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Art by: https://www.deviantart.com/ablugreen
After Jewel left, Tangle popped into Duo's hospital room with an apology on Whisper's behalf as Lanolin was reading the wolf the riot act. She didn't divulge too much, especially not the previous Cutters, aside from just saying that Mimic left his mark on Whisper and him being free has had her on edge.
"Hey, I can't say I blame," Duo confessed, trying to sound as affable as he could. "The war alone left a lot of friends I knew a mess. I'd hate to meet the feller who'd feel good after it. Tell Lanolin to go easy on her."
Tangle smiled. "Well, that's a load off my shoulders," she sighed, getting up towards the door. “I’ll get out of your fur and let you rest up.” Duo afforded himself a small smirk when the lemur stopped.
“Oh… just one more thing…” Tangle said innocently enough before turning back. “How come you still have your gloves on if you’re resting? In fact… I don’t think I ever saw your hands.”
Duo awkwardly dropped his smirk and scrambled for an excuse. “Oh… well… it’s not exactly something you bring up in casual conversation,” he tried to speak in a way that came off as embarrassed. “My hands suffered a bad burning in the war, real ugly stuff.”
“Oh, sorry,” Tangle apologized, sticking out her tongue over her lack of tact. “It’s just been bothering me in the back of my head. Whisper’s always telling me to work on my filter.”
Duo held back the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, the gloves help me feel stronger, y’know?” he reasserted his peppy Everyman demeanor. “Like I’m Knuckles.” He tried to reign in the pep with some modesty. “Don’t… tell him that though.”
“Well, I can tell the nurses to look at your burns,” Tangle offered. “I think I hear one now down the hall.”
“No!” Duo blurted out before realizing his cool was being lost when he saw Tangle’s surprise. “I’ll ask myself later. I don’t want any more fuss than I already got today.” He laid down, trying to seem tired. “Maybe you should help Whisper with, we’ll, you know?”
Tangle stared at him with mild bemusement and Mimic almost thought the game was up until…
“Yeah, I better play peacekeeper before it’s too late,” she said while shrugging. “I’ll try to think of a good team building exercise. One even Lanny won’t shoot down.” She left through the door and allowed Duo to full on glare as if she were still here.
Did she know? Was he compromised? Or was she just dense and stumbling close to the truth? He tried to keep his cool and assume the latter. I mean... if Whisper was fooled by his performance, then what did some yokel from whatever hill village have on him?
He'd be fine.
Or so he thought until the Diamond Cutters started prepping for the Clean Sweepstakes. Tangle was shooting the bull about uniform ideas with Lanolin keen to dispute her more outlandish ideas when...
"Say Duo," Tangle asked when his back was turned in helping unpacking supplies, "ever considered a hat?"
Duo tensed up and hoped nobody noticed. "Never was one for headwear honestly but..." he began before Tangle went on.
"Like one of those... French beanie things...?" she strained to remember. "What are they again?"
Berets. As in Slinger The Ocelot's hat. As in the basis for Mimic's current persona. He had hoped that this recolor and his outfit would throw off Whisper's scent at least but he had forgotten that Tangle had seen the Diamond Cutter's archival footage as well.
Probably poured over them as their successor.
"Couldn't say," Duo admitted with an attempt at bashfulness. "Besides, wouldn't hats get blown off in the wind?"
"Finally, somebody says it," Lanolin exclaimed in exasperation. "And don't even get me started on capes again."
Duo was glad to have evaded the question with a sigh until he saw Whisper's right eye open up ever so narrowly. She wasn't frowning or smiling. The Mimic inside knew this as her observation gaze. Like the sniper she was, Whisper was waiting for him to show his hand. Literally.
Did Tangle tell her about their talk in sick bay? Did his little show and dance with Silver not convince her? It was starting to really get to him. No. Stay calm. At worst, he'll play Whisper off as getting paranoid again.
This is something I felt could've been a reoccurring gag during Mimic's live performance as Duo where Tangle basically gets all Detective Columbo in posing observations amongst casual banter, coming close to the right conclusion. Either that or an annual issue that shows scenes in between the big moments.
In fact, I feel that Mimic should've kept his communicator on vibrate and decide to move in to attack the Diamond Cutters in knowing Clutch's plans were going belly up. He attempts to shank Tangle only for her to quickly grab his knife hand with her tail and get his glove off, exposing his tell as a shapeshifting. A more dramatic reveal than him not silencing his phone.
Even then, we don't know if Tangle had been onto him this whole time or was just really lucky. Either way, it'd still feel good to see Duo squirming.
After Jewel left, Tangle popped into Duo's hospital room with an apology on Whisper's behalf as Lanolin was reading the wolf the riot act. She didn't divulge too much, especially not the previous Cutters, aside from just saying that Mimic left his mark on Whisper and him being free has had her on edge.
"Hey, I can't say I blame," Duo confessed, trying to sound as affable as he could. "The war alone left a lot of friends I knew a mess. I'd hate to meet the feller who'd feel good after it. Tell Lanolin to go easy on her."
Tangle smiled. "Well, that's a load off my shoulders," she sighed, getting up towards the door. “I’ll get out of your fur and let you rest up.” Duo afforded himself a small smirk when the lemur stopped.
“Oh… just one more thing…” Tangle said innocently enough before turning back. “How come you still have your gloves on if you’re resting? In fact… I don’t think I ever saw your hands.”
Duo awkwardly dropped his smirk and scrambled for an excuse. “Oh… well… it’s not exactly something you bring up in casual conversation,” he tried to speak in a way that came off as embarrassed. “My hands suffered a bad burning in the war, real ugly stuff.”
“Oh, sorry,” Tangle apologized, sticking out her tongue over her lack of tact. “It’s just been bothering me in the back of my head. Whisper’s always telling me to work on my filter.”
Duo held back the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, the gloves help me feel stronger, y’know?” he reasserted his peppy Everyman demeanor. “Like I’m Knuckles.” He tried to reign in the pep with some modesty. “Don’t… tell him that though.”
“Well, I can tell the nurses to look at your burns,” Tangle offered. “I think I hear one now down the hall.”
“No!” Duo blurted out before realizing his cool was being lost when he saw Tangle’s surprise. “I’ll ask myself later. I don’t want any more fuss than I already got today.” He laid down, trying to seem tired. “Maybe you should help Whisper with, we’ll, you know?”
Tangle stared at him with mild bemusement and Mimic almost thought the game was up until…
“Yeah, I better play peacekeeper before it’s too late,” she said while shrugging. “I’ll try to think of a good team building exercise. One even Lanny won’t shoot down.” She left through the door and allowed Duo to full on glare as if she were still here.
Did she know? Was he compromised? Or was she just dense and stumbling close to the truth? He tried to keep his cool and assume the latter. I mean... if Whisper was fooled by his performance, then what did some yokel from whatever hill village have on him?
He'd be fine.
Or so he thought until the Diamond Cutters started prepping for the Clean Sweepstakes. Tangle was shooting the bull about uniform ideas with Lanolin keen to dispute her more outlandish ideas when...
"Say Duo," Tangle asked when his back was turned in helping unpacking supplies, "ever considered a hat?"
Duo tensed up and hoped nobody noticed. "Never was one for headwear honestly but..." he began before Tangle went on.
"Like one of those... French beanie things...?" she strained to remember. "What are they again?"
Berets. As in Slinger The Ocelot's hat. As in the basis for Mimic's current persona. He had hoped that this recolor and his outfit would throw off Whisper's scent at least but he had forgotten that Tangle had seen the Diamond Cutter's archival footage as well.
Probably poured over them as their successor.
"Couldn't say," Duo admitted with an attempt at bashfulness. "Besides, wouldn't hats get blown off in the wind?"
"Finally, somebody says it," Lanolin exclaimed in exasperation. "And don't even get me started on capes again."
Duo was glad to have evaded the question with a sigh until he saw Whisper's right eye open up ever so narrowly. She wasn't frowning or smiling. The Mimic inside knew this as her observation gaze. Like the sniper she was, Whisper was waiting for him to show his hand. Literally.
Did Tangle tell her about their talk in sick bay? Did his little show and dance with Silver not convince her? It was starting to really get to him. No. Stay calm. At worst, he'll play Whisper off as getting paranoid again.
This is something I felt could've been a reoccurring gag during Mimic's live performance as Duo where Tangle basically gets all Detective Columbo in posing observations amongst casual banter, coming close to the right conclusion. Either that or an annual issue that shows scenes in between the big moments.
In fact, I feel that Mimic should've kept his communicator on vibrate and decide to move in to attack the Diamond Cutters in knowing Clutch's plans were going belly up. He attempts to shank Tangle only for her to quickly grab his knife hand with her tail and get his glove off, exposing his tell as a shapeshifting. A more dramatic reveal than him not silencing his phone.
Even then, we don't know if Tangle had been onto him this whole time or was just really lucky. Either way, it'd still feel good to see Duo squirming.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Sonic
Species Mobian
Size 1919 x 1919px
File Size 1.92 MB
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