaru must met them and be with them. After all, what about people without soulmates, like him and Hokuto? Subaru feels a bit reassured by those comforting words but little does he know Seishirou is lying to him. He has a matching mark around wrist that says ‘I wanted to get killed by you’. After betrayal happens and Hokuto dies, soulmate thing becomes last thing on Subaru’s mind; he can’t separate Seishirou’s lies from what little of truth he added in the mix, so why lose sleep over that? Subaru is convinced his soulmate is some random person he’d meet later in life, who would die because of Subaru’s work and whose sole purpose would be to serve as another reminder to Subaru why he’s a failure. A guilt reminder basically.

After Kamui and Subaru meet they don’t talk about soulmates marks. Nothing unusual, most people don’t talk so casually about it as it’s ‘too intimate’. Subaru is certain Kamui has a mark; little inane for someone as special as Kamui to not have something as special as a soulmate mark. Still, none of his business he thinks, so Subaru doesn’t believe he has the right to ask; nonetheless he is curious. Kamui beats him up to it however, he asks one day out of sudden whether Subaru has a mark. Without too much deliberation Subaru nods. Silence follows. Kamui asks if he thinks he met his soulmate yet, to which Subaru says he’s not sure; but hopes not. Out of curiousity Subaru asks if Kamui believes he’s met his fated one yet, to which Kamui explains he dreads meeting his soulmate. After Fuuma got transformed, Kamui is fearful about him being his soulmate based on Fuuma’s actions, but he doesn’t want it to be true. Little to say Subaru is curious about nature of those words (can’t be anything but grim given Kamui’s deduction and apprehension), but poking too much into Kamui’s business is uncalled for.

Still, as time passes on, Kamui begins developing feelings for Subaru. All his life Kamui tried to stay away from all romance as he feared he might fall for his soulmate and trigger another tragedy to happen. But society they live in frowns on partners who aren’t soulmates. Flings and casual relationships are one thing, but lifelong partnerships another. He doesn’t want something akin to one night stand with Subaru, Kamui knows he loves him for certain; he wants something concrete. But on top of all anxieties about apocalypse and what happened with Fuuma and Kotori, Kamui has to worry about his soulmate. One one had he wants Subaru to be his fated one, but then he recalls what his mark actually says. If Subaru isn’t his fated one however, that’d be a blessing in disguise but only soulmates are bound to stay together for life, right? Kamui shares his worry with Sorata; they get into discussion about soulmates and whether it’s moral to love someone who isn’t your fated one. Whole fated vs free will thing and social stigma. In the end, Sorata shows mark he’s been hiding - words on ankle that say ‘I’m happy I protected you with my life’. Still, Sorata explains that even if he’s fated to die protecting Arashi, he’ll chose to do so even without those words or preordained playing its cards. Kamui feels a bit reassured about his feelings for Subaru; he decides to give thing a try even if they’re not soulmates. But then remembers that just because he decided he won’t search for his soulmate, it doesn’t mean Subaru is fine with loving someone who potentially isn’t his fated one. So he delays confessing love to Subaru in fear of rejection; as well as not putting Subaru in uncomfortable position.

But Kamui doesn’t need to wait long. Rainbow bridge happens and he realizes what has been Subaru’s wish all along. In last moment he manages to save Subaru from crumbling bridge. Kamui drags Subaru back to campus and they talk. Feeling apprehension rising, as well as his love for Subaru, Kamui dares to ask if they’re soulmates. Subaru shakes his head, telling he believes he’s already heard those words. Kamui is still dreadful, he insists that words aren’t unique and that just because one hears those words from someone, it doesn’t mean that person is necessarily their soulmate. Subaru agrees; he adds how it is impossible to tell what a person might say or do next day, let alone years from now, but he believes he won’t be hearing those words from Kamui. Then Subaru rolls sleeve down and shows Kamui the mark. It’s started fading, much like pentagrams on hands, but Kamui could discern gray words that say ‘I lied to you’.

Just like in original timeline, Subaru disappears and becomes Sakurazukamori in meantime. While he’s in seclusion, Subaru runs into Fuuma. They talk about various topics, including why Subaru abandoned Kamui. Subaru starts with excuses and stuff, explains how it’s in Kamui’s best intention to realize his wish and how to make it reality. Still, Fuuma sees through him and tells Subaru he’s just protecting himself emotionally by being away from Kamui, first person he cared about in close to a decade. Subaru falls quiet, silently accepting words as true. But he asks Fuuma about a mark, to which Fuuma shows him words on shoulder that say ‘Why did it have to end like this?’

While in seclusion Subaru slowly begins to realize he might have felt something more for Kamui than he assumed; Subaru was no fool however, he subconsciously realized Kamui might feel something for him long ago, so one of reasons why he’s staying away is because he knows nothing good would become of them dating. They aren’t soulmates, there’s a big age difference which serves as a reminder of Subaru’s own past and mistakes, apocalypse is going on, there’s an issue of their mental health, Kamui has things on his own he needs to focus about etc. But still, Subaru can’t deny he feels something, especially now when they’re separated.

Day before Final day Kamui finds him somehow. Kamui explains how he feels betrayed yes, but he won’t hold Subaru’s actions against him; especially since Subaru had his reasons. Kamui leans in and kisses him, silently confessing his love that way. Just as Kamui is leaving for the last battle, Subaru asks him over threshold if he’s still worried they might be soulmates, even if Subaru’s own mark has faded away. Kamui shakes his head and tells Subaru that he’s known for months already who his soulmate is but refused to accept it. All until today, when he’s finally ready to deal with painful reality. Subaru grabs him by the arm. Kamui turns around, is about to ask what’s the matter but Subaru kisses him. Both of them understand the guesture - silent ‘please come back alive’.

Tokyo is almost completely destroyed. Battle goes on and on, all until Kamui realizes only solution is if one of them were to die. Under regular circumstances Kamui would have gladly died if it meant Fuuma would return to his previous personality; but there’s a promise he has to keep, plus Kamui feels something dark within him, bred out of months and months of desparation and anguish. So in the end, that unknown darkness from within acts out and he stabs Fuuma. Instead of returning to previous self in last moments of life, Fuuma remains a Dragon of Earth. Kamui’s weeping over him, lamenting his fate, Fuuma’s fate, fate of whole world, of Subaru who had to suffer like that, Arashi who was widowed, Sorata who dies, everyone’s. Fuuma chuckles, then says ‘You secretly wished to see World burning. I dirtied my hands so yours can remain clear’. Prophecy ends up fulfilled, Kamui is forced to accept there was part of him that wished for revolution and destruction. With no place in the world where Kamui can feel like home now, without guilt eating him alive from destruction he implicitly brought, Kamui returns to Subaru.

Immediately Subaru notices something is wrong with Kamui, but attributes that to having to kill his dear ex-friend. Mark is starting to fade, but it only confirms to Kamui what Fuuma said was true. After death of your soulmate it takes a week for mark to completely vanish. On sixth night Kamui decides to show his to Subaru. After few minutes of tense silence Subaru tells him he’ll always accept him as he is, even if with blood on his hands. Next morning mark is gone, Kamui’s self-blame anything but. That’s his punishment, he believes. But at lease he has someone to share it with.