011 | sailormoonsub

keyofjetwolf:

keyofnik:

I LOVE “Nightmare in Dreamland”, it’s one of my favourite episodes in the entire series. Not only is it full of Usagi and Rei goodness, not only is it the episode that sold me on the series, not only is the episode that made me fall in love with Rei Hino until the end of my days, not only does it have adorable Ami and Luna moments, not only does it have one of the freakiest fucking monsters of the week ever, not only does it have Jadeite before a tower of the dead, IT HAS MAMORU ON A FUCKING KIDDIE TRAIN FOR NO DISCERNIBLE REASON WHATSOEVER.

Do you, Mamoru? Do you REALLY?

I think we can rule out just about everything that would LOGICALLY put him here. You could theoretically make a case for him being in Dreamland — he’s seen the reports of missing people here, he’s getting weird vibes, something like that. But honestly, right here and now, I don’t see it.

Mamoru’s still very disconnected from his Endymion/Tuxedo Kamen side, so I don’t think it’s “I have a funny feeling about this”. And he’s so grossly antisocial right now that I don’t think he’d even notice the newspaper report, or think to take action on it personally even if he did (the police will handle it, Mamoru goes on about his business).

The most important point though really is that even if he were here to investigate the weirdness, he wouldn’t be on the train. He gains nothing from being here. He’s not learning anything, he’s not observing anything, he’s definitely not blending in. So then why?

Now is the time on Jet Wolf’s Blog where we make shit up.

I’ve seen a few sad headcanons where Mamoru’s reliving a childhood memory and such. For myself, I prefer that Mamoru not remember anything about his parents or his past at all, as I think it highlights just how important his relationship with Usagi is. Plus I’ve done my fair share of sad shit lately, so let’s take this in another direction.

What can we infer about Mamoru being on this train? About being in the park at all? If it’s not for any kind of important “Tuxedo Kamen business” why is he here?

Well first we know that he’s DEEPLY involved in something. He doesn’t even realize that Usagi’s right behind him. This is a dude who is pretty hyper aware of whenever Usagi’s within a ten block radius and will intentionally cross the street to insult her and then laugh all the way home. But we have this:

We join the ride in-progress, and it seems like it’s been going for a little while. Long enough for Rei to come to this conclusion and get pissed about it … yeah okay, that would only need to be three seconds. But they’re moving along at a pretty good clip, and Usagi’s been putting up a pretense of actually giving a shit about why they’re there. Remember that Rei and Usagi have known each other for about 48-hours at this point at best, and so Usagi probably had her serious “No, I genuinely think riding the kiddie train is the next logical step in our plan to uncover the evil afoot” face on and Rei believed it. So I think we’re at least a couple minutes or more into the ride.

Minutes which I do not for one second believe Usagi wasn’t giggling and repeatedly saying “wai! wai!”

She’s less than an arm’s length from Mamoru, but he didn’t notice at all until she crashed right into him.

Whatever he’s doing, he’s THAT absorbed.

We have deduced or inferred all that we really can. Mamoru is in Dreamland for personal reasons. He’s on the kiddie train, and very very intense and absorbed about it. The question left is why.

So you know, let’s run with the only significant relationship we know Mamoru has at this point: Motoki.

Motoki and Unazuki do brother/sister dates all the time, just silly, fun things where they poke fun at each other and laugh. The more childish the better in their book. So they’d made plans to go to Dreamland, but something came up and Motoki couldn’t go. He had to cover a shift at Crown, or he had an emergency paper due, or he and Reika had a pressing date where they’d sit around and poignantly not talk. Whatever it was, Motoki had to cancel. Unazuki was super disappointed though. She’d cleared her calendar and everything! Motoki felt terrible. So he called in Mamoru.

Mamoru doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t understand it. Look, can’t I go on your date with Reika for you? I’m really good at sitting in awkward silences. But no, this is what Motoki needs Mamoru to do, and so reluctantly, Mamoru agrees.

So that’s why he’s in Dreamland. Why is he on the train? Alone?

This is actually his second time on it in a row.

The first time, Unazuki made Mamoru ride it with her. That’s in the spirit of her and Motoki’s day! Plus, she has to admit, Mamoru is kind of a pleasant change from her doofus brother who genuinely enjoys all this stuff way more than he likely should. Mamoru HATES it. There is nothing at all in the universe that Mamoru hates more than exactly what he’s doing right this second, and that is marvelous. So Unazuki makes Mamoru ride the train with her, and it’s pretty much him with a stony expression and hunched shoulders as he makes sure to keep his hands inside the vehicle at all times like the animatronic panda told him to.

It’s the greatest thing.

So when they get off the ride — nearing them is Rei dubiously following a seemingly sincere Usagi — Unazuki has a plan. “Oh, no, I lost my sunglasses! They must’ve fallen out while we were riding the train! Help I am distraught! Whatever shall I do! I may cry! I completely need someone to go on the ride again and find my glasses!”

What can he do? CRYING?? Good god, he has no idea how to handle that shit. And so Mamoru sighs and turns around and gets right back on the train. Unazuki looks on, her hands clasped and her eyes shining. Once Mamoru is out of sight, she runs to buy a disposable camera from the gift shop and books it to the little bridge that the train will pass under and gets ready for the greatest act of photography the world has ever seen.

And Mamoru, still hunched over and hating the world, watches the passing scenery intently for fallen sunglasses, because this is now his mission.

This is how his mission ends.

I have tried to make this worth the five months you waited for it, Anon. *flourishing bow*

(reblog to recreate post from the original keyofnik tumblr)