130 | in which I explode over how good Seven's route in Mystic Messenger is <3

[straightforwardly]

Mystic Messenger update: I KNEW IT. I KNEW UNKNOWN WAS SEVEN’S TWIN BROTHER. Ahhh, so happy to finally have it confirmed. ♥ Also, Unknown has a name now! Saeran. Ah, everything about that confrontation was so good. ♥

But let me back up a bit, and do a proper update, in mostly chronological order.

First, cat robot! It’s a shame we didn’t get to see a picture of it like we did with the puppy robot, but I’m still pleased about its existence. Seven can make robot animals for me any day, even if they breathe fire. ♥

This might sound odd, but… I wonder if Vanderwood is an assassin? I mainly say that because her* last line in one of the VN segments (after warning Seven about his distraction, and telling him that he needs to be safe to protect the RFA / to not let the MC get too close to him if he wants her to be safe) was, “Make sure that my next target won’t be you.” Which, combined with Seven’s assertion that his life’s in danger if he doesn’t finish this job, screams assassin to me.

*I know I was referring to Vanderwood as “he” yesterday, but today Seven referred to her as “she” when directly talking about her to himself, and more than once, so I’m assuming that I was wrong about that.

Then came the first in a series of fantastic Seven phones calls. Some favorite lines:

”I had all those hackers chase me and attack me, but they were never really aware of who I am.”

“If I leave traces of you with my hands, then you might be in danger again because of me…”

“I know you are a good person. I also know that we are very different from birth… Do you think it’s because I know?”

“I shouldn’t be doing this...I’m sorry. I feel like I'm just saying weird things all the time.”

This certainly puts a different spin on his attitude to the Hackers Chasing Hackers organization… I’m so glad now that I’ve misled them across so many routes.

Around this time, I also came across a thought-bubble where Seven sympathizes with Pluto. ♥ Specifically: “Pluto… No longer part of the solar system… I guess I can be friends with Pluto then.”

Another phone call, this time with the lines actually in order, irrc:

”Well… That’s not really important for me. My work is more important than my body. People say I’m the best in the industry, but I’m sure someone will replace me if I disappear.”
“So it doesn’t really matter even if I disappear.”

MC: “It matters to me. Please take care of yourself.”

On a brighter note, that same phone call confirmed that Seven does, in fact, enjoy crossdressing! I thought it pretty likely, considering how many pictures he shared of some woman who turned out to be him in a dress, but I liked having him flat-out say it. The lines:

”Do you want to hear something funny? I have to wear disguises a lot since I’m a secret agent. Haha, so I have a lot of costumes. Other agents sometimes seem to think that I like cosplay or crossdressing.”

“I mean, I do enjoy it, but it was a bit awkward to actually say that. You know what I mean?”

I can’t remember if this next bit was the same phone call or not, but I liked these lines too:

“Do you… want to go on a drive with me some time? I feel like I’ll become a much better driver if you sit beside me. I’m good now… but I just want you to stay beside me.”

“I feel a bit embarrassed after actually saying it. I hope I haven’t said anything weird again.”

Pretty much all of his chats last night were depressing, as was his profile picture. He flat-out says, “Please… I hope no one gets hurt because I wasn’t good enough…” Seven is the best kind of woobie, I swear. ♥ He piles so much responsibility on his shoulders, and so much self-blame if things go wrong. Jumping ahead a bit, but in one of the later phone calls, he actually apologizes for not being perfect: “I’m sorry. This is all because of me. I… I couldn’t be perfect. I got so distracted and I couldn’t do all the work…!” SEVEN. ♥

This chat fits pretty well with some of the stuff I was talking about yesterday:

Seven: “To be honest…”
Seven: “I wanted to show people in the RFA”
Seven: “only my bright and fun side.”
Seven: “Because the work I do is nothing but dark and filthy.”
Seven: “I didn’t want to tell anyone about that.”

(a bit later:)

Seven: “You know…”
Seven: “I only tried to laugh as much as I can in this chatroom,”
Seven: “because of the dark place I’m really in.”
Seven: “This shithole… is probably the place that suits me best.”
Seven: “I hope the members,”
Seven: “and especially you, aren’t harmed because of me…”

And I loved this insight into Seven’s perspective when the MC joined the RFA:

Seven: “You are always so kind.”
Seven: “I wasn’t wrong.”
Seven: “You are such a good person.”
Seven: “You are so kind to everyone,”
Seven: “and even though you just found out about the RFA,”
Seven: “you fell for my ridiculous threat,”
Seven: “and told us you’d help.”
Seven: “If I had just let you go then…”
Seven: “told V that this isn’t right,”
Seven: “convinced him to send you away…”
Seven: “you could have just deleted this app”
Seven: “and be free…”

If I weren’t already all aboard the Seven/MC shipping train, that would have made me buy a ticket ASAP.

(And then the next day, he tried to dismiss it with, “work wasn’t going well, and I felt frustrated and upset. That’s why I said those things.” Which, isn’t a lie, but it’s definitely putting it lightly.)

I was already intrigued by Seven and Yoosung’s relationship by… pretty much everything that happened at the end of Yoosung’s route, but Yoosung’s reaction to Seven’s obvious depression was A+, do want more. I loved his determined, “I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, but if he’s in danger, I have all the intention to go help him!” and am super intrigued by how he says that he, “used to feel so close to Seven, but now he’s so distant.”

There was also some excellent Zen and Seven content— mostly Zen worrying about Seven, and praising him to the heavens, but also this weirdly shippy segment (in regards to the Tripter bot):

Zen: “I wish I’d worked harder on taking good selfies. Lol”
Zen: “It is quite difficult,”
Zen: “but I should take a selfie while taking off my shirt.”
Zen: “I wonder what comment Seven will add to that photo lololol”

Like, I know that he’s talking about the bot Seven made, but it still sounds like he wants to know what Seven thinks re: a shirtless photo of him. Which… not complaining?

Speaking of which, more Zen/Jumin moments, y/y?

Yoosung: “Let’s not think too much about it,”
Yoosung: “and acknowledge that people are diverse…”
Zen: “You’re right lol”
Zen: “Even jerks like Jumin are human...”
Yoosung: “lol”
Yoosung: “Why are you suddenly mentioning Jumin? lolol”

I would like to second Yoosung’s question, please. :P

Also, a cute Jaehee movement:

MC: “You can’t move because of Jumin? Are you cursed or something…?”
Jaehee: [gasping emoji]
Jaehee: “I did see him read a book on dark magic…”

Remembering Jumin’s phone call in one of the other routes where he talked about reading a book on dark magic makes this even better, haha. ♥

Jumin’s been really interesting in this route as well. He’s called the MC twice in less than twenty-four hours just to make sure that she’s safe, and there’s some stuff in the thought bubbles that sounds like Jumin -> V pining, like, “V, I hope you are safe. It’s become impossible to reach you…” And there was a bit (later on) where he actually agrees with Yoosung re: V, even saying stuff like “Where the hell did he go?” in all bold-text, and talking about sending search parties to all the deserts in the world to find him.

And then there was this adorable moment between him, Seven, and the MC:

MC: “Yes… Let’s make a spaceship so that we can go to the moon some day.”
Seven: “Oh…! That sounds fun! Haha”
Seven: “I’m always up for adventure!”
Seven: “And Jumin will be our investor.”
Jumin: “I must tell Assistant Kang to research the cost of creating a spaceship.”

Between this and Jumin’s worried phone calls, I’m starting to get cautiously intrigued by the idea of Jumin/Seven/MC.

Jumin also gets aboard the Seven-advice-giving-train, though seeing as his advice sums up as, in his words, “Kill all your emotions”, and considering how well that worked for him in his own route— well. He meant well?

More cute Seven/MC flirting:

MC: “Oh… I understand the beauty of water.”
Seven: “Oh, you understand? I knew you’re my one and only rocket astronaut!!”

Also, Seven and Saeran might have a psychic twin connection? There was a VN segment that started with Saeran creepily plotting (including such gems as, “Of course… Luciel is not invited, so before the work ends, I’ll delete him with my own hands.”), that ended with Saeran laughing, before transitioning to Seven talking with Vanderwood, where this happened:

Seven: “?!”
Seven: “Vanderwood, didn’t you hear something just now?”
Vanderwood: “I didn’t.”
Seven: “I heard someone laughing… Did you laugh?”
Vanderwood: “Haha. Happy?”
Seven: “That’s not the voice…”
Vanderwood: “Of course not. Do you think I have the time to laugh right now? Just go back to work.”

And then Seven called immediately afterwards to see if the MC was safe, and make her check all the windows and doors. So cute. ♥ It was a really short call, and ended rather abruptly, so I called him back to see if I could get more out, and then immediately felt really guilty about it because he was clearly so stressed out from all the work he had to do. But there were some cute lines:

”No, I have to fix this… Fix this. Hey, do you want to be the engineer for my heart?”

“You’re not laughing…? Be honest with me. You were just embarrassed and laughed with your hands over your mouth, right? I heard it~ I was just trying to tease you. I’m fine.

SEVEN. SO CUTE. I’M DYING.

AND THEN HE STARTED DOING FAKE BUDDHIST PRAYERS TO GET VANDERWOOD TO GO AWAY SO HE COULD ESCAPE. It included such gems as, “Namuamitabul Hanshimbayabaramitdasi jokyon ohgo plzhelp”.

And then there was Vanderwood reaction, which was golden: “Hey, are you chanting to Buddha right now? You’re catholic!”

I also loved how he used the robot puppy to help in his escape— and I loved what the robot puppy was programmed to say. “I am God Seven’s creation! Woof! I was born in 150 BC when my mom dog robot met my Arabic father dog robot and with the contract from the blacksmith Alababa…”

Though, now that I’m typing it up… maybe I’m reading too much into it, but could it be that some of Seven’s backstory is embedded in there? His father being Arabic might explain his focus on the language? ...I feel like I’m reaching, haha.

There was a moment with Jumin here that fascinated me:

Jumin: “The address is secret so I can’t even send additional guards there.”
Yoosung: “Seeing that Seven is still keeping his secret with V in this emergency,”
Yoosung: “he must be seriously loyal to V;;”
Jumin: “But can you call that loyalty…?”

My initial reaction was that he was questioning V, which surprised me, but looking over it again I’m not so sure.

Also, cute Jumin & Yoosung moment (and a cute Jumin moment overall):

Jumin: “Although V may not be there,”
Jumin: “I’ve canceled the rest of my plans with the oil prince and I’m heading to the airport right now.”
Jumin: “I’m taking the first flight back home.”
Jumin: “There may be something I can do…”
Yoosung: “You’re way better than V!”

Yoosung’s reply was in large text too, haha.

AND THEN, THE SAERAN AND SEVEN CONFRONTATION, YES.

I noticed that Seven had been left out of the email invitations to Magenta, but it hadn’t occurred to me that V had been as well until Saeran said this to the MC (before Seven arrived): “Especially those men named V and Luciel, they are all lying.”

Which, let me backtrack a bit. A couple of chats back, there was such an interesting VN scene with Saeran and a mysterious “Savior”. I don’t know if anyone remembers my “maybe Rika isn’t dead” theory from a few routes back, but I have to admit that that segment woke all of that back up. After all, Rika was focused on some religion of hers, and the hints we got in Jumin’s route suggests that it was actually pretty strange. (Did I talk about that? I don’t remember anymore.)

I bring this all up mostly because, during that VN segment, Saeran says something about how he “will not betray you, my savior. You know I am not like him.” That inclusion of V as one of the liars made me wonder— is he the betrayer that Saeran’s talking about there? We know that V converted to Rika’s religion for her, and we also that she was the one who hurt his eyes. Assuming that she didn’t die, than maybe her hurting V’s eyes was in reaction to that “betrayal”?

Moving on… Quoting time again, for Seven and Saeran's actual confrontation.

Seven: “Why are you doing this!? Rika told me that you…”
??? / Saeran: “You… don’t you dare say that name.”
Seven: “What?”
??? / Saeran: “Traitor! All the names you spit out will be contaminated, so shut up.”
Seven: “Saeran… why are you doing this now? Tell me!”
Seven: “Something bad happened, right? That’s why you’re here?”
Seven: “But Rika would never have lied to me…!”

Then Seven telling the MC who Saeran is (after Saeran leaves)! Seven making the MC promise not to tell anyone in the RFA about him!

Ahhh, it’s all so good. And it’s only Day 7! I can’t wait to see what unfolds next. So excited. ♥