Butterfly

Butterfly *(蝶, Chō)* is a worker at the Murakumo Inn, employed by Owner. He works alongside Spider, and, like his coworker, is tasked with collecting secrets or creating new ones for the inn's guests. He often sleeps around with all of his female guests, collecting their secrets and yet not understanding the meaning of "love." He is shown to be rather forgetful given his origin as a cluster of butterflies, and often forgets any new information he learns regarding feelings, and sometimes even forgets what he was just saying when he's asked.

SPOILER WARNING!

This article contains plot and/or ending details for Phantom Tales of the Night.
Read at your own risk.

In truth, Butterfly is known as Incarnate Butterflies, a form given to him by Owner, and in turn is the collected souls of the dead that were turned into butterflies. He was shown sexual pleasure when Owner took him around and showed him people, and thus it quickly became the only thing he knows. He is shown to wonder how something like that done with the same person over and over again is "fun," though Owner gives him no answer. When asked if he wanted to try becoming a person, the form he took was a male form, claiming that he would be more "pleasurable" that way when Owner questions it. It is presumed that, at some point after this, Owner employed him at Murakumo Inn to give him a place to live as well as a true purpose.

## Appearance

Butterfly is an attractive man of somewhat-average height who appears to be in his twenties, with long, blond hair that is always tied into a long braid. His eyes are a golden color, shining in the light. He wears traditional clothing that is often somewhat undone and reveals his chest.

Whenever he destabilizes, clusters of illuminated butterflies flit around and out of him, though it isn't very hard to return them to his full form. Oftentimes, Owner is shown helping put him back together when this occurs.

## Personality

Butterfly is often shown as flirtatious and kind, though he is shown to whine and complain (mostly to Spider's dismay) when things don't go his way. Under the surface, however, he is rather angry, as shown in Enigma 8 when he gets angered at Bone Monk's harsh attitude towards him and Spider. He is shown to feel some semblance of sorrow, such as in Enigma 7, though is also shown to immediately forget it and claims that he's "failed again." He is also rather defensive at times, such as in Enigma 27 when Spider gets mad at him for taking in Kyouko as a guest at the inn, and gets even angrier when the former tells him to "find a shallower woman" instead of her.

In truth, the only thing keeping him stable, as well as the only memory he has even when he loses other memories, is his desire to stay by Owner's side no matter what happens. He knows that it's "fun" to sleep around, but also that it's a "sin" to sleep around without understanding "love," and things often get muddled or confusing. Even though he's tried asking Owner to explain such things to him, he was told to figure it out on his own instead, which further frustrates Butterfly.

Butterfly is a smooth flirt, always finding the right words to say when he wants to take a woman to bed with him. However, his feelings toward the women he sleeps with are purely superficial, as he does not understand the true meaning of "love" and has never experienced such a thing himself. He also does not know what to do with children, as he has never been one and has never been around them prior to meeting Owner.

He also does not have a complete understanding of human laws, as he saw no issues with taking Kyouko to bed with him in Enigma 27 (until his attempts were stopped by Spider), claiming that women her age were still giving birth up until recent years.

## Abilities

Due to being a cluster of butterflies, Butterfly's body sometimes destabilizes, and it has to be put back together by someone else most of the time. He also is shown to have the ability to collect or create secrets, similarly to Owner and Spider.

## Quotes

*"Wanna drink?"* (to Miho)

*"So is that your...wish?"* (to Miho)

*"Owner. Can you cut her out of me? It seems... she fell for me."* (about Miho)

*"But I still don't get what I don't get! This is all such a pain! Why can't I just follow your orders all the time instead?"* (to Owner)

*"I'm made of the collected souls of humans who died. Their souls turned into butterflies, then countless butterflies together. And I—"* (to Kaibara, about himself)

*"Who's inside...? Who resides within me...?"* (to himself)

*"Why is it... that no matter how much time passes, I'm always treated like a newbie."* (to Spider)