Swiss Is The First One To Notice Just How Much Of An Anxious Wreck Their New Ghoul Was When Not On Stage

Swiss is the first one to notice just how much of an anxious wreck their new ghoul was when not on stage during a ritual. As soon as they've completed their final bows and they slip offstage, it's like a switch has flipped and he's a completely different person.

Phantom never sticks around for Copia's post-ritual speech praising them that he does every night. He just seems to merge into the shadows and vanish almost completely until their next show. He'd only momentarily show his face for the bus headcount (they'd accidentally left Dew behind once and Papa never wants to repeat that experience) before seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Once Swiss takes notice of this pattern, he must know exactly why.

It starts with Swiss purposely placing himself next to the younger when they line up for the bows and not letting go of his hand when they'd normally separate. He notices how Phantom's hands begin to tremble in his grip once he realises that Swiss is not going to let go. He manages to successfully keep tabs on the quintessence ghoul until Dew pounces onto Swiss's back, causing Phantom's hand to slip away. During the resulting playfight, Phantom manages to slip away and vanish into the shadows yet again. It becomes clear to Swiss that he would need to corner him somehow to find out exactly why.

Swiss has to change tactics to make it work. They were due a travel day between rituals, so they would all be trapped in close confines for the next day or so. it would be impossible for Phantom to escape him now. After the headcount, Swiss follows Phantom as he slips away to the back of the bus, instead of staying with the rest of the pack like he usually does. just as he enters the back lounge, a mottled tail slips into a storage cupboard.

Why was Phantom hiding in a cupboard?

Swiss lowers himself to the floor next to it and gently taps his knuckles against the door.

"You okay in there bug?", he gently asks.

A quiet sniffling sound comes from the cupboard and Swiss's concern grows.

"I'm gonna open the door Phantom, you're worrying me", he announces before pulling open the door.

The sight that greets him is pitiful. Phantom is curled up as small as possible in the cramped cupboard, his shoulders violently shaking with every sob he's trying to repress. The spade of his tail rests in his mouth and his hands are tightly knotted in his streaked hair. Swiss feels his heart shatter.

As Swiss pulls the smaller ghoul out of the cupboard and into his arms, all he can think of is how they've all failed this ghoul, and how he must fix it before it's too late.