Funny / Villainous Nights

Duke's route

• Duke vs. Boba Tea. Relatively early in his first season, the heroine orders boba for Duke and asks him to wait downstairs in the boba shop while she goes up to her apartment to pick up some essentials and let Robin know she'll be away for a while. It's all of a minute before Duke abandons waiting and follows her upstairs... because, she quickly realizes, he's never had boba and is too uncertain about the unfamiliar beverage to try drinking it by himself.
  After everything I've seen Duke do in the last two days, this is what he gets flustered about. A drink he's never had before.
  Monarch: (In. Credible.)
  • Naturally, Robin recognizes Duke instantly and asks the heroine what Duke Vale, CEO of ChatSphere, is doing at their apartment. One of the possible responses is "He followed me home like a lost puppy."
• In Duke's first season, when Monarch is given access to the Syndicate's group chat:
  Text From Cat: Hey! Welcome to our super nefarious and also very professional group chat!
  Text From Badger: It's for official business only.
  Text From Falcon: It is absolutely not for official business only.
  • The response options are "Be good," "Be an enabler," or "Be part of the problem." Choosing the last one prompts Monarch to make a Pride and Prejudice reference.
    Monarch: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a group chat of any good length must be in want of memes.
    Text From Cat: You can't expect us to go against our nature, Badger. :(
    Text From Bat: We're only human, after all. :(
    Text From Badger: I regret every decision that's led me to knowing you people.
• In Duke's second season, he realizes that only ever meeting at the Syndicate's lair will cause the team a lot of problems if that location is ever discovered by an enemy, and calls a team meeting at his apartment instead. They're barely all in the door before Duke starts regretting his decision.
  Andi: Duke... are we bonding?
  Renzei: Did you invite us to your stupidly nice apartment for team bonding?
  Duke: Not if you're going to put it like that.
  Lorelei: It does seem fitting.
  Duke: [shooting Lorelei a betrayed look] I changed my mind, please leave.
• Frustrated and confused by Duke's mixed signals, Monarch turns to Bat and Renzei - because they're the only members of the Syndicate currently logged into ChatSphere - for romantic advice. Bat's suggestion is to back off a little and give him a taste of his own medicine so that he'll realize how he's been treating her. Renzei, on the other hand...
  Text From Renzei: What you need to do is stop emotionally dancing around. Just take all that repression and DO something with it. Specifically him.
  Monarch: (Oh my god, Renzei!)
  • In his third season, Duke and Monarch decide it's time to let the rest of the team know about their relationship, which they do over another team brunch at Duke's penthouse.
    Renzei, in the middle of taking a sip, almost spits his mimosa out.
    Renzei: Wait, are you telling me you were asking for advice on romancing Duke.
    Monarch: Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout, Renzei.
  • Andi, meanwhile, gives it a moment's thought before deciding that this is adorable and announcing that she's texting Bat immediately to let him know.
    Andi: Bat says 'oh are they telling people now' so it looks like he's cool with it. ... By the way, I'm totally cool with it too, but I hope you're totally aware of just how many opportunities for jokes this has opened up.
    Renzei: Because it's just... so many.
    Duke: Could we possibly get at least a few days before you really start making me regret knowing you?
    Renzei: I resent the implication there's any point I'm not making you regret knowing me. But I can do a few days.
    Duke: Thank you so much.
• By the third season, Monarch is living with Duke but still drops by her old apartment to hang out with Robin and keep up on her half of the rent. On one such occasion, Duke asks to come along. When Monarch asks what prompted this:
  Duke doesn't immediately answer and eyes the boba instead.
  My mouth drops open.
  Monarch: Are you telling me you just had a craving for bubble tea and used hanging out at my apartment to get it?
  Duke: [blushing] ...Maybe.
  Monarch: (Oh, my God.)
• In the "girls day out" scene near the end of season 4, Monarch, now knowing Juliette's identity, tells her she's not what she was expecting. Juliette playfully asks what she was expecting. The second dialogue option ("I'm not sure") leads to Monarch revealing her personalized ringtones for everyone, Andi being unamused at her own ("What's New, Pussycat?"), and Juliette referencing John Mulaney in response. The third ("A robot") has Juliette joking about being a hyper-realistic android. Monarch laughs along, but internally can't help but wonder...
• In season 5, the Syndicate smuggle Duke out of a hospital in an action scene, passing his wheelchair between them to outmaneuver the Optimus guards.
  Duke: Stop treating me like a football!
  Monarch: Consider this revenge for Stanford always beating Berkeley!
  Duke: I don't even like college football!

Andi's route

• When Monarch first sees the rest of the Syndicate using their powers, she's confused about the fact that Renzei seems to just be using mundane throwing knives.
  Monarch: So his power is...knife?
• In Andi's first season, during a serious talk between her and the heroine, there's a moment of Mood Whiplash as she misunderstands a question about their relationship status.
  MC: Andi… what are we?
  Andi: [looking puzzled] …Gay?
• In Andi's second season, Monarch pulls out the documents she stole from Optimus' secret lab… but with everything that had been going on, she'd left them in her bag and they've gotten crumpled. She sheepishly tries to smooth them out.
  Renzei: [smirking] Glad to know you're treating confidential documents with such care.
  Duke: I take back what I said about hiring you if you get fired from Optimus. I would never trust you with my files.
• Intercepting and interrogating an Optimus guard in Andi's third season:
  Guard: What-? Oh my god. You're those people I heard about in training! The Synthetics!
• In Andi's third season, Dahlia asks the heroine if she saw a certain SnapShot post. Caught flat-footed by the question and unsure how much she should let on she knows, the dialogue options are:
  >Yes.
  >No.
  >What is SnotShop?
• In season 3, Monarch invites the Syndicate to hang out in the boba shop. Amongst the banter, Duke lets slip that he doesn’t know what boba is.
  Duke: Come on. I’m allowed to enjoy a...sugar drink...every now and again.
  Renzei: Sugar drink?
  Duke: Isn’t that what it is? I assume so, since they come in so many bright colors.
  Monarch: Duke, what exactly do you think Boba is?
  Duke: ...
  Duke: This feels like a trap.
  • They proceed to order him everything on the menu.
    • And then have to call Robin down to help finish all the excess drinks.
• Bat is so mad about not being able to go to boba parties with the rest of the Syndicate that she reveals her identity.
  Monarch: But if you're still worried about your identity, then why are you revealing yourself now?
  Juliette: Um, you were having boba parties without me? A girl gets jealous.
  Andi: [swatting her on the arm] Are you really that petty?
  Juliette: Absolutely.
• Monarch and Andi go on a mission by themselves, with backup from Juliette:
  Duke made it clear that he didn't want us using Syndicate resources for Dahlia-related missions anymore. But we did call in Juliette's assistance as a "favor to a friend."
  Juliette: [over comms] Just to be clear: If Duke asks, I've never met either of you in my life. I don't even know what a cat is. Monarchy is a foreign concept.
• In season 4, for Andi's sake, she and Monarch decide to take a much-needed vacation trip to Los Angeles. When Monarch announces this to the group chat, she realizes they still haven't told them they're dating, and wonders what they'll make of them going on a trip together.
  Text from Duke: I'm glad Andi has such a good friend supporting her through all this.
  Monarch: [smiling] (Gal Pal culture knows no bounds.)
  Text from Juliette: yeah
  Text from Juliette: how noble and selfless of [MC] to take a trip to la
  Text from Juliette: thanks for taking the bullet for us
  Text from Juliette: in case you cant read tone over text that's sarcasm
  Text from Renzei: We could tell, don't worry.
  Text from Juliette: its always lets get boba without juliette and lets go to la without juliette
  Text from Juliette: WHY AM I NEVER THE ONE WHO GETS TO GO ON BONDING TRIPS?!?!!!
• When Juliette gives Andi and Monarch their new fake IDs, it's quickly made apparent that she had a lot of fun with them. Andi's is Sappho Von Chat, for starters.
  Andi: Von Chat? Why Von Chat? I obviously look Korean.
  Juliette: I didn't know the Korean word for cat.
  Monarch: Felicia Nabi? What's Nabi mean?
  Juliette: It's the Korean word for butterfly. Enjoy your trip! Bye, Felicia!
• While disguise-shopping in LA, Andi does impressions of the other Syndicate members.
  Andi: [wearing a trenchcoat, pushing her hair back, and frowning] I wear a sweater to hide the fact that I constantly have a wolf howling at the moon shirt on underneath.
  
  Andi: [in a button-up vest] All my clothes have buttons so people know I'm a Very Serious Person.
  […]
  Andi: I would also have to be walking very quickly down the streets of San Francisco. Because I'm very busy and don't want anyone to talk to me.
  
  Andi: [For Juliette] I'd have to be drop dead gorgeous with long blonde hair… And then inexplicably hide my face from the world like some sort of bridge troll.
  
  Andi: And my impression of [Zeke] would just be very kind, soulful eyes and a winning smile.
  Monarch: My impression of him would be showing up fifteen minutes late with a latte like, 'Hey, what did I miss?'
• During a conference call with the rest of the Syndicate:
  Juliette: Okay, I've got some intel thanks to my leet hacking skills.
  Andi: [MC], please tell Juliette I don't speak nerd.
  Monarch: Tell her yourself, I'm sure she can hear you.
  Andi: [louder] I said 'I don't speak nerd' and [MC] is trying to censor me!
  Juliette: I heard you the first time! But you're right, I'm sorry. I'm using coded language to cover up the fact that I didn't even need to hack anything. I just used my handy dandy internet search engine.
  • Discussing Karma's acting career:
    Andi: Typical. You hit thirty as a woman and suddenly no Hollywood director wants you to play the love interest anymore. [to Monarch] Tell Lorelei I'm so sorry that she's too old for men to consider her attractive.
    Monarch: I already told you, they can hear you just fine. I don't even have a headset on.
    Lorelei: Tell Andi that I cannot emphasize strongly enough how unbothered I am by this.
    Andi: [cackles]
• When Optimus guards stop Andi and Monarch as they're exiting an event, one of the options is to deny everything and insist that they are their fake aliases. It turns out the guards still believe Monarch's fake alias, just not Andi's.
• At the picnic scene in season 5, Dahlia alludes to Juliette's financial situation, and Juliette awkwardly laughs it off and forcibly changes the topic.
  Juliette: Ha ha! Oh, Dahlia! You're such a kidder! No one has any idea what you could be referring to, so maybe you should just be quiet and eat some more sushi!
  She starts shoving sushi into Dahlia's mouth.
• From the Truth or Dare scene in season 5:
  • Monarch dares Andi to hand over her phone. She then changes Andi's SnapShot profile picture and description to something silly, then messages Duke:
    Text from "Andi": I've always felt a deep familial bond with you.
    Text from "Andi": Is it okay if I call you dad from now on?
    Andi: Noooooo…
  • At Dahlia's turn, she picks truth, "Because I know if I choose dare at some point, one of you will force me to eat a spoonful of cinnamon or something. And that's not an experience I'm eager to repeat." Juliette points out that an admission like that is a truth in and of itself. A little later, she suddenly bursts out laughing, having dug up Dahlia's "cinnamon challenge" video. Finally, Juliette's turn arrives, and she picks dare.
    Dahlia: [flagging down the bartender] Excuse me? Do you have any raw cinnamon powder?
    [Juliette's eyes go wide]

Renzei's route

• In Renzei's first season, after he playfully suggests there would be more room for both of them on Monarch's bed if they slept closer together, one of her possible responses is "Define 'closer'." Taking that option receives a predictable result:
  Renzei pulls his phone out of his pocket, and after a moment of swiping, starts to read off the screen.
  Renzei: Adjective. Comparative of 'close'.
  Monarch: That was bad. That was so bad.
• Also in Renzei's first season, wrestling with her confusion over her current situation both with the Syndicate and with Renzei personally, Monarch finds herself wishing she could ask her mother for advice:
  Monarch: ("Hey Mom, the internship's good but but I'm checking out a group of supervillains bent on destroying said internship. I also met the Ninja Assassin, he buys me food and is a great kisser. Thoughts?")
  • Asking Robin for romantic advice goes little better, mostly because Robin had been told they were already dating and is baffled when Monarch makes a big deal over Renzei kissing her after he'd spent the last two nights with her in her room.
    Robin: So what've you been doing in there? Playing Konbopoly?
    Monarch: Basically!
• When Monarch sees the rest of the team unmasked for the first time. She's blown away by meeting SnapShot celebrity Andi Kim and ChatSphere CEO Duke Vale. Then she turns to Badger, who unmasks to reveal… a total stranger.
• Monarch reports to the group chat that she's been shadowing Hayden.
  Andi pops online, probably notified of our messages, and sends a string of eyeball emojis.
  Andi: anything that'll help us grown-ups?
  Monarch: Not really. I only found out his last name and where he sits.
  Bat sends a flashing gif of one sparkly pink word: USELESS.
  Andi: Bat shut up i s2g
• Monarch sees Andi and Renzei practicing hand-to-hand.
  Renzei: You could make better use of your reach.
  Andi: [scowling] Easy for you to say! You're a human noodle. Why don't you come over here and see what short arms can do?
  Renzei smiles as he lunges, and though Andi puts up a good fight, he eventually gets her into a headlock.
  Andi: Don't do it. Don't you dare.
  Renzei: What? This?
  He blows into her ear and she seizes up like a real cat.
  Andi: That's it!
  Renzei yelps and pulls away, shaking out his hands.
  Monarch: (She must've shocked him good. [smirks] He deserves it.)
• After Renzei teases Monarch for responding on the comms with "Roger":
  Monarch: Give me a break.
  Andi: I'm going to start saying it, too. So there.
  Bat: Yeah, Renzei. For all you know, Roger's a very nice guy.
• In a heart scene toward the end of his second season, Renzei takes Monarch on a nighttime date at the beach... with surprise fireworks.
  Monarch: Renzei, half of these are super illegal!
  Renzei: That's what you're going to scold me about?
  Monarch: (...Okay, fair.)
  • The two of them proceed to have a grand old time setting off fireworks and playing with sparklers, until...
    As we blast off one after another, it feels like the night will last forever.
    ...And then we hear the police sirens.
• Juliette and Andi stealing away Monarch to dance in the season 4 clubbing heart scene. The zooming of the sprites is what makes it.

Lorelei's route

• The Syndicate prepares to begin a training session.
  Bat: I'll be here capturing video of everyone falling down and setting it to the funniest music I can find.
• When Monarch first brings Lorelei back to her apartment and has to figure out how to explain her to Robin, the option for saying that she's her colleague leads to this exchange:
  Monarch: [nods at Robin]
  Robin: [nods at Monarch]
  Monarch: [nods at Lorelei]
  Lorelei: [nods at Robin]
  Monarch: (At least it seems like we're all in agreement?)
  • Another option is "bodyguard".
    Monarch: Robin, this is Lorelei, my… My bodyguard. She guards my body.
    If I close my eyes, they'll smell my fear, so I let that line hang there as my face heats.
    Robin: [grins] Dope.
• Renzei is initially suspicious after first meeting the suited up Bat, then:
  Falcon squints, but what he asks isn't what I expect.
  Falcon: If you're Bat, where are your wings?
  [Bat's emoji goes sassy]
  Bat: Where are yours, Falcon?
  Cat: [high fives Bat]
  Bat: And now that I'm on the IRL roster, it's The Bat, thankyouverymuch.
  Cat: Holding out on us, you dog!
  Bat: [straight-faced] I just said I'm Bat.
  Cat: The Bat!
  They both laugh.
  Cat: Wanna see who's powers go the brightest?
  Bat: Oooh, you're on-!
  Wolf: NOT on the train!
  Falcon: Yeah, what're you, dim?
  Bat and Cat do simultaneous finger-guns.
  Bat: Eeyyyyy!
• In early season 2 there’s a heart choice to train Monarch’s recently developed telepathy and one point Lorelei sings in her head Britney Spears’ Drive Me Crazy.
• Lorelei's second season halfway point ends with a cliffhanger of Lorelei seemingly about to kiss Monarch. Come the next episode, they are immediately interrupted by Bat, as Juliette, accidentally revealing her identity because she didn't realize they were in there.
  Juliette: Do I look? Do I not? I'm so conflicted.
  • Monarch's reaction to Juliette's appearance — as well as Lorelei's reaction to that — is also golden:
    Monarch: You're not what I expected!
    Juliette: [grinning big] Hot?
    Monarch: I mean, yeah!
    Monarch: (Whups.)
    Lorelei: Oh my god.
• When Juliette reveals herself to the rest of the Syndicate, Renzei starts sneaking up on her with a knife before she glares and scolds him and he realizes who she is. Andi breaks the tension:
  Andi: Did everyone know America's Next Top Hottie was under that suit but me?!
  Renzei: I didn't, I just don't exhibit surprise well.
  Juliette: I'd be offended, Andi, but you burritoed your ignorance with flattery!
• Andi and Juliette's relentless teasing of Lorelei and Monarch. After Monarch catches herself and Lorelei from a fall in training, they have a loving moment together. Then:
  Juliette: Oh, Andi, catch me! [fake swoons into Andi's arms]
  Andi: [gruffing her voice] You got it, babe!
  Keeping her eyes closed, Juliette quickly clicks a tiny remote control. Saxophone from a classic 1980's romance movie blasts out of the speakers.

Juliette's route

• At one point MC and Juliette take Andi and Lorelei out for a girl's night. Renzei hears about it and complains to Duke that they never get boy's night.
• The second episode of Juliette's fifth season is full of funny moments. The syndicate meets up in a park and when asked why Duke responds he just wanted to meet with his friends. Juliette responds by pretending to faint, including her sprite actually falling over.
  Juliette: "I'm gonna faint!"
  Juliette: "Andi catch me!"
  To my surprise, Juliette actually does trust fall backwards into Andi's outstretched arms.
  • The scene continues with Renzei complaining about still not getting a boy's night and Andi later returning the favor with Juliette.
  Andi: "I'm swooning! Juliette, catch me!"
  This time Andi trust falls into Juliette's waiting arms.

Other

• From the official Twitter, the response to a question about the characters' favorite foods:
  Andi loves boba and crepes! Duke likes organic food. Lorelei likes home cooking. Renzei has never been observed eating by a living human.

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