Itward

Clara and Mia Buhalmet(ex-companions)

**Itward** is Fran's companion and imaginary friend since childhood, who faded from her memory over time until she slowly began recalling him. He claims he's always existed, and that when children "imagine" him, they do it because he's already existing and imaginable. He appears in Fran's dreams and throughout brief moments in the game in which he assists Fran, but only makes his first official contact with Fran in chapter 4.

He appears to be some sort of protector of mentally ill (or declared mentally ill) children, and has been sighted by all the patients at the asylum, staff and doctors believing him to be an imagination. It's stated that he is "gray"; neither too bright or too dark. He previously tried to assist the twin sisters Mia and Clara, but they wouldn't listen to him and even blamed him for their misery. Later, in attempt to kill him for the things he didn't do to them, they ended up killing each other instead. In death, they still hated him and seemed to blame him for sewing them together which in fact was not at all the case.

He also appears to be somehow associated with or even linked to the numerous clown paintings in the asylum, and it's suspected he may watch over the children in the asylum through said paintings, seeing as many of them are torn in the nightmare world as if someone had escaped from them. Under the effects of Duotine, Fran even sees Itward himself as an insane-looking clown that does nothing but laugh. That being said, unlike her slight fear of the clown pictures, Fran doesn't really appear to be afraid of Itward, meaning he might resemble a more comforting version or the true intention of the clowns, ironic as it should be the other way around; clowns being meant for fun and skeletons usually seen as frightening.

In the end, like the rest of all the extraordinary things happening in the entire game, it's not quite certain whether or not Itward truly ever existed, or just was a product of Fran's speculated insanity and loneliness.

## *Appearance*

Tall of stature, Itward appears to be a human skeleton wearing fine clothing. He has wide yellow cat-like eyes with dilated black pupils and has semi sharp teeth in his mouth. He wears a posh suit with many decorations and a tall top hat. While his skeletal face makes his expressions limited and leaving him looking like he's snickering sinisterly most of the time, he's shown to frown when alerted.

## *Personality*

While appearing ominous at first, Itward is revealed to be quite the whimsical gentleman, curious like Fran herself and very serious and polite when speaking. He' s described by Fran as being very clever and inventive on several occasions, which we can conclude is true as he invented the mechanical cat, the flying ship, and various other things. He also seems to be a somewhat mechanically savvy, a good baker, and is able to pilot an aircraft. Fran also says at one point that she thinks he has style and shares similar interests to her own. He genuinely cares deeply for Fran's well-being and promises that he will always look out for her, and similarly she promises she will never forget him.

He calls her affectionate things like "my darling" and "friend" on many occassions, further suggesting his care for her. Together with Mr. Midnight, he briefly frightens her for fun only to make a surprise party for her, showing his enjoyment in seeing Fran happy as well as seeing her investigate and make creative solutions. When the flying machine crashes, he wraps his arms around her in order to comfort and protect her, and later saves her from being killed by Dr. Oswald and Aunt Grace.

He also seems eccentric and has an affinity for riddles and puzzles as throughout the game, he seldom just gives Fran an answer to her questions and instead waits for her to figure it out on her own, even saying that the answers she seeks will come to her when she finds them.

During his time as Clara and Mia's mutual imaginary friend, he also appeared to care for them despite their rudeness and spite towards one another, trying to help them accept and save themselves. They ended up taking this the wrong way however, blamed him for everything, and then tried to kill him. This ended with them, perhaps accidentally, killing each other instead. Even in death, they continue to blame him, and he continues to feel sorry for their case, even making a shadow theatre about their tragic story in the flying machine and presumably allowing their now unattached ghosts (or other selves) into the flying machine at the party table.

## Trivia

* He's been Fran's imaginary friend since she was little, and used to tell her stories in the night. He's been looking out for her ever since.
* In the asylum, if you look in the lobotomized girls' (suspected to be the twins Clara and Mia) room after taking Duotine, you will see his name written in red. This further concretes the fact that the twins blame him for their misery. Either that, or that world's Clara and Mia just wanted him to help them from their current misery of being locked away, lobotomized, sick and forgotten.
* He first appears right outside Fran's room in the asylum for a brief moment before disappearing, then his hand is later shown opening the vent in the asylum office to let her out. He later also appears again in the twins' house and opens the window for Fran, suggesting that he was looking out for Fran throughout the entirety of the game. He also built the robot Mr. Midnight that reminded her of her cat and guided her through the dark maze.
* If Itward is but a product of Fran's mind and loneliness, she likely thought him up because "daddy was not there and mommy would not care".