#so i'm just entirely confused

[uisceb]

Endlessly baffled every time I see people water down Glinda’s actions in Defying Gravity to “oh she was too cowardly or too selfish to stand by Elphaba,” as if she didn’t spend that entire sequence from Chistery’s transformation onward doing everything in her very limited power to keep Elphaba safe.

Like the second things start going wrong, Glinda’s entire focus switches to “keep Elphaba safe at all costs.” This girl does not have any magic. She does not have any physical survival skills. She probably has no idea how to throw a punch. She can barely run in those heels. Her one power is her charm and her ability to work a crowd. She is desperately trying to get Elphaba to come back with her not because she agrees with what the Wizard and Morrible are doing, but because she thinks maybe if she can just smooth things over, Elphaba will be forgiven, and she’ll be safe. 

In that regard, there’s a very obvious selfishness to Glinda’s actions - she lacks perspective; she lacks scope; she prioritizes Elphaba over what we as the audience would understand as the “Greater Good” and over her own morals about what’s going on with the Wizard’s agenda; she’s visibly horrified by what happens to Chistery but her first instinct is to comfort Elphaba above all else, despite having no understanding of what's happening.

I am the last person who’s ever going to argue that Glinda isn’t selfish, because she very clearly is, it’s one of her defining characteristics, and it’s one of the main things she has to learn to overcome in order to actually become “Glinda the Good.” This is in no way me trying absolve my very selfish girl who very much made the wrong decision.

But it does kinda boggle my mind when I see the argument that Glinda betrayed Elphaba or is a “fake friend.” Especially because ultimately she comes to the conclusion that the best thing she can do for Elphaba in this moment is to let her go. She knows she would only hinder Elphaba if she were to go with her, she knows there’s no happy ending for them if she tries to run away with her (I think in that moment she might even suspect there’s no happy ending at all). Elphaba is going through her own personal revelation which is beautiful in its own right, but it’s also impulsive, and there’s a certain level of unsustainable grandiose fantasy to it. Glinda almost lets herself be swept up in it for a moment, but her rational side kicks in, because, of the main trio, Glinda really is the most grounded in reality.

I’ve seen a lot of weirdly smug people out there proudly saying if Fiyero was there he definitely would’ve gotten on the broom with Elphaba - and honestly, I think they’re probably right. But it’s not because he’s somehow morally superior to Glinda, or that his love for Elphaba is more pure. Our boy is depressed, he’s nihilistic, he’s lost, and truly doesn’t have any attachments to anyone.

He was genuinely moved by Elphaba’s fearless convictions and he fell hard and fast for her, so I agree he’d be on that broom in a heartbeat, he quite literally has nothing to lose, and everything to gain. He’s found himself wanting to believe in something for the first time because Elphaba brought that out in him, his whole world revolves around her. And that’s very romantic, but because of that, the stakes are much lower. For him, leaving everything behind wouldn’t be a sacrifice, it would be freedom.

Glinda’s gone through the world much differently, much more carefully. She doesn’t have Fiyero’s sense of nihilism or detachment, she’s lashed herself tight to the reality of the world around her. Where Fiyero has been regularly kicked out of schools and freely wandered from place to place experiencing new things and getting into trouble on purpose, Glinda has never stepped outside the predictable comfort and safety of her bubble until meeting Elphaba. She lives in constant fear of failure and being looked down on. She is forever clinging to this persona she’s created because she’s terrified of what will happen if she’s anything less than perfect.

She has constructed her entire existence around being an icon rather than a person - in the beginning, she literally doesn’t know how to be her own self, she’s just barely learning, because of Elphaba. And it scares the shit out of her. 

Fiyero would likely play action hero if he was there for Defying Gravity, and that’s great, but Glinda is weighing a million things in her head, not least of which is “holy shit the person I love most in the world is in imminent danger and I have no magic and no strength to keep her safe, so I will beg and plead and insult and fight her tooth and nail to keep her with me inside my privileged bubble because maybe I can smooth this over, maybe everything will be okay if I just do what I always do and use my privilege to get my way.” She understands the rules of her world, so she’s going to play by those rules because that’s how you win the game.

Elphaba, of course, refuses to play a corrupt game at all, and Glinda gets angry - she lashes out at Elphaba because Elphaba has just put herself in such a dangerous situation, and Glinda is completely powerless to change it. Every little bit of control Glinda is used to having is obliterated.

Her “Maybe you’re not as powerful as you think you are” when Elphaba doesn’t grow wings is so desperate - the words border on cruel, but her tone is both painfully apologetic and above all filled with RELIEF because while her heart hurts for Elphaba, she’s terrified that Elphaba would hurt herself the way Chistery was hurt, and she’s cleaving to the hope that maybe if Elphaba isn’t as powerful as she thinks she is, Glinda stands a chance at undoing the damage, and protecting her. 

Glinda’s selfishness is just so fascinating to me because it’s so rich and so contradictory - she loves Elphaba so deeply and destructively that she fully paralyzes herself when the chips are down and it breaks them both. She fails to be what Elphaba wants her to be, and she fails to be a good person, but there’s no “fake friend” about her actions - she is acting on pure desperation to keep this person she loves safe in literally the only way she knows how, at the cost of everything else, including what’s right, which is something Elphaba could never abide by. Elphaba would never compromise her own morals, but at this point in the story Glinda is willing to compromise everything as long as Elphaba is tucked away in her bubble with her, and that difference in values is irreconcilable to both of them. 

So, realizing this, Glinda does the one last thing she can think of to protect her at this point, and wraps a cloak around her shoulders to keep her warm. That’s all that’s left.

She’s selfish and she’s cowardly and she’s brave and she’s loving and she fails Elphaba and she fails herself and she regrets her decision for the rest of her life and yes I am writing all this with glass under my tongue and between my teeth, she makes me insane.

[off-mozzarella]

(From the body swap AU)

Hii! I'm very happy to see that my body swap comic was so well received, so here's a little something as a thanks for all the support <3

I'm excited to keep sharing my drawings, I hope you like what I make!

[godisasimp]

The Fun Gang™©®

[a-confused-spoon]

I know Kevin and Ben are the biggest source of comedy in the show, but no moment in Ben 10 will ever make me laugh as hard as the face Michael makes when Gwen healed him to ask for his help did.

Like he's genuinely so surprised

"YOU came looking for ME!? For HELP!?! How bad is this?!"

[a2zillustration]

(It's ok Yurgir will respawn in Avernus)

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[[ All Croissant Adventures (chronological, desktop) ]]

[[ All Croissant Adventures (app) ]]

[ray935sworld]

I'm gonna hold your hand while I say this - if you think an existing, loved and respected system for somthing should be changed because it could be confusing for new fans I do not think you are aware that you hold the power to literally research every information you get. You can spend literally 1 minute researching the rider and checking their championships on Wikipedia. It's not that hard. It's not much. It's not too much to ask.

When you get into a new sport or field, you will get confused at first. You will read information that was written for an audience already familiar with the subject. You cannot expect people, blogs, journalists, news papers, social media admins, to explain the absolute basics over and over and over again. It would be annoy for them and fans familiar with the subject. (and yes for you too after understanding the system)

Research comes with being interested in new stuff. It's normal. It's part of the learning progress. So do your fucking research. Ask fan who have been into it for longer. Respect the established way and do not demand a change because it's "confusing" just because you don't know how to use the internet and expect that everything is written so you can understand with little to no context.

That's not how this works.

[canisalbus]

Different Italian anon, but the thing with Tuscan C is that it's pronounced like a very strong H sound, which is extra weird cuz the letter H makes no sound in Italian, normally. It sounds the way Spanish pronounce the J. We say it's "aspirato". So then people from there will say things like Hoha Hola (coca cola), and it's funny. It's also extremely contagious, I got family in Florence, you spend 3 days with them you start doing it too before you even realize.

.

[camellcat]

finally got to s4 in our buffy watch, and it's so fun seeing my friends loss their minds over how little everyone is enjoying the season

the consensus so far seems to be:

xander is the only tolerable person anymore bc he's literally become the only one who actually treats these guys like they're his friends

willow deserves everything horrible that has ever happened to her and we love her

curiously pleased to see spike again

hello to anya!!! she is soooo cute

oh my god what did they make oz do that's so ooc he's literally the best boyfriend ever ????

buffy deserves happiness, please. can she please catch a break

something one pointed out to me that makes the season feel so much worse is how low stakes everything is. the worst thing that's happened so far is oz cheating, and that is ! still not exactly end of the world, just really fucking sucks

we ended off our session with wild at heart, so I'm excited to see their reactions for next time where things start picking up I believe

[the-way-astray]

i think my problem with the point five books thing is not the books themselves, so much as it is the marketing and way they're presented.

for those that aren't aware: point five books have a generally understood meaning/connotation that authors and fans both sort of know. it's basically code for "book that is not mandatory to understand the story, but it's there for fans that want extra content". usually this comes in the form of short story collections or whatever else the author may want to do. sometimes it's just a single short story. for example, a proper way for kotlc to utilize point five books would be to for instance, make a book 7.5, which has keefe and fitz's flashback short stories in it. extra bonus content from flashback (book seven), but you don't have to read it to understand the main story itself. you'll be okay without it. that is what a point five book actually means, as far as the wider literary world is concerned.

but books 8.5 and 9.5 in this series are not extra bonus content. you very much do have to read them to understand the main story. if you read it book eight, then nine, then ten, you will be lost or miss important stuff that's crucial to understanding the story.

just call it book nine. just call it book eleven. all this will do is label the books properly and not confuse people. and people will be confused. we aren't seeing the effects yet, because books are still coming out and everyone in the fandom keeps up with shannon's updates, so we all know what's up. but trust me, in a few years, after the series is over and new people get into it, they will be confused. they will skip straight over book 8.5 or 9.5 unknowingly, and it won't be good.

my theory is that someone on shannon's team wants to make this series seem shorter than it really is. because that is the only logical explanation here. you could describe this series as having "nine and a half books" now, instead of ten, and by the way the series is officially marked, that's not incorrect. but it is. this series has ten books. because there are ten mandatory books that you have to read that are out right now. stop calling books that aren't supposed to be called point five books as point five books!!!! this isn't quirky, it's just going to throw people off.

this is super, super confusing for people that aren't "in the know" with this series, so to speak, and there will be people that read this series incorrectly because of this. i have been a casual fantasy series reader for pretty much my entire existence on this planet, and let me just tell you, this is not how this works. at all. if i didn't know books 8.5 and 9.5 were mandatory, i would skip over them completely, going on my understood knowledge of how these epic fantasies are generally structured.

just market them correctly. praying to the heavens for shannon's team to stop. this is actively hurting your readers!!!!

*i assume it isn't shannon herself who is coming up with this strategy

[torchickentacos]

quickly learning that the only thing scarier than 'what if they don't hire me' is 'what if they do hire me'

[funkylilomen]

i have somewhat of a different interpretation about The Mind Electric

> It's less of a diss track and more of using Heart's tactics against him to get him to listen [while also still definitely being a diss track]

somewhat disorganized rant below the cut [also lots of my own interpretations of the album that may very well be inaccurate, so take everything with a grain of salt] :]

The Mind Electric has a bit of a different topic when it comes to Mind's songs/lyrics, to say the least. while Mind does jab at Heart a lot, he does often try to reason with the other in between insults. The Mind Electric has much less of trying to convince Heart to work with [or behind] him and instead focuses on.. insulting the shit out of them

this is extremely funny, but it seems somewhat abrupt and out of the blue for Mind [see what i did there?]. however, i have a.. semi-theory as to why he suddenly just goes off on Heart. he's playing into the other's tactics

and i don't mean that Heart is constantly baraging Mind with insults. in fact, compared to Mind, Heart very rarely verbally attacks the other head on. instead, Heart builds up this fantasy around themself that paints themself as completely innocent, whereas Mind is this irredeemable villain that wants nothing more than Heart's head on a platter. and while, yes Mind definitely isn't fond of Heart, from what we've seen and heard, he is at least somewhat willing to work with Heart—although his idea of "working" with them seems more for Heart to sit in the backseat and shut up while Mind is the one actually in control, but I digress. this fantasy that Heart builds is most clearly seen from both sides in The Heart Acoustic and Be Born

Throughout Mind's songs [Be Born especially], he is trying to reason with Heart and get them to understand his point of view. he tries to explain that he only wants the best for the person that they make up. but Heart either argues with or outright ignores Mind, holding fast to the facade that they built up—that Mind is the bad guy trying to hurt them, and Heart is the good guy trying to save them. they don't want to hear anything that goes against that. so all that Mind says just ends up hitting a brick wall. this might also be a reason as to why Mind sees Heart as childish [their stubborn nature and them "playing make believe" to a much more serious degree]

at the end of Storm and a Spring, Mind and Heart sing over each other, almost sounding like an argument. this is Mind's breaking point. here, he throws his hands up and pretty much goes, "Fine. You want to see me as the villain? I'll play the villain." cue The Mind Electric. this song serves two roles, in my view. One, the one I've been building up to: Mind is leaning into this role that Heart has forced him into in a last ditch effort to break through and actually get him to listen for once. that's why the song eases up at the end. the last few lines of the song are literally, "Though I seem harsh in all my assessments / We each seek a life lived in the light / Yet there lies our Heart, engulfed in resentment / Stubborn, pale akaryocyte." aka, "Although you see everything I do as cruel and unforgiving, I'm not trying to hurt us. I'm only trying to make things better, and yet YOU refuse to see that, no matter how much I try to tell you this. You're being stubborn and resentful with practically no reason other than to perpetuate your own lies."

The second reason is that Mind is beyond frustrated at this point. he has tried and failed so many times to talk to Heart and get them to see the truth. he's tired. he's fed up. he needs an outlet, so he takes this opportunity to air his grievances [this is what i meant by it still definitely being a diss track, lol]. not only is it a method [albeit a poorly thought out one] to get through to Heart, it's also an excuse to let out his frustrations

that's all from me. i have no clue how to end these so. yeah. please don't execute me :]

[parasitoidism]

Famitsu Magazine feature for Devilman (PSX, 2000)

Famitsu PS, July 23 1999 issue

[kacievvbbbb]

Idk why I find the fact Mihawk writes Y/N Reader inserts so funny but so true and I have reader inserts blocked on here like I hate them but oh my god so in character for him.

And he does not give a shit. Absolutely go king and getting fantasy dicked down by all the hot guys in one piece world I support! Also him being a sengoku shipper iconic. I was say maybe he thinks about Kuzan but I think he’s out off by his general laziness and apathy and not in a fun apathetic way like Barsolino in a depression way. ( he’s looking in a mirror and does not like it.) but if he learns Dragon used to be a marine and friends with Akainu he’s making the most toxic relationship of them friends to enemies to nemesis type shit.

He’ll write a new book and it will be a sensation and no matter the fact he changed the names everyone with a brain cell will be able to figure out who it’s about.

Sorry this took so long to reply! but

YES YES YES!!! I don't really like self insert stuff either but it's so in-character for him I'm so obsessed.

And yeah it really is just the adventures of reader as they travel across the grand line getting dicked down is definitely one of his most beloved and acclaimed series. Shanks goes hot and cold on that series a lot because while the idea of watching mihawk getting dicked down by another man is very hot Shanks is also a jealous man and he is very jealous of these "fictional" men. He tries to find out if mihawk has ever fucked any of them in real life and maybe 👀.

Also yeah I just threw in the marine thing because I thought it was funny but I'm glad it stuck out! 😂. I don't think he self ships with any of the marines (maybe in his GILF era sengoku or fujitoro) I think because none of the really strong marines appeal to him but he would fuck smoker if he was stronger. and just because I remembered dude and I think it would be so funny imagine if his only self x marine ship is with Ryokugyu (the tree admiral) I think he'd hate him in life but he's not blind. I think this realllllly pisses shanks off because he does not like him and honestly its a bit of a snake eating his own tail because a lot of the reason he doesn't like him is because of Mihawk's fanfiction of him.

I think Mihawk's natural reaction (mostly because it's mine) is to ship Sengoku with Garp but he hates Garp and even the thought of picturing him in that way is enough to make him want to pour his ears to bleach his brain. I think it be funny if during one of his lackadaisical checking out marine headquarters rooms (because realistically who is going to stop him) he stumbles upon and old picture of Garp Sengoku and Tsuru when they were young and he is very intrigued by thetwo hot young men then he notices that one of them is Garp and he almost throws up, the thought wont leave him alone tho.

Also yes i don't think Mihawk actually knows dragon but he has definitely heard of him and being Garps son is enough cause for pettitness in his eyes. Dragon's identity is a little harder to parse out I the books but Akainu's is so fucking obvious. And it is a loved and well-cherished series. Anytime that Mihawk attends a warlord meeting or just genuinely has an unpleasant interaction with akainu (which is every interaction) he puts pen to paper. It'd be funny if this was the most "tame" series though more focused on the fictional romace which confuses dragon and pisses akainu off even more because what? do they think he can't take it? and mihawk is very pleased with himself. he drops a new edition right before he goes to any warlord meeting so he can watch akainu seethe in real time as the new talk of the town takes root (this series specifically is very popular in marine towns)

as for the real life identities. I think he definitely makes it a bit hard not to protect anyone. Still, because he thinks it's fun to make people guess and adds to the mystery so there is definitely a fan club (which Shanks leads) dedicated to putting the clues together on just who all the different men are (shanks needs this for....research purposes 👀) some of them are obvious if you're in the know like the Benn ones or Crocodile while others are just plain obvious because the Red Haired Emperor is definitely shanks like if you know shanks you know its him there is only two people with hair that red. It's not kidd( it does give both kidd and shanks a bit of a reputation of some islands because his book counterpart is infinitely more dashing and "masculine" that shanks' bum and kid's manica energies) and I think he makes the Akianu ones very obvious to anybody that literally even if you've just ever heard of him you know its him just to fuck with him.

[fizchizkalt]

this fizch era lowkry slapped i need to bring it back lowkey

[clownakai]

For @butter-pangcake's Yokai AU

and more specifically based on this post, I bring you the results of an entire day of procrastination <3 warning: may contain traces of scotchrye and the resident Cheshire Cat being a useless bisexual. Proceed with caution!

Summary:

Something is off about Shuuichi's self-appointed guide.

He should have paid more attention to those warnings of his.

Something is off about Shuuichi's self-appointed guide.

He cannot for the life of him put his finger on what it is, however, and so in the blink of an eye everything becomes suspicious.

The way he walks— just a tad too heavy, and while the kimono he's wearing obediently shifts and folds with each step, there's still something to it that has Shuuichi on edge.

Then there's the way he speaks: minutely slower than usual, as if he needed even more time to formulate his answers than he already does.

And again the way he looks at Shuuichi— eyes a bit too fixed, a bit too hungry, even for a great hunter. It makes the hairs at the back of Shuuichi's neck stand up and has his instincts going haywire: go invisible, they chant, as alluring as a siren's call. Vanish while you still can. He's able to ignore them for the most part, though. Being afraid of the Nekomata on a base animal level is hardly news to him, after all: he can't help it, just as Ryo can't help but wish to tear him apart, deep down underneath layers upon layers of iron-clad discipline and self-control.

But the thing is... Shuuichi doesn't recall being stared at quite this intensely before, and most certainly never for so long without interruption. And so this, too, goes into the ever-growing pile of things that feel off about Ryo.

The Nekomata's ears twitch as he adjusts his haori, then lazily bend forward. Shuuichi feels Ryo's shoulder delicately brush against his, the power his guide's body brims with crackling in tiny sparks all around the point of contact. He wonders, idly, if this is yet another custom among Yokai that he wasn't aware of.

"You're so quiet today, Tabibito-san," says Kei. His eyes, Shuuichi notes, are glittering much like one of his namesakes. He doesn't think they've ever done that before.

Rather than voicing any of his suspicions, Shuuichi shoots back, "I thought silent company was what you most appreciated, Nekomata-san." He turns partially as he speaks, hoping to get a better look at the Yokai's features, but Ryo is quick to take the reins and angle himself so that he's the one peering back at Shuuichi instead. He has merely moved a half-step ahead, but still that unsettling undercurrent is something Shuuichi can't shake off: it clings to the fur of his ears and crawls icily down his back and stiffens his tail into an uneasy line.

Worst of all, Kei smiles at him in lieu of answering, and Shuuichi sees sharp teeth in the curve of the Nekomata's mouth. Ah, he thinks, so that's how it is. More than a little disheartening, but how could anyone blame a Yokai as powerful and territorial as he knows Ryo to be for having had enough of nigh strangers prancing around his territory?

Still. Whichever instinct the Nekomata has elected to stop repressing, be it to destroy or to devour, is of little consequence: Shuuichi would rather get away with his life in either case. "Perhaps I should—" leave, he doesn't get to finish, because Ryo is right in his face all of a sudden, eyes half-lidded and that ever-growing, fanged smile stretching across his features.

"You can be quite silly sometimes," the Nekomata cuts him off for good when he tries to speak up again. His eyes shine like rubies in the waning daylight, and that's... that's... "Whatever gave you the impression that I'd want you to leave?"

Shuuichi swallows, then takes a step back. Sure enough, Kei follows suit with an inquisitive hum; the decorative beads woven into the fastening of the Yokai's haori clink together, and Shuuichi's traitorous ears flicker, betraying his agitation. He opens his mouth to reply, but Kei is faster: he brings a finger to his lips, and just like that Shuuichi's voice is gone— he's staring into the Nekomata's eyes, a bit hazy on what he's looking for but determined to find it in the swirling crimson. So determined, in fact, that he fails to register how Ryo's hand has moved again, lightning quick, and is now hovering near the neatly folded collar of his shirt, because he's so, so close to figuring out why his guide feels so—

Wrong.

"Oh, dear. It looks like we got interrupted." Ryo— not Ryo, this is so wrong— smiles wider. Confident— not confident: arrogant. Nothing like the Nekomata he met when he first stepped foot on Nihon's shores.

And then behind him, that exact same voice, only vaguely tinged with exasperation this time around. "Tabibito-san, what did I tell you about cats with one tail?"

To his credit, Shuuichi doesn't yelp. In fact, he needn't make a sound at all when he can embarrass himself just fine by briefly flickering out of existence from shock instead. He hears the imposter laugh, even that sound ever-so-slightly distorted and wrong, but then something cracks next to his head and the laughter turns into a piercing, agonized yowl. When he glances to the left, he gets why: Ryo may or may not have crushed the stranger's wrist with a single hand. Hm.

"Let go," they spit, which is about the time Shuuichi remembers how to move and steps away from between the two Yokai. In doing so, his eyes fall to the imposter's shadow, long and dark thanks to the setting sun, and he thinks that maybe that's why the stranger had meticulously kept themself up close and ahead of Shuuichi, always with the sunlight glaring straight at them: the silhouette they project on the ground writhes as if in pain, deformed and entirely too black to be anything but a door to the void itself. Most notably, it bears no resemblance whatsoever to Ryo's own shadow.

For his part, the Nekomata obliges with a flick of the wrist. The motion clearly aggravates whatever injury he inflicted on the imposter, who grits their teeth before taking a few steps back, melting into the last dregs of sunset-cast shade and disappearing altogether. That leaves Shuuichi alone with Ryo, and the Yokai wastes no time approaching him with the same air of barely contained exasperation as when he showed up unannounced.

"Did you not listen to a single word I said two nights ago?" Ryo huffs, meeting Shuuichi's confused gaze with a painfully knowing look. "Beware of Bakeneko, the one-tailed tricksters. I told you that."

Shuuichi, who most definitely cannot say 'I actually missed most of your explanations because I'd come down with a severe case of staring at your mouth', lets out a vaguely apologetic noise instead, because it's still infinitely better than telling the truth, and then he allows the Nekomata to run whatever inspection of his person he deems necessary. He doesn't feel any different than usual, which hopefully means he didn't get cursed or whatever it is that Bakeneko do to their prey, but he supposes one can never be too sure.

Kei's fingers reach Shuuichi's chin, gingerly tilting his head this and that way to check for... something, probably. "Did they manage to touch you?" he inquires. Shuuichi eventually shakes his head, albeit with a little difficulty, and the Nekomata's shoulders sag minutely. "Very well, then. I'll accompany you back to your settlement."

"Why?" Shuuichi tilts his head, although he easily falls into step next to Ryo when the other starts walking anyway. "I know the way, Kei-san."

The Yokai tsks. "That Bakeneko... Do you really think they've given up?"

"Ah. I suppose not."

He's not even sure why he'd want to protest the solution, really. Everything is back to normal, now. Ryo's steps, featherlight as they should be, the shifting of his kimono, his every word's measured cadence, the careful distance between them. And his eyes, dark on dark, steady blue. If Shuuichi were any less in control of himself, he'd probably start floating and flickering in and out of sight; as it is, he merely feels his body betraying him in the only other way it knows how— a deep, rumbling, mortifying purr, which he futilely hopes Kei won't notice amongst the mild chaos of the nightlife concert they're passing through.

As if on cue, the Nekomata tilts his head in Shuuichi's direction. "Tabibito-san, are you—"

"No," Shuuichi lies, as smooth as butter, and then imagines a kick hitting him square in the face. Or, better yet, one of Jodie's throwing knives.

Ryo blinks at him. One, two, three times, so very slow. And then he laughs— just an expertly simulated coughing fit, really, coupled with the barest hint of a wheeze in-between breaths. It's embarrassing and also the best thing Shuuichi has witnessed all week.

That's what he's bringing back tonight, he decides.

[egginfroggin]

Yeeting both Ingo and Emmet into Hisui and having them get taken in by the Pearl Clan and Diamond Clan, respectively, is fun, but what if they were both taken by the Pearl Clan.

And then became Lady Sneasler's Wardens (coughadoptedkidscough).

And proceeded to tell absolutely nobody that there were two of them.

As far as anybody who isn't from the Pearl Clan or who hasn't been introduced to the twins by Irida -- the Responsible One -- knows, Lady Sneasler has a really weird Warden named Emmet who just abruptly swaps coats and demeanors seemingly arbitrarily.

And is terrifyingly good at getting around the Highlands quickly.

Honestly.

It's almost like he's in two places at once, sometimes.

Yeah, they went off to the Highlands and one of them (probably Emmet) was like, "Hey what if we just didn't tell anyone that there's two of us," and the other (probably Ingo) was like, "That's a horrible idea. I love it. Let's do it."

The player character knows that there's two of them because Irida herself introduced Ingo or Emmet as one of Lady Sneasler's Wardens, so the player character was basically directly informed of the fact that there's two of them.

Nobody else is aware of this.

Warden Emmet is just a mysterious cryptid lurking around the Coronet Highlands, and everyone is very confused by him. And maybe a little afraid.

Except for Melli, Melli is just exasperated with him. As usual.

And due to the distance between the Highlands, the Pearl Settlement (full of people who know) and the rest of Hisui (the people who don't know), it never really gets properly stated that there are two identical Wardens running around the Highlands. Irida just thinks that people talk about Emmet a lot and chalks it up to him maybe being the weirder of the two. Or maybe Ingo's shy, or something. Who knows.

Either way, they get away with it for years.