#also to clarify. i say my cousins but i specifically mean this one household which has like 7 of my cousins

[fabulouslygaybean]

hearing my mom talk abt my cousins and how she thinks it's sad how the oldest ones still live w their parents is worrying bc like. i have a sinking feeling she'll want me outta the house the second i turn 18 and idk if im ready for that

[hopefulfestivaltastemaker]

February 7, 2021

This is my weekly roundup of things I am up to. Topics include anthropocentrism, modularity and risk, minimum lot sizes, and the Great Stagnation.

Flavors of Anthropocentrism

This Twitter thread was helpful to me in clarifying different notions of anthropocentrism that are common in philosophical discourse. While there are many such definitions, two in particular I think are important.

1) The belief that humans (and human values, if you’re a weak anthropocentrist) have high or exclusive moral weight relative to ecosystems or other organisms.

2) The belief that humans are special in the kingdom of life and have unique roles and responsibilities.

In the thread, Nils Gilman conflates the two definitions, while Wolf Tivy decouples them, as does the original piece linked; David Grinspoon on the Sapiezoic. David comes fairly close to defining a view that is similar to what I want to advocate. My view has two main components: first, that civilization, as a unique form of emergent complexity, does deserve special (though by no means exclusive) moral consideration, and second, that scientific advancement allows us to play positive-sum games between values systems and thus is something to be pursued.

Wolf also referenced Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, an early 20th Century French Jesuit priest who is best known (at least by me) for introducing Omega Point cosmology and the idea of the noosphere. But I know little about his broader work. Now I want to investigate more thoroughly.

Modularity and Risk Reduction

The main tradeoff in urban design is between economies (good things) and diseconomies (bad things) that come with scale. The diseconomies of scale tend to grow faster than economies, but from a smaller base, and from a sufficiently large size. For this reason, there tends to be an optimum city size, though this optimum varies widely based on the city’s economic specialization, transportation infrastructure, and other factors. I am interested in the question of whether and how these principles might be extended to networks of cities (e.g. civilization). While there are clearly economies of scale, there also seem to be observable diseconomies of scale. One such diseconomy is what the Effective Altruist community identifies as existential risk, or its slightly less severe cousin, global catastrophic risk.

For this reason, there is great interest in tools that reduce risk without also harming economies of scale. That’s where this article on mitigating x-risk through modularity comes in. It calls for forms of modular civilization design to decouple risks across regions. An example would be cities that are better able to prevent arrival and departure to control infectious disease outbreaks. The article mentions space colonization as a form of modularity but notes that this is not a practical option for the foreseeable future.

The ideas here are interesting, but I’m not sure how they would work in practice. The article also doesn’t note the scale/risk tradeoff mentioned earlier, which I think has to be a central consideration of any risk reduction measure.

Relative to the EA community, I am more concerned about technological stagnation and demographic decline, and less about nuclear war, AI run amok, etc. (though I acknowledge that these are serious issues as well). This makes me think about modularity in somewhat different terms. For example, charter, private, and homeschooling as a way of reducing the ideological pressures that are prevalent in public schooling; decentralized social media; charter cities, quantified health; and so forth. These areas too require rigor in terms of social polyculture gained versus the costs of decentralization.

Minimum Lot Size

This week the Oregon Legislature considered a bill, HB 2655, that would put a statewide cap of 1 acre on minimum lot sizes for residential areas that countries can impose. The cap is currently 5 acres. According to research that Urban Cruise Ship has done, minimum lot size regulations are the most impactful regulation, per housing unit affected, of widely used zoning rules on land use. There are 13 pieces of written testimony submitted against the bill, 2 asking for clarification, and 1 (namely, mine) in favor (on Twitter I said there are 15 testimonies against, but I mistakenly double-counted two of them).

Aside from the usual NIMBY stuff, the most prevalent argument against the bill is that it would encourage rural development and hence sprawl. Rather upset at the time, I marveled on Twitter how minimum lot size regulations could be packaged as anti-sprawl tools. I guess the rationale is a sort of Simpson’s Paradox situation: while the new rules should densify rural development, they would increase rural development relative to urban development and lower density overall. In theory at least. I’d have to do some calculations to know whether this argument holds water. I haven’t done so, and I am quite certain that the opponents of the bill haven’t done so either. At any rate, in my testimony I was more concerned with affordability than density, and the rules would indisputably improve affordability.

I only became aware of the bill because of some comments that Randy Tucker, Oregon Metro’s state lobbyist, made in a work session. Randy, presumably representing Metro’s official position, is against the bill, apparently concerned primarily about retaining local control over land use decisions. I am bothered that (what appears to be) Metro’s official position would make housing less affordable, which clearly goes against my interest, though I don’t think this is something worth making a stink to my representative about.

Another big question in my mind is where the state’s pro-housing establishment was. They got a major land use reform bill, HB 2001, through the legislature a couple years ago. I get it that it’s hard to trawl through everything that the legislature does. A person almost has to be a full-time lobbyist to keep track of everything, and I certainly don’t keep track of everything. But even with this dynamic accounted for, the pro-housing movement seems to be very selective about what they will and won’t support, and housing affordability is at best one of several priorities that they bring to the table.

Great Stagnation

There were several pieces in the last few weeks about whether the world is in a ���Great Stagnation”, and what, if anything, we can reasonably do about it. For the sake of clarity, I consider the Great Stagnation to be the observed secular slowdown in growth of Total Factor Productivity, but the term has a somewhat broader meaning.

Discussion was kicked off by this Jason Crawford post, where he seems to have come around to the idea that there is in fact a secular TFP slowdown. Crawford points out that we are currently seeing significant progress in information technology, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we were seeing significant progress across the board.

Eli Dourado breaks down technology growth here, and he calls specifically for innovation in areas that make up the lion’s share of the budget for poor households: housing, energy, food, and health care (education isn’t mentioned but that is another important area). He calls for a progressive supply-side approach to these issues, which he rightly identifies as much superior to simply writing checks, which has become a sort of default option for dealing with social challenges.

The Nintel blog added this piece, arguing two points. First, there is no evidence of a technological slowdown. Second, trying to identify a unified theory for stagnation is not very helpful, and we should focus on reforms that we know will raise TFP, like raising birth rates. The piece is interesting. I would be inclined to agree with the second point but disagree with the first; it seems to me that there really is a slowdown in basic science, though the jury is still out on my mind whether this is something that can be reversed.

I’ve been thinking about this issue for a long time without any clear answers, and I wonder if I have reached a point of diminishing returns. One final observation: to say that there is a slowdown in TFP is to use a fixed annual percentage rate of TFP growth (or exponential growth in the economy) as a baseline expectation. But why should we expect that? In a different context, I’ve criticized the emissions/GDP (carbon intensity) metric as one that implicitly expects these two quantities to be proportional and then seeks to explain deviation from proportionality. But I think there are inherent reasons to not expect them to be proportional, and so declining carbon intensity is not a thing that needs to be explained, at least in that form. Maybe declining TFP is in the same boat.

[real-life-pine-tree]

Counterpart Cousins: Dance Lessons - Part 2 (2/?)

When Yuto discovers his connections to the Sakaki family, his once-bleak and lonely life becomes a lot brighter. A series of Yuya and Yuto familial fluff oneshots based on the Arc-V Aftermath series. Co-written with @violetganache42​.

Yuya has never been to Shay and Lulu's house before; he was aware that his cousin lives there, yet he hasn't seen it in person. He has been occasionally wondering what it might look like for the past weeks. Yuto reminded him that Orbital was still parked outside of the house, specifically in the driveway, so he'll take them back to Heartland. With Yuya's face expressing glee, he grabbed his shoes and quickly put them on as the two headed downstairs and informed Yoko of where they'll be going. She told her son to be back before dinner before seeing them leaving the house, forming a smile on her face knowing they're spending time together as cousins.

"What's it like living in a fancy place?" Yuya asked. "Are there peacocks in a garden?"

"It's nothing special," Yuto answered. "It's big, but not too big. The only main differences are that the rooms are more elegant in design and there are countless robot servants all over the place."

"That would explain the robot driving the car," Yuya commented.

"GREETINGS YUYA SAKAKI," Orbital said. "MY NAME IS ORBITAL 7. I AM THE OBSIDIANS' HEAD BUTLER."

Yuya waved "Hello" at Orbital as he was notified on how rich and elite people can afford robot servants, with the Obsidians being an example. He did remember something about the amount of money Shay and Lulu's parents made from their successful corporation—which was sponsoring the Team Duel Tournament—prior to the Invasion; many special events that occurred in Heartland were presented by ObsidianCorp and this one was unique because the familial wealth was in danger despite the company being fully restored, making this a useful tactic to regaining any lost profits.

Orbital had already gathered what Yuto and Yuya were talking about after they got into the car, meaning it was time to go. He shifted the car in reverse to back out of the driveway before changing it to drive and heading down the street to the Obsidian residence within the section of Heartland City.

"Why are you taking me over to your place?" Yuya asked.

"For suit measurements," Yuto explained. "The Obsidians have a lot of rooms for whenever they need to maintain their perfect image."

Yuya was baffled by that term. "Perfect image...?"

"I don't get it either," Yuto admitted. "But apparently being an Obsidian requires them to look their best all the time. Shay and Lulu can probably explain it better than I can."

A perplexed Yuya couldn't believe that there are families that have to sustain this "perfect image" everyday, even if there are no special events taking place. Then again, it would also explain why Yuto has subtle yet noticable differences, aside from the glasses. His hair looked softer, his skin felt smoother, and even the way he now spoke was very similar to Shay and Lulu's semi-formal dialect.

"You do realize you're not an Obsidian, right?" Yuya asked.

"Not yet," Yuto clarified. "Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian have made wedding plans for when I marry Lulu. They want me to get used to living in an elite environment, so I have been taking special lessons."

Special lessons? There are lessons involved in looking your best? Yuya grew surprised as he asked himself those questions. "So they tell you how to dress and act?" he asked.

"Sort of," Yuto answered. "Shay and Lulu also took similar lessons when they were growing up. It's so I would know what to expect in an elite environment once I'm married into the family."

He further explained on how he had trouble with getting used to living a wealthy lifestyle because he was born a commoner. He never worried about his appearance while growing up before moving in to live with them. Yuto did learn to have a clean look due to his noble behavior, but that was it. He didn't worry about getting his clothes stained or ripped. After dealing with Duel Academy's sudden Invasion and going through the Interdimensional War, he has gotten rather used to wearing tattered clothing, especially considering what happened with his rental suit. So with that in mind, suddenly having to worry about maintaining a perfect image initially felt weird.

"Was it easy to adjust?" Yuya asked.

"Not at first," Yuto admitted. "I had to use a lint roller and they didn't even have the type of shampoo I usually used."

He never forgot that day; trying to deal with a flatter-than-usual hairstyle was a hassle on its own, but the bangs were the most difficult because they kept blocking his eyes and he had to push them behind his ears to keep them in place. Fortunately, Kameron bought a shampoo brand called Thick and Spiky for him. It was a more expensive version of Spike and Curl without any damaging oils, so Yuto has used that brand ever since. As the cousins conversed with each other, Orbital drove up in front of the gate.

"HERE WE ARE, MASTER Y-YUTO AND YUYA SAKAKI," Orbital said, pressing a button on the steering wheel. "THE OBSIDIAN RESIDENCE."

The pressed button resulted in the front gate opening, allowing them to enter. As Orbital drove up to the house, Yuya was astonished at how everything looked; the huge front yard had a mowed lawn and well-trimmed hedges, but what really caught his eye was how large the house was. It wasn't as big as a mansion, but bigger than a regular house, much like how Yuto described it. It was hard to believe that his own cousin lives in something as amazing as this.

"Whoa..." Yuya said, noticing the robots that were maintaining the lawn and hedges. "This place looks pretty fancy."

For someone who's never been to the Obsidians' house, let alone visit an expensive and large house, it was breathtaking to him. The car then parked in front of the tall doorway, and as the three exited it, Yuya couldn't stop staring at how gigantic the doors were.

"ALLOW ME, MASTER Y-YUTO," Orbital said, then he opened the doors.

Yuto and Yuya walked into the house, with the Performapal user getting more starry-eyed at how beautifully elegant the place was. He saw more robot maids roaming through the halls to tend and keep everything clean.

"WELCOME HOME, MASTER YUTO," a robot maid with a vacuum cleaner said. "YOUR MONTHLY HAIR APPOINTMENT IS IN TWO DAYS."

"Thanks for the heads up," Yuto replied.

"All of these robots actually respond to you?" Yuya asked.

"All of the robots in the household obey everyone who lives here," Yuto explained. "Even me."

Yuya was intrigued by the thought of robots taking care of houses and he kind of wished he was born in an elite environment. But before he could continue with his thoughts, Yuto gave a hand gesture to indicate to follow him upstairs. The former quickly caught up with him, and as they walked through the second floor, he marveled at every detail of the halls and glimpsed at what some of the rooms were; he even pondered on the probability of a dueling room somewhere.  Pretty soon, they stopped at the tailor room so that suit measurements can be noted.

"HELLO MASTER YUTO," a robot maid in the room said. "ARE YOU HERE FOR SUIT ADJUSTMENTS?"

"Not today," Yuto answered. "My cousin needs a new suit for an upcoming school dance."

The robot maid looked at Yuya. "MY GOD, THAT LOOKS ATROCIOUS," she said, grabbing the tomato-haired teen by the arm. "YOU NEED A FULL-BODY MAKEOVER."

Atrocious?! That was a little too extreme to say about his outfit because he was dressed more casual than the Obsidians. "What?!" Yuya yelped.

"Relax," Yuto said. "These robots had the same reaction when they first saw me."

He recalled on the first day he moved in, which was the day after Leo's separation procedure; when Shay and Lulu introduced him to one of the robot maids, it took him over to the family spa room to give him a full-body makeover, surprising him in the process. He wore his pre-Invasion outfit and what he wore apparently led him to getting some… "much-needed pampering". He was treated with a warm bath with a few essential oils, a masculine manicure (similar to a regular manicure but without the nail polish), and a massage. Although it did feel nice, he had some difficulty deducing what was going on and why they were indulging him in spa treatments.

"So they're gonna give me spa treatments?!" Yuya asked.

"Not just spa treatments," Yuto explained. "Afterwards, they're going to work on your hair, face, and clothes."

"WHAT?!" Yuya asked. "But the dance isn't for a few days!"

How was he going to get out of this? He was here to get measurements for his suit, not receive a makeover. Unfortunately, much to his dismay, the robot maid dragged him out of the tailor room and into the spa room to carry out the procedure, regardless of his protests.

"Relax," Yuto said as he followed his cousin. "Struggling will only make things worse."

Yuya reluctantly stopped trying to break free from the robo-maid's grasp as they headed down the hallway. A couple minutes later, the boys spotted Shay approaching the salon room for a trim as part of his monthly hair appointment. "Yuya?" the older heir asked. "What are you doing here?"

"THIS BOY LOOKS ATROCIOUS," the robot maid answered. "HE NEEDS A FULL-BODY MAKEOVER."

"Help!" Yuya cried out.

"Sorry Yuya," Shay said. "Once the robots see an unkempt person, they won't stop until that person is dressed appropriately."

"Seriously?!" Yuya asked. "The school dance isn't for a few days! I can't get ready this early!"

Shay chuckled. "Fine," he said amusingly. "Activate Protocol NF-432."

The robot maid obeyed the command and let go of Yuya from her grasp. As he rubbed on the area where his arm was held on to, he wondered how the Obsidians even lived with them. Yuto explained how Protocol NF-432 was a recent program installed not long after he moved in because they wanted to make sure something like what just occurred doesn't happen to anyone if they're stopping by for a visit.

"He's half-right," Shay said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I originally installed that protocol when I was younger."

Yuya was in disbelief. "You?" he asked. "But you seem to like this kind of environment. Why would you install that kind of protocol?"

"It might be hard to believe, but when I was younger, I wasn't as civilized as I am now," Shay explained. "I wanted to hang out with normal kids and be a normal boy, so I created that protocol to avoid unneeded grooming and pampering. Ultimately I got rid of those childlike mannerisms and grew up. Mother and father uninstalled my protocol around that time, but when Yuto moved in, the protocol was reinstalled."

Yuya was admittedly glad that Shay created that protocol because the last thing he needed was to look dashing days before the night of the school dance. Maybe the thought of having robot maids around the house was a bit too much for him to handle.

"So what brings you here, Yuya?" Shay asked.

"I brought him here," Yuto answered. "He was thinking about wearing his dad's old tuxedo for a school dance."

Shay remembered seeing Yuya wear that same tux for Lono's funeral. "Then you came to the right place," the older heir said. "I'll teach you how to look nice for a basic school dance."

"Uh..." Yuya stammered.

"Relax," Yuto said. "I told you Shay and Lulu can explain what it means to have a perfect image."

The three headed into the salon room for Yuya's lesson; consequently, Shay's monthly hair appointment will be postponed for an hour, but he didn't mind. Unfortunately, the robot maid in the salon room did mind.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, MASTER SHAY?" the robot maid demanded. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE EXACTLY THREE MINUTES AGO."

"I apologize, but I'm going to have to postpone my appointment for an hour," Shay explained. "For now, this guest needs some fashion tips."

As the robot maid looked at Yuya, Shay quickly activated his protocol, much to the tomato-haired teen's relief. "Thanks Shay," he said.

"No problem," Shay answered. "Now first of all, how often do you comb your hair?"

"Not very often," Yuya admitted. He rubbed the back of his head. "Only to untangle any snarls."

"Then there's your problem," Shay said. "Your hair looks too unkempt. For a formal setting, you need to make sure it's properly smoothed out."

"What about Yuto?" Yuya asked. "His hair looks too spiky."

"That's different," Yuto explained. "My hair is much thicker than Shay's." He further mentioned on how thicker hair results in spikier hairstyles.

"So if you could just sit in the chair, we can get started," Shay said.

Yuya sat in the provided chair in the room. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now we just need to find the right look," Shay answered. "Luckily the robot maid was programmed to know a lot of different hairstyles, so she'll be able to find the right one that works with your hair type."

Find the right style? Does that mean he was going to get…a haircut? Yuya grew worried because that meant scissors are involved and he's not a big fan of them, mostly because of how weird and painful it felt when the blades are near his skin.

"Uh... Could you not use scissors?" Yuya asked, getting nervous. "I really don't like it when the blades are so close to my skin."

"OF COURSE," the robot maid said, putting down some scissors and picking up a comb and dipping it in a canister of water. "MASTER YUTO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM."

Yuya looked back at his cousin, whose gesture said that it was true. He mentioned how the wet combs the robot maid was using helps part the hair into sections and untangles snarls and knots.

"YOUR HAIR LOOKS JUST LIKE A TOMATO," the robot maid commented as she styled the Pendulum Duelist's hair. "WHAT IS IT WITH KIDS THESE DAYS HAVING SALAD-BASED HAIR?"

Yuya wasn't sure how to respond. "She was just as alarmed when she saw my hair," Yuto clarified. He brushed a hand through his own hair. "It does look like eggplants."

Yuya held back a laugh because of how true it is; their hairdos do resemble food, even Yugo's banana-shaped bangs and Yuri's old cabbage-like haircut. As a matter of fact, they were obviously not the only ones to have wacky coiffures since a lot of people in the Original Dimension have bizarre hair in terms of shapes and colors. A "what if" scenario started to form in the Performapal user's mind and wondered how the robot maid will react if she ever met Yugi because he may be the undisputed champion of having an absurd hairstyle.

The robot maid used the comb to unwind any tangles that might have formed as the bristles glided and flowed through the strands and locks of hair while parting various sections to make sure the new look was consistently nice. Several minutes later, she completed the procedure by wrapping a hair tie around a section from behind and Yuya saw the finished results through his reflection in the mirror. It was similar to Yuri's new haircut: pushed back with a few red and green streaks separated but flowing in the same direction as the rest of his hairdo; the only differences being there is a small ponytail and his bangs were combed back.

"Whoa..." Yuya said. "I look amazing!"

The robot maid proceeded to install something into Yuya's Duel Disk. "THERE," she said. "I HAVE INSTALLED A PDF OF THE HAIRSTYLE PROCEDURE SO YOU MAY TRY IT OUT YOURSELF."

Yuya thanked the robot maid before getting off the chair to see what Yuto and Shay think. Needless to say, they both had different reactions.

"Not bad," Shay said. "You look pretty sharp."

Yuto smiled as he bowed. "Your highness," he said. With him already becoming a true knight, this was his way of telling his cousin that he looks like a prince.

Yuya seemed a bit disbelieved. "Huh...?"

Yuto stood to his full height. "That hairstyle makes you look like a true prince," he explained.

Yuya looked at his reflection once more. "Me? ...A prince?"

He never thought of himself as a prince until now. With his usual hairstyle, he looked more like a soon-to-be Dueltainer, but the new style he received made him see the resemblance, as if he was the prince and Zuzu was his Cinderella.

"Zuzu..." Yuya muttered, wondering what she'll think of his new look.

"We're not done," Shay said. "Now we need to work on a new suit for you."

"What's wrong with my dad's old tux?" Yuya asked.

"It looks old," Shay answered. "Trust me on this one. I grew up learning about different types of suits, so I know an old one when I see it."

Shay directed Yuya to follow him and Yuto to the tailor room that wasn't far from the salon room. He knew that the two cousins have the same body figure and share the same size when it comes to clothes, but it never hurts to double check; besides, not every piece of clothing were made with the same material, whether it's fabric, silk, or polyester. Unfortunately, Yuya couldn't tell the material apart.

"Is there really a difference?" Yuya asked, looking at the various material on the room's shelves.

"There is," Shay answered. "It all depends on your skin type. Since you probably have the same skin type as Yuto, you should have a silk suit."

Poor Yuya ended up drawing a blank. "Eh... No comment?"

"I don't really get it either," Yuto admitted. "Luckily Shay is good at this kind of stuff."

Before anyone knew it, another robot maid strolled her way into the tailor room to take Yuya's measurements…right after Shay activated the protocol, of course. "Thanks Shay," Yuya said when the Raidraptor user activated his protocol.

However, as the robot maid calculated Yuya's measurements, she got a bit confused. "MY GOODNESS," she said. "YOU INITIALLY APPEAR TO HAVE A SLENDER FIGURE, BUT YOUR LEGS ARE TOO BIG. WHAT KIND OF A MONSTROUS FRAME IS THIS?"

Yuya immediately knew what she meant and briefly indicated how his pants are poofier than most. "THEN I MUST ASK YOU TO TAKE THEM OFF SO I MAY RECEIVE THE CORRECT MEASUREMENTS," the robot maid instructed.

He became a little worried on why he should take them off in front of Shay and Yuto due to his low self-esteem with his body.

"O...Okay," Yuya said, slowly taking off his pants. "Here I go. Taking off my pants..." He gulped. "Right now..."

Yuto groaned in frustration. "Just take them off already," he said.

"That's what I'm doing," Yuya said. He had finished unbuttoning and unzipping, but he was hesitant to take off his pants.

Eventually, Yuto grew fed up with his cousin not taking off his pants. It's just three boys in one room; there's nothing to be embarrassed about. So he walked over to Yuya and lowered his pants for him, revealing his Hip Hippo-printed boxers.

"What was that for?!" Yuya asked, embarrassed.

"It's just Shay and me," Yuto explained. "You shouldn't get embarrassed."

"THANK YOU, MASTER YUTO," the robot maid said. "NOW I CAN GET THE RIGHT MEASUREMENTS."

She resumed taking down measurements as she used the tape measure to determine the length and size of Yuya's legs, much to his humiliation. He had a feeling he picked a wrong day to wear his favorite boxers.

"MY GOODNESS," the robot maid said after a few minutes of measuring. "YOU ARE MORE SLENDER THAN MASTER YUTO."

"But I thought we have the same body structure," Yuya recalled.

"Not quite," Yuto explained as he lifted the front of his t-shirt to reveal his developing six-pack.

Yuto had recently been working out not long after he moved in when he learned there was a gym on the first floor. Naturally, he admitted that the Invasion occurring at least did something good for his body: he had more muscle than his counterparts and past incarnation. However, since this was the first time Yuya found out about this, he was a bit envious of his cousin's developing build.

"That's... Wow..." Yuya muttered, sheepishly rubbing his thin arm.

"I used to have the exact same body as you," Yuto explained, lowering his t-shirt. "But when the Invasion happened, I ended up developing a bit of muscle. So I appreciate you and Uncle Yusho getting a new suit for me, but it felt a bit tight on me."

Yuya felt kind of bad about the revelation regarding the suit. He and his father have worked so hard to get that for Yuto for his LID dance do-over, but it felt tight on him this whole time? Before he could respond, the robot maid finished with the measurements.

"YOUR SUIT MEASUREMENTS ARE COMPLETE," the robot maid reported. "THE RESULTS WILL BE FINISHED IN A FEW DAYS, SO PLEASE BE PATIENT."

A few days? That means his suit will be ready around the time of his school dance…hopefully, before the school dance. "Thanks," the tomato-haired teen said as he put his pants back on. "I-"

"Shay, what do you think you're doing?"

The three teens turned their heads towards the tailor room entrance, where Kameron stood there to remind his son about his hair appointment. Needless to say, Shay looked deeply ashamed.

"My apologies, father," the older teen said. "I was helping Yuya prepare for an upcoming school dance."

"I understand your need to help your friends, but you cannot miss any appointments," Kameron said. "You're going to become the head of ObsidianCorp someday, so you need to maintain your perfect image. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father," Shay replied. But before he and Kameron left the room, Yuya stopped them.

"What's up with that phrase?" Yuya asked. "What's the big deal about having this 'perfect image'? I get that you're wealthy, but shouldn't you relax?"

Shay clenched his fists. "Having a perfect image was always important for my sister and I," he explained. "Obsidians always have to be absolutely perfect in everything, even after tragedy strikes. We can't let anyone else know we suffered."

"Anyone else?" Are they the only ones who are aware of the Invasion? Yuto explained that he and the Obsidians were in tight spots at the Kastles' party not too long ago. The elites judged him for being a commoner and rose discussions regarding Lulu's En Birds marking due to the Elite Duels until they revealed what happened to the siblings and they—along with their parents—need help and support in regaining their lost wealth.

"That's why having a perfect image is so important to you?" Yuya asked, sounding a bit sad.

"We were always obsessed with having a perfect image," Shay clarified. "The Invasion only pushed things further. It's not about simply looking good for the general public anymore. We need to recover everything that we lost."

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Yuya asked.

"I appreciate the concern, but that's something we must deal with," Kameron answered. "For now, you should worry about your school dance."

As Kameron and Shay walked to the salon room, Yuya was left saddened by what he was told about. "He's right," Yuto told his cousin. "I asked the same thing, but not even I can do anything to help."

"But there has to be something we can do!" Yuya exclaimed.

"There isn't," Yuto repeated, giving Yuya's hand a reassuring squeeze. "This is something wealthy people apparently deal with on their own. They don't need commoners to help out."

"This still doesn't feel right," Yuya said. "Are you sure you want to live in this kind of environment?"

Yuto closed his eyes. "I'm doing this for her," he answered. "For my beloved princess." He opened his eyes. "I love her and I'll do anything for her."

Yuya knew exactly who he was talking about. "You're doing this for Lulu?"

"Who else?" Yuto asked in response. "I'm still trying to figure out what my future is, but being with her feels right. I don't think I can live without her."

Yuya was a bit surprised. "That seems a bit extreme..." he commented.

"Need I remind you that I gave in to Zarc's darkness when I heard Lulu's screams?" Yuto pointed out. "I need her in my life. I absolutely adore her that much." He further mentioned how he can't bear to see her in pain or in danger and must do whatever it takes to protect her.

"That's why you gave in when-" Yuya started to say, but then he noticed Yuto's pained expression.

"I don't like thinking about that," Yuto confessed. "I nearly lost her that day. I can never lose her again."

Yuya gave his cousin a reassuring smile. "It's alright," he said. "Besides, you helped me prepare for the school dance. The least I could do is give you support. And who knows? Maybe I could be your best man on your wedding day."

Yuto let out a chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind," he said.

The two were glad to have each other and even felt content knowing how their bond grew. Their first meeting was like it happened yesterday, with them encountering Yugo shortly after that; due to their blind rage and accusations, it virtually set the stage for what was to come during and after the Interdimensional War. They never thought that they were more than just dimensional counterparts yet they easily accepted the information about them being cousins. It was kind of funny to learn how an unexpected chance encounter was actually fate all along and the heat of the moment was heavily focused on until it was finally situated.