Where the Moth Slowly Grows

Where the Moth Slowly Grows is the seventeenth chapter of The Two Cats and the fifth chapter of Season 2.

Prologue
Every summer, Anibi becomes infested with different types of bugs - one example being moths, in which this year is considered a "banner year" for them. It's revealed that Expi has always had a lifelong fear of moths that was sort of a joke to the rest of her family, but it was never something she brought up to Mariko.

First Contact
A moth flies down to the outside of Expi and Mariko's apartment where they have a porch light on. Meanwhile, Expi and Mariko prepare to watch a movie titled "Noobland 2," which Mariko says she's heard it's not as good as the first one. Expi finishes her dinner and scrapes off her plate into the trash when she realizes it is full, so she decides to take it out.

As she does so, the moth outside notices their apartment being full of light, and flies inside when Expi comes back, without her noticing. Expi and Mariko start watching the movie, but turn the lights off due to the glare on the television. The moth is then caught off guard by this and flies over to the television screen, causing Expi to see it and freak out. Mariko lets the moth outside. The moth goes over to the porch light once again, but flutters out into the night.

Expi sits back on the couch, and Mariko questions her fear of moths. Mariko asks why she never told her and why she is afraid, to which Expi responds by saying that it never really came up between them and that she doesn't know why she is afraid of them despite knowing their harmless, just citing their weird flying patterns, dark, dusty skin and the way they "slam into you." Expi then asks Mariko if they can just continue the movie.

Mariko's Pranks
Mariko then gets the idea to prank Expi. The next night, as Expi is working on her computer in her room, Mariko decides to catch a moth fluttering around the porch light, and lets it inside Expi's room, prompting Expi to freak out. Mariko laughs at this, and Expi realizes it was her who let the moth into her room. Mariko catches the moth, but for the rest of the night Expi simply doesn't talk to her. But this doesn't stop Mariko pulling another prank the next night - this time by letting one in while Expi is taking a shower.

Ultimately, Expi's fear of moths is a great joke to Mariko, and she continues pulling moth-related pranks on Expi while also telling her things like "beware of the moths." Expi, however, is annoyed by this, and is reminded of her brother doing the same kinds of things to her when she lived at home. And despite Expi telling Mariko to stop, Mariko simply laughs about it.

Molluscophobia
However, Expi is about to find out that Mariko has a fear of harmless creatures of her own - a fear of snails. A few days later, Expi and Mariko are walking to Furmart after a rainy night, and as they are walking, Mariko jumps at the sight of a snail. While Mariko denies it, Expi finds out that Mariko is afraid of snails, and plans her own prank.

As they arrive at Furmart, Mariko heads to the video game section, and while she does so, Expi heads to the home decor aisle, and finds a fake toy snail intended for gardens for $2. Expi secretly buys it, and the day goes on as usual. However, the following morning, Expi plants the fake snail on Mariko's night stand, and wakes up Mariko, who freaks out at the sight of the snail. Then, she notices that the snail is not moving and realizes it's fake, to which Expi comes out from behind the end of her bed and begins laughing. Mariko realizes that this was revenge for her pranking Expi with moths, and simply throws the fake snail out the window, where a little boy is walking outside and catches it.

Expi and Mariko don't talk - even when Expi comes home for lunch. Expi begins to feel bad that she pulled a revenge prank on Mariko, but that night, Mariko comes in Expi's room and they apologize to each other for the pranks. They forgive each other and hug, as Mariko is complimenting Expi's prank. But Expi asks Mariko why she's rubbing her paw, even though Mariko isn't, and the two realize that there's a millipede on Expi's paw and freak out as Expi flicks it off and they run over to the couch. They then decide that both of them can bond over their fear of millipedes.

Trivia

 * Despite not being a specifically Halloween-themed chapter, this chapter was published in October a week before Halloween since ExpitheCat found it fitting to release a chapter about fears around that time.
 * The title is a reference to a song written by Tiger Army called "Where the Moss Slowly Grows."
 * When Mariko throws the fake snail out of the window, a little boy catches it and calls it Gary. This is a reference to Spongebob Squarepants, in which the titular character has a pet snail with the same name.
 * Expi's fear of moths is based off ExpitheCat (the creator)'s own fear of moths. In addition, Mariko's fear of snails is based off one of her friends having a fear of snails.
 * The movie Expi and Mariko watch at the beginning, "Noobland 2," is a reference to a cancelled and forgotten Youtube movie that ExpitheCat had planned to make titled Thomasfan6 in Noobland.