So here we’ve got a couple of twists. The first is Frigg’s reaction, the second is WAV’s lack of one. Although logically there’s no reason why he should, it sorta feels like the expectation was for WAV to start remembering his life as Best as soon as he was unmasked. He clearly doesn’t, which preserves just a little doubt about his identity.

I almost wanted to see that alt text as an extra panel, with Frigg looking at him like a deer in the headlights as he starts gathering up the vomit, but I suppose that might be putting a hat on a hat. The current punchline is a good way to bring things full circle.

RIP Rachel’s headscarf… I doubt Frigg’s gonna keep carrying it around for long after it got speckled by that.

So just for the record, this story was a Kickstarter fulfillment “bonus tale,” written (almost) entirely by Flo just as “Mental Health Day” was (almost) entirely by me. On the whole, it’s surprisingly lighthearted as a follow-up to the heavy Chapter 35. Frigg grieves but in a comical manner, Fr’Nj busies herself and affects cheer, Gravedust has family matters to buoy his spirits. And the others who fought at her side… Sundar, WAV, Penk, and Magda… were all sad she was gone, but they weren’t exactly close. Just as E-Merl, Syr’Nj, and Scipio, when last we saw them, didn’t know about Rachel’s loss, this group doesn’t yet know about the losses the other team has suffered and witnessed.

Next chapter, we’ll see how the group copes without any more blissful ignorance to shield them, and if there’ll even be a group after it all sinks in.