Episode 110: Layla

Layla’s character demo and collected miscellany videos give an introduction to her studies and sleepwalking. We even get a glimpse into her shadow self.

Layla’s swoopy hair, elf-like ears, and hood that defies gravity & physics all add to her distinctive style. We’ve seen others with similar ears, but there’s no solid connection to suggest whether this means she’s non-human or if it’s simply a result of her genetics.

Layla has two distinct personalities, even if she’s unaware of them. Her daytime or sleepy self is the student we see worrying and staying up way too late working on her research. Her shadow self is the get-things-done, confident, overachiever. There’s a distinct difference in posture and tone between these two.

If anyone was gonna be selling drugs on a campus, Tif and Bee undoubtedly assume it’s going to be Dori. And poor Layla is the perfect candidate to fall for the pitch. Next time, she should take her chances with Feens and Tighnari in the forest looking for some magic mushrooms.

Have you gotten any of the Thespian Tricks from completing levels in Imaginarium? Well, if you do, Tif wants you to check out Kazuha’s. It’s a still from his idle, and he totally looks like he’s rolling a joint. Would you expect anything less from that tree-hugging hippie?

During Layla’s hangout, we go on a scavenger hunt following notes from the Wisdom Seelie. At the end of one of the branches, we knock on a random door to find a man who knows Layla. Mundhir not only tells us how Layla helped his family but also gives her a box she left there during her last visit. The box contained her mother’s missing talisman.

When we try to help Layla finish her thesis, we end up visiting an astronomy enthusiast named Azzam, who doubts that Layla is an actual student. After answering some questions, he lets us borrow his high-precision celestial globe. Which conveniently just so happens to be outside his tent.

Feens tells us about Layla’s constellation Luscinia. It is the representation of a nightingale. A bird known to sing a beautiful tune when most people are heading to sleep. Sounds familiar, huh?

Here are some helpful links if you’re unfamiliar with the pop culture references we mentioned during the episode. Feens mentions a Final Fantasy character named Vivi when talking about Layla’s hood. Tif mentions the Who’s Deanna scene from The Walking Dead when talking about the library.

Thank you to fellow travelers Kimiko & Elliot for writing in. We truly appreciate your questions and comments! If you’d like to send us mail via the Komaniya Express, reach out on our Instagram, X/Twitter, or email. We’d love to hear from you! And Kirara could use the work.

You can find the three jacked-up Fatui over at Huitztli Hill in Natlan. A tip from Feens, start the fight on the opposite side of the fire guy and you can tackle the first two without him getting involved.

Piano or coffin? Definitely a coffin.

Check out A Winter Night’s Lazzo, the chapter interlude we reference often.