Is flawed, like many other philosophical and life theories, because of its definitions and terms. Like any, and many others, the loopholes are either numerous or simply so big everyone falls through. Utilitarianism has always been something frowned upon. To treat people as tools, and not "ends in themselves," even if for the "greater good" is something people look down upon, in a bid to preserve moral standards, and to look higher than the moral mean. However, Utilitarianism is itself just a means, and is rarely an end in itself. What does that imply, if not that it's practitioner wholly accepts being just another tool in the grand scheme of things? Such thoughts are only futile in the end, the world revolves around not one, but a whole list of factors, least of all a single person. In this case, 'world' being defined not as petty human civilisation, but the Earth, meaning land masses and waters. Who's to say if a Utilitarian loves or hates the world?


"Antoine? Now would be a good time to wake up and have breakfast. You and the Exorcists will be meeting the demons quite a bit earlier. They've also picked up momentum moving. At my last count, they were nearing two thousand. I'm not sure why, but there're been freak storms, and those winds are speeding up their approach."

He yawns.

Mhm. 10 more minutes… are you coming back, or should I call you?

When he stirs to wakefulness, the other two occupants of the compartment look over at him.

"Good morning…"

They nod quietly, smiling, murmuring greetings in kind, choosing not to despoil the calm start to the day.

Mr. Yeegar is drinking coffee, eating scrambled eggs with grilled tomatoes and toast while reading the news.

Mr. Froi seems content eating a croissant, and he goes back to staring out into the distance.

There's a half-filled cup of hot chocolate on the table, Antoine looks at it, surprised and amused, eyes half-lidded.

Ah, so there are people who wouldn't judge me for not drinking coffee in the morning.

"You're making me hungry. That's not supposed to happen."

Mhm… I'm gonna drink my tea and go back to bed.

He yawns again, before trying to get up from his slouch, raising a hand to cover his mouth in the process.

It's impeded by the heavy, black-gold coat draped over him, carefully tucked behind his shoulder.

Raising the next free hand to the back of his neck, he realises that his hair tie's been undone.

How peculiar.

Even his thoughts are slurred by sleep, but he has the presence of mind to fold the coat back up.

A quick check finds General Froi in his uniform, albeit unbuttoned and unbuckled at the sides.

Standing, setting the coat by the elder Exorcist's side, muttering his thanks, receiving an out-of-the-corner-of-his-eye smile.

Making his way to the washroom, passing an attendant along the way, placing his order of tea and jam bread, untoasted.

When the food comes, I'll call you back? In the meantime, Green, don't get in trouble. The demons can all sense you.

"Give me a heads-up first, yeah? I'm kinda dodging bullets in case they do something worse than hurt."

Getting hurt is not okay either, Green.

"Now look who's talking? Ow!"

Green!

He stops brushing his teeth, trying to link them back.

"Just got pelted, 'm fine. When I get back, the food had better be ready."

The line is cut off this time, but he can still hear Green cursing faintly in the far off.

Can almost feel himself twisting out of a demon's chokehold and avoid more bullets by moving up.

Splashing water on his face, he tells himself that he's okay.

But if Green's hurt that makes it not-okay.

Drying off, chucking his toothbrush and toothpaste back in his bag.

Sliding the door open, stepping out and turning to slide the door back shut.

Turning and slamming straight into a hard surface, recoiling backwards from more shock than pain, a grip so strong on his shoulder it hurts.

Rubbing his head, rambling apologies, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay?"

He squints at those pupil-less eyes, before finding the pupil, just a tiny dot in the middle.

The hulking male barely pays him any attention.

If not for the fact that he had caught him, Antoine would have thought he went entirely unnoticed.

The male bends down to look at him, and then asks, "Do you like sweets?"

After it's apparent that Antoine has regained his balanced, he's let go off.

They end up at the end of the train, just past the washroom, looking out at the landscape that races past them.

In the bright light, he notes that the male's skin is an almost ashen-grey tone.

"I like sweets a great deal. I like sugar too. Do you?"

It never hurts to be friendly. And he caught me. That counts for something, right?

"Mhm. I eat only sweet things."

It comes out like a rumbly growl, like thunder, rumbling.

Antoine rummages about in his bag, pulling out a pair of caramel suckers, offering his newest acquaintance one.

"Caramel, if you'll have it?"

Fingers, about 3 times as thick as the spherical sucker, close around it, his other hand swiftly tearing off the wrapper, stuffing it into a pocket.

"It's sweet."

He smiles, pleased.

"To me, it tastes like sunsets and dawn. It reminds me of waking up and being able to go back to sleep."

This elicits a snort from the larger male.

"You're awfully sentimental and silly, even for humans. What's your name?"

Leaning over the railing, Antoine spares a thought towards the group of demons the train is about to hurtle into.

"I'm Antoine of Belgium, and you are?"

"Skinn Bolic. I will call you Tiny."

He takes the nickname in stride.

In comparison, he is tiny. He can't help it if Skinn is built like Hulk, he doesn't take offence over things like this. Not when Skinn doesn't mean to insult.

"Sure, then I'll call you Skinn."

He's offered a sweet in return.

"Lemon."


Skinn returns into the train first, leaving Antoine alone for a couple moments longer.

"Antoine? I'm back, is breakfast ready?"

He could snort at Green's voice.

I'm not sure, honey. I'll go check.

Then, more seriously, Are you okay, Green?

"Yeah. Healed on the way back."

Their compartment door is a hinged one, unlike the outside slider doors, it opens out into the corridor.

In a cheery tone, Mr. Froi announces that his tea has long gone cold.

Mr. Yeegar surveys him with a concerned gaze.

"Did something happen, Antoine?"

Green rematerializes by his side, absorbing his share of breakfast.

Antoine shakes his head, hiding his grin at his teacher's mild horror.

"I was waiting for Green to get back."

Green shoots him an amused look, "Yeah right. You weren't hungry, and you had someone to eat sweets with."

But none of the Exorcists hear them, and he's clearly beyond shame, merely having his quick breakfast.

His Innocence finishes their tea, before making a half bow and retreating into the air.

A waiter comes around to collect their dishes.

"That was your Innocence, Antoine?"

By request, Green reforms.

"What's wrong, Antoine?"

Can you make them hear you?

His Innocence waves, "It's nice to meet you!"

The Generals can't hear Green.

"How curious. He doesn't seem to fall in either category of Parasitic or Equipment."

"Where is your Innocence fragment situated?"

He looks lost at Green who shrugs.

"Was there anything that appeared, before you first synchronised with your Innocence?"

There wasn't..?

"Green just appeared, and he stopped the person from bleeding out. He's always either out exploring, or in my head."

Hey Green? Can you turn into anything?

The misty figure exudes an air of concentration, before he turns into a cube.

"Ah shoot I'm falling Antoine catch me catch me catch me!"

The cube lands in his palm for but a second, before he reverts to his original form.

"That was your Innocence fragment. That cube shape."

Froi has taken out his Innocence, as has Mr. Yeegar.

"Perhaps that is this Innocence's most comfortable form? Like equip types who form a shape, and are crafted shells to host them, perhaps your Innocence prefers his spectral shape. Like Holy Aegis took the form of a pendulum for range. Like another General, whose Innocence resides in her monkey partner."

"Holy Aegis..?"

Green's hand is outstretched, wisps threading through the loops of the chain.

Mr. Yeegar is focussed on Green.

"Was that you speaking?"

"Me? I'm Antoine's Innocence, can you… hear me?"

He looks down at where Holy Aegis comes into contact with the other Innocence.

"It appears, that your Innocence can speak to me through mine."

Green rests his fingers on the sceptre portion of Maker of Eden.

"Can you hear me, Exorcist Tiedoll?"

It's cool and all, Green, but I wonder, what does it mean to them?

Taking his hands off the Equipment forms, returning to Antoine, muttering, "I feel a bit tired."


The train grinds to a stop, and there's no more time to experiment.

Disembarking, walking towards the darkening sky.

"My cute students will be attacking from the back, we will hope to keep this battle short, and within the confines of the already abandoned towns."

"Holy Aegis, activate."

General Yeegar's mouth is set in a thin line.

Chains arcing into the sky in all directions, explosions following.

General Tiedoll pushes up his glasses, before linking his Innocence together, "Maker of Eden, Activate. Witness the beauty of this world, Art!"

White light spawning a cloaked knight bearing them in his helmet, eye guard down to protect them.

Green?

"Sorry Antoine I'm just tired."

Rest, Green, let me control movement instead.

Innocence by nature do not hurt one another, just phasing through.

For the akuma, they're faced by a monstrous being with glowing green eyes and a rotating crown of chains.

It's no leap of logic to assume that the Exorcists are within the helmet, but clearly getting at them is not so easy.

Periodic pulses of green disintegrate Level 1s, cripple Level 2s and is enough to slow Level 3s long enough for either the white giant or chain shroud to kill.

The Exorcists plough through the akuma horde like that, closing in from both sides, each racing to meet up and consolidate their attack.


Skinn is personally my favourite Noah, because we both have sweet tooths.

Also, eggs can be sweet. Tamago for one, or egg custards. Just not boiled eggs.

I believe, Wrath, being so intense an emotion allows its host to experience the full range of intense emotions.

Faced by someone who offers him a sweet, who doesn't patronise him, I'd like to think Skinn can act like a normal human.

Kayo.