First impression: A shapeshifter? Well looks like that's going to add to the chaos
What I think of them now: No strong opinions, I think they're a good character :)
Personally, DT is one of those characters you just like but you don't have much strong opinions on, you know what I'm saying. I think they were a fun addition to the show and definitely needed more screen time.
They're troublesome, but not in a way you'd hate. They're just another troublemaker that makes the storyline more exciting and interesting which is something I've enjoyed when I watch TV
Although they are one for chaos and stuff like that, I'm glad they confronted Catra and somehow put a stop to all this (After rewatching some catra clips a few hours ago, I've grown to like her more and I like her complexity now. Great character! :D). Even though I like Catra, I'm glad she got thought a lesson. She really had to learn what she had done and the impact she has created.
Their voice is somewhat addicting, I love the little swings in it. They're dramatic expression is the best too, so theatrical, I love it!. And I love their design!
And I love the non-binary representation in this show!!! DT is definitely one of my favorite non-binary characters <3
Cool character! 8/10
Scorpia: In the episode Roll With It, Scorpia has proved more then capable of taking Adora in her She-Ra, and likely would've won if it weren't for Glimmer's interference.
Catra: If I need to explain this, you clearly have never watched She-Ra, or have never made it passed the first 5 episodes. Please go do that :)
Mara: It would make sense considering she's a more experienced, and aged She-Ra.
Double Trouble: They took on She Ra and managed to hold out in disguise as Catra – while they may not have won in the end, they did manage to fool Adora so they must have done a pretty good imitation of Catra's fighting style. (Courtesy of @DoubleTrouble7)
27 Votes in Poll
Since he posted pictures of the book he made with it, here is an image of the cover I made for @BrianSturgill 's October fanfic series!! :)
(I tried to include something from most of the stories on the cover, but it was difficult to fit it all in!)
You can read all 31 of Brian's She-Ra-Tober stories in the Fan Fiction Archive, along with the stories other people on the wiki wrote!
She-Ra-Tober was a super fun challenge, and I was so excited by how much creativity the wiki showed during it! ^U^
29 Votes in Poll
28 Votes in Poll
After an incredibly close final match, I at last declare the winner of the Favorite Recurring Character tournament to be... Kyle!
Congratulations, Kyle!! This might be the only thing he's ever won in his life.
And once again, this was an incredibly close match, and Double Trouble put up .a very good fight.
And thank you to everyone who voted in this tournament! It's been a pleasure to host.
If you haven’t already, be sure to vote!
On the favorite recurring character final, that is. What else would I be talking about?
The poll is here: https://she-raandtheprincessesofpower.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000000052430
Kyle and Double Trouble are currently tied with 13 votes each. Whoever wins this will be crowned She-Ra Wiki’s Favorite Recurring Character, and may go on to compete in a Favorite Character Tournament against the main cast. It’s the most important thing you’ll vote on all week!
Act like double trouble from she ra and the princesses of power.
“Oh, darling, you thought you could outsmart us? How adorable! We’re here to shake things up and make a little chaos! Whether we’re causing a ruckus in Bright Moon or playing tricks on those naive princesses, it’s all in good fun, isn’t it? After all, who doesn’t love a little drama? Now, what’s our next act? A little disguise? A sneaky plan? The stage is ours!”
What should I ask next?
She-Ra-tober Announcement Post
Fanfic #1: Rainbow
Fanfic #2: Tattoo
Fanfic #3: Evening
Fanfic #4: Purring
Fanfic #5: Leaf Pile
Fanfic #6: Sunset
Fanfic #7: Warm
Fanfic #8: Abandoned
Fanfic #9: Workout
Fanfic #10: Embarrassing
Fanfic #11: Drunk
Fanfic #12: Future
Fanfic #13: Canoe
Fanfic #14: Sleep
Fanfic #15: Rope
Fanfic #16: Kiss
Fanfic #17: Robots
Fanfic #18: Aquarium
Fanfic #19: Grandparents
Fanfic #20: Suit
Fanfic #21: Heart of Etheria
Fanfic #22: Prisoner
Fanfic #23: Roman Empire
Fanfic #24: Cuddle
Fanfic #25: Music
My Day 26 fanfic has a special dedication.
This is for @DoubleTrouble7 because you inspired me to think of this.
I'm glad you and I are friends and would never be enemies!
I hope you all like this!
Enemies
At the end of the night, it was just a lonely piano playing a lonely tune in a lonely club to a lonely and solitary man.
The lonely man was smiling, his indigo lips curled up in the memory of the most joyful night he had had in many a while.
Yet he was alone in the audience at the Enchanted Grotto as the piano played its last chord of the evening.
The piano player walked slowly over to the man's table and sat down with him.
The man lifted the brim of his hat, saw the piano player, and then removed his hat completely, setting it on the tabletop.
"Hello, friend."
Swen smiled a little, sympathetically. "Hello, Prince."
Peekablue looked furtively to either side.
Swen gestured in a reassuring way with their hand. "It's okay. We're the only ones here."
The prince relaxed. "I'm sorry, Swen, but . . . I suppose I'm feeling a little vulnerable . . . a little melancholy. Well, . . . I suppose it's just the end-of-the-night let-down."
Swen nodded. "I can see it in your eyes. But I think maybe it's more than that." They paused. taking an even more compassionate tone. "Wanna talk about it?"
Prince Peekablue tilted his head a little, reflecting.
"You saw those kind gentlewomen sitting with me earlier?"
"I sure did."
"Well, if I've ever seen a sweeter couple than that singer and her girlfriend, I can't say that I remember it. And I was just thinking, with me . . ." He paused, then looked earnestly across the table at Swen.
"Do you suppose some people are just lucky in love, Swen?"
The piano player straightened up, and looked downward, contemplating. After a moment, they answered.
"Luck may be how people find love, but how they keep it," they said, looking up again, "that's all about what they put into it." They looked At Peekablue poignantly.
The prince met their eyes, and narrowed his own slightly.
Suspiciously.
"What they put into love, huh? Well, maybe it's also about how much they can trust each other. Don't you think . . . Swen?"
Swen drew back a little and turned their head slightly away, without taking their eyes off of Prince Peekablue. "Oh, those eyes." they said slowly.
"I can't do this anymore."
And a transformation took place, like a creeping black ooze flowing over Swen's features and entire body, causing it to slim and extend and reform. And a new shape solidified as the blackness withdrew.
"It's Swen's night off. You got me, honey," Double Trouble said with weariness.
Peakablue didn't even blink.
Instead, he just shook his head.
"But I don't. That's the point. I've got memories and I've got regrets. That's all." He sat back in his chair and folded his arms.
After a moment, Double Trouble raised erect in their chair.
And applauded.
"Oh, hooray! How sweet for you! Memories are all you actually wanted! Whereas I had a fabulous time at Princess Prom!" And their grin faded. "Oops. Looks like you missed a memory" they remarked coldly.
Prince Peekablue frowned and replied slowly and distinctly, with great bitterness.
"When I discovered that my date had already had their fun with me in an exciting game of deceiving and relationship-wrecking, Princess Prom seemed a bit anticlimactic. I didn't want to waste your time."
Double Trouble looked a little hurt. "What about the fun you had, . . . with me?"
The prince turned away. "Let's not make this any worse, okay?" He paused. "You can go now."
Double Trouble hesitated with an aggrieved look. They stood up.
Then they stopped.
"You're right. I can go. But . . . but I'm not going to." And they sat back down.
Peekablue looked at them in annoyed surprise. "What?"
Double Trouble shook their head.
"I didn't come here to give you a hard time, bluebell honey, and I sure didn't come here to take one, either."
They leaned forward on the surface of the table, offering their hands.
"I came here because I truly missed you."
Peekablue cast their eyes downward as Double Trouble continued.
"Please."
Peekablue glanced their direction, and Double Trouble was looking him earnestly in the eyes.
"Let's not be enemies."
Peekablue gave them a wry smile. "You know we can't go back, DT."
"I don't want to. Back is so boring! Been there before, darling, and we've done it to death. How about we try something new?"
The prince raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Like what?"
Double Trouble smiled. "Like being friends. Friends. Can we do that, at least?"
Peekablue hesitated, but said nothing.
"I'm trying something new, bluebell. I'm a citizen of Bright Moon now. I've even got a job with the queen."
Peekablue nodded. "I know that," he said and pointed to his eye with one forefinger. He grinned with a little bit of mirth. "Far-sight. I've been watching you, too, you know."
"See?!" Double Trouble squealed. "This was meant to be!"
"Maybe . . ." Peekablue held one hand out over Double Trouble's open hands and let it hover. "No lies."
Double Trouble shook their head. "Friends don't lie to each other. I've learned that lesson, honey, and I'm sticking with it." And their voice took on a solemn tone. "Only the truth."
Peekablue placed one hand on Double Trouble's.
Double Trouble grinned. "That and, of course, the kind of trouble that friends always seem to get into . . . together!" they added with a sparkle in their eyes.
Peekablue put his other hand on Double Trouble's and smiled.
"That sounds good."
He squeezed his friend's hands warmly.
"I've missed you, too."
34 Votes in Poll
My main thread: here
Double Trouble’s reviews
Bright Moon’s holding cells are some of the fanciest you’ll find, at least when it comes to interior design. This is probably because it’s not normally a prison at all, but a spare room. Apparently they spent all their money on the grand windows and hanging crystals and didn’t have any left over for a proper dungeon.
Unfortunately, they removed most of its other furnishings, so it was still a rather dull stay. I was confined to a magical cell in the center of the room, with only a large armchair for company. The armchair was quite stylish, at least, and comfortable enough.
The magical cell was created by the sorceress and former Horde member Shadow Weaver, alongside Queen Glimmer herself. Does her majesty trouble herself with making cells for all of Bright Moon’s prisoners, or am I just that special? Anyway, that little magical forcefield was the only thing stopping me from waltzing right out; the rest of the security was hardly top-notch. I don’t think the doors to the spare room even locked. To their credit, it did take me longer than usual to escape (and no, I won’t tell you how I did it; I’ll let you figure that out yourself.)
The food wasn’t bad, especially compared to the slop I’m usually served in prisons (when I’m served anything at all), but I hope for the sake of Bright Moon’s residents that it’s not the best their cooks can do. No on-demand room service, either, just three meals a day (and I didn’t get any say in the schedule). No one attempted to torture me, either, so points for that.
Over all, Bright Moon has one of the cushiest prisons I’ve been in, and while it’s clearly just a makeshift cell, it’s difficult enough to escape. But they seem to have quite a limited number of spare rooms to use for prisoners, so good luck if you get captured when those rooms are full.
Double trouble turns into Adora with a very poofy hair poof and blows a raspberry.
30 Votes in Poll
I don't even know what to think I just laughed 😂
She-Ra-tober Announcement Post
Fanfic #1: Rainbow
Fanfic #2: Tattoo
Fanfic #3: Evening
Fanfic #4: Purring
Fanfic #5: Leaf Pile
Fanfic #6: Sunset
It's time for my Day 7 fanfic!
Time to discover who is having trouble getting warm. 😉
Warm
Well, aren't you the clever darling!
But it's true. That was me you saw.
When our eyes met, just for a blink. Across a crowded room.
The diva dressed to the nines and oozing out of a luscious fur coat!
And you would think with all that fur, I would have stayed nice and warm, right?!
Puh-lease!
With a flirty little lavender top and purple mini-skirt to flaunt?
Call me cold-blooded, honey, but there was no way I was gonna cover up that little number!
There I was, striking a pose by the bandstand, a wink and a kiss, and then I was lost in the crowd again.
You poor dear.
I knew that someone would spot me that night.
That there would be whispers: "Ooo, was it really them?!"
But that was the point, you see.
On a night where anything might happen (and did), I was in the mood for a thrill!
Small cabarets and odd jobs could only bring so much satisfaction.
So . . . I decided to treat myself and set my sights on the grandest gala of them all!
Princess Prom.
How did I do it?
You may well ask because, as you know, although I am many things, I am not (usually) a princess.
Well, I won't be giving away all my secrets, but the tale is worth the telling.
For a price!
Are you sitting comfortably? Good!
Let me tell you something about the royalty game, dear one.
It's mostly a family affair. A closed shop.
Don't get me wrong! With my . . . special talents . . . getting in with royalty is a snap! Getting in good with them is . . . tricky.
Especially the way I wanted to go: in the role of Double Trouble!
My personal challenge to myself -- the ultimate extra thrill to cap the grand performance!
I had been working the royalty circuit for a while, discreetly of course, and mostly on the level, until one night it paid off, and my ticket to the Prom walked right into my arms!
That is, he walked into the club where I was moonlighting.
And later, into my arms.
Now . . . you've heard of Prince Peekablue?
He used to have quite a reputation before he mysteriously disappeared.
(Now, stop! You make me blush! He's simply a free spirit, darling. Who can tell what might have happened to him?)
Anyway! The prince and I hit it off right away! Both of us love the arts, and he has a sympathy for the theatrical!
And I have to admit: He is gorgeous, too! (Please! The hair, the eyes!)
He came to a few of my shows. I did some odd jobs for him.
We started spending more time together.
Princess Sweet Bee was a bit of a problem. For a little while.
But, well, you know how it goes.
A little rumor here. An inconvenient revelation there.
Small indiscretions can become larger betrayals, and then suddenly . . . no more problem!
And the Prince had a new and more fascinating partner!
It really was a win-win.
So, when Princess Prom rolled around it was:
"Wow! Me?!! Your plus one to the Prom?!! My hero!!"
(Shamelessly clichéd, I grant you. But it was an adorable scene.)
But, alas! On the very night of the Prom, when we were to meet at the Castle in the Kingdom of Snows, my Prince was nowhere to be seen!!!
What?
You thought I was being serious? You innocent dear!
Oh, I admit, it was a teensy bit inconvenient that I arrived as a plus-one . . . without my one. (His loss.) But I had my plus-one ticket.
And I had plenty of time to make a plan while I was standing in the line to check weapons!
In all humility, it was the quickest quick-change I had ever attempted.
I watched the couple a few spots ahead of me . . . stepped out of the line at just the right moment . . . and with a twirl behind the backs of the couple just ahead . . . during which I helpfully picked a dagger that one of the guests was not checking (shame on them!) , , , I trotted to the front of the line as one of the previous plus-ones!
All it took was a convincing, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot to check my other weapon!"
By the time I got to the guard at the door with an apology and a quick flash of my ticket, I was waved through without a fuss! Because, after all, they had seen . . . whoever it was . . . only a minute before.
And yes, my performance had actually convinced them that they had seen that person leave and then come back!
(The hardest part was refraining from applauding myself!)
Once inside, I cast off the facade (and my coat)!
At last I was in! And freezing!
But . . . what a party!
Sumptuous snacks!
Dreamy music!
Ooo, was that a bit of drama with a rude greeting to the host? How spicy!
And the dancing!
The colorful fashions and flamboyant personalities!
And then the real drama! There was obviously some kind of colorful history between these two princesses because they were not happy with each other!
I could hardly contain my pleasure when the host actually had to step in to stop their catfight!
And finally . . . explosions! Screaming and confusion!
Oh, what delicious chaos!!
This was a party made just for me!!
Coat?!? Who needed a coat?!
I was warm all over, darling!
33 Votes in Poll
[Scene: A bustling comic convention. Catra is in a security uniform, looking bored but alert. Double Trouble, in full cosplay as a popular character, is mingling with the crowd. They communicate via earpieces.]
Catra (sighing):"Remind me again why we’re at this ridiculous human event?"
Double Trouble (smirking):"Oh, come on, darling! This place is crawling with potential. Think of it as a live theater of human behavior—our stage to gather intel and have a bit of fun."
Catra:"Fun? Sure, if by ‘fun’ you mean walking around in circles pretending to care about people dressed up as cardboard robots."
Double Trouble:"Careful, Catra. That’s a beloved sci-fi franchise you're dissing. If you want to blend in, try looking less... murderous. Smile!"
Catra:"My default setting is not smiling."
Double Trouble (laughing):"Yes, I’ve noticed. But look—" (Double Trouble subtly gestures toward a nearby tech booth with their eyes.)"That vendor’s showing off a new piece of communication tech. It looks quite advanced. Horde Prime would love it."
Catra:"Great. Swipe it when no one's looking."
Double Trouble (mock offended):"Swipe? My dear Catra, I don’t just 'swipe.' I acquire with flair. Watch and learn."
[Double Trouble saunters over to the tech booth, where a nerdy vendor is explaining the tech.]
Vendor:"...and with this new device, you can send encrypted messages across long distances. It’s revolutionizing communication for—"
Double Trouble (leaning in):"Fascinating! Tell me more about how it handles data transfers. I’m quite the tech enthusiast myself."
Vendor (blushing):"Oh, well, it uses a new algorithm that ensures secure—"
[As the vendor explains, Double Trouble subtly shifts into the form of a distracted convention-goer, sneaking behind the booth to grab a prototype. They slip back into the crowd, now holding the device.]
Double Trouble (over the earpiece, whispering):"And... acquired. Easy as pie."
Catra (smirking):"Show-off."
Double Trouble:"Well, I do love a good performance. How are things on your end, dear? Keeping the peace, I assume?"
Catra (rolling her eyes):"If by ‘keeping the peace,’ you mean ‘not strangling anyone,’ then yeah. There’s a group of people arguing about some movie adaptation. It's loud, but I’m not sure how it helps the Horde."
Double Trouble:"Oh, Catra, everything helps if you look at it the right way. Confusion, conflict, drama—it’s all ripe for exploitation. Just watch."
[Nearby, a couple of cosplayers are arguing about which version of a character is better. Double Trouble casually strolls over, slipping into the conversation.]
Double Trouble (in full cosplay, faking indignation):"Wait—are you seriously saying the remake version is better? Ugh, the original is a classic!"
Cosplayer 1:"Exactly! The original had heart!"
Cosplayer 2:"No way! The new one has better effects and a way deeper storyline!"
[The argument escalates, drawing in more people, with Double Trouble subtly fueling both sides.]
Catra (dryly, over the earpiece):"Stirring up nerd fights now? Really?"
Double Trouble (grinning):"Conflict creates chaos, darling. And chaos is a spy’s best friend."
Catra:"Well, as long as it keeps them distracted, I don’t care. Just don’t get carried away, okay?"
Double Trouble (with a wink, though Catra can't see it):"Who, me? Never."
First chapter: here
Previous chapter: here
Meant to post this sooner, whoops... Oh well.
Full disclosure, I really don't know when chapter 7 will be out. (I want to finish chapter 8 before I post 7, and- long story short, it'll be a minute.) I might post some other fics I wrote a while ago in the meantime, so stay tuned for that.
⸻
The walls of Double Trouble’s apartment weren’t that thick. So, the next afternoon, they heard voices at their door.
As they walked over to it, they heard one say, “But it is locked. We cannot simply open it.”
Double Trouble unlocked the door as quickly and quietly as they could, then flung it open. The conversation outside was cut short as the five clones standing there stopped to look, surprised.
“Oh!” said Will.
“Double Trouble!” said Jellylorum.
“It is I!” Double Trouble bowed dramatically, then smirked. “Next time you want to be let in, just knock.” They led the students inside.
Augustus narrowed his eyes. “Knock?”
“Yes.” Did the clones know how to knock? “Like this.” Double Trouble demonstrated.
“This?” Plato tried it.
“Yes, exactly. Just knock on the door when you get here, so I know you’re there.”
Will gave a curt nod. “Thank you, brother. We will remember that.”
“Brother?” Double Trouble repeated.
Will opened his moth to respond, then closed it.
Double Trouble sighed. “I’m not your brother, darling. I’m no sibling of yours, no clone of big brother Prime.” They shook their head. “And brother is far too masculine a word for me, you know?”
From the way the clones frowned and cocked their heads, they evidently did not know.
Double Trouble sighed again, more dramatically this time. They had to spell this all out, didn’t they? “Brother implies boy, which I am not. Use gender-neutral words for me, please. That would be sibling, in this case, though I’m not your sibling either.”
The clones’ expressions remained blank.
“G… Gender-neutral?” George Electra repeated.
“Yes, neither masculine nor feminine,” said Double Trouble. “Oh, you lambs don’t know a thing about gender, do you?” They gave a third sigh, this one more amused, almost affectionate. “Well, some people go by feminine words, some by masculine ones, and some by neither, and you just make sure to call everyone by the right ones. Even when you’re making fun of them; there are much more creative ways to that. Mocking someone by misgendering them is low.”
The clones still didn’t say anything, so they continued, “Horde Prime went by masculine words, of course—big brother. And I assume you all do, too, since you call yourselves brothers… But would you prefer something else?”
“Something else?” said Jellylorum. (Why did the clones always just repeat the things they didn’t understand instead of asking a proper question?)
“Yes… I’ve been thinking of you all as ‘he,’ and you call each other brother, but would you like to, say, try out different pronouns? Pronouns like she or they,” Double Trouble explained. “Though there are others, if you’re interested.”
Plato frowned in thought. “I think… I would like to try those.”
“Really?” Double Trouble smiled. “She and they?”
Plato nodded.
Before Double Trouble could reply, Augustus interrupted.
“We must use the words Lord Prime intended. We are his brothers. Do you reject his—”
“Prime is gone, brother,” Jellylorum interjected.
“Yes, Prime is gone. And”—Double Trouble didn’t even try to hide their disdain—“it doesn’t matter what he intended. You’re more than welcome to reject his anything. Horde Prime doesn’t dictate what pronouns you use, or anything else about you, especially not anymore; only you get to say. Do what feels right, express yourself how you like, and don’t worry what Prime would think of any of it.”
Double Trouble paused for effect. Their students looked at them, quiet besides some murmurs of hmm.
“Anyway,” said Double Trouble, “that’s wonderful that you’re trying those pronouns out, Plato. Are these in addition to he/him, or instead of those? And do you mind being called brother?”
“In addition, I think,” said Plato. “And of course,” they turned to the other clones, “I am still your brother.”
“Well, we’ll all use them for you.” Double Trouble looked at the other clones pointedly, giving Augustus an extra-hard look. Everyone was just standing in the apartment, with the class all in a sort of semicircle facing their teacher; Double Trouble pulled Plato out of the group and into the front and center next to themself. “Well, I am impressed with Plato’s curiosity and their willingness to experiment, or possibly her bravery in speaking up for her true self. Why don’t you all give them a round of applause.”
Jellylorum began clapping, while Will dropped to his knees and chanted a strange cry that could’ve been anything from yes to hail to hyah. George Electra Coricopat looked from Jellylorum to Will and back again, befuddled, as if unsure which of them to copy. Augustus stood still and quiet.
“Applause as in clapping,” Double Trouble clarified, “maybe with some cheering mixed in.” They started clapping to demonstrate.
Jellylorum, Will, and George Electra began clapping politely like Double Trouble had, and soon even Augustus joined in, and it grew to loud cheering. Plato looked bewildered, but smiled.
Double Trouble grinned proudly. “That’s it. Now, if any of you ever want to use different pronouns, don’t hesitate to tell me. But if no one else has anything to say, I suppose we should get on with the lesson…”
Double Trouble climbed atop their crate (this crate was pulling double duty as a side table and platform; oh, they would so like a proper stage). “We are going to unlock your emotions today, clones. You can practice pulling faces all you want, but it will never seem real if you can’t get yourself to really feel what your character is feeling, really get into their skin. First, I want you to tell me: how do you feel right now?”
Judging by their expressions, it seemed the clones mostly felt confused.
“I feel…” Will began, then paused. “How can you tell?”
Jellylorum said slowly, “I think… I feel… interested? In learning this?”
George Electra Coricopat nodded. “Interested, but… what is this feeling? What do you call it? Worried, that I will not do well enough.”
Double Trouble resisted the temptation to make a Wicked reference (“What Is This Feeling?”). Instead, they just nodded. “Anyone else?”
“Yes, I am interested,” said Plato. “Curious.”
“I am… unsure about this,” said Augustus. “I am not sure I like it.”
Double Trouble chuckled at that. “Well, I suppose that’ll do,” they said. “Now, I want you to ask yourselves that regularly—How am I feeling? You can try it with people around you, too, try to guess their feelings from tone, expression, words. Practice makes perfect and all.”
“How do you feel, Double Trouble?” said Augustus.
“Well- I-” Double Trouble stammered. All eyes were on them, and for once they weren’t loving the spotlight. Trying to regain their cool, they said, “I suppose I feel surprised—I wasn’t expecting you to ask that.” How did they feel? And what could they tell the clones? “I’m here to teach you. Oh, I know…” They grinned at their idea. “Why don’t you try to guess what I’m feeling. It’ll be good practice…” This would be good. They could be quite unreadable when they wanted… “In fact, why don’t we try that as a game. I act out an emotion, and you all try to guess it.”
They’d start easy. Subtlety had its place, but melodrama was fun too. Double Trouble put an arm to their forehead. “Oh! The heartbreak! What ever shall I do?”
“You are feeling… distressed,” said Jellylorum.
Snapping back to normal, Double Trouble said, “Anything more specific?”
“Sad?” Will tried.
“Despair?” suggested George Electra.
“Yes, I’d say despair sums it up nicely,” said Double Trouble. “Very good. Now, let’s see one of you try, and see if we can guess the emotion. Coricopat?”
“Yes?” said George Electra Coricopat.
“Why don’t you go next. Act out a feeling; let’s see what you’ve got.” Double Trouble moved to stand next to their students, and gestured for George Electra to take center stage.
Double Trouble noticed the look of genuine discomfort that flashed about Electra’s face before being replaced by a blank expression. (Oh, he didn’t get stage fright, did he?) Then he carefully widened his eyes and opened his mouth, slowly gasping a bit as he did so.
It was just as they’d practiced, one of those mechanical expressions they’d drilled. Double Trouble waited for one of the other clones to guess.
“Surprise?” asked Plato.
“Yes, surprise,” said Augustus. Will and Jellylorum nodded and murmured in agreement.
“Yes.” Electra Coricopat beamed. “That was a surprised face.”
“Indeed it was,” Double Trouble half-sighed, keeping any dismay or exasperation in their voice faint enough that their students didn’t notice it. “It’s a good start,” they said (when giving critique, it was generally best to start with something positive), “and that hint of a gasp was a nice touch. But see if you can do more, and make it seem more natural. A sharper gasp, perhaps? Or, lean back a bit, even take a step back—recoil, almost.”
George Electra nodded curtly. “Yes. I will try. Apologies.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Double Trouble put a hand on their pupil’s shoulder. “Just something to keep in mind for next time. I only told you to help you learn. No one’s perfect on their first try; constructive criticism helps you grow.”
“Imperfections are to be cleansed,” said Will, and Augustus nodded. “Or… at least, that is what Prime believed.”
“Well, there’s no magic cleansing ritual that will make you a good actor, so you’ll have to learn the hard way,” said Double Trouble, smirking. “So, we’d better keep practicing…”
They continued this game until everyone had had a turn portraying an emotion; each of the other clones did one of the basic expressions they’d practiced before.
After that, Double Trouble tried teaching the clones a bit more about body language, showing them ways to convey different emotions and such. The clones listened carefully, but they were still only learning to replicate the movements Double Trouble showed them, not how to truly channel emotion in their performance. Who knew what it would take to teach them that?
And after that, well, Double Trouble was frankly rather tired of the whole thing, and figured their students might be too. “I think you all deserve a break. A little treat…” Their students watched with interest as they went over to their record player, and thumbed through the records on the shelf below it. “Speaking of feelings…” Double Trouble pulled out their Wicked record (it wasn’t hard to find; in order to travel light, they could only hang onto a handful of soundtracks) and put it on. “I have a song for you.”
Double Trouble couldn’t help themself—and why should they? When the song began, they began singing along, shapeshifting between Galinda and Elphaba as they did. It was easy enough at first, when the characters were trading off lines, to alternate between the bubbly blonde Galinda and the sharp, green-skinned Elphaba. Soon they were staging a whole dance number, with themself playing both leads, and when the duet entered full-swing it involved a lot of twirling and shifting between characters so quickly they blurred together. The clones all stared between them and the record player, with a look that might have been awe.
When the crowd part of the song began, Double Trouble flung themself into the group of clones, who looked at them, bewildered. For the big finish, they spun back to center stage, and as Elphaba, in keeping with the song, yelled “Boo!” at Galinda—who, of course, was also them.
Slightly out of breath but grinning, they shapeshifted back into themself and took a bow.
Jellylorum started clapping, and one by one the other clones did too.
“Oh, thank you, thank you.” Double Trouble beamed, and bowed again.
Perhaps they should end the lesson there, on a high note. Anyway, as always, Double Trouble had more to do today… “Do you think I should add that to my next cabaret—my show at the tavern?” they smirked.
They hadn’t been serious, but George Electra nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes.” Jellylorum and Will nodded with equal passion, and Augustus and Plato gave small nods of agreement as well.
“What was that?” asked Will. “That… song?”
“Really?” Double Trouble chuckled. “Well, then, I’ll consider it. And that was ‘What Is This Feeling?’ from Wicked. Glad you liked it. Remind me to play you more songs next time…”
“There are… more?” said Augustus.
“Of course there are more, darling!” Double Trouble laughed. “There are, what, sixteen, seventeen more songs just from Wicked, not to mention— Well, I played you ‘The Naming of Cats.’”
“And you will… play more for us?” repeated Plato.
“Of course! In fact…” Double Trouble looked out the window, checking the light and the position of the moons in the sky. “It’s not too late yet; I’ll play you some right now.”
And so, instead of taking a break before their night show like they’d planned, Double Trouble and their students spent the next hour and ten minutes listening to the Wicked soundtrack. None of them regretted anything.