Chapter Text
The concept of Schrödinger's Cat was a thought experiment that Rui had never wanted to relate to. If years ago you told Rui that one day, he would be puzzling over LITERAL QUANTUM MECHANICS he would have laughed, tilted his head, and suggested this conversation might be better suited to a third or fourth date.
But that was before he had been cursed.
Schrödinger's experiment, at least as far as he could interpret it, started by putting a cat in a box. You have a poison in the box, too, and a little piece of radioactive something or other. Outside the box is a gadget that tries to detect how much radioactivity is in the box. And since radioactive stuff fluctuates in some way that goes over Rui's head, that amount could change. If it got to a certain level, the gadget would break the poison bottle and kill the cat.
Awfully cruel experiment, right?
The part that people were supposed to focus on was that from outside the box, you couldn't tell if the cat was dead or alive, so at any given point, it was both, in a way. Until you opened the box and found either a very cranky or very dead cat.
(Rui also thought you might be able to hear the cat from outside the box, and this could influence the whole quantum-ness of the situation, but eh, maybe the box was soundproof. Or the cat was mute?)
How did everyone's favorite blond Reaper and bartender relate to this? Well, the similarities actually came about around the time everyone thought Rui’s curse might be broken.
The ghouls of Hotarubi (Two, by Rui's count, and one floating doll), Rui, and of course, one cute Inspector had an interhouse mission that sent them after a Hinnagami. This anomalous and ancient spirit had possessed a doll (separate from the floating one) and had been hounding a wealthy family—who had used its magic to gain that wealth–with requests for wish after wish after wish. The family in question was struggling to keep up with the Hinnagami's demands.
The spirit acted as a warning to punish greed, and so despite the appeal of free wishes, the mission party had decided it would be better to not use the doll to cure your curse.
You had a different idea, though.
You and Rui had been dating for some time now, in the only way that you could without any safe way to touch: words, time spent together, secret confessions and glances that made both of you blush publicly on more than one occasion. If you thought nobody else noticed, you were absolutely incorrect, but the two of you were too lovesick to know better.
So, when the idea presented itself, you used your wish… for Rui.
Everyone had panicked; don't take a wish from the Hinnagami! It will just switch its attention to hounding you ! Rui was absolutely moved that you would attempt this for him, but also appalled at the idea that you were taking on what amounted to another curse!
The Kyklos nesting within you, however, had other plans. You could hardly explain to the others how, when holding the Hinnagami, you had felt vines tendril out from you like whips, how your mind momentarily filled with the only thought of poison it poison it poison it POISON POISONPOISON–
And the anomaly was destroyed.
And now, in the aftermath, Rui was Schrödinger's Cat in the box: both cursed and un-cursed. And if things went poorly, death could be involved.
How do you even test something like this?
Haku, Subaru, and you were all staring at him, and Rui nervously tried to laugh it off, scratching the back of his head. “I know I'm beautiful, but staring's kinda rude, isn't it?” he joked.
“Your… your curse might be broken,” Subaru said softly, his eyes flitting over to the Inspector for just a moment.
Overcome with emotion, you took a step towards Rui, your hand outstretched for his cheek. The blond instinctively stepped back, and ever-vigilant Haku put a hand on your shoulder to stop you. “Subaru said ‘might,’” Haku cautioned.
Rui's red eyes were wide; though he smiled back at you, you could see the panic as he stared. “We don't want to jump the gun,” he stammered, his heart thudding a mile a minute in his chest. “This isn't something we can fix if we’re wrong.” He clutched his chest, trying to play some of the nervousness he was feeling off as less serious than it was. “Oh, this is bad for my heart.”
So now here he was, sitting across from you at a table in Mortkranken–Yuri would be furious if he wasn't privy to study this matter!–thinking about cats and poison and radioactivity and trying not to let his hands shake too strongly.
Yuri was observing, a thoughtful hand to his own chin, and Jiro was looking over some medical readings transmitted to a computer screen by little diodes stuck to the blond's skin (which Rui had placed on himself, naturally). You looked back at Rui lovingly, trying to give him a smile that eased some of his jitters. “It's gonna be okay,” you softly said, resisting the urge to reach across the table and pat his currently ungloved hand.
Rui swallowed the dry lump in his throat and nodded back. “Right. Sure. If nothing has changed, we'll figure that out. Before we do anything… irreversible.”
“We'll start with the small potted plant,” Yuri stated evenly, gesturing to the first of a series of items on the table. Rui had spent enough time gardening to recognize a cast-iron plant; it made sense to him that they were trying something sturdy first.
The blond took a deep breath and let it out slowly through pursed lips. “Okay. Let's do this.”
He touched the plant.
Nothing happened.
A nervous laugh escaped his lips, but Rui kept his hand against the broad leaf. “It's okay! It's not dead!” Ruby-colored eyes looked up at you, sparkling with hope.
“Your heartrate is elevated,” Jiro commented monotonously, taking a few notes, “though that may simply be a reflection of stress.”
“Any other reactions?” Yuri prodded, and Rui shook his head.
“I don't think so. Usually I would feel a sort of… awakeness?” He shrugged. “The life force of whatever I had touched.” That was another thing that would take getting used to, if the Curse really was broken: Rui may get tired more easily and be able to sleep.
He found himself rubbing the leaf between two fingers, marveling at the glossy, pliant texture: the texture of something living.
“Next we'll try the moths.” Yuri's eyes had narrowed slightly, but he didn't let his gaze leave the table.
Another nod from Rui as he let his gaze travel to the small enclosure where a handful of moths flitted and fluttered; the stakes were steadily increasing. “Had a butterfly land on me once,” he spoke grimly, feeling a small shiver run down his back at the memory. “...Didn't like that.”
“They're a type of pantry moth,” Jiro stated. “They have a very short lifespan, if it's any consolation.”
Rui took another slow breath. “It is. Thanks.” The opening on the side of the enclosure made a soft click as he opened it, eyes closing and palm opening as he pushed his hand into the midst of the flying insects.
After a couple moments, he laughed quietly and allowed his eyes to open, staring intently at the bugs.
“Everything alright?” You were trying not to hold your breath, but you kept feeling it catch, feeling your own heartbeat gather speed.
Rui looked up at you, and you could see his eyes were shimmering with nearly-shed tears. “They…they tickle.” You let your own breath out in a shuddering laugh, watching happily as Rui rotated his hand every which way in the little container, elated to have the moths’ tiny feet and powdery wings grazing his skin.
“Excellent!” Yuri exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He looked over to Jiro. “All of the vitals are showing stable?”
Jiro nodded back. “Endocrine levels all within normal range for a ghoul. No evidence of increased adenosine triphosphate, proteins, or complex carbohydrate activity.”
Rui flashed you a careful grin. “I think that's a good thing.”
“It is,” the tallest ghoul confirmed. He took a few more notes, adjusted a few buttons on the computer readout. “We can probably move on to the mammalian subject.”
Rui's grin faded as he looked towards the small cage that so far remained untouched. The rat moving around within was mostly white, though its eyes were black and surrounded by a peppering of gray fur.
Rui thought its pink nose was awfully cute.
“The rat is used to being handled,” Yuri explained as he folded his arms, perhaps growing impatient. “It won't bite.”
“That's not what I'm worried about…” Rui's voice was quiet, barely a whisper as he shook his hand and removed it from the moths. He reclosed the container, watching them–Still!–flying around. He brought both of his hands to sit on his lap, seemingly in a daze.
Yuri opened his mouth, but you preemptively raised a hand to quiet the young doctor. “Give him time,” you chided. “He's been cursed for years. You can handle another minute.” The blond looked up at you thankfully, and you smiled back to him. “It's okay, Rui. When you're ready.”
He clutched at his chest again, gulping slow gasps of air, trying to stay steady. “It's. It's been so long, I don't… I don't want to get my hopes up,” he admitted. His eyes traveled back to yours, and his brow wrinkled with emotion. “Still gonna wanna go on that date tomorrow if I can't hold your hand?”
“Absolutely.”
Trembling, he opens the latch on the door. The rat's cute pink nose goes immediately to investigate, and Rui actually does hold his breath.
After a few short sniffs, the small rodent crawls eagerly into the ghoul's shaking palm.
Rui exhales with a small sort of sob, taking the rat into both hands now, lifting it up and letting it study his face. He's crying now as the small creature sticks out a pink tongue to taste the tears. Weeping and shaking, Rui crumbles, holding the rat up, brushing its soft fur against his cheek, even giving a few small kisses to the top of its head.
“Oh, you're so warm, little guy,” he sobs. “You're so warm.”