todidot

[todidot]

hey! we thought this might be coming and here it is. and it sucks! mass vaccination is one of our best tools at preventing the spread of COVID. public comment is open until 11:59 PM EDT on the 23rd of May.

you can leave a comment here:

you can leave an anonymous comment, but usually non-anonymous ones do carry more weight.

[todidot]

i don't think this is the most ridiculous crossover i've ever done but i keep thinking my god, this is the most ridiculous crossover i've ever done.

“Jianyu is a dumb name,” Li Jianyu says solemnly. “There are so many dope names out there in the world. Like Jason. But nobody wants to call me Jason, because they keep telling me that’s not a name, and I’m like, dude, that’s racist.”

“Why are you talking to me,” Shen Jiu says.

Most people would take this as a sign to stop talking, but Li Jianyu is a fucking idiot. Liu Jianyu doesn’t have the brains to do anything but consider this question seriously. “Dunno,” he says. “Vibes, I guess.”

Shen Jiu has never heard of that word before in his life. “Vibes,” he repeats.

Liu Jianyu makes a strange gesture with his index fingers. “You’re a cool dude.” He’s beaming, as if he has bestowed Shen Jiu the greatest of compliments.

“I don’t know what that means,” Shen Jiu says flatly.

“I don’t know what a lot of things mean,” Li Jianyu says. “But that’s okay, because everyone has their problems and like, a thousand ways of solving them, which is why they don’t like it when I tell them they should try a Molotov. That’s what I would do. Whenever I don’t know what to do, I remind myself, hey! Molotov!”

[todidot]

At the risk of sounding anti-intellectual, I think that college should be free and also not a requirement for employment outside of highly specialized career fields

[todidot]

Spoilers for up to chapter 1045 (some analysis)

I think there is something to be noted on how different chung myung handles the demon cult before and after his death. Like I might be remembering it wrong because it is definitely past the time I should've gone to bed, but despite the hatred he showed in the past for them, there was always a sense of apathy towards the demon cult? That this was just a horrible thing that he had to deal with and then get on with his life (until the later battles ofc). I remember a chapter that focused on him and tang bo fighting a bishop and, while a good chapter that I love very very much, it basically consisted more of a tangchung hangout moment than a battle with a bishop (WHICH I LIKED <-tangchung enjoyer).

The difference is so stark, especially with chapter 1044 and 1045. In these chapters, you can FEEL the rage, the grief, the bloodlust. Chung myung is described as the opposite of how he normally fights. While his eyes are still cold, yes, he's baring his teeth in an imitation of a smile while howling with what could be mistaken as laughter. There is so much emotion in this fight for him. The last time he fought the magyo (the north sea doesn't really count, because according to not only him but many others, the faction at the north sea was withering away and not nearly comparable to the demon cult of the past), he saw the majority of his sect get killing, along with himself. This causing the downfall of mount hua for the next 100 years until his return. Chung myung himself describes slipping back into his war mindset, of feeling but not feeling. Kill or be killed. Having his already incredibly lethal way of fighting (war time version) getting mixed with the now incredibly personal aspect of this fight makes for one terrifying fighter.

Just another note about that "you shouldn't of forgotten me, right?" comment. Throwing up blood. The world's biggest mistake was forgetting about the demon cult, but the demon cults biggest mistake was forgetting about CHUNG MYUNG

[todidot]

you said you were stuck in a time loop, which was fine. i feel like late-stage capitalism has us all in a time loop, ammiright? you came barging in at 5:33. in the morning. i hadn't even processed the idea of coffee.

but you had this look of utter panic in your eyes. terror like the ocean. you grabbed my cheeks. im in a time loop.

i don't know why in movies the first reaction is to deny it. when someone is panicking like that, it's not appropriate to ask them to calm down. it didn't matter if i believed it, what mattered was that you believed it so much that it was consuming you.

so here we are. i pour you some of the dark roast. "you look like utter and entire hell," i say.

you push your fingers into your eyes. "you always say that."

i try to think of something funny to say that i wouldn't have said on previous time loops, but jokes don't land without the proper timing (lol). "remind me to think -"

"-yeah, of a joke that only works in the future. and before you say anything, i know you're pissed i just stole your punchline." you bolt the coffee, which is wild. it's very hot. you don't seem to notice.

i blow on mine to cool it down. i both am very pissed at you and also i can't see you in this amount of panic without wanting to help. but i'm also not really sure what we are, not since i saw you kiss her like that, no offense. it just was like, kind of rude when you knew i liked you.

and besides. i'm just like, barely a person. i write omegaverse fanfiction. i love the concept of a time loop, but what the fuck am i gonna do? send an alpha in there? i open my mouth.

you point at me. "you're about to ask why me. and then say some disparaging shit about yourself. i'm just a nerd who plays dnd or something. that self-own is slightly different each time." you sigh. "i know you think you can't really help me. i don't know who can help me. i only came to you because you fucking believe me." you check your watch, sigh, and throw your head back. you cover your eyes with one hand. "i've come here on 26 separate revolutions," you say. "you have believed me every time. and yeah, i have no idea how you fit into this but i just -" you sigh again. "i just like fucking talking to someone about it."

"do you need more cof-" i start, but you're already holding the empty cup out. i frown at it. "you're not getting any more until you promise not to bolt this one like an animal."

you laugh a little and sit up, pushing your hair out of your face. "okay, that's new dialogue. but to be fair to you, i'm not usually this rude. i'm still pretty new at all of this." you check your watch again. another sigh. i guess you're cruising for a personal best in the Sigh Olympics.

i almost tell you im not an NPC but i've played enough video games to know i'm very much an NPC. i pour you another cup. "so what happens in the loop?"

"really bad explosion." you mutter into the mug. you put your elbows on the table (rude) and bury your face in your arms like an angsty teenager. one hand floats up while you talk, because evidently you literally can't talk without your hands. "i have to save the day and there's this bomb and i have no bomb training and it keeps moving, you know."

"do i die?"

you peek up from your arms. "yeah. bigtime. you keep trying to run or stay or do anything and you always super die."

"oh."

"to be fair, like, everyone dies in it though.... so you're in good company."

i hate that you make me laugh. i hate that being around you always feels tingly and strange, this electric tension between us. something that is evidently (given how you stuck your tongue down a stranger's throat literally 3 days ago) (well. 3 for me) super one-sided. i take a sip of my coffee and close my eyes.

i die today, i guess. a little spark of panic starts at the top of my hands and starts whipping up my wrists.

"shit," you say. you look at your watch and jump to your feet. "i have to go. if i can come back, i will. i am still trying to figure out when is best to do everything, you know? the order of stuff. maybe morning isn't good for us."

i look up at you and think about how you keep kissing me in the back of my car and in alleyways and in the dark. and i can never fucking get a read on you. and i also think about how incredibly panicked you look. how broken. how long have you been doing this? "i don't want to die," i say.

you glance downwards. "well, you're not really dead, you'll come back in the loop."

"but i will have died." my hands are shaking. i am trying really hard to stay calm.

you push your hands through your hair again. "i really have to go. i will have this discussion with the next version of you, though. it is like, something i am thinking about."

"but i don't get a next version," i say. i don't really have the language for this, because i haven't had 26 tries with you. i only have my memories: you, a week ago. drunk and telling me you loved me in my ear. you, kissing her anyway. you, months ago, throwing up on my birthday, whispering to me i ruin everything i touch, always, over and over. please don't ask. i can't ever fucking have that be you.

i run my finger along the rim of the mug. "i don't want to die in this one."

you seem baffled by this. "i get that but - time will reset, you'll be fine, you won't even remember we talked about this."

"but i know now." i stand up too. "i have to live the rest of this day knowing i could die. knowing i probably am going to."

"you could always die, to be fair."

i feel my hands get out of control. "earlier, you said i always say a different insult about myself. what if you're just going through different parallel universes and those are all just different - but real - versions of myself? what if you're not in a time loop, you're in a fucking universe loop?"

"if it helps, i've wondered this too. also, you're hot in all of them. if that helps."

i point at you. "no flirting. i'm trying to figure out if i die today."

"who's flirting?" you catch my wild hands and give me that long, perfect smile. like we're in this together. "i won't let ya die." you check your watch and sigh again. "well. maybe not this time."

i grit my teeth. you are so not making quips at me while i try to explain the existential dread i'm having. "does the time loop reset if i fucking kill you?"

"honestly i don't know how long it continues after i die, because i just wake up. it could be that the loop goes until the explosion for everyone, and we're all in the loop, or it could be that when i die, the loop restarts. when i die i wake up, is all."

i pull away from you and stalk into the kitchen and start doing all 3 of my dishes. "okay, first, you know i was joking. and secondly, this is exactly my point. you don't know if this is just a parallel universe. maybe in the ones where you died, the explosion happened and nobody reset and it's just you travelling." i have to stop and push the heel of my palm into my eyeball. "... how often have you died?"

i look at you. you look at me. you give me this very sad, halfway smile and a little what can ya do shrug. something in that action seems so old and weary that i want to burst into tears.

"i have to go," you say. "really. for real. there's this family of five i save from getting into a car crash. and i know it's like oh but we're all gonna die in the explosion anyway, what's the point. and..." you shrug again. "it matters to me, is all. at least i saved them for now. at least i saved anything."

you pad over to me and wrap me in a tight hug. you always seem so tall against me. i feel your cheek rest against the top of my head for a moment. for a second, it's just us, and the space is warm, and my heart is a little broken hare.

you leave me there, and i stand in my stupid badly lit kitchen with my stupid mugs. i think about you. i start texting my mom that she needs to get out of the city, but it feels pointless.

i don't know what to do. tomorrow is the same day for you. but i have to prepare to die in my today.

[todidot]

few weeks ago i got super depressed and really needed some outlet to just do something so i did a value study of a screenshot of columbo i had. it's been sitting in my folders unfinished so i just cleaned it up a bit

original frame below

[todidot]

hi there, i am URGENTLY trying to distract myself from my life, so i wrote this. i'm sure real life problems seem a lot more distant when you're contemplating a fictional character's problems

So, was Wu Youxuan expecting to be kabedon’d by his ex-boyfriend? No, not really. Wu Youxuan had gotten used to being the kabedon-er, not the kabedon-ee. This had been the case even back in high school; Chen Liwei had liked Wu Youxuan, but he’d viewed sexual attraction with a distantly amiable curiosity that hadn’t particularly motivated him to be the aggressor in any situation that didn’t involve violence. He’d been happy enough to let Wu Youxuan do anything he wanted.

This was apparently no longer the case, since Chen Liwei was now pinning him against a wall.

It was hot, sure. Wu Youxuan would have appreciated this a lot when he was a teenager. On some level, he was still appreciating it now. Unfortunately, he knew the only reason Chen Liwei was doing this was to have a conversation that Wu Youxuan super did not want to have.

Wu Youxuan had managed to lie his way out of a lot problems, but this particular one, he hadn’t really figured out, on account of the fact that he genuinely did not think he would ever see his ex-boyfriend again. Also he hadn’t actually wanted to think about his ex-boyfriend again. Didn’t everyone say it was unhealthy to keep thinking about your ex?

If Wu Youxuan didn’t give a shit, he could easily get out of this situation with judicious use of violence. Too bad he liked Chen Liwei’s face too much to actually break it.

“You’re so lucky you’re pretty,” Wu Youxuan muttered.

“What,” Chen Liwei said, narrowing his eyes. God, he was beautiful. Why did he have to be beautiful.

“Can I help you, Chen-xiansheng?” Wu Youxuan said without missing a beat, smiling invitingly.

[todidot]

Anyway contemplating the criminal x businessman au branch of my not-cnovel and it’s going like this: imagine being a crime boss and having a thriving criminal empire and also a super competent personal assistant who can do it all, whether it be getting that the only shipment of extremely fancy silk in Guangdong or murdering any random inconvenience you don’t feel like dealing with yourself. But you start noticing your super competent PA is starting to look a little worn-down? You haven’t put THAT much extra work on him, what’s up?

You do some digging. You figure out that that there’s this GUY who’s stalking your PA. You’re like, shit, are the police ON to your criminal empire? Are they chasing the thread that is your PA? Do you need to kill this guy? You’ll totally kill this guy.

But your PA is like HEY WAIT NO STOP. And you’re like. Why. Why not. Worst case scenario this is an investigation, which we don’t like. Best-case scenario, you’re still being bothered by the guy. Why can’t we kill the guy.

And your PA looks at the ceiling and says, sort of awkward: “Sir, that’s not an investigator. That’s my high school ex-boyfriend.”

...Aight! Not what you expected! But okay! “Your high school ex-boyfriend that you want alive?” you clarify. “Even though he’s stalking you?”

So anyway this is how you learn your PA has some unresolved feelings about his high school boyfriend, and possibly that the genre of your life has shifted to romantic comedy. With murder. Where would you be without murder.

[todidot]

anyway i wrote some sibling bonding. sibling bonding by way of trying to interfere with your brother's love life. you know. normal things. probably doesn't happen in 'canon' but. eh.

“You know, I wanted a cute sister-in-law,” Chen Lihua said reproachfully over dinner one night.

“Shut up about that,” Chen Liwei said reflexively, before what she said actually caught up with him. “Wait, why are you bringing that up.”

“I thought you’d be really cute with A-Lian. She’s so fun.”

It took him a moment. “Mu Qilian?”

“Oh, you remember her!” Chen Lihua said, eyes lighting up. “Isn’t she pretty?”

Chen Liwei didn’t really care what Mu Qilian looked like. Mostly he didn’t care about what anyone looked like. What was more memorable than any physical trait was this: “...That’s the girl you’re psychologically torturing.”

Chen Lihua made an affronted noise. “That’s called making friends. Just because you’re allergic to the concept doesn’t mean it's psychological torture.”

No, Chen Liwei was pretty sure it was psychological torture, because he was pretty sure that Mu Qilian did not actually want to be friends with Chen Lihua. Whenever he actually saw them together, there was usually a lot of yelling and screaming on Mu Qilian’s end as Chen Lihua blithely pressed on whatever buttons she needed to pick a fight. Was this intentional? Chen Lihua was certainly capable of acting nicer. Whether or not she considered ‘acting nicer’ part of the friend-making process was… unclear.

“You don’t need to pair me with your… friend,” Chen Liwei said. “It’s not like she’s interested.” He thought for a moment, and added, “In anything to do with either of us, but especially you.”

“Rude!” Chen Lihua blared. “That’s so rude. If you’re this rude, how can you get A-Lian’s attention? You’re so lucky you’re pretty!”

“I’m pretty sure I’m nicer to her than you are,” Chen Liwei said dryly. After all, he met the low, low bar of not immediately starting an argument the moment they made eye contact.

“You’re arguing with me about how nice you are to A-Lian?” Chen Lihua said, delighted. “You didn’t say you’re not interested--”

“I’m not interested.”

“Urgh,” Chen Lihua said. “Why. She’s pretty and smart and fun and this one time she tried to kick me in the head, it was so cute. You would like her so much. I like her, you should too.”

Chen Liwei squinted. “It actually sounds like you’re the one who --”

“Just talk to her! I think you’d really get along! It’s not like you’re really saving yourself for that Wu Youxuan, right?”

“...What.”

Chen Lihua blinked at him guilelessly. “What?”

“What the fuck are you even talking about.”

“Oh,” Chen Lihua said, in a tone of great realization, and then, much more casually, “Nothing, really, it’s just that I think you should get out more! Make friends! With A-Lian!”

Chen Liwei narrowed his eyes. That was not what she meant. If that was what she meant, there was no need to bring up her hopes for his love life and Wu Youxuan in the same conversation.

“Wait,” Chen Liwei said, connecting some dots. “Wait, is that why you hate him?”

“Hate is such a strong word,” Chen Lihua said. “Also, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Chen Lihua definitely knew what he was talking about. She’d actually started off reasonably friendly with Wu Youxuan, on account of classifying him as her older brother’s friend. At some point, this behavior had turned in favor of passive-aggressive comments about having nowhere else to live and metaphors about taking in stray dogs. Hate was a strong word for it, but there was a definite uptick in hostility that Chen Liwei hadn’t really paid much attention to.

“You think we’re in a relationship,” Chen Liwei said.

“Don’t be silly, I know you’re not in a relationship,” Chen Lihua said. “Which is why I’m telling you that A-Lian would be such a good girlfriend. You know, if you wanted a relationship. Which I guess you don’t.”

“You’re trying to stop me from being in a relationship,” Chen Liwei amended. “With… Wu Youxuan? Why do you think--”

“I don’t think anything,” Chen Liwei said promptly. “A-Lian always says I’m brainless, which is really funny when I outscore her in exams. If I’m brainless, what’s she? Really, it’s worse for her than me.”

“Stop trying to change the subject!”

“Oh, would you look at the time, I have a lot of homework to do actually, so, if you excuse me --”

“Chen Lihua you little shit get back here--”

[todidot]

ITS MARCH YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

[todidot]

me clicking on a video from the silliest man in the world: teehee what wacky hijinks await me

world renown block clown mumbo Fucking jumbo: you ever think about how old technology seems to live forever in the suspended state of whatever the newest advancements were at the time. how most technology immediately and fundamentally tells you when it was important and when it was left in the dust. it’s suspended in its era forever, and in that it is perfect.

stagnation is a form of death but nostalgia is cruel immortality. still i find myself locked in pursuit of it until i finally stumble across the undeath of the mechanical. as my hard earned improvement truly begins to pay dividends, surrounded by my opus of change, i will freeze myself in eternal utopia. the only way to never die is to preemptively kill whoever you might become. i will not have a grave, i will not be ashes and dust. i will be a perfect, extant machine.

me: Ok. i dont think this will plague me at all actually. like video.

[todidot]

USA people! Buy NOTHING Feb 28 2025. Not anything. 24 hours. No spending. Buy the day before or after but nothing. NOTHING. February 28 2025. Not gas. Not milk. Not something on a gaming app. Not a penny spent. (Only option in a crisis is local small mom and pop. Nothing. Else.) Promise me. Commit. 1 day. 1 day to scare the shit out of them that they don't get to follow the bullshit executive orders. They don't get to be cowards. If they do, it costs. It costs.

Then, if you can join me for Phase 2. March 7 2025 thtough March 14 2025? No Amazon. None. 1 week. No orders. Not a single item. Not one ebook. Nothing. 1 week. Just 1.

If you live outside the USA boycott US products on February 28 2025 and stand in solidarity with us and also join us for the week of no Amazon.

Are you with me?

Spread the word.

[todidot]

The Difference Between Warriors and Hyrule Comforting Legato vs. Four Comforting Legato

Okay, coming back to make a clarification on my mini-segment on how Legato is honest with Four and not so much when confronted by Warriors and Hyrule in Porcelain Veneer which I only briefly touch in my analysis/commentary.

@starlight-eclipsed Hi again, not part 2 but kind of like supplementary context and analysis for Porcelain Veneer and To Dance on a String!

(I did not think I would have to talk about Porcelain Veneer when I started writing my Four and Legato analysis but here we are! In a work that has zero Four and Legato interactions—I still manage to make it about them!)

ALSO DISCLAIMER: Spoilers for Like a Rag Doll and A Living Doll! As well as Porcelain Veneer and To Dance on a String if that was unclear!

Porcelain Veneer

I make a point that Legato is honest about his feelings about the whole situation when Four and he have their conversation in To Dance on a String but he is actually fairly honest with Warriors and Hyrule in chapter 3 of Porcelain Veneer. He’s honest about explaining that he’s upset about his appearance but he doesn’t give them enough context to properly understand the issue. This is what I meant when I mentioned Legato avoids explaining anything in that scene and the lack of honesty.

Legato simplifies the issue to just not liking how his dyed hair looks when he’s wearing it. But that’s not really what’s causing his intense reaction to the change—it’s how utterly unfamiliar his appearance has become by that point.

Warriors and Hyrule comfort Legato by saying that the Hero of Style looks good in anything he wears and going on a silly but appreciative spiel about Legato’s hero title. It even gets Legato to cheer up by the end of the conversation.

The issue here is that it doesn’t address what’s actually hurting Legato—at least not in the same way that Four is able to in chapter 1 of To Dance on a String. It’s putting a bandaid on a knife wound or wrapping a wound but forgetting to disinfect it. It helps in the short term but it’s still festering.

Now I don’t want to blame Warriors or Hyrule for not being able to properly address Legato’s issues in that scene. It’s very early on in the series and they are not comfortable enough with each other to push each other to open up. Neither of them know Legato well enough to feel comfortable to call him out on avoiding the issue so they make the best decision they can given the information they have access to.

However, Warriors and Hyrule’s attempt at cheering Legato is also very kid-friendly? I think that’s the best way I can describe it. It feels like two adults trying to cheer up a kid. They care about Legato but they’re not seeing Legato in his entirety so that influences how they try to help him. If they pulled the same truck on an actual kid, it probably would have worked honestly.

But Legato isn’t a kid and his dysmorphia isn’t an issue that will disappear after one conversation. He doesn’t even want to explain what the real issue is to them. Warriors even notes later on in Like a Rag Doll that he realized Legato was lying and avoiding the truth in Porcelain Veneer. It’s a paradox of honesty on Legato’s end. He’s honest in that he’s feeling upset about the change but not the depth of the emotion or the reasoning. He’s leveraging his knowledge on the other heroes histories in order to determine what he can tell them. It’s a calculated honesty because for all that Legato loves his brothers—he’s guarded. He doesn’t think that the others want to hurt him but he’s coming off of Ravio disappearing and having general feelings about not belonging so he doesn’t want to being up issues that can’t be fixed easily.

To Dance on a String

Now comparing this to Four and Legato’s conversation in chapter 1 of To Dance on a String, in which Four doesn’t let Legato to avoid the hurt caused by Wild’s words and Hyrule’s agreement. He hesitated in pushing Legato right after the incident but once the excitement of the knight attack and running through Legend’s Hyrule calmed down—Four asks Legato if he’s okay to talk about what happened now.

And Legato does. Reluctantly. But, he says enough for Four to see the actual issue brought to light from Wild’s words. He says enough that Four can see right through the defenses he brings up in Wild’s defense and determine how to actually get Legato to understand why his thinking is harmful. Legato thinks of himself as other around people—he’s the hero so it’s natural for him to give help to those in need. There’s no shame or guilt in giving help to people who need it. Four gets Legato to realize that he’s also describing himself and that the people who helped him felt the same way he does about giving aid to Legato.

Four calls Legato out on his backwards thinking and Legato listens and that’s so important to the strength of their friendship.

Additionally, I want to make note that Legato isn’t actively hiding the depth of the issue to Four in this scene. Unlike Legato’s conversation with Warriors and Hyrule, Legato isn’t thinking back to his previous relationships with Chain ver. 1 and using that knowledge to determine what to say and not say. There’s none of Legato’s paradoxical honesty in his conversation with Four. He’s just looking at Four—this Four not the one from before. While Legato isn’t actively grieving and comparing the two versions of his brothers, it’s still significant that in this moment there’s no one Legato sees right now but his friend Four. This Four and Legato have an entirely different relationship compared to Four and Legend (based off what we know from comparing LU and LU Doppelgänger AU) and that difference probably helps to ground him on this adventure. I think what makes this scene so good for their relationship because you can tell that they are able to see each other as individuals not as heroes or teammates.

Admittedly, Four is only able to do this because he’s comfortable and possibly even considers him a friend by this point in the story whereas Warriors and Hyrule were on uncertain territory when they had their conversation with Legato. Furthermore, the issue Four is addressing is how being a hero has isolated Legato which Legato is more comfortable acknowledging compared to the dark soul magic doll body too. Furthermore, Four has the benefit of having a physical appearance that doesn’t accurately show yourself that gives him an advantage at seeing past Legato’s young appearance which neither Warriors or Hyrule have. Four just has some unique advantages in being able to read Legato clearly that older members lack. Also Four was able to see the entirety of Legato’s reaction whereas Warriors and Hyrule only saw the aftermath. Legato can’t lie to someone who saw the entire thing after all.

Legato is a character who constantly lies and avoids the truth. He’s a very unreliable narrator but he also cares deeply. So it’s important that he has someone who is willing and able to reach out to him through his deceptions—to others and the ones he has about himself. Four’s been doing a good job at getting through those walls despite Legato’s best attempts to divert attention away.

In conclusion

Legato is only partially honest with Warriors and Hyrule in their conversation in Porcelain Veneer. It’s a calculated honesty that tells you nothing at the same time. Legato tries to pull a similar trick with Four but he gives enough information for Four to actually understand what’s hurting Legato. And once he’s been called out on his deception, Legato folds relatively easily to Four’s well reasoned arguments.

The Development of Four and Legato's Friendship in LU Doppelgänger AU: Part 1

Ok so if you are here and you don’t know what LU Doppelgänger AU is—you are in the wrong place because this is basically me screaming about it for multiple pages! If you are still here despite that disclaimer—welcome!

Part 1 since this is already way too long. This covers events from Puppet Show to Velveteen Rabbit!

@starlight-eclipsed is the writer for the series and I strongly recommend giving it a chance! The series gave me severe brain rot hence this entire post so give it some love if you enjoyed me screaming about it here!

(Also shoutout to Kit_Kat_Weirdo_27 on ao3 on chapter 1 of Matrioshka Brain for causing this! They made a comment mentioning Four and Legato’s relationship which triggered this entire thing!)

Four and Legato's relationship is one of my favorites in the LU Doppelgänger series and it's partly due to the exploration of Four as a character.

Four in Linked Universe

When comparing the main series–Linked Universe which will be referred to as LU throughout this–Four isn’t particularly close to any member of the group. He’s a good teammate—willing to lend a helping hand or listening ear but there is no one that he regularly seeks out in LU.

Though that can change thanks to some recent developments in LU (e.g. Wild knowing about the Four Sword’s ability and Four and Wild subsequent reconciliation, Four, Wind, and Time teaming up in the dungeon). In general, Four doesn’t have many individual conversations with members and mainly interacts with everyone in larger group settings. We know that he is close to Twilight on account of Four knowing about him being Wolfie. He and Twilight also go exploring the town in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 so they do seek each other out to explore together occasionally. He is also seen working with Legend and Hyrule to create Wild’s new sword the first time. Additionally, if the doodles are canon, Time would be privy to Four’s ability to shrink to Minish size. He and Time are seen fighting as a duo in some fights and make use of their size difference well so there is familiarity there as well. However despite all of this, we don’t really see Four consistently interact with any one character. He gets along well with each member but he doesn’t seem to be particularly close to any of them individually. 

(We don't see him interact as much with Wind, Sky, or Warriors but in larger group settings they seem to get along fine. He is seen bandaging Sky in one doodle though! He, Wind, and Legend also get into an argument during Sunset Arc about Twilight's usage of Twili magic.)

There is a chance of Four and Wild becoming closer though since Wild is now the only character aware of the Four Sword’s ability and they’ve gone through a major fight and reconciliation. That sort of event usually helps characters in understanding the other better and the vulnerability revealed usually aids in bringing people closer. Furthermore, the dungeon trio of Time, Wind, and Four has the potential for some more insight into how Four interacts with other members of the group. 

Four has an interesting role in the group dynamic in the sense that he’s in an ambiguous age region. He’s a young hero but he doesn’t showcase it in the way that someone like Wind does. He’s got his own pride but it’s been tempered by experience and patience. I honestly view him in a similar way to how Four perceives Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU.  In an ask that Starlight-Eclipsed answered on tumblr, Four believes Legato is older than he appears because "Legato doesn't think like a child" specifically how Legato thinks in the long-term and how his worldview isn't centered around himself--which isn't bad but just a symptom of a developing worldview. This same line of thinking is applied to Four in LU because he's small but he's too mature, self-assured, and considerate to be a truly young hero. It’s evident in how the other heroes treat Four in LU as well. We see the older heroes trying to protect Wind early on in the series and he calls them out on it but Four doesn’t get the same treatment.

I think a good example of how mature Four is  in the comic is in the swords comic in which Four protests against picking up the Master Sword. In that comic, he calls out the other heroes for pushing him for his reasoning because they're also hiding secrets. However, once he sees everyone's reaction to his words, he defuses the situation—soothes the tensions by being lighthearted about it which gets Wild and Legend to join in. He has high emotional intelligence and is able to stand up for himself without increasing tensions within a group. He’s very familiar with working with individuals with colorful personalities and knows when to assert himself and when to lighten up. It’s a very good scene demonstrating Four’s maturity.

Though he definitely has his childish moments like in the comic when your fish story turns into a “fish story” in which he is regaling his adventures to the group without telling them he spent it being very very small. Generally though, Four’s ability as a hero is never called into question and his age is rarely commented on. 

Four and Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU

Anyway I think that's enough on Four's relationships in LU, now let's talk about his relationships in LU Doppelgänger AU! Most of his relationships with the others are the same with the exception of Wild and Hyrule and this is directly due to the addition of Legato into this adventure. In the LU, Four is on good terms with these two heroes but he isn't especially close to them. Wild's weapons and his treatment of them step on his pride as a blacksmith and he takes that as a challenge to make a sword that can hold up against Wild's treatment. Four creates this sword with the help of Legend and Hyrule but outside of this interaction, these characters aren't seen talking together often. 

In LU Doppelgänger AU, Four has Legato.

Legato and Four have many similarities though Four isn't aware of all of them currently. They're experienced heroes who have been on multiple quests but more importantly they've been on quests in which teamwork was a core lesson. As such, they both came into this adventure with a solid understanding of how to work in a team and navigating conflicting personalities. This helps them integrate in the team and generally get along with others. They also have some shared interests: mainly weaponry and magic enchantment. Furthermore, Four's a career blacksmith with a Minish magic background and Legato had a (unfinished) blacksmith apprenticeship and a broad magical expertise. This results in the two of them being able to bounce ideas off each other about their differing expertise and filling in the gaps in the other's knowledge. 

Most importantly, there's an equality between the two of them. Four is currently the only hero with suspicions that Legato is older than he appears--much like Four himself--but regardless of that, Four never treats Legato as a child. I think that is partly that Four is able to see past Legato's physical appearance and judge him based on his actions since many of the other heroes see his short stature and general positive disposition and assume that it's because Legato is young without looking too far into it. Admittedly, Legato is playing into that assumption but he's honestly not doing much to sell the act and just relying on the others' biases.

Puppet Show

In chapter 1 of Puppet Show, Legato receives a Jabbernut from Four. This is the first meeting of the entire group so everyone is wary around each other and trying to create order. Legato, in particular, is going through it in that chapter. Comparing chapter 1 of Puppet Show Legato to the Legato we see later on in the series, it is immediately obvious that he is reeling from the situation. Albeit, Legato’s version of freaking out is all internal with only a few physical signs but he is definitely worried that he just potentially erased the version of his brothers that Legato–as Legend–went on this adventure with originally. Physically, Legato is withdrawn and observes the group instead of conversing with them and fidgeting throughout the entire chapter. When he does contribute, he’s noted to be mumbling instead of his usual outgoing and friendly behavior in later installments. While the fidgeting isn’t necessarily a sign that Legato is anxious since he picked up the habit from his most recent adventure–it combined with his unusual silence demonstrates how unnerved by the whole situation Legato is. Moving on towards his thoughts throughout the chapter, there is this constant grief that underpins all of Legato’s thoughts. 

Legato’s first assumption was that this was a dream since he mentions already checking if was having another dream adventure. Legend is immensely haunted by Koholint Island and Marin so that speaks volumes on just how much Legato is freaked out. He’s constantly getting the fact that these aren’t his brothers thrown into his face during the entirety of chapter 1 of Puppet Show and it hurts him deeply. He knows the story beats already but the others don’t and it shows. They don’t know him. They’re winded after the encounter with the first black-blooded monsters. They’re not his brothers. But, they look like them and he misses them so much. He’s constantly comparing them to his group and the loss of them drags down his enthusiasm. After the encounter in the woods, he stays behind to clean his blade and he comes to the conclusion that he will stick around to ensure that this group will stay together because collectively, the group heals and supports each other. Legato won’t risk destroying his brothers even if they do not know him. 

Anyway, Legato is going through it and no one has noticed since they don’t have a baseline expectation of Legato’s behavior. But this is very telling on what sort of mindset Legato is entering this adventure with. Legato is sticking around because he cares about his brothers but he doesn’t really see himself as part of the group. He’s just a tag-along that isn’t supposed to be there but is. 

Due to Legato’s prior experience with his group–now referred to as Chain ver. 1–he already knows some secrets and vulnerabilities of the other heroes so while he is grieving, he also has a generally positive and empathetic perspective of the new group–now referred to as Chain ver. 2. 

Four, on the other hand, has none of this. This is the first meeting after all and he has no expectations of any of the other heroes yet. Legato remarks that Four gave him a jabbernut in chapter 2 of Puppet Show, though the actual action occurs during chapter 1 off-screen. Legato specifically mentions that Four walked up to Legato and offered him the jabbernut while Legato was hanging back from the group discussion. At that point, everyone was speaking different languages due to how vast the time between each era is so Four took the prerogative to ensure stable communication once he came to the conclusion everyone was non-hostile. Legato isn’t a special consideration at this point and Four is literally the only hero that can solve the language issue given the fact that jabbernuts only appear in his games. But based on how withdrawn from the group Legato was initially, Four most likely noticed that he was uncomfortable with the presumably unintelligible conversation going on and most likely wanted to solve the issue without drawing attention to Legato who clearly didn’t want the attention. 

Admittedly, that is mostly speculation since we don’t know Four’s reasoning but based on how he views his duty as a hero and his maturity, he would probably feel some obligation to help out Legato during the first meeting. It isn't a special consideration for Legato as an individual though but just an extension of Four’s duty as a hero. It also demonstrates Four’s practicality since at this point he has already determined that everyone is friendly and it will be easier for them all to be able to properly communicate. Four is a hero whose adventures have taught him the value and importance of teamwork and that’s evident in the way he gets the group on the same page with the jabbernuts. 

Four and Legato's relationship starts in chapter 3 of Puppet Show when Legato tells Time that he has some magic items Four might want to experiment with to make a traveling forge. Legato makes this overture because he knows that later on in Four is supposed to make a sword for Wild and wants to give the group the extra support and time to prepare for it. Four doesn't know that of course but it's what prompts Four to start interacting with Legato. Regardless of why Legato offered Four his magic tools, the action demonstrated some key information about him. 

It shows that he's observant since he made note of Four's occupation which presumably happened during the introductions or in the indeterminate amount of time it took for Chain ver. 2 to reach Lon Lon Ranch. 

It shows his ability to plan ahead and foresee potential obstacles like a weapon breaking or general weapons maintenance.

It shows how considerate of others Legato is seeing as he's offering the use of his own materials to help jump start this project.

It shows that Legato has some familiarity with blacksmithing as he understands the importance of temperature control and the tools of the trade. 

All this together shows Four that Legato is a considerate teammate who might also share knowledge on his specialty. Naturally, Four ends up with a positive impression of Legato and while they haven't directly interacted at this point, Four has enough information to be curious about Legato. 

The consequences of Legato lending Four his magic tools is immediately evident in chapter 4 of Puppet Show. While the group is a few days out of Lon Lon Ranch, Four notices that Legato is on edge. This is because Legato is waiting for the Postman's appearance but once Legato mentions that everything has been too quiet, Four takes that response seriously and gets ready for a fight. Legato quickly clears that assumption but it's a good indication for the level of respect between these two even early on. Four and Legato aren't close but Four trusts him as a fellow hero and even if Four hasn't noticed anything yet--he's willing to listen to the perceived warning.

Additionally, Four being the one to call out Legato's restlessness is interesting because it demonstrates that he's watching Legato and that the two of them are presumably walking close together. This might just be because they're the smallest in the group and as such have been assigned to walking in the center of the group for easier protection as shown in LU but it does show that Four is interested in Legato and is a good teammate. Once the Postman has gained everyone else's attention, Four approaches Legato again. Notably, Legato is being quiet during this segment and allowing the rest of the group to discuss the Postman's presence and essentially has it play out as it does in LU. 

Early on, Legato sticks to the background in group discussions. He doesn't really want to make any drastic changes at this point and is content to let everything play out as if he isn't there. He's very much in the mindset that he's a tag-along. Except Four goes out of his way to interact with Legato. He bumps Legato's shoulder in order to get his attention and makes a comment about Legato getting his "weird thing" and sticks by Legato's side once the group gets moving again. Four then thanks Legato for lending him the ice and fire rods and then mentions what Legend and him were able to figure out with them. This then prompts Legato to ask questions on how magic interacts with blacksmithing and results in the entire group learning about Legato's magical expertise. Now this scene is important to Four and Legato's relationship because it demonstrates how Four is able to get Legato to interact with the group. As mentioned, Legato is okoy with fading into the background in the beginning especially during these calmer moments but Four notices that Legato is withdrawing from the group and gets him to re-engage. Now Legend has done this in chapter 2 of Puppet Show by sending Hyrule to Legato when Wind was busy talking to Wild but Four does it more discreetly and gets Legato to address everyone in the group. Do I think Four is consciously taking into account these factors? Maybe a little bit because he's definitely crafty enough and prioritizes team dynamics enough to go out of his way to get Legato to integrate into the team but he's also probably just interested in Legato as a person by now. 

So this conversation provides this information to Four about Legato:

 Legato definitely has some background in blacksmithing because he was aware that magic could potentially alter the effects.

Legato has a broad and in-depth knowledge of magic (elemental, time, magic deflection, etc.)

Legato has a tendency to retreat into his head.

All of these make Legato an appealing person to talk to about magical craftsmanship. He might not have the same background blacksmith knowledge as Four but he can cover the usage of magic in enchanting weapons. Furthermore, Legato mentions having some rare crafting materials like fairy dust that could have caught Four's attention so Four now has more motivation to get to know Legato on account of them both having interest in aspects of craftsmanship. It also informs Four that Legato isn’t likely to get into arguments with others and that it might be difficult for Legato to engage with everyone. Four was in the clearing when Legato and Wind came back from their water run in chapter 2 of Puppet Show and most likely saw how Legato retreated once his companion was gone so it is possible that Four noticed that Legato does better in one-to-one interactions compared to large group conversations. 

Additionally, chapter 4 of Puppet Show is when Four and Legato start having friendly physical touch. Examples of this are Four bumping Legato's shoulder to get his attention, and Legato later reciprocating by jabbing Four in the side for laughing at everyone's reaction to Legato's magical knowledge. We know that from from later on in LU Doppelgänger AU, the other heroes aren’t used to initiating physical contact with each other by the time that Legato gets axed by the Shadow courtesy of a comment from Starlight-Eclipsed on chapter 1 of Matrioshka’s Brain to t4d0. So, it is significant that Four feels comfortable with Legato at this point to initiate contact first. Legato has an easier time than the other heroes on account of his familiarity with their alternate selves (Chain ver.1) but Four doesn’t have any of that background. Four’s ease with Legato is purely based on their interactions now. 

 If you go through LU, while Four isn’t self-contained completely, he occasionally slaps/pats people on the back but that happens twice throughout the entire comic and he only allows someone to touch him in a friendly manner outside of a life or death situation only directly after Twilight enters the room after being cured and stabilized. Even when reconciling with Wild, he offers the item without ever touching Wild. So these friendly touches, Four has with Legato this early on in the story is an indication of Four's growing comfort with interacting with Legato.

Baby Doll

Alright so now that we’ve established that by the end of Puppet Show Four and Legato are friendly with each other and that Four is growing more comfortable with Legato we can move onto Baby Doll!

Baby Doll is not a very Four and Legato centered work but it does establish Legato and Four interacting with each other outside the scope of what we observe. It’s essentially sets up Four and Legato spending more time with each other in the background of the greater narrative.

In chapter 1 of Baby Doll, Four and Legato briefly interact near the end of the chapter when Chain ver. 2 begin discussing their inventories. Four and Legato briefly interact when the group’s attention is drawn towards Legato’s sword Caladbolg. Four leans in to examine the sword and comments on how cumbersome such a large sword is for Legato but he still manages to wield it. It’s a small interaction but it is evidence that Four and Legato are comfortable enough with each other that the other can intrude into their personal space. 

There is a funny comparison between LU and LU Doppelgänger AU in this chapter since in LU, Four is the one compared to Time’s large sword and the group jokes about it. In LU Doppelgänger, Legato is the person whose height is being compared to his almost disproportionate sword. It’s a fun little difference between the series and draws a small parallel between both characters!

Later on in the same chapter, Legato goes to join Four and Wild's discussion on the advantages of different weapon types which reinforces the conclusions that Four most likely drew from Puppet Show. At this point, Four has probably gotten a good grasp on Legato's magic and weapon interests and realize that the pair have a few common topics outside of hero work to share! 

There's also some implied hangouts between the two characters in chapter 2 of Baby Doll as Legato starts the chapter by coming back from getting water for the group with Four. I can't imagine that the two of them wouldn't talk to each other during this so we know that they are getting to know each other more. After all, when Legato went on a water run with Wind—the two of them ended up talking more about their respective lives and bonding. Furthermore, given how much Legato already cares about Four—there is no way he wouldn’t try to get closer as he is “speedrunning his found family arc.”

After comforting Wild, Legato goes out of his way to tell him to leave Four and him out of the tampered food which makes sense since neither was involved in messing with Wild but also shows Legato going out of his way to look out for Four which was something that Legend nor any other hero does in LU.

So while Baby Doll doesn’t have many Four and Legato interactions, it does show that the pair are gradually becoming more comfortable with each other. Legato already comes in with a high level of comfort with the others but Four is showcased to be more willing to intrude into Legato’s personal space and include him in conversations about weaponry. 

To Dance on a String

Now we're going to discuss the work that really cemented Four and Legato's relationship: To Dance on a String.

This is the work in which we get the first major Four and Legato hangout and it is a turning point in their relationship. I would consider this work to be when Four and Legato go from just being friendly with each other to genuinely being friends. 

In chapter 1 of To Dance on a String, Chain ver. 2 arrives in Legend’s Hyrule and the group is quickly divided into groups to explore the town. Four goes out of his way to ask Legato if he wants to partner with him and find the town’s blacksmith. Legato is surprised at the offer and notes that he usually gets paired with whoever is left which demonstrates that this is the first time that Four has initiated a proper hangout with Legato. Four doesn’t usually go out of his way to seek out specific members in the group in LU—we see him with a few characters but have no idea if he is the one initiating these encounters. Furthermore, most of these encounters with the other heroes in LU are centered around some sort of task rather than something to just unwind or low stakes. There’s always some kind of purpose behind those encounters—Twilight and Four went into town to figure out what time period or unusual activities they could find in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 and he enlists Legend and Hyrule to work on the sword that Wild presumably needs to fight with. When it’s downtime and there’s nothing urgent to be done, Four rarely seeks the other heroes out. So Four’s decision to seek out Legato to do a low-stakes activity in Legend’s presumably safe Hyrule is very telling on how Four views Legato. Four wants to spend time with Legato in a context entirely separate from their roles as teammates and as heroes. He wants to get to know Legato as a friend.

(I want to clarify that I’m not saying Four is only using the other heroes but he tends to be a bit more reserved compared to some other heroes. This results in him taking a backseat in some of the group interactions unless he has significant reason to enter the conversation. There is nothing wrong with Four only usually seeking company when it is easier to get a task done with more people but the task tends to take more priority in those situations. There is an exception when Four and Twilight are investigating the town since they have a heart to heart conversation in which Four comforts and advises Twilight and reveals a little about his own experience as a hero so these interactions are still bonding activities. I just think that most of the time Four focuses on whatever goal rather than bonding with the other character(s) in the interaction.)

Furthermore, Four is offering for the two of them to go find the town’s blacksmith. While there are definitely some practical purposes for finding a blacksmith, restocking arrows for example, blacksmithing is a topic that both Four and Legato have brought up with each other. Four is a career blacksmith and Legato has proven time and time again that he understands weaponry and the magical side of weapon and tool creation. It shows that Four has been paying attention to Legato’s interests! 

Additionally, while Legato and Four start off their outing with the goal of trying to find the blacksmith—they aren’t very focused on finding one throughout the chapter. They get sidetracked into a conversation about enchantments—Legato’s specialty. Four is curious about Legato and he knows that Legato is passionate about magic based on his answer on Wild’s usage of time magic in Puppet Show. He’s letting Legato talk and fill up space—something Legato only does on occasion in the group. Remember, Legato still views himself as a largely inconsequential tag-along to this version of his brothers. He stayed because he didn’t want to accidentally ruin the bonds that come from this adventure for any of the others. While LU Doppelgänger AU follows Legato and how he is making changes to the timeline, Legato at this point wants the timeline to follow as closely to how it was when he adventured with Chain ver. 1 which means he actually sticks to the sidelines during big events early on. That’s why it’s so important that Four let’s Legato guide the conversation while only chiming in to add an anecdote or ask for clarification. Four has noticed that Legato retreats into himself and has repeatedly gone out of the way to get Legato to interact with everyone and the fact that he’s doing this outside of a larger group setting indicates Four’s care to Legato as a friend more than a teammate. 

Their conversation is cut short when Legato notices Hyrule and Wild up ahead and he runs after them causing Four to follow suit. With practically no words, Legato conveys to Four about a plan to surprise the Explorer duo and Four joins in readily. Four doesn’t know what Legato has planned for the duo but he’s down for whatever scheme Legato has concocted. Four is so playful in this moment—something we don’t get to see as often in LU. Of course, Four and Legato don't spring a surprise on the Explorer Duo since they are having a serious heart to heart about the differences between eras. The two are resigned to simply waiting for Wild and Hyrule to move on so they can leave without having intruded on their talk when Wild mentions in a roundabout way that Legato is lucky to have grown up in an era so plentiful. Wild says that Legato’s insistence on teamwork and his adventures are so strange compared to what he’s used to. He inadvertently looks down on Legato’s experience. 

And that hurts Legato.

Deeply.

Legato just shuts down after hearing Wild say that about him and Hyrule’s sort of agreement. He’s unresponsive even when Four repeatedly calls out to him. He’s spiraling badly and Four yells out Link to finally shock him back to awareness. Four’s remarkably gentle with Legato once he’s gotten his attention since this is the first time Four has seen Legato ever shut down like that. He can tell that Legato isn’t okay despite Legato’s reassurance but is hesitant to push him. 

Anyway that’s when everything goes to hell in a different way as the knights descend upon our tiny duo and they have to flee the scene! During their encounter with the knights, Four is initially confused and outraged as to why the knights have decided to attack them and fights back. Legato manages to grab Four while the knights are disorientated and gets them to safety by using his speed boots. Four doesn’t know where they’re going at this point besides “away” but he trusts Legato to get them out of this mess. Which shows a remarkable sense of trust that has built between the two of them over the course of this adventure—since Four complies with little questioning.

Four is aggrieved by the entire situation and his indignation and insults towards the knights gets Legato to laugh after everything. Unfortunately, this means that Legato is going to have to Talk about his Feelings now. 

Now we are going onto the scene that really sold Four and Legato as a duo to me—Four listens to every argument Legato comes up with in defense of Wild and Hyrule and advocates for Legato against Legato himself. 

Four tells Legato that he’s earned his title as a hero. Four tells Legato that he’s allowed to be hurt by what they said despite them being Legato’s friends. Four reminds Legato that all of them were only able to get so far because of the help they received from others. Receiving help isn’t shameful and that actually gets through to Legato. 

What sells Four and Legato’s friendship to me, is just how much both of them support and understand each other. Legato drags Four out of his shell just as much as Four drags Legato back into the world. Legato got Four to agree to a prank toward Wild and Hyrule because he knows that Four wouldn’t pass on an opportunity to mess with someone. Legato got Four to talk with the others early on by introducing Four’s blacksmithing ability as a useful skill for the group. Legato extended his hand towards Four first. Four continuously reaches back and pulls Legato into the larger group right with him. Four treats Legato’s presumed two adventures with respect even if Legato only ever jokes about them. Four listens to Legato’s warnings and interests. Four cuts through Legato’s self-depreciation with so much care for Legato. 

The reciprocity of Four and Legato’s friendship is what makes these two my favorite duo in the entire series.

Now this isn’t the end of this post! We’re moving onto chapter 2 of To Dance on a String!

In the aftermath of chapter 1’s emotional conversation, Four and Legato decide to stay out in the fields outside of Legend’s Hyrule. The pair are eventually found by Wolfie and Legato makes some allusions about Wolfie being Twilight without being too obvious that gets Four too laugh at Twilight’s expense. 

There’s a noticeable ease between Four and Legato after everything. Legato is mostly honest with Four about how he feels after anything. He’s emotionally exhausted and he tells Four that “Today sucked.” Four and Legato joke about the previous event and there is a general light-hearted atmosphere between the two of them as they travel to Legend’s home. 

What’s important to notice here is that Legato is honest with Four. Legato is a person who has repeatedly avoided talking about his emotions throughout the series. While not referenced directly here, Legato had an emotional reaction towards a physical change he undergoes on Wild’s Hyrule that Warriors and Hyrule stumble upon. This is in chapter 3 of Porcelain Veneer and noticeably, Legato does not explain to either heroes why he had such a bad reaction. He skirts around the actual issue there but is honest in the aftermath of his conversation with Four. Today sucked is a small line but Legato’s being honest about how he feels. 

Upon entering Legend’s home, Legato and Four are confronted with Time who asks if they are okay and then immediately follows up with frustration at the two of them for disappearing for 3.5 hours after confirming their condition. Four is annoyed at the perceived slight against his and Legato’s ability to handle themselves. Time and Four start to argue before Legato intervenes and tells Time it was his fault that they were gone for so long. Legato claims incompetence on his part—telling Time that he panicked and grabbed Four and ran from the knights. Legato tells Time that Four and he got lost in Legend’s Hyrule. 

Time drops his interrogation of Four and Legato and tells the two that Wild made food which Legato awkwardly declines stating that he’s tired and is going to bed early. This is very out of character for him and Four is immediately on high alert but doesn’t confront Legato on his actions. 

Four is right to be concerned by Legato’s retelling of events because it inaccurately portrays what happened. During that fight, Legato pulled Four out of the way of an incoming arrow since Four hadn’t registered the knights as a threat yet. Legato breaks the horde around Four by using his Deku lead to blow two of the three knights into the street while Four deals with the last one. Lastly he was the one that navigated the town to get them away from the knights. So while Four could have dealt with the knight any himself—since he could split to get a numbers advantage—Legato still significantly contributed to the fight. Legato doesn’t explain any of this to Time and instead puts all the blame onto himself when in reality the only reason everything went so smoothly was because of Legato. So Four, who knows all of this and knows that Legato took Wild’s words badly earlier in the day has some very important reasons to be concerned by Legato’s recounting of events. Legato is none of what he described himself to Time and it shows that Legato’s perception of himself has been negatively affected by Wild and Hyrule. 

In clarification from Starlight-Eclipsed in the comment section of chapter 2 of To Dance on a String, they state that Four is taking Legato’s explanation of the events and his subsequent actions as evidence that Legato took what Wild said about him to heart—that Legato is incompetent and irresponsible. This worry is further compounded by Legato skipping a meal to go to bed—something Legato always fights about normally. 

Now seeing as how Four and Legato were friends prior to this event and then became even closer afterwards, Four is going to harbor some negative feelings about Wild and Hyrule due to how they hurt Legato. He won’t allow these feelings to negatively impact the group as a whole but he is siding with Legato. From his understanding, Wild and Hyrule hurt Legato. They were not aware of his presence there but they went behind Legato’s back and diminished his accomplishments which negatively impacted Legato’s self-esteem. His opinion on the two heroes has been lowered after the events of To Dance on a String and will influence how he treats these two heroes as the series progresses. 

Four is a good friend and a good teammate. Legato is both his friend and his teammate. However, from this point on, Wild and Hyrule might end up as just temporary teammates due to their actions.

Velveteen Rabbit

Velveteen Rabbit covers what happens shortly after the To Dance on a String as the work opens with Chain ver.2 leaving Legend’s Hyrule. There are not many Four and Legato interactions in this work but it does demonstrate the impact of what happened in the previous one. Since Legato took the blame in order to prevent a fight between Time and Four, protecting Four again–similar to when he reminded Wild that neither Four or he were involved with messing with Wild’s belongings, it has been decided that two are currently banned from partnering. Which is a shame because it was neither Four’s nor Legato’s fault for what happened in To Dance on a String. 

Four is annoyed at how Chain ver.2 are not taking his experience as a hero seriously after what happened but he doesn’t start an argument about it. Once again, Four is demonstrating his maturity and his experience with teams by not making a scene and acquiescing to the ban. He’s willing to wait it out in order for the team to work smoothly. Now that Four is unavailable, Legato searches for someone else to partner with but Wind–the other person Legato is close to–asks to join Time in order to sort out timeline confusion so Legato is last to find someone to pair with. Legato and Sky do pair up together but that only occurs once everyone else pairs up so it is proving Legato’s earlier statement that no one chooses him during group outings. The only time someone has reached out to Legato unprompted was Four and while Legato definitely loves the other heroes, it is telling that Legato usually has to pair up with whoever is last. 

Legato and Four don’t interact until the end of the work when everyone regroups. This is when we see a major divergence from LU.  Chain ver. 2 are discussing cultural differences when they start talking about the properties of gold. Four is telling Twilight that gold is the most malleable metal to work with when Wild chimes in that the gold weapons he’s used to are strong. There’s nothing inherently wrong about Wild explaining his experience with gold weapons but Four becomes visibly annoyed at the comment and fires back that Wild is being hypocritical considering how he just lost his sword. This prompts Time to confirm that statement and then ask Four if it would be possible to craft Wild a new sword. In LU, Four would have offered to start working on a sword for Wild if he wasn’t already working on one but here Four flatly refuses. He tells Time it would take too long to craft one which is true but he doesn’t offer to even start crafting a new sword for Wild. Legato notes that this is uncharacteristic of Four and this difference is because Four has a lowered opinion of Wild in this timeline.

Essentially, Velveteen Rabbit is a showcase of how Legato and Four’s friendship has altered the timeline. It demonstrates Four’s maturity in how he deals with the questioning of his abilities after leaving Legend’s Hyrule but also his defense of his friends–in this case, Legato. Four’s decision to not make Wild a sword despite it being a presumably net positive for the group since they would have all members at full capability showcases just how important Legato is to Four at this point. Four is putting Legato’s pain above providing Wild with a new sword that would have been made to withstand Wild’s fighting style. Four isn’t massively harming the group in that decision seeing as Wild can scavenge for a sword and has ranged weapons to draw from but his dissatisfaction with Wild is immediately evident to anyone familiar with him. In some ways, it shows a childish side to Four that we only really get to see because of Legato. Childish in how he’s addressing the problem but his heart is in the right place. 

In conclusion

The first five works in LU Doppelgänger AU essentially set up Legato and Four’s friendship. Puppet Show covers first contact and Four and Legato gradually come to understand and warm up to each other. Baby Doll establishes that Legato and Four are spending down time with each other outside of the viewpoint we have access to. To Dance on a String showcases the events that cement Four and Legato being genuinely good friends as it allows Four to see Legato’s vulnerability and help deal with Legato’s self-esteem issues. Legato also gets the opportunity to be honest with someone about what’s going on even if he doesn’t share the totality of the situation. Velveteen Rabbit demonstrates how much Four values his friendship with Legato as he prioritizes Legato’s pain over supplying Wild with a proper sword. 

Legato and Four work so well as a friendship because they both push the other into more active roles within Chain ver.2 and allow each other to be vulnerable, childish, bold, and respected despite their appearances. Through their relationship in LU Doppelgänger AU, we are able to explore more sides to Four and Legato has someone who will call him out on his self-deprecation and spiraling while supporting him.

[todidot]

The Development of Four and Legato's Friendship in LU Doppelgänger AU: Part 1

Ok so if you are here and you don’t know what LU Doppelgänger AU is—you are in the wrong place because this is basically me screaming about it for multiple pages! If you are still here despite that disclaimer—welcome!

Part 1 since this is already way too long. This covers events from Puppet Show to Velveteen Rabbit!

@starlight-eclipsed is the writer for the series and I strongly recommend giving it a chance! The series gave me severe brain rot hence this entire post so give it some love if you enjoyed me screaming about it here!

(Also shoutout to Kit_Kat_Weirdo_27 on ao3 on chapter 1 of Matrioshka Brain for causing this! They made a comment mentioning Four and Legato’s relationship which triggered this entire thing!)

Four and Legato's relationship is one of my favorites in the LU Doppelgänger series and it's partly due to the exploration of Four as a character.

Four in Linked Universe

When comparing the main series–Linked Universe which will be referred to as LU throughout this–Four isn’t particularly close to any member of the group. He’s a good teammate—willing to lend a helping hand or listening ear but there is no one that he regularly seeks out in LU.

Though that can change thanks to some recent developments in LU (e.g. Wild knowing about the Four Sword’s ability and Four and Wild subsequent reconciliation, Four, Wind, and Time teaming up in the dungeon). In general, Four doesn’t have many individual conversations with members and mainly interacts with everyone in larger group settings. We know that he is close to Twilight on account of Four knowing about him being Wolfie. He and Twilight also go exploring the town in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 so they do seek each other out to explore together occasionally. He is also seen working with Legend and Hyrule to create Wild’s new sword the first time. Additionally, if the doodles are canon, Time would be privy to Four’s ability to shrink to Minish size. He and Time are seen fighting as a duo in some fights and make use of their size difference well so there is familiarity there as well. However despite all of this, we don’t really see Four consistently interact with any one character. He gets along well with each member but he doesn’t seem to be particularly close to any of them individually. 

(We don't see him interact as much with Wind, Sky, or Warriors but in larger group settings they seem to get along fine. He is seen bandaging Sky in one doodle though! He, Wind, and Legend also get into an argument during Sunset Arc about Twilight's usage of Twili magic.)

There is a chance of Four and Wild becoming closer though since Wild is now the only character aware of the Four Sword’s ability and they’ve gone through a major fight and reconciliation. That sort of event usually helps characters in understanding the other better and the vulnerability revealed usually aids in bringing people closer. Furthermore, the dungeon trio of Time, Wind, and Four has the potential for some more insight into how Four interacts with other members of the group. 

Four has an interesting role in the group dynamic in the sense that he’s in an ambiguous age region. He’s a young hero but he doesn’t showcase it in the way that someone like Wind does. He’s got his own pride but it’s been tempered by experience and patience. I honestly view him in a similar way to how Four perceives Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU.  In an ask that Starlight-Eclipsed answered on tumblr, Four believes Legato is older than he appears because "Legato doesn't think like a child" specifically how Legato thinks in the long-term and how his worldview isn't centered around himself--which isn't bad but just a symptom of a developing worldview. This same line of thinking is applied to Four in LU because he's small but he's too mature, self-assured, and considerate to be a truly young hero. It’s evident in how the other heroes treat Four in LU as well. We see the older heroes trying to protect Wind early on in the series and he calls them out on it but Four doesn’t get the same treatment.

I think a good example of how mature Four is  in the comic is in the swords comic in which Four protests against picking up the Master Sword. In that comic, he calls out the other heroes for pushing him for his reasoning because they're also hiding secrets. However, once he sees everyone's reaction to his words, he defuses the situation—soothes the tensions by being lighthearted about it which gets Wild and Legend to join in. He has high emotional intelligence and is able to stand up for himself without increasing tensions within a group. He’s very familiar with working with individuals with colorful personalities and knows when to assert himself and when to lighten up. It’s a very good scene demonstrating Four’s maturity.

Though he definitely has his childish moments like in the comic when your fish story turns into a “fish story” in which he is regaling his adventures to the group without telling them he spent it being very very small. Generally though, Four’s ability as a hero is never called into question and his age is rarely commented on. 

Four and Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU

Anyway I think that's enough on Four's relationships in LU, now let's talk about his relationships in LU Doppelgänger AU! Most of his relationships with the others are the same with the exception of Wild and Hyrule and this is directly due to the addition of Legato into this adventure. In the LU, Four is on good terms with these two heroes but he isn't especially close to them. Wild's weapons and his treatment of them step on his pride as a blacksmith and he takes that as a challenge to make a sword that can hold up against Wild's treatment. Four creates this sword with the help of Legend and Hyrule but outside of this interaction, these characters aren't seen talking together often. 

In LU Doppelgänger AU, Four has Legato.

Legato and Four have many similarities though Four isn't aware of all of them currently. They're experienced heroes who have been on multiple quests but more importantly they've been on quests in which teamwork was a core lesson. As such, they both came into this adventure with a solid understanding of how to work in a team and navigating conflicting personalities. This helps them integrate in the team and generally get along with others. They also have some shared interests: mainly weaponry and magic enchantment. Furthermore, Four's a career blacksmith with a Minish magic background and Legato had a (unfinished) blacksmith apprenticeship and a broad magical expertise. This results in the two of them being able to bounce ideas off each other about their differing expertise and filling in the gaps in the other's knowledge. 

Most importantly, there's an equality between the two of them. Four is currently the only hero with suspicions that Legato is older than he appears--much like Four himself--but regardless of that, Four never treats Legato as a child. I think that is partly that Four is able to see past Legato's physical appearance and judge him based on his actions since many of the other heroes see his short stature and general positive disposition and assume that it's because Legato is young without looking too far into it. Admittedly, Legato is playing into that assumption but he's honestly not doing much to sell the act and just relying on the others' biases.

Puppet Show

In chapter 1 of Puppet Show, Legato receives a Jabbernut from Four. This is the first meeting of the entire group so everyone is wary around each other and trying to create order. Legato, in particular, is going through it in that chapter. Comparing chapter 1 of Puppet Show Legato to the Legato we see later on in the series, it is immediately obvious that he is reeling from the situation. Albeit, Legato’s version of freaking out is all internal with only a few physical signs but he is definitely worried that he just potentially erased the version of his brothers that Legato–as Legend–went on this adventure with originally. Physically, Legato is withdrawn and observes the group instead of conversing with them and fidgeting throughout the entire chapter. When he does contribute, he’s noted to be mumbling instead of his usual outgoing and friendly behavior in later installments. While the fidgeting isn’t necessarily a sign that Legato is anxious since he picked up the habit from his most recent adventure–it combined with his unusual silence demonstrates how unnerved by the whole situation Legato is. Moving on towards his thoughts throughout the chapter, there is this constant grief that underpins all of Legato’s thoughts. 

Legato’s first assumption was that this was a dream since he mentions already checking if was having another dream adventure. Legend is immensely haunted by Koholint Island and Marin so that speaks volumes on just how much Legato is freaked out. He’s constantly getting the fact that these aren’t his brothers thrown into his face during the entirety of chapter 1 of Puppet Show and it hurts him deeply. He knows the story beats already but the others don’t and it shows. They don’t know him. They’re winded after the encounter with the first black-blooded monsters. They’re not his brothers. But, they look like them and he misses them so much. He’s constantly comparing them to his group and the loss of them drags down his enthusiasm. After the encounter in the woods, he stays behind to clean his blade and he comes to the conclusion that he will stick around to ensure that this group will stay together because collectively, the group heals and supports each other. Legato won’t risk destroying his brothers even if they do not know him. 

Anyway, Legato is going through it and no one has noticed since they don’t have a baseline expectation of Legato’s behavior. But this is very telling on what sort of mindset Legato is entering this adventure with. Legato is sticking around because he cares about his brothers but he doesn’t really see himself as part of the group. He’s just a tag-along that isn’t supposed to be there but is. 

Due to Legato’s prior experience with his group–now referred to as Chain ver. 1–he already knows some secrets and vulnerabilities of the other heroes so while he is grieving, he also has a generally positive and empathetic perspective of the new group–now referred to as Chain ver. 2. 

Four, on the other hand, has none of this. This is the first meeting after all and he has no expectations of any of the other heroes yet. Legato remarks that Four gave him a jabbernut in chapter 2 of Puppet Show, though the actual action occurs during chapter 1 off-screen. Legato specifically mentions that Four walked up to Legato and offered him the jabbernut while Legato was hanging back from the group discussion. At that point, everyone was speaking different languages due to how vast the time between each era is so Four took the prerogative to ensure stable communication once he came to the conclusion everyone was non-hostile. Legato isn’t a special consideration at this point and Four is literally the only hero that can solve the language issue given the fact that jabbernuts only appear in his games. But based on how withdrawn from the group Legato was initially, Four most likely noticed that he was uncomfortable with the presumably unintelligible conversation going on and most likely wanted to solve the issue without drawing attention to Legato who clearly didn’t want the attention. 

Admittedly, that is mostly speculation since we don’t know Four’s reasoning but based on how he views his duty as a hero and his maturity, he would probably feel some obligation to help out Legato during the first meeting. It isn't a special consideration for Legato as an individual though but just an extension of Four’s duty as a hero. It also demonstrates Four’s practicality since at this point he has already determined that everyone is friendly and it will be easier for them all to be able to properly communicate. Four is a hero whose adventures have taught him the value and importance of teamwork and that’s evident in the way he gets the group on the same page with the jabbernuts. 

Four and Legato's relationship starts in chapter 3 of Puppet Show when Legato tells Time that he has some magic items Four might want to experiment with to make a traveling forge. Legato makes this overture because he knows that later on in Four is supposed to make a sword for Wild and wants to give the group the extra support and time to prepare for it. Four doesn't know that of course but it's what prompts Four to start interacting with Legato. Regardless of why Legato offered Four his magic tools, the action demonstrated some key information about him. 

It shows that he's observant since he made note of Four's occupation which presumably happened during the introductions or in the indeterminate amount of time it took for Chain ver. 2 to reach Lon Lon Ranch. 

It shows his ability to plan ahead and foresee potential obstacles like a weapon breaking or general weapons maintenance.

It shows how considerate of others Legato is seeing as he's offering the use of his own materials to help jump start this project.

It shows that Legato has some familiarity with blacksmithing as he understands the importance of temperature control and the tools of the trade. 

All this together shows Four that Legato is a considerate teammate who might also share knowledge on his specialty. Naturally, Four ends up with a positive impression of Legato and while they haven't directly interacted at this point, Four has enough information to be curious about Legato. 

The consequences of Legato lending Four his magic tools is immediately evident in chapter 4 of Puppet Show. While the group is a few days out of Lon Lon Ranch, Four notices that Legato is on edge. This is because Legato is waiting for the Postman's appearance but once Legato mentions that everything has been too quiet, Four takes that response seriously and gets ready for a fight. Legato quickly clears that assumption but it's a good indication for the level of respect between these two even early on. Four and Legato aren't close but Four trusts him as a fellow hero and even if Four hasn't noticed anything yet--he's willing to listen to the perceived warning.

Additionally, Four being the one to call out Legato's restlessness is interesting because it demonstrates that he's watching Legato and that the two of them are presumably walking close together. This might just be because they're the smallest in the group and as such have been assigned to walking in the center of the group for easier protection as shown in LU but it does show that Four is interested in Legato and is a good teammate. Once the Postman has gained everyone else's attention, Four approaches Legato again. Notably, Legato is being quiet during this segment and allowing the rest of the group to discuss the Postman's presence and essentially has it play out as it does in LU. 

Early on, Legato sticks to the background in group discussions. He doesn't really want to make any drastic changes at this point and is content to let everything play out as if he isn't there. He's very much in the mindset that he's a tag-along. Except Four goes out of his way to interact with Legato. He bumps Legato's shoulder in order to get his attention and makes a comment about Legato getting his "weird thing" and sticks by Legato's side once the group gets moving again. Four then thanks Legato for lending him the ice and fire rods and then mentions what Legend and him were able to figure out with them. This then prompts Legato to ask questions on how magic interacts with blacksmithing and results in the entire group learning about Legato's magical expertise. Now this scene is important to Four and Legato's relationship because it demonstrates how Four is able to get Legato to interact with the group. As mentioned, Legato is okoy with fading into the background in the beginning especially during these calmer moments but Four notices that Legato is withdrawing from the group and gets him to re-engage. Now Legend has done this in chapter 2 of Puppet Show by sending Hyrule to Legato when Wind was busy talking to Wild but Four does it more discreetly and gets Legato to address everyone in the group. Do I think Four is consciously taking into account these factors? Maybe a little bit because he's definitely crafty enough and prioritizes team dynamics enough to go out of his way to get Legato to integrate into the team but he's also probably just interested in Legato as a person by now. 

So this conversation provides this information to Four about Legato:

 Legato definitely has some background in blacksmithing because he was aware that magic could potentially alter the effects.

Legato has a broad and in-depth knowledge of magic (elemental, time, magic deflection, etc.)

Legato has a tendency to retreat into his head.

All of these make Legato an appealing person to talk to about magical craftsmanship. He might not have the same background blacksmith knowledge as Four but he can cover the usage of magic in enchanting weapons. Furthermore, Legato mentions having some rare crafting materials like fairy dust that could have caught Four's attention so Four now has more motivation to get to know Legato on account of them both having interest in aspects of craftsmanship. It also informs Four that Legato isn’t likely to get into arguments with others and that it might be difficult for Legato to engage with everyone. Four was in the clearing when Legato and Wind came back from their water run in chapter 2 of Puppet Show and most likely saw how Legato retreated once his companion was gone so it is possible that Four noticed that Legato does better in one-to-one interactions compared to large group conversations. 

Additionally, chapter 4 of Puppet Show is when Four and Legato start having friendly physical touch. Examples of this are Four bumping Legato's shoulder to get his attention, and Legato later reciprocating by jabbing Four in the side for laughing at everyone's reaction to Legato's magical knowledge. We know that from from later on in LU Doppelgänger AU, the other heroes aren’t used to initiating physical contact with each other by the time that Legato gets axed by the Shadow courtesy of a comment from Starlight-Eclipsed on chapter 1 of Matrioshka’s Brain to t4d0. So, it is significant that Four feels comfortable with Legato at this point to initiate contact first. Legato has an easier time than the other heroes on account of his familiarity with their alternate selves (Chain ver.1) but Four doesn’t have any of that background. Four’s ease with Legato is purely based on their interactions now. 

 If you go through LU, while Four isn’t self-contained completely, he occasionally slaps/pats people on the back but that happens twice throughout the entire comic and he only allows someone to touch him in a friendly manner outside of a life or death situation only directly after Twilight enters the room after being cured and stabilized. Even when reconciling with Wild, he offers the item without ever touching Wild. So these friendly touches, Four has with Legato this early on in the story is an indication of Four's growing comfort with interacting with Legato.

Baby Doll

Alright so now that we’ve established that by the end of Puppet Show Four and Legato are friendly with each other and that Four is growing more comfortable with Legato we can move onto Baby Doll!

Baby Doll is not a very Four and Legato centered work but it does establish Legato and Four interacting with each other outside the scope of what we observe. It’s essentially sets up Four and Legato spending more time with each other in the background of the greater narrative.

In chapter 1 of Baby Doll, Four and Legato briefly interact near the end of the chapter when Chain ver. 2 begin discussing their inventories. Four and Legato briefly interact when the group’s attention is drawn towards Legato’s sword Caladbolg. Four leans in to examine the sword and comments on how cumbersome such a large sword is for Legato but he still manages to wield it. It’s a small interaction but it is evidence that Four and Legato are comfortable enough with each other that the other can intrude into their personal space. 

There is a funny comparison between LU and LU Doppelgänger AU in this chapter since in LU, Four is the one compared to Time’s large sword and the group jokes about it. In LU Doppelgänger, Legato is the person whose height is being compared to his almost disproportionate sword. It’s a fun little difference between the series and draws a small parallel between both characters!

Later on in the same chapter, Legato goes to join Four and Wild's discussion on the advantages of different weapon types which reinforces the conclusions that Four most likely drew from Puppet Show. At this point, Four has probably gotten a good grasp on Legato's magic and weapon interests and realize that the pair have a few common topics outside of hero work to share! 

There's also some implied hangouts between the two characters in chapter 2 of Baby Doll as Legato starts the chapter by coming back from getting water for the group with Four. I can't imagine that the two of them wouldn't talk to each other during this so we know that they are getting to know each other more. After all, when Legato went on a water run with Wind—the two of them ended up talking more about their respective lives and bonding. Furthermore, given how much Legato already cares about Four—there is no way he wouldn’t try to get closer as he is “speedrunning his found family arc.”

After comforting Wild, Legato goes out of his way to tell him to leave Four and him out of the tampered food which makes sense since neither was involved in messing with Wild but also shows Legato going out of his way to look out for Four which was something that Legend nor any other hero does in LU.

So while Baby Doll doesn’t have many Four and Legato interactions, it does show that the pair are gradually becoming more comfortable with each other. Legato already comes in with a high level of comfort with the others but Four is showcased to be more willing to intrude into Legato’s personal space and include him in conversations about weaponry. 

To Dance on a String

Now we're going to discuss the work that really cemented Four and Legato's relationship: To Dance on a String.

This is the work in which we get the first major Four and Legato hangout and it is a turning point in their relationship. I would consider this work to be when Four and Legato go from just being friendly with each other to genuinely being friends. 

In chapter 1 of To Dance on a String, Chain ver. 2 arrives in Legend’s Hyrule and the group is quickly divided into groups to explore the town. Four goes out of his way to ask Legato if he wants to partner with him and find the town’s blacksmith. Legato is surprised at the offer and notes that he usually gets paired with whoever is left which demonstrates that this is the first time that Four has initiated a proper hangout with Legato. Four doesn’t usually go out of his way to seek out specific members in the group in LU—we see him with a few characters but have no idea if he is the one initiating these encounters. Furthermore, most of these encounters with the other heroes in LU are centered around some sort of task rather than something to just unwind or low stakes. There’s always some kind of purpose behind those encounters—Twilight and Four went into town to figure out what time period or unusual activities they could find in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 and he enlists Legend and Hyrule to work on the sword that Wild presumably needs to fight with. When it’s downtime and there’s nothing urgent to be done, Four rarely seeks the other heroes out. So Four’s decision to seek out Legato to do a low-stakes activity in Legend’s presumably safe Hyrule is very telling on how Four views Legato. Four wants to spend time with Legato in a context entirely separate from their roles as teammates and as heroes. He wants to get to know Legato as a friend.

(I want to clarify that I’m not saying Four is only using the other heroes but he tends to be a bit more reserved compared to some other heroes. This results in him taking a backseat in some of the group interactions unless he has significant reason to enter the conversation. There is nothing wrong with Four only usually seeking company when it is easier to get a task done with more people but the task tends to take more priority in those situations. There is an exception when Four and Twilight are investigating the town since they have a heart to heart conversation in which Four comforts and advises Twilight and reveals a little about his own experience as a hero so these interactions are still bonding activities. I just think that most of the time Four focuses on whatever goal rather than bonding with the other character(s) in the interaction.)

Furthermore, Four is offering for the two of them to go find the town’s blacksmith. While there are definitely some practical purposes for finding a blacksmith, restocking arrows for example, blacksmithing is a topic that both Four and Legato have brought up with each other. Four is a career blacksmith and Legato has proven time and time again that he understands weaponry and the magical side of weapon and tool creation. It shows that Four has been paying attention to Legato’s interests! 

Additionally, while Legato and Four start off their outing with the goal of trying to find the blacksmith—they aren’t very focused on finding one throughout the chapter. They get sidetracked into a conversation about enchantments—Legato’s specialty. Four is curious about Legato and he knows that Legato is passionate about magic based on his answer on Wild’s usage of time magic in Puppet Show. He’s letting Legato talk and fill up space—something Legato only does on occasion in the group. Remember, Legato still views himself as a largely inconsequential tag-along to this version of his brothers. He stayed because he didn’t want to accidentally ruin the bonds that come from this adventure for any of the others. While LU Doppelgänger AU follows Legato and how he is making changes to the timeline, Legato at this point wants the timeline to follow as closely to how it was when he adventured with Chain ver. 1 which means he actually sticks to the sidelines during big events early on. That’s why it’s so important that Four let’s Legato guide the conversation while only chiming in to add an anecdote or ask for clarification. Four has noticed that Legato retreats into himself and has repeatedly gone out of the way to get Legato to interact with everyone and the fact that he’s doing this outside of a larger group setting indicates Four’s care to Legato as a friend more than a teammate. 

Their conversation is cut short when Legato notices Hyrule and Wild up ahead and he runs after them causing Four to follow suit. With practically no words, Legato conveys to Four about a plan to surprise the Explorer duo and Four joins in readily. Four doesn’t know what Legato has planned for the duo but he’s down for whatever scheme Legato has concocted. Four is so playful in this moment—something we don’t get to see as often in LU. Of course, Four and Legato don't spring a surprise on the Explorer Duo since they are having a serious heart to heart about the differences between eras. The two are resigned to simply waiting for Wild and Hyrule to move on so they can leave without having intruded on their talk when Wild mentions in a roundabout way that Legato is lucky to have grown up in an era so plentiful. Wild says that Legato’s insistence on teamwork and his adventures are so strange compared to what he’s used to. He inadvertently looks down on Legato’s experience. 

And that hurts Legato.

Deeply.

Legato just shuts down after hearing Wild say that about him and Hyrule’s sort of agreement. He’s unresponsive even when Four repeatedly calls out to him. He’s spiraling badly and Four yells out Link to finally shock him back to awareness. Four’s remarkably gentle with Legato once he’s gotten his attention since this is the first time Four has seen Legato ever shut down like that. He can tell that Legato isn’t okay despite Legato’s reassurance but is hesitant to push him. 

Anyway that’s when everything goes to hell in a different way as the knights descend upon our tiny duo and they have to flee the scene! During their encounter with the knights, Four is initially confused and outraged as to why the knights have decided to attack them and fights back. Legato manages to grab Four while the knights are disorientated and gets them to safety by using his speed boots. Four doesn’t know where they’re going at this point besides “away” but he trusts Legato to get them out of this mess. Which shows a remarkable sense of trust that has built between the two of them over the course of this adventure—since Four complies with little questioning.

Four is aggrieved by the entire situation and his indignation and insults towards the knights gets Legato to laugh after everything. Unfortunately, this means that Legato is going to have to Talk about his Feelings now. 

Now we are going onto the scene that really sold Four and Legato as a duo to me—Four listens to every argument Legato comes up with in defense of Wild and Hyrule and advocates for Legato against Legato himself. 

Four tells Legato that he’s earned his title as a hero. Four tells Legato that he’s allowed to be hurt by what they said despite them being Legato’s friends. Four reminds Legato that all of them were only able to get so far because of the help they received from others. Receiving help isn’t shameful and that actually gets through to Legato. 

What sells Four and Legato’s friendship to me, is just how much both of them support and understand each other. Legato drags Four out of his shell just as much as Four drags Legato back into the world. Legato got Four to agree to a prank toward Wild and Hyrule because he knows that Four wouldn’t pass on an opportunity to mess with someone. Legato got Four to talk with the others early on by introducing Four’s blacksmithing ability as a useful skill for the group. Legato extended his hand towards Four first. Four continuously reaches back and pulls Legato into the larger group right with him. Four treats Legato’s presumed two adventures with respect even if Legato only ever jokes about them. Four listens to Legato’s warnings and interests. Four cuts through Legato’s self-depreciation with so much care for Legato. 

The reciprocity of Four and Legato’s friendship is what makes these two my favorite duo in the entire series.

Now this isn’t the end of this post! We’re moving onto chapter 2 of To Dance on a String!

In the aftermath of chapter 1’s emotional conversation, Four and Legato decide to stay out in the fields outside of Legend’s Hyrule. The pair are eventually found by Wolfie and Legato makes some allusions about Wolfie being Twilight without being too obvious that gets Four too laugh at Twilight’s expense. 

There’s a noticeable ease between Four and Legato after everything. Legato is mostly honest with Four about how he feels after anything. He’s emotionally exhausted and he tells Four that “Today sucked.” Four and Legato joke about the previous event and there is a general light-hearted atmosphere between the two of them as they travel to Legend’s home. 

What’s important to notice here is that Legato is honest with Four. Legato is a person who has repeatedly avoided talking about his emotions throughout the series. While not referenced directly here, Legato had an emotional reaction towards a physical change he undergoes on Wild’s Hyrule that Warriors and Hyrule stumble upon. This is in chapter 3 of Porcelain Veneer and noticeably, Legato does not explain to either heroes why he had such a bad reaction. He skirts around the actual issue there but is honest in the aftermath of his conversation with Four. Today sucked is a small line but Legato’s being honest about how he feels. 

Upon entering Legend’s home, Legato and Four are confronted with Time who asks if they are okay and then immediately follows up with frustration at the two of them for disappearing for 3.5 hours after confirming their condition. Four is annoyed at the perceived slight against his and Legato’s ability to handle themselves. Time and Four start to argue before Legato intervenes and tells Time it was his fault that they were gone for so long. Legato claims incompetence on his part—telling Time that he panicked and grabbed Four and ran from the knights. Legato tells Time that Four and he got lost in Legend’s Hyrule. 

Time drops his interrogation of Four and Legato and tells the two that Wild made food which Legato awkwardly declines stating that he’s tired and is going to bed early. This is very out of character for him and Four is immediately on high alert but doesn’t confront Legato on his actions. 

Four is right to be concerned by Legato’s retelling of events because it inaccurately portrays what happened. During that fight, Legato pulled Four out of the way of an incoming arrow since Four hadn’t registered the knights as a threat yet. Legato breaks the horde around Four by using his Deku lead to blow two of the three knights into the street while Four deals with the last one. Lastly he was the one that navigated the town to get them away from the knights. So while Four could have dealt with the knight any himself—since he could split to get a numbers advantage—Legato still significantly contributed to the fight. Legato doesn’t explain any of this to Time and instead puts all the blame onto himself when in reality the only reason everything went so smoothly was because of Legato. So Four, who knows all of this and knows that Legato took Wild’s words badly earlier in the day has some very important reasons to be concerned by Legato’s recounting of events. Legato is none of what he described himself to Time and it shows that Legato’s perception of himself has been negatively affected by Wild and Hyrule. 

In clarification from Starlight-Eclipsed in the comment section of chapter 2 of To Dance on a String, they state that Four is taking Legato’s explanation of the events and his subsequent actions as evidence that Legato took what Wild said about him to heart—that Legato is incompetent and irresponsible. This worry is further compounded by Legato skipping a meal to go to bed—something Legato always fights about normally. 

Now seeing as how Four and Legato were friends prior to this event and then became even closer afterwards, Four is going to harbor some negative feelings about Wild and Hyrule due to how they hurt Legato. He won’t allow these feelings to negatively impact the group as a whole but he is siding with Legato. From his understanding, Wild and Hyrule hurt Legato. They were not aware of his presence there but they went behind Legato’s back and diminished his accomplishments which negatively impacted Legato’s self-esteem. His opinion on the two heroes has been lowered after the events of To Dance on a String and will influence how he treats these two heroes as the series progresses. 

Four is a good friend and a good teammate. Legato is both his friend and his teammate. However, from this point on, Wild and Hyrule might end up as just temporary teammates due to their actions.

Velveteen Rabbit

Velveteen Rabbit covers what happens shortly after the To Dance on a String as the work opens with Chain ver.2 leaving Legend’s Hyrule. There are not many Four and Legato interactions in this work but it does demonstrate the impact of what happened in the previous one. Since Legato took the blame in order to prevent a fight between Time and Four, protecting Four again–similar to when he reminded Wild that neither Four or he were involved with messing with Wild’s belongings, it has been decided that two are currently banned from partnering. Which is a shame because it was neither Four’s nor Legato’s fault for what happened in To Dance on a String. 

Four is annoyed at how Chain ver.2 are not taking his experience as a hero seriously after what happened but he doesn’t start an argument about it. Once again, Four is demonstrating his maturity and his experience with teams by not making a scene and acquiescing to the ban. He’s willing to wait it out in order for the team to work smoothly. Now that Four is unavailable, Legato searches for someone else to partner with but Wind–the other person Legato is close to–asks to join Time in order to sort out timeline confusion so Legato is last to find someone to pair with. Legato and Sky do pair up together but that only occurs once everyone else pairs up so it is proving Legato’s earlier statement that no one chooses him during group outings. The only time someone has reached out to Legato unprompted was Four and while Legato definitely loves the other heroes, it is telling that Legato usually has to pair up with whoever is last. 

Legato and Four don’t interact until the end of the work when everyone regroups. This is when we see a major divergence from LU.  Chain ver. 2 are discussing cultural differences when they start talking about the properties of gold. Four is telling Twilight that gold is the most malleable metal to work with when Wild chimes in that the gold weapons he’s used to are strong. There’s nothing inherently wrong about Wild explaining his experience with gold weapons but Four becomes visibly annoyed at the comment and fires back that Wild is being hypocritical considering how he just lost his sword. This prompts Time to confirm that statement and then ask Four if it would be possible to craft Wild a new sword. In LU, Four would have offered to start working on a sword for Wild if he wasn’t already working on one but here Four flatly refuses. He tells Time it would take too long to craft one which is true but he doesn’t offer to even start crafting a new sword for Wild. Legato notes that this is uncharacteristic of Four and this difference is because Four has a lowered opinion of Wild in this timeline.

Essentially, Velveteen Rabbit is a showcase of how Legato and Four’s friendship has altered the timeline. It demonstrates Four’s maturity in how he deals with the questioning of his abilities after leaving Legend’s Hyrule but also his defense of his friends–in this case, Legato. Four’s decision to not make Wild a sword despite it being a presumably net positive for the group since they would have all members at full capability showcases just how important Legato is to Four at this point. Four is putting Legato’s pain above providing Wild with a new sword that would have been made to withstand Wild’s fighting style. Four isn’t massively harming the group in that decision seeing as Wild can scavenge for a sword and has ranged weapons to draw from but his dissatisfaction with Wild is immediately evident to anyone familiar with him. In some ways, it shows a childish side to Four that we only really get to see because of Legato. Childish in how he’s addressing the problem but his heart is in the right place. 

In conclusion

The first five works in LU Doppelgänger AU essentially set up Legato and Four’s friendship. Puppet Show covers first contact and Four and Legato gradually come to understand and warm up to each other. Baby Doll establishes that Legato and Four are spending down time with each other outside of the viewpoint we have access to. To Dance on a String showcases the events that cement Four and Legato being genuinely good friends as it allows Four to see Legato’s vulnerability and help deal with Legato’s self-esteem issues. Legato also gets the opportunity to be honest with someone about what’s going on even if he doesn’t share the totality of the situation. Velveteen Rabbit demonstrates how much Four values his friendship with Legato as he prioritizes Legato’s pain over supplying Wild with a proper sword. 

Legato and Four work so well as a friendship because they both push the other into more active roles within Chain ver.2 and allow each other to be vulnerable, childish, bold, and respected despite their appearances. Through their relationship in LU Doppelgänger AU, we are able to explore more sides to Four and Legato has someone who will call him out on his self-deprecation and spiraling while supporting him.

[todidot]

Doesn't Cater lose his shit in the Lab Uniform vigilante when growing the plants? Or was that a fanfic I read?

No you're right! One of the mandrakes he grows turns out all gloomy and depressed, even though they are supposed to reflect the person who grows them's inner self. After that he goes out of his way to grow more mandrakes that are super cheerful and all that.

[todidot]

ALERT. ALERT.

RPG MAKER VX ACE IS FREE ON STEAM.

[todidot]

Ok, so you've been isekai'd to the dnd world and may or may not die due to the class you've been assigned. Better question. Are you human? (spinner wheel of all dnd5e species)