DON’T BE EMBARRASSEEEED!!! It’s sweet. I figured there was a possibility that it was the same person but I don’t always choose to make bold assumptions of mine known. But no, yeah, he definitely wouldn’t be ready for that, I agree. So it’s like… with them, I feel like there needs to be a delicate balance for both of them and that can be a little hard to navigate. I think that’d be really interesting to dive into, though. Imagine the possibilities and what not. Gosh… the littlest gestures all add up, though… my heart swells.

During Altered, when Rei confessed to Tsumugi about how he had been feeling during the war and why he didn’t do anything to save himself and his friends, he was so honest and raw it’s a little heart-wrenching. But the relationship they have is different… Madara is a different person, and Tsumugi had just cried in front of him. I guess it’d depend on the circumstances surrounding when he told him, maybe… there’s a lot to think about. Maybe he’d crack under the weight of it all. But Rei is a hypocrite, often doing or thinking the same he lectures others for. Uuugh… sometimes I wish ansta would show us the scenes that have only ever been spoken of, but I do also love imagining, so it’s a whole thing. Since Madara has said that Rei has this peculiar feel that makes him want to vent all his frustrations to him, I wonder if it goes both ways? … Something that’s sad to think about is that there is a 50% chance of it not being the case.

I think you remembered which story that came from wrong, so I went to look back at it. Re-reading the entirety of Concerto once more, before getting lost in the sauce and sidetracked while thinking about Leo and re-reading several chapters of checkmate, I was lead to Aquarium, to see if it was in that one, maybe (which was a little stupid in hindsight, since he’d probably think of it in a story Rei isn’t in instead). I finally read it properly, and I should have done it sooner. I’ll focus more on the other characters in it next time I read it. But it’s such a good story it makes me a little crazy… surprisingly it brought up points I had considered without even having read the story in regards to their dynamic, so I’m glad I was on point with little actual knowledge, haha. ♪ (I’d only really seen a screenshot of oneeee part of it! Can you believe it? My bad.)

Even then, Rei was already scolding Madara like he did in the on-going event, it’s funny. God, this part was really good, too,

R: I really do not think it is necessary to forcibly contort your true self into something you are not. Every person has their own suitable role. M: Hahaha, that’s nooot something you should say, what with that “vampire” role you’ve given yourself. R: That is a harsh point… However, I must remind you that the fate of a monstrous fiend only ends in tragedy. I know it will pain you, with your enormous body frame and tempo, but be careful not to stray from the path of humanity (…)

YOU ARE CRAZY PEOPLE! Another display of the hypocrisy — or is it lack of self awareness? This debate is recurring with different characters, it seems! — I was speaking of earlier, Madara’s unhesitant weaponization of Rei’s persona, the weight the usage of the word “role” has when you consider the way ansta’s world works… it’s good. Also, Madara bringing up ore Rei and saying he was a problem child like he is, and Rei fearing him repeating his mistakes and ending up walking in his shoes, as his successor… it’s also really good. They have so much fun talking together, but it’s even more fun for me as the reader. How wonderful. It’s so moe that for Rei, it can become tiring to talk to him〜 it makes sense since it’s Madara, but I love the dichotomy in regards to the energies they have. (Tsumugi is kind of a perfect in between, huh…)