Die Eisenfrau

◆ CALEB WIDOGAST ◆

Essek, once described himself primarily as a selfish creature, pausing before getting out of the increasingly dangerous halls solely to look back and tell Caleb he'd come back for him while calling him my love.

While I'm talking about understated moments from the liveshow, let's talk about Frumpkin. Caleb notably frees Frumpkin from familiarhood at the end of Campaign 2, before the timeskips, after the Mighty Nein have just battled Trent Ikithon at the Blooming Grove. In his brief Campaign 3 appearance, Caleb says, "Well, it has been a number of years since we've had Frumpkin along." That's the most recent in-game mention of him. It's very possible that there was an offscreen reunion sometime between then and now, but I like the idea that there wasn't. Because that means that here in Projekt Funball, having not called on him in the years since their farewell, Caleb is in trouble and he desperately and instinctively reaches out to his dear once-familiar: "FRUMPKIN I NEED YOU!" And instantly Frumpkin is there, like nothing has changed. We don't know the exact circumstances, but I like to think an echo of their old link is still there even if the obligation is not, and so when Frumpkin comes this time it is of his own accord, as a friend who has heard the panicked cry of someone he loves.

The Mighty Nein According to My Friend @bosburningplace (after 2 hours of live show content and no other context)

"It's not like I can dance with my mother forever, come on." LIAM WHAT THE FUCK