A Rival Appears?

Lailah: (How interesting. Regardless of resonance or race, everyone can see and hear seraphim.)

(Edna said that I’d get used to it quickly, but... it seems it will take me a bit longer than that.)

Cress: So this is where you were, Lailah.

Lailah: You’re... Cress, correct? Is there something I can do for you?

Cress: Mint made a chiffon cake; it’s tea-flavored. Would you like to share it with me?

Lailah: Are you sure that’s all right?

Cress: Of course. Mint made a whole bunch, so I can’t possibly eat it all.

What do you think? It matched your expectations to a “tea,” right?[1]

Lailah: —?!

Cress: Oh... um sorry. That was weird.

Lailah: N–no. I’m sorry, my going quiet really “caked” this conversation in awkwardness, didn’t it? Get it?[2]

Cress: Oh! Lailah, you do it, too.

I’m so glad. I would have been “Cress”-tfallen if you’d been upset.[3]

Lailah: What a perfect pun off of your name! Th–that’s splendid! Cress... we’re birds of a feather!

Cress: Haha, thank you. Well, I should go let everyone else know. I’ll see you later.

Lailah: Goodness, I can’t just sit around like this, now, can I?

Edna: Well, well, if it isn’t Lailah. You look happy. What happened?

Lailah: Oh, Edna! I’ve gained a bit more confidence that I’ll get along well here.

First, though, I need to put some serious thought into puns I can use at the tea party. I can’t allow Cress to get the better of me!

Edna: ...I know you’re all fired up, but from where I’m stading, this tea party thing sounds like it’ll be ice cold.

  1. Cress makes the pun 「けいきがいいでしょう ？ケーキだけに。」 (keiki ga ii deshou? keeki dake ni), which most likely means, “The conditions are good, right? Since it’s a cake.” The first “keiki” (conditions) typically refers to market conditions, good economic times, and prosperity, as well as liveliness, energy, vigor, and spirit. The second “keeki” (cake) sounds identical to “keiki” so Cress is making a really bad pun that more or less means “it’s really good, right?” since the “keiki” is a bit abstract here.
  2. This one took me a while to find and honestly I’m not sure if I’m right about it but Lailah says: 「私も黙っていては場が"こうっちゃ"いますわよね」 (watashi mo damatteite wa ba ga “kouccha” imasu wa yo ne). The pun is on “kouccha” here (紅茶 koucha means “tea”) so I tried to figure out what that was supposed to be in standard Japanese. I THINK it’s meant to be ごっちゃ (goccha) meaning “messy, confused, chaotic,” which would make the sentence mean, more or less, “If I stay quiet, this place will get all messy.” Or, more abstractly, “If I stay quiet, things will get really awkward.” I really hope this is right. Oh my god.
  3. This was originally a pun off of Lailah’s name, actually, but I couldn’t do it I’m so sorry. Cress said 「僕の発言で、ライラ、いらいらしてなくて」 (boku no hatsugen, Raira (Lailah), iraira shitenakute), which literally means “I didn’t want to upset you, Lailah, with what I said.” The pun lies with the “iraira” where the “raira” part of it is Lailah’s name. In Lailah’s response, she also points out that the pun is a palindrome, because the i-ra-i-ra can be read backwards to also say her name (iraira → rairai). Since it’s such a brilliant pun (Lailah says so herself) I went for the easier of the two names because I just don’t have the skills to pun off of Lailah. What the hell.