Stare
Annabella has something to say about all this.
As always, if you like the comic, please consider donating on my patreon. Even one dollar goes a long way.
Don’t forget that I stream every Sunday! You are more than welcome to join in on the fun.
The stream is held at the following hour:
UTC: 1PM
EDT: 9AM
PDT: 6AM
CEST: 3PM
Don’t forget to vote for Twin Dragons at Topwebcomics!
http://topwebcomics.com/vote/21879
Thanks for voting!
I swear to cod, if Annabella gets upset at Kai because she refuses to understand that he -wasn’t-, in fact, flirting with Near, then there’s no helping her.
He may not have been flirting with her, but she was definitely flirting with him. She was hoping he was going to go along with her.
Yeah, no, I see nothing in Near’s dialogue on this page or the previous two that constitutes flirting. Her hesitation when she leaves could just as easily be “I still don’t speak Italian” rather than anything deeper.
And even if she WAS actually, verifiably flirting, there’s no obligation on Kai’s part to reciprocate.
Maybe not outright flirting, but she definitely wanted to have him come along with her. Unfortunately, when he said he already had plans he kind of communicated to her that his plans were more important than getting to know her.
I have to agree, the disappointment in her reply spoke volumes. It’s his choice, I know I would have ask Near to wait a second, ran over to the sister and cousin, told them I’d be back later, and linked an arm with Near as we walked out. But, I’m old school and learned to read (I hoped) the signs. He’s still young, and hasn’t had the idea hit him yet. Maybe when he’s 40 and in bed, the light would come on and regret would keep him up LOL.
The problem with flirting, IMO, is that it is a form of communication *specifically intended* to be ambiguous and not to say directly what you’re thinking. As such, it is a minefield of potential misunderstandings–even more than normal communication already is!
Seems the phrase “What the fox?” translates readily.
Annabella ups the fight
pointing out his foolishness;
putting Near out for the night
doesn’t show maturity’s progress.
Kai missed the obvious chance
to keep in with a new friend.
Providing music for the silent hand dance
and not just letting the encounter end.
Go after her, you carapaced clot
Introduce her to your clan.
Foolishness matters not a jot
when new friends are in a new plan.
Bro, you’re a LEGEND!!
Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Sorry for the delay, the last month has been a bit crazy.
I see Annabella is a stereotypical angry Italian woman in training.
My guess; “WHY DIDN’T YOU GET HER NUMBER?!”
She will need a translator during her holiday. Friends meeting up should probably be encouraged. So, yeah. A means of contact.
Kai holds up slip of paper: “I. Did.”
Annabella: ” … Oh.”
Absolutely loving how stacked Annabella is being drawn.
Kai is a bit of a blockhead when it comes to the social aspect of things, which is kind of amusing when you consider Kaya is better at social stuff (at the very least seems very socially aware)
He IS a guy. That sort of thing can fly right past most of them.
In the “Encyclopaedia Moronica”, G. Ambette mentioned this happening to him. He was stationed in a remote area, responsible for replacing the batteries in a cell tower every few days.
Woman approached him, “Do you think you could pick me up?”. The pass went so far over his head it must have interfered with low flying airplanes. By his own words. He estimated her weight and said yes.
Ladies, hints don’t work. If you want something, tell him what it is.
“…every few days.” Why so frequent? That’s a lot of batteries.
They’d swap batteries. Basically truck batteries, about as large as a man can be expected to lift. No A/C at that site, they’d take the discharged battery out, put in freshly charged one, all without every disconnecting the cell tower equipment.
Why, oh why, does the dragon knight in shining armor let the pretty lass slip away?
Annabella: *gives dragon boy a menacing stare.*
Kai: What?
Heh, Annabella seems a little upset that Kai isn’t going along with her matchmaking plans. Now how will she convince Kai to run back out there and get Bear’s number?
Get Near’s number! Darn autocorrupt!
I agree she going to say lot about it
Brace yourself, Kai, Annabella’s semi hysterical shouting has the power to break the fourth wall and even knock the Italian off your speech bubble! I guess she’s upset that her shipping didn’t turn out like she hoped. Better brace your massive ears for the biting they’re about to get.
I hope Near is able to enjoy her vacation and avoid too many communication failures with the locals. Maybe she’ll meet Kai again… Or his adorable, chaotic, loud, younger twin sister.
Huh – either this comic or Google Translate has an incorrect translation – because when I checked the translation of “Oh, yes, thank!” to Italian, it came out the same as when I added “you” to the end (and I’m inclined to believe that Google got that right, given that it was just one word for thank you – “Grazie”).
…that said, I’m quite happy to assume that this comic is translating the awkwardness of barely knowing a few basic sentences, even if the errors aren’t actually what got translated.
(I’m learning French, not Italian, but it’s definitely showing me that some things just do not translate correctly)
She may have used the verb “ringraziare” which just means “thank” or “to thank”. “Grazie” specifically means “thank you”. When I was learning Spanish, I defaulted a lot to the original verb when trying to say something instead of conjugating it the way I meant to. I feel like that’s what happened here.
And this is why I was leaving options open for what Near might have actually said- not only does that seem like a likely option, but it’s an error that has actually happened before (but Robin also admitted to not knowing Italian, so this is all speculation at a depth that doesn’t even exist in the original intent – doesn’t stop it from being interesting information though)
I honestly do not know Italian, so it’s definitely likely I make mistakes like that xD
It could also be a case of translation convention, where what we’re reading here is a translation that interprets what they’re saying into what we’re reading rather than being 100% accurate.
Kai definitely missed the clues that someone seemed to want to spend some more time with him, date or not, and his cousin is NOT having it!
Panel 3: Add a comma to the first “you”.
No, you don’t punctuate around discourse markers, the represent the same thing that the punctuation would convey.
Seriously, why do you even bother? You are wrong more than you are right, and you literally add nothing to the conversation.
And of course, it’s the ‘shipper, who’s been projecting her expectations/desires, who flipped out, instead of coming to realize she was wrong (and admitting her mistke, at least to herself). Why is that so common? 🥲
How’s that work? Fox for the F word in English, fine… but in Italian it’s volpe, not exactly the same impact. 😛
However, I presume there are similar sound-alike words that Italians might use – wanting to express annoyance without actually swearing is hardly a uniquely English desire, and even if Robin did know Italian, I doubt those Italian options would translate well.
You have to spread it around. If you use the same Euphemism too much, IT becomes a curse word. Like “Frick”, once a man’s name. His behaviour made it a curse in his lifetime.
There is a brand of pre-sliced sandwich ham that I like called “Frick’s”. 🙂
Change the background colour behind Fox to white and it works fine. Fox and both languages F words all begin with F.
Redhead girl is angry = duck and cover. Redhead Italian is angry = run and pray.
Huh, interesting. Few people saying she was flirting with him, few saying she at least wanted to spend some time with him even if it’s not in a romantic way, some saying it’s just Annabella projecting her version of things onto the pair….
Either way, I know for a fact that it is quite easy to be oblivious to any signals a girl might be trying to send, be it friendship or more, especially in Kai’s position. He grew up in a town where all the townspeople rejected them as cursed, demon-children, etc, only coming to this little Italian town once a year. They wouldn’t know what signals were being sent their way, if they picked up on them at all. They simply haven’t had the training to pick up on them. Heck, I’m partially surprised they’re such well adjusted people, considering what they’ve had to deal with all their lives before coming to Hybrid City!!
I know this basically because I’m still in the same boat really. Instead of learning Human Interaction, I was flattening all the bullies that came after me, then again when they came back for revenge, then again, and so on. Had to learn a lot of the basics once I got in my 20s. And in hindsight, it seems I have missed some opportunities for dating by miles, only realising YEARS later!! Took me literally 11 years to realise that girl that asked me if I was going to the Prom may have been interested in going *with me*! That was a definite “wait, what? WTF?! Seriously? Naaaaa…. but…. WTF…?” moment! I’ve realised there probably was other moments I missed in my obliviousness, and to be honest, I don’t think I’m that much better now than I was then. Oh well….
Wow, I did not realise I was writing such a long comment! 😋 Whoops…. 😋
Downside to commenting via mobile while tired after work…. 😋
I can only give you a red card pass for the Wendigo. I don’t have a… pasta pass (snerk) to lend you for this one.
Good move the change of color inside the bubble to show the change of langage in the same sentence.
[Annabella throws the table over.]
“You let her go without getting her number? And you call yourself Italian?!”
[Throws table again.]
I suppose Kai -could- have asked Near to stick around and join his group…