Public Service Announcement

The first video upon their return is a new episode of charades.

Their introduction is brighter and more cheerful than any they've done in ages, the excitement of being back and re-energized making them both bounce on their toes. They explain the familiar rules, all smiles, and Brett wins scissors-paper-rock. Very little appears to have changed.

Eddy's left hand isn't visible until he lifts his violin to play.

The comments under the video start with the usual "first"s and "Last time I was this early..."s. But the sudden influx of all-caps "IS THAT WEDDING A RING" and "Wait WHAT IS THAT AT 2:33" and "HOLY SHIT LOOK AT HIS HAND" show the progression from the time it was posted to the exact moment the viewers catch up.

At 2:57, Brett props his chin in left hand, trying to work out Eddy's clue. A small band of gold catches the light.

The comment section explodes.

They make no mention of their new jewelry.

~~~

Their second video after returning is short: an announcement for the date and time of the Sibelius drop, just two and a half weeks away.

There's a brief, sincere thank you at the end for the fans' continued support during the hiatus, and an explanation that they'll limit their uploads to three per week. The rings remain. They don't say a word about them.

The comment section is full of heartfelt messages, well-wishes, and assurances that the fans aren't going anywhere no matter how frequently (or infrequently) they post.

The top-rated comment is:

Can't wait for Sibelius! Take care not to push yourselves and WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THOSE RINGS I'M DYING HERE.

~~~

The rings are on full display during the Sibelius stream.

It's the best Eddy's ever played. He ends the final upbow with a flourish that's probably too big for the note, and after he and Brett take their respective bows, they share a quick hug. Their instruments prevent it from being a full-contact embrace, but for a brief second Eddy's face turns towards Brett's ear.

The back of Eddy's head obstructs the view, but the moment is screencapped and GIF-ed and analyzed endlessly. Opinion is split on whether he was simply leaning in for a closer hug, saying a quiet thanks to Brett, or kissing the side of his head.

~~~

The newest episode of Ling Ling 40 Hours is released two weeks later.

A meme about the rings sits at the top with a staggering 11k upvotes. Their hysterical laughter is disproportionate to the joke (there really isn't one), like they've known about this frenzy among the fans and had more than a few conversations about it.

"Okay, okay," Eddy finally says once they've calmed down, holding up a placating hand - his left. "Obviously, everyone's seen it." He turns his wrist back and forth to provide a full view, making sure to give an in-focus close-up. "Let's just get this out in the open, so everyone can stop speculating and tweeting and DMing me about this. Public Service Announcement: yes, I'm married now."

He drops his hand back in his lap and says nothing else.

Brett raises an amused eyebrow towards Eddy, then looks to the camera. "He's an old married boomer now." He shrugs. "Oh! And I got married as well." He flits his hand up in a half-assed demonstration. "We don't really go into personal stuff on this channel, but yeah. I'm married."

The editor superimposes an explosion of confetti over Brett's deadpan face.

"Hope that clears everything up," Eddy adds, before casually moving on to the next meme.

It doesn't.

~~~

A few months later, Brett makes a pun so terrible the editor simply pauses the video on a still image of his face for five seconds - no graphics, no sound effects, just an excruciating five seconds to allow the words to sink in.

When the video resumes, Eddy's face is buried in his hand. "Why did I marry you?" he mumbles to himself, the words muffled by his fingers but still clearly audible.

"Decisions have consequences," Brett shoots back with a smirk, still basking in the glory of his finest Dad Joke to date. A subtle edit puts a sparkle over the band on Eddy's finger, and the tiny heart that appears between the two of them pops onscreen for only a single frame.

The ninety-second teaser clip they post on Twitter includes the moment. The top reply belongs to Hilary.

@violincase ❤️ Does this mean I can finally publicly talk about this?!

They don't tweet a reply, but they do like the comment.

~///~