#Speaking of expressions - that last panel! Lol

[sysig]

For a request, would you please draw something with Shmee and Scriabin interacting? I always find the idea of their constant bickering and 'You're not my dad, don't tell me what to do' 'well apparently SOMEONE needs to' relationship funny and potentially cute, and i wish we got to see more of it. And it being a reminder that Scriabin can do stuff that humans can't typically (like talk to the other Voices) is always a fun bonus.

Day 22 - Hey!

[gyusimp]

OMG I saw you write for Kenji Sato omg can I request one where instead of the reader being Kenji’s manager the roles are switched? :DD

Reader is a women’s baseball player (basically kenji but its the reader right?) and Kenji is her (private) manager that doesn’t have a social media presence so one day when they get seen together the media assume they’re dating but in reality they’re not(?) hehe I also feel like it would be way more interesting if you added your own twist to how to end it 🤭

𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒊 𝒙 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 [ᔆʷⁱᵗᶜʰ ʳᵒˡᵉˢ ᴬᵁ | ᴼⁿᵉ⁻ᔆʰᵒᵗ ] 3.7k words

In the end I ended up making Kenji your assistant instead of your manager lol I hope you don't mind. Btw, this AU was so fun to write! I had a lot of ideas with the original plot of the movie so the one-shot was getting so long that I had to think about making a second part for it. I hope you like it! ❤

You were in your dressing room, touching up your hair and makeup before the press conference that started in 30 minutes. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a few questions after having won the last game thanks to you, scoring a homerun in the last minutes to give your team the victory.

“It’s time, you better go take a seat.” It was Kenji, your assistant who told you, peeking through the door before knocking, holding his cell phone in his hand.

“Ok, I’ll be right there.” You put your phone aside and stood up to go to the room where all the press was, the camera flashes shining on your face as you greeted everyone with a confident and flirtatious smile before taking a seat in front of a back panel full of logos and a table with several microphones pointed at you next to a small table tent with your name written on it and the logo of the team you are part of.

The night and the conference went by smoothly and normally, confidently answering each of the questions about your profession and a few jokes with the interviewers. A woman stood up from her seat to greet you, introducing herself with the name of the company she worked for. “Can I ask you a few questions?”

“Sure, go ahead.” You smiled as the girl adjusted her glasses before reading her notes and speaking. “Everyone here is talking about the success of your latest game but I would like to know something more personal about you.”

“Ok, what is your name?” To which the woman replied as Ami Wakita. You didn’t see anything wrong with her comment, people usually ask you questions about personal things like a hobby, beauty secrets or the like. “You’ve been seen very close to the same boy lately, but he’s not just any boy but your assistant Mr. Sato. Is there something more between you two than just a mere work relationship?”

Everyone was talking in the background, pointing out that this wasn’t the time for gossip and other comments until they noticed your expression and delayed response to the question. Your expression turned serious and slightly irritated, you took the bottle of cold water in front of you and drank from it to wash away that bitter feeling in your mouth.

“Ms. Wakita, no? I would love to answer your question but I’m afraid I have another event to attend to right now. It was a pleasure being able to talk to all of you.” You said with a fake smile for the general public as you finished, to stand up and say goodbye to everyone present.

The hustle and bustle of the people was heard less and less until it almost completely disappeared through the hallways until you reached your dressing room and met your assistant Kenji again, you took your things and both returned to your large house away from the rest of the city.

“Hey, everything okay? You seem a little upset since the conference ended” Kenji said, sitting on the couch next to you, handing you a canned drink.

“Yeah, just some people and their out of place questions, you know.” He nodded in response as he took a sip from his can. “I see… well, don’t pay attention to them. They’re always like that, right? Maybe they do it just to annoy you.”

“Yeah, maybe.” You stretched out on the couch and then stood up. “I’m tired, I think I’ll go to sleep. Could you remind me of my schedule for tomorrow?”

“Sure.” Kenji took the iPad next to him on the couch to check your chores for tomorrow while leaving the can on the couch coaster. “You have training from 9:00 - 11:00 am then at 3:00 pm meeting with your trainer, another meeting from 4:00 - 5:30 pm to sign your endorsement contracts with Maybelline…”

“Wow! That means free makeup?” you commented excitedly.

“Maybe, that happened with the last campaign, right?”

“Yeah, I hope it happens again. I could use some waterproof foundation or something. That’s all?”

“No, you have one last interview at 6:00 pm at Ami Wakita’s house.”

“Her name sound familiar, where is she from?”

“She works for a sports channel, but her name also appears in the attendees of this afternoon’s press conference. I didn’t get to see you today, did you talk to her or something?” Ken asked seeing the look of disinterest on your face.

“Damn…something like that. Actually, she was the one with the awkward questions. Can’t we cancel?”

Kenji checked a few things and then shook his head. “I don’t think so, she had already requested to speak with you several weeks in advance.” Kenji’s words discouraged you but the commitment was already scheduled and you had no other option.

You went to sleep hoping that the next day it would be easier for you to think about going but as the day went by you realized that you longed for the hours to pass more slowly so you wouldn’t have to go. Kenji accompanied you to the last meeting with the sponsors and when it was over you told him he could go home after having done so much for you, which he wasn’t sure about at first but after your insistence he ended up accepting. You arranged to attend the interview with the woman at the press conference at her house, you wondered why it would be at her house and not a different place like a set or studio at her workplace.

Did she want to ask you more strange questions or continue to insist on the last topic? Thinking about that made you a little nervous, about the reasons why you could be related to Kenji in that way. Your assistant wasn't a public figure unlike you, just a normal boy a few years older than you who came to Tokyo a few years ago to help his father with some family matters and get a new job while he wasn't busy with it. He doesn't even use social media much but being the personal assistant of a celebrity, it's impossible for him to go completely unnoticed. Besides, it's been a few years since he works for you, years where he has shown himself to be a trustworthy, friendly, kind and very considerate person, it's incredible the way your whole life is in perfect condition and safety in the hands of that man, making both of you become very close friends over time and even making you develop other kinds of feelings for him.

Both of you became so close that you even offered him to move into your spacious house after seeing the constant arguments with his father. It’s normal for both of you to be seen together in public, whether it’s just doing his work by your side or having a drink together after a tiring day, but that didn’t mean anything else. The guy doesn’t even know you’re attracted to him and now the media wants to tell him and make up stories before you can even say anything? Never. It was time for the interview so you decided to arrive about 10 minutes early so you could leave faster.

“Good evening, thank you very much for coming.” Ami greeted you. “Please have a seat.” You sat at a small table in front of her in the living room of her house. Your first impression with her had been bad yesterday, you didn’t like at all her way of invading you in front of everyone asking questions unrelated to the topic so now you could say you were a little in boss bitch mode but not so happy. You limited yourself to a simple greeting and kept your sunglasses on. “Well, I have some questions,” she said, taking her cell phone. “Do you mind if I record?”

“Not at all, go ahead.” You said, expression neutral but very nervous deep down as the woman spoke.

It was more random topics at first to get comfortable, comments about your games and such until the topic of talking in confidence between two girls came up. “Well, I guess you didn’t answer my question the other night,” she smiled, searching for answers. “Is it possible that you could answer now?”

“Again with that…” Your head tilted slightly and you sighed tiredly. “Ms. Wakita, aren’t you supposed to work for a sports network?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then why don’t you ask questions that fall into that category?”

“I thought you liked talking about yourself.”

“I like talking about myself, however, I only tend to do so in the right place with the right people,” you replied, leaning out of your seat to look at her over your sunglasses. Letting a brief silence settle in as her phone counted down the seconds of the recording. Her expression grew more serious, however, you continued talking. “Listen, I’m one of the best female baseball players alive in my age range right now. There are thousands of questions to ask an athlete of my level but despite that, you prefer to continue with the same subject as if we were in high school. I'm a professional and I think your questions should start being one too, don’t you think?”

You smiled sideways and adjusted your glasses on your head. You stood up and thanked her for the gesture of having invited you directly to her house while you began to walk out and go home in your car.

“I’m going home” you wrote a text message to Ken before starting the engine and driving. Not even 2 minutes had passed when you received a call from Kenji, you answered putting the call on speaker so you could talk while driving.

“Wow, that was fast. Everything in order?”

“Neither good nor bad, but please say no to anything that is related to talking to that woman again, understand?” You joked with Kenji to which he also laughed telling you that he would take it into account for future occasions. “Hey, do you have plans for tonight or are you already dressed in your pajamas?” He laughed again, making your smile curve further.

“I was thinking we could order something to eat since your plans changed,” Kenji suggested.

“How about I pick you up and we go get something to eat?”

“Are you sure? Aren’t you tired?”

“It’s Friday Ken. Get ready, I’ll pick you up in 20,” you told him before hanging up the call. Talking to Kenji made you feel a lot better, even downplaying the interview from a while ago.

You went to your house where Kenji was waiting for you at the entrance, got in your car and drove to a nice place to hang out with him. You loved hanging out with him, being able to talk and laugh by his side was so relaxing and always made you feel good. Now at dinner, it’s like all the tiredness you carried was slowly fading away as the two of you talked, that was the effect Ken always had on you. After your little date, you returned home to rest, tomorrow there weren’t many things to do so you could both sleep later.

Saturday’s rest had been worth it, today you had a game to play and you were already in the locker room, getting ready to go out onto the field where you would be greeted by a crowd excited about today’s game. “Hey girl, I didn’t know you two were dating!” It was the voice of one of your teammates. Her tone wasn’t mocking but rather surprised, like a friend happy to see you in a relationship.

You looked at her confused as she showed you a news story that was trending in searches. It was a picture of you and Kenji at that restaurant the other night, along with a headline speculating about a love affair between the female baseball star and his assistant. Your mouth was agape.

“No! We-we’re not-” You were about to clear things up when you were interrupted by your coach, indicating that it was your turn to go out and play. You were upset, confused, and nervous. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Right about to go out onto the field, with millions of eyes on you both in person and through the televisions while Kenji Sato was the only thing going through your head. You grabbed the bat almost automatically and positioned yourself on the base to get ready to hit.

What would Kenji say about all this? Had he seen it already? He likes to keep a low profile and now he’d be on everyone’s lips along with you. Would he be upset? Would he ask you for a break? Or much worse. Would he quit?

Strike 1

You didn’t see the ball go past you, wondering who could have gotten those pictures. Wasn’t it a more private place? They’re supposed to guarantee that privacy when the prices for that place cost a fortune.

Strike 2

They sold those pictures to the media? That was for sure. How did they do it so fast? Would you just have to ignore all of that or come out and deny it? What if hypothetically Kenji secretly liked all of this and denying everything disillusioned him? You looked ahead as you heard your coach’s voice and the sound of the crowd, just in time before the ball was thrown again.

You adjusted your feet, held the bat tightly while keeping your eyes on your target as you then swung with all your might, scoring a perfect homerun. You threw the bat in another direction and began running towards the other bases as fast as you could. The crowd was cheering you on, but you noticed how the screams of excitement were starting to sound different and all the screens turned the atmosphere in the stadium red, announcing a kaiju alert in the city. You stopped in the middle of the field not knowing what to do when everyone started running and getting up after a helicopter almost collided with the gigantic creature that appeared in the back of the stadium, making the ground rumble with the roar it let out from its throat.

You decided to run in the opposite direction and return to your team in the locker room, where the security guards would take them to a safer place. You quickly grabbed your things and grabbed your cell phone to watch the news while you walked with your briefcase on your shoulder. Fortunately, Ultraman was already at the site near the stadium, surely everything would be under control with his presence. Suddenly Kenji came to your mind, most likely he was on his way to pick you up after tonight's game. Without thinking twice, you dialed his phone number.

“Kenji, you have some calls” said Mina, the AI that her father had given him a few months ago after making some improvements to her. Your name was displayed in her database every time he received a call from your number. “Do you want me to answer?”

“No, I’m kind of busy right now Mina. I’ll talk to her later.” You were moved to another safer part of the stadium after seeing that Ultraman had managed to take Gigantron to another part far from the city with the KDF.

You tried to call Kenji again but you still didn’t get a response and when the alerts were deactivated after a while you didn’t hesitate twice to go look for him yourself. Almost 3 hours had passed and you weren’t going to wait any longer but just in case, you called Kenji again while you were walking outside the stadium.

“Yes?”

“Kenji! I’m so relieved to hear you, are you okay? Nothing happened to you? There was a kaiju very close to here and you weren’t answering my calls!”

“Yes, yes. I’m fine, calm down. I was just leaving the house to go get you. Where are you?”

“Leaving the stadium, I’m going to where you are?”

“No, just stay where you are. I’ll be there, send me your location okay? I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Ok, thanks. Be careful okay?” A lot of things had happened in these hours, too many things.

Kenji was sure that he would lose his job tonight, what other reaction if not firing him would you have when you saw that he locked a baby kaiju without your permission inside your house and now it was living in your basement? He was very nervous and needed to think of a surprising excuse for all this. The baby kaiju appeared next to her mother and he had to lock her in here? Or maybe… not. Nothing was justifiable, each excuse he thought sounded more stupid than the last. For now, he took it upon himself to pick you up and go home hoping that Mina had managed to calm her down in the meantime. As a last option he would call his father but only if it was really necessary.

Both of you entered your house, you didn’t stop talking and Ken’s nerves increased with every sound coming from inside the house, hoping that it wasn’t the baby who had woken up.

“Damn today was an exhausting day. I’ll be upstairs taking a bath” you told him, going up the stairs to your room. Ken knew that you took things seriously when you decided to relax.

You turned up the music in the bathroom and closed the door for hours to do your skincare, hair and whatever routine before taking a bath with warm water and filling the bathtub with things. You would be distracted for a while and that would give him time to go down to the basement and think of a solution before you noticed the giant pink lizard inside your house. Ken stood in the middle of the living room, shouting your name over and over again trying to get your attention as a test in case you heard something but he got no response, he could simply hear your voice singing in the distance along with your favorite playlist which gave him the confidence to go down.

“Ken, it’s good that you’re back” Mina said, just showing him that the baby had just woken up almost 20 minutes ago.

“And this!?” Inside the containment unit there was a whole mess of food thrown on the floor, food that you had bought that you would surely deduct from his salary for having wasted it in his games of being a kaiju’s mother. “Mina, I told you to try something little by little so that she would eat.”

“I did, but she rejected each thing in the end.”

The baby was desperate, she moved her little legs demanding something to eat until her attention was fixed on something else. Some fish around on the other side of the glass made her look at them anxiously, indicating what she want to eat. “Do you want fish? “Okay, I’ll get you some fish.”

It didn’t take any effort for Kenji other than turning into Ultraman to go out and get a good amount of fish to feed the baby. You were upstairs in the bathroom, you continued singing inside the bathroom after having taken a shower. You found yourself sitting in front of the mirror of your vanity, a towel wrapped around your body and another around your hair while you put some products on your face. You let your hair down, you let it down and combed it after moisturizing it, now you only needed the hairdryer but you couldn’t find it anywhere. You searched the shelves, the furniture and sliding doors but it wasn’t there, suddenly you remembered having used it with Kenji to dry his hair for the last time, after he was caught in the rain one night where he had to go out to take care of something after his watch made a strange sound. You took off the towel from your body, put on your underwear and a sleeveless nightgown before putting a thicker robe over your body and tying it around your waist and searched for Kenji all over the house without finding him either until you heard his voice coming from the basement. It turns out that you found the dryer while looking for him around the house but you still wanted to know what he was doing. It wasn't common for him to be alone downstairs, there wasn't much to do there.

"There you go, eat as much as you want" Kenji said, still as Ultraman. Opening the lid of the containment unit to empty several kilos of fish into it to feed the baby who began to eat happily. "Do you think that's enough?"

"We hope so" Mina replied.

Kenji sighed in relief and returned to his usual height in less than 1 second. His figure jumped slightly when he heard a noise of something falling. He turned around and there you were, having dropped the dryer on the floor causing it to break as you watched in amazement as the approximately 40 meter tall hero of Tokyo was in your basement, it was your assistant and friend Kenji Sato and also, he was feeding a kaiju.

Let me know what do u think and if you'd like a Part two! Also, if u want to be tagged in Part 02 too when i post it 😁

[wuntrum]

do you have any tips for an artist who wants to start making one off comics? i really enjoy your artistic direction and style of story telling so i’m very interested in your thoughts on it

yes, definitely!!

-read lots of comics! and a variety of them, too--both ones in the sort of genre/style you'd like to make, but also ones in completely different genres, lengths, places of origin, traditionally/indie/digitally published, simple to experimental formatting, etc

-in relation to the last one, if a comic you read really speaks to you, take some time to study some page layouts from that comic! how do the panels vary from page to page? how much space is the text taking up? what sort of "shots" (to borrow from cinematic language lol) are they using? these shouldn't be fancy, just little thumbnails, but i find it really helps. here's a few i did from a guest in the house by emily carroll

-start smalllll. its really important to build up your stamina, just like with any new sort of skill. if you wanna make a graphic novel thats 200+ pages long, you should make some comics that are 1, 20, 50 pages long and see them through to the end before taking on a super big project.

-this is related to the last point, but i think keeping your cast of characters small at first can also help build up your comic stamina. signals was the first longer comic i made, so i specifically really wanted to focus on just jeanne (and occasionally her parents and peers when they showed up)

-character sheets are helpful, but i also think the easiest way to start getting your characters drawn consistently is through actually drawing the comic! there's also gonna be panels where they look "off" or whatever, and its literally fine, i promise

-through the smaller comics, experiment with how you go about writing your story! theres no right or wrong way to write/plan out a story so, it takes some trial and error to figure out what will work best with your work flow. for me, i've found success in making a timeline of events for the story -> loosely guessing how many pages i'll need/want per section of the story -> freewriting (trying not to edit too much, just dumping all the words out) -> thumbnailing/loose sketching/editing text (all sort of happens in the same step; i find i need the layouts in front of me to understand what i need/don't need from the text i wrote) -> tight sketching -> final . but, if that flow doesn't work for you, try something else! i know a lot of comics people find success in writing a script first, with indications of page and panel-by-panel breakdowns

-take shortcuts often and without guilt. its a lot of work to make a comic! theres just a lot of drawings involved, that most people aren't gonna look at for very long! i especially recommend for infrequent/difficult things, like buildings or crowds or cars or bookcases, using some sort of 3d asset/brush to make your life easier. if you can reuse a drawing and change the crop/expression, do it!

-use some sort of tracker to track your progress on how many pages you've sketched/inked/finished. even if you don't have an external deadline, i think it's still good to give yourself some sort of timeline to work on (i recommend setting "ideal" goals and "realistic" goals, especially if you're working/still in school/etc). for signals, i used google sheets, because you can set up columns to be attached to little circle charts, so as you check off your progress, you can really easily see how much you've done/how much you have left to do (as i type this i highkey forget how i did that before, with signals, so...you might need to do some sheets experimentation to actually do this lol. but there's probably other trackers you can use too)

-understanding comics and making comics by scott mccloud are both great books, highly recommend them (easy to get second hand/from your library/🏴‍☠️)

-lastly, haveee funnnnn

[hopeswriting]

[ID copied from alt text: A panel from the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn, showing Reborn.

He says to Tsuna, "As expected, you… haven't changed compared to when I first came," looking disapproving, if not disappointed too. /End ID]

i was looking for this line again for reasons, and the way i remembered it, reborn was saying it as a compliment. but he's clearly not here, and it's so interesting he isn't?

for context he says this after tsuna says yet again that he won't become vongola decimo, and it's like. well i won't go deep into this, but from reborn's pov, who was sent to him to train him to become vongola decimo, that he can't see any improvement on that matter despite all they went through and everything that happened, is, of course, a failure on both their parts (which is also interesting in and of itself).

but from tsuna's pov, that he hasn't become any closer to look the part of vongola decimo, to look the part of a mafia don, is, of course, something to be celebrated and for him to pride himself on. especially because of all they went through and everything that happened, during which they were plenty of room to change tsuna into vongola decimo.

idk, just. something something, reborn wants the exact opposite thing tsuna wants, was sent to tsuna with the express purpose of making him change his mind because they knew (or like, were smart enough to assume it anyway) it was the last thing tsuna wanted, and yet they've always been a team all the same, haven't they? have always been on the same side, have always been standing right by the other's side.

and yet their bond is still the closest and strongest in the manga all the same, isn't it?

update: okay never mind, it's THIS line i was actually thinking about, so post cancelled lol

[ID copied from alt text: Other panels from the manga.

Reborn's still speaking to Tsuna, smiling as he says, "Hey, I said that you've barely changed... since I first came, right? (The word "barely" is in bold and italicized.) And that... is an awesome thing, Tsuna." /End ID]

[mamawasatesttube]

So i was just rotating your "Jack drake lives au" in my mind and at the same time remembered those panels of superman shaking hands with Some Fucking Guy (i think he was being a bitch to Lois or smth) and he makes direct unflinching eye contact with the tight lipped smile and his grip is a little too tight to be friendly

Anyways im not saying he hates Jack but i do think Kon off-handedly mentioned the "joke" about his nail polish and Clark went "oh really now?" And didnt forget

So rip Jack at that family dinner night bc not only is Lois waiting for an excuse to obliterate him but Clark is right there with her and if jack thinks that Good Ol Country folk Ma and Pa will back him up then hes in for a surprise lol

oh yeah absolutely!!!! the thing is. literally Nobody likes jack in this au ksjdhfkd like kon and dick absolutely have texted each other to bitch about him, ma openly shakes her head when she hears about how he treats tim (and she WILL speak her mind if he ever tries to shut that sweet boy down in front of her!), cass literally won't speak to him bc he failed the vibe check so bad, etc...

and like. no one is telling tim this. they Know it'll make him feel like he has to defend his dad bc he loves him! but sometimes tim mentions oh he can't join for games this friday night, he and his dad are going on an early morning fishing trip. and cass just meets kon's eyes across the room behind tim's back and rolls her eyes so hard.

but yeah. clark will mostly let lois handle the obliteration with ma's backup as needed bc he knows she's got this. his form of expressing his severe disapproval of jack, his views, and his parenting? supporting tim. thanking him for doing the dishes after dinner, praising his work ethic, ruffling his hair and telling him he did a great job with that case he wrapped up last week, etc. it makes tim go "!!! :D!!!" like that pic of the cat getting patted. tim has always craved approval and affirmation and affection from people around him and he gets it in spades from the kents. and jack sees his son light up and open up around these people way more than he does with him. it's not a good feeling.

it's just tough bc like, tim doesn't want anyone getting mad at jack. but the idea of anyone getting mad at jack on his behalf is also just such a shock to him. he's not used to that. he feels like he has to manage jack and be responsible for him in a lot of ways (if jack says something shitty in front of lois, tim cringes because now jack is gonna get his ass handed to him and feel humiliated, and that's his dad and he was trying to help, and also he feels like it's on him that his dad is being like that. why? oh you know.) (its the unnamed emotional abuse, thats why.)

but also clark and kon watch lois ask tim how his degree is going now that he's in engineering school, and lightly rib him and ask if she can't poach him into investigative journalism instead, because she doesn't usually take interns but she'd make an exception! and tim cocks his head like a dog and says well, maaaybe he'd be down to consider an internship if she's serious? it does sound cool. what are the details? and jack, who barely gets more than one-word answers when he talks to tim about his future, is just kinda seething. heart rate goin up bc hes mad. and kon and clark just exchange extremely amused glances across the kitchen and sip their hot chocolates.

like the tim and jack dynamic is complicated; it'd be a lot easier if the love wasn't so real but it is present. its just that jack is soooo emotionally immature and grounded in Classic American Manhood and ideas of fatherhood. and the fact that tim is growing beyond that and not fitting in the mold he's "supposed" to eats at him. its a tragedy but also we are all pointing and laughing at jack every time superfam make him grind his teeth.

[tsutsumi-kurose]

tsukasa looking at amane in 109

based on these panels…

…tsukasa is not only staring at amane here…

…but he also turns to address hanako as he says this!!

so many possible readings of this!! so many questions!! did he want to destroy it for amane? or did he maybe not like what amane was trying to do with the clock? was it actually just genuine curiosity, and if it was, did he never attempt destroying it before bc he knew amane was trying to fix it? also, how was hanako affected by hearing this sentiment from tsukasa at the trial? i get the feeling this is a look of “we both know what I’m talking about” but it's hard to say without seeing hanako's reaction to it!

either way, what an incredible little insight into middle school tsukasa those panels paint over the course of just one sentence. tsukasa sitting there all quiet and placid watching amane, looking patient and harmless. meanwhile his head is full of violent destruction not even hinted at on his face. what other sorts of thoughts were going through tsukasa's head at this point in his life, and how, if at all, did they get expressed? this is also potentially an interesting insight into the timeline of things, considering amane's apparent lack of injuries while fixing the clock... maybe some connected hints at things there?

i also love this moment of him looking at hanako even as he's supposedly talking to the clock keepers bc it feels like such a classic tsukasa move. keeping his awareness of the situation in tact, keeping an eye on things as much as is necessary, but taking the opportunity to steal a private moment for amane, his real/personal focus. he's a professional!! he's gonna do what he needs to!! our little anarchist will temporarily appease the process of Law and Order if he must, to get his plan to work—but he's also going to have a moment to meet amane's eye and reference something only the two of them understand, having an entire conversation that everyone else can technically hear, but can't understand.

even the line speaks of self indulgence in this look: yes, he says he has his professional reasons for destroying the clock, but there were also personal reasons, and i love that while he's fulfilling the necessary business of twisting the trial to his benefit, he has this little look to hanako as he touches on his own desires surrounding the clock. a little detour from business. he didn't need to share that! he's already explained himself enough for his plan to work!! that last sentence was just bc tsukasa wanted hanako to hear it.

it's honestly kind of endearing, that, for someone who seems to be all about doing as he pleases, tsukasa is actually very good at doing his job, even the stuffy parts he probably doesn't like very much, and only giving himself brief little treats like this while focusing on his duties!!

i also love how this one line, these two pages, just makes me desperately want to know more about what amane was doing with that clock, what tsukasa knew, and how he felt about it... i love you yugi twins lore crumbs <3 lol they're always so well done and make me lose my mind in the best way!! so many thoughts on this one sentence and those two looks but i still have no idea what any of it actually means!!!! so good!!

[karingu]

Chapter 474 made me want InuKag to break up (temporarily)

There's something that always bothered me about this chapter, but I finally have the words to explain what it is. (This is the one with Kaou, the weird sadness eating demon that made Inuyasha have a dream of Kikyo and cry blood and stuff.)

Sigh. I don't agree with how the ending of this chapter was written (sorry, Rumiko). It made me, an InuKagger, feel devastatingly frustrated about InuKag's relationship for the first time... specifically for Kagome's dignity.

Okay, so Inuyasha's thoughts basically got blasted on speakerphone in the previous Ch:

UM, HI? Kagome is RIGHT FUCKIN' THERE. God, at that point, for Kagome's sake, I had had enough of it. I love InuKag, but in this moment, I don't give a frank fuck what Inuyasha has done to prove he loves Kagome, or what he truly thinks — for Kagome to hear that is so. damn. hurtful. And you know those words had hurt her: they echoed in her mind in a later panel. And she cried.

Up until now, Inuyasha had been reaping the benefits of Kagome's patience. But Kagome is HURTING as much as he is, and she keeps choosing not to show him that side of her because she feels sorry for him… GAH!

KAGOME, I LOVE YOU!!! BUT CAN WE? NOT SPOIL INUYASHA TOO MUCH? PLS...

+

I don’t mind that it took a villain like Kaou for Inuyasha to find out how much Kagome was hurting because of him. Pretty gnarly. However, I'm upset that Kagome herself didn’t fully admit to Inuyasha how hurt she got. And she shut up Kaou before he could say that the "cause of her pain"... was Inuyasha.

I get it — her reasons were personal. But I cannot express how FREAKIN' disappointed I still was about that. Let Inuyasha find out, DAMN IT!!!

I know; Kikyo had just passed on. Kagome was trying to be considerate, and Inuyasha's guilt toward Kikyo was probably made raw again — so I'm not faulting him for his feelings at all. Truly, I understand he's having hard time. AT THE SAME TIME, REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, it is clear it was not healthy for him to be in a relationship with Kagome at that point. And likewise for Kagome.

I wanted Kagome to stand up for herself. When Inuyasha told her that he dreamed of Kikyo, I wanted her to tell him something like, "Hey, I know she's on your mind, and that's okay, really, but... I just don't think I can endure it right now."

How would Inuyasha react to that? He’d probably be disquieted, but I think he’d try to accept it.

Yes, I guess it could come off as "selfish," because Inuyasha is grieving and having a hard time. But look... Kagome is hurt. She had been withstanding it all this time... she had been selfless enough. It is not selfish; it’s an act of self-love. She is her own person, no? She's entitled to look out for herself too, regardless of the circumstances.

Strength is also knowing when to retreat.

Instead of this chapter ending on a jokey note, I truly wanted Kagome to put a pause on their relationship. Have a lil’ time-out. Let Inuyasha grieve for Kikyo properly. Let Kagome be free to feel whatever it is for herself, with no strings attached.

Then, they can reconcile later when they're both at a better place.

From a writer's standpoint, WOOWEE that would've been a great cliffhanger. Tune in next week! LOL (Ok tbh Inuyasha prob wouldn’t last more than 3 days or something before he wants to get back with Kagome LMAO… but at least he knows how Kagome truly feels.)

No matter how much I love InuKag, I recognize a bad situation when I see one. I really... wanted Takahashi to make Kagome take a stand for her own well being. Just this once. JUST THIS DAMN ONCE.

It may seem important to put others first… but man, give yourself some love, too, Kagome.

Sorry… maybe I’m getting too carried away. (I’m seeing too much of my past self in her here.) And who knows? Maybe Takahashi didn’t have time for them to break up, or did this to show that Kagome, still a teenager, doesn’t always make perfect decisions. At any rate, I think Kagome's weakness is being too understanding sometimes :(

[cantsomeoneelsedoit]

Ch 51: Hero

Teacher just assigned a group project and then left.

The chapter starts with a Fuuko flashback:

The way her parents are looking at her in the picture 😭

Fuuko's grandpa's hat! So that's where she got it! That's too sweet. She's lucky to have had such a thoughtful person to look after her once her abilities manifested. He shaped the way she thought about herself and how she dealt with trauma, too.

You-Me was with her even when she was all alone. It was there whether she was happy or sad, and it was full of people she could care about without worrying about hurting them.

Too relatable. Anno Un gave Fuuko a reason to keep fighting, and Fuuko had unknowingly given Akira a reason to keep fighting decades before. Writers sustain readers and readers sustain writers.

Rip calls Anno Un a man here, even in Japanese. It's the first time we've heard him gendered. Everything about him has been so ambiguous!

Speaking of ambiguity, we're beginning to see another side to Rip. Maybe he's just being curious, but it seems like he's acting a little more vulnerable around the others now.

Fuuko lists all the things Anno Un did for them even while he called them the "heroes."

Fuuko is right about those things being necessary to defeat Autumn, but they're all a smaller part of defeating God! Will Rip's team join the Union cause?

Andy's definitely a Teamster.

Anyway, the point is that despite the fact that Anno Un called them heroes, Rip doesn't want to play that part.

We see Rip, Latla, and Leila at some point in the past walking in a forest of maple trees. Rip has a doctor's coat and is smiling while pushing Leila's chair. Note the leaves on either side of Leila--one is upside down and the other right side up.

Leila is smiling back at him and wears a plaid scarf and at least one of the earrings current Rip wears. Latla has on what looks like a high-neck, ankle-length dress, which means she's either rich or goth, lol. Probably rich, judging from the way she currently dresses. I really love how she looks in that top panel. So soft!

Andy takes the lead and assigns roles for the group. He's already analyzed how to best use everyone's abilities and how to use them in a complementary way. Bunny agrees right away, but Rip and Latla balk at being told what to do.

Andy has the best one liners!

Autumn absorbs its Juniors to level up! And things get weirder. Phase 2 Autumn attacks Andy, and he almost gets crushed in a book. Meanwhile, Rip is remembering Leila.

This might be crazy, but we've had maple leaves appear a lot in this arc. Of course they're a symbol of Autumn, but look how the one in the last panel of Leila resembles the Under symbol Latla wears in her hair!

Also, the Under symbol is the kanji for "Un-" 不 turned upside down. Doesn't it kind of resemble a maple leaf? It's so perfect for this scene!

So that's why Rip was so shocked when Anno Un called him a hero! Does he attack out of anger, or out of newfound commitment to being a hero??? (Also, Andy's face)

Such a cool spread! A rare sly smile from Latla, too! Her reverse-prediction restored everyone's spirit. And we finally get to see the broom-cycle up close! I wonder how they acquired it.

Looking back through this chapter, there are so many new facial expressions from Rip. There's a side of him that he doesn't show--we as readers see it, but Latla is the only other person who really knows him. He's cultivated this image of someone who can drop others in a heartbeat, but that's only because of someone he can't forget.

Masterpost

[hopeisour4letteredword]

its true luv

[ID 1: A two-panel comic with characters in white on a pink-to-peach gradient background. They are shaded with pink. It features Tales of Vesperia characters. Yuri Lowell is dressed in a suit and tie, with a corsage and a veil; Flynn Scifo is wearing an elaborate high-necked top with a feathered capelet. Other characters are in vaguely implied dress clothes. In the first panel, Yuri, Estellise, and Flynn are seen from the chest-up. Yuri has his eyes closed and is blushing slightly despite a stern expression as he speaks a text post by tumblr user greelin, which reads, “the best way to play gay chicken is to do it in a lasting way. a long con. anyway we’re married now.” Across from him, Flynn beams, blushing with tears of joy in his eyes and dark pink hearts floating around him. Estellise stands between them with an officiant’s book, looking fond but exasperated. In the second panel, Yuri and Flynn are shown from the back, holding hands as they walk away from the viewer. Judith, Raven, Karol, Patty, and Rita all stand around them, cheering and clapping and throwing flower petals. More dark pink hearts float around Flynn and Yuri, and a bouquet can be seen in Yuri’s free hand. Yuri stubbornly “speaks” the next part of the post, which reads “he’ll crack. one day. One day i’ll get him. but for now. honeymoon” ID 2: A one-panel comic with characters in white on a pink-to-red-orange gradient background. They are shaded with red-pink. It features Flynn and Yuri from Tales of Vesperia. Flynn, visible from behind from the hips up, looms over Yuri, fists clenched in his collar. He is trembling with suppressed rage and has anger symbols drawn on the back of his head. Yuri is shown from the chest up, and holds his hands up placatingly. His expression is somewhat confused and concerned, although he is still smiling as he speaks a text post by tumblr user pibblepunk, reading “Hey bro why did your healthbar just appear. Do you need to talk about somethin.” Off to the side of Yuri’s speech bubble, “lol” is written in cursive. /End ID]

[bambiraptorx]

kinda crappy vent comic i made so i could stop crying and go to sleep last night lol

(warning for possible eyestrain)

[I.D. Four panel comic using a simple human figure with a sketchy circle, disconnected from the neck, for a head. Over the comic, the figure gets fuzzier and less defined. The first panel is tinted yellow and shows the figure holding up their hands, one arm a slightly darker shade. Next to them it says "There's a sort of mental block I have when it comes to talking about my feelings." The second panel is tilted red, a close up of the figure's face. They have no eyes, but tears drip down their cheek and their mouth is open in a frown. The words on this panel go into the gap between their head and their neck and say, "Sometimes it's pain in my throat that I can't speak around." The third panel is purple, with the figure shown from the front, their hands in front of them holding a small rectangle to signify a phone. The words above their head read "Sometimes it's staring at a screen, knowing people on the other end would care and comfort me, but unable to ask for help." The last panel is in shades of grey, the figure a fuzzy white mass with no discernible pose or expression. The words are now written on top of them, and say "I don't know why I'm like this. I wish I weren't." End I.D.]

it took like 40 minutes to make this but better than tears on my face while i'm laying down easily in the top ten worse sensations and i cannot get to sleep when crying

[albatrossmuffin]

Coco’s Touch Panel Voice #4 Transcription Translation

This wonderful soul has been transcribing the messages on the touch panels at Coco's; pardon me for just translating only this one 😅

"Written by a MakoHaru person so please pardon me" (Translated by one too lol)

[ ] = Transcriber's notes

Coco’s 2023 Campaign Voice #4 (9/19~10/2)

Greeting to Everyone

Makoto: Hello, welcome to Coco’s! Today the 5 of us will see you off.

Haru: It was a nice summer this time as well. Please make fun memories until the end.

Rin: It’s finally the last spurt! Is there anything you’ve left undone? Follow us until the end!

Sousuke: Rin’s passionate, as usual. We also feel like we dashed through as best we could.

Ikuya: It was tough but it was fun. Everyone who’s come to Coco’s, please take your time today as well.

Haru: Well then, to those who’ve come to Coco’s from us, it’s the Coco’s campaign message.

Campaign Guide:

Rin: No 1: By buying an applicable order, you can get 1 new artwork random clear file of ours~.

Sousuke: When serving your meal, the staff will bring out the clear file. Please check the menu for details.

Rin: No 2: If you apply using the serial code written on the receipt of applicable orders, you can win Coco’s original prizes.

Sousuke: When you collect points by applying, you can hear the story voice. It’s our ambassador activity record.

Rin: Right, right! They also showed me the Coco’s original memorial book. It was interesting editing this!

Ikuya: Everyone was there at that time. It was full of each person’s memories, and it was very lively.

Rin: I hope that everyone who sees this enjoys it, too!

Sousuke: Please confirm the details for how to apply on the website or menu.

Rin: When you apply a total of 33 times, you definitely get the Coco’s original memorial book, so please participate!

About the Collab Menu & Closing Greeting

Makoto: I wonder if everyone’s enjoyed the collab menu. We’ve prepared a lot, so please eat them.

Haru: Speaking of which, Makoto, you were also asked to help in the kitchen, did that go alright?

Makoto: Eh!? Ah, Hn~~~  Weeeeeellllllllll~......💦

                I did wrap in aluminum foil...for a bit....I guess?💦

               Sousuke said ‘Would you like to give it a try,’ but it was difficult to use the right amount of force...

               Just a bit.....~....not a bit, I ripped the aluminum foil! 💦

               Aah, but, I’m good at carrying the juice cases and such???

Haru: ...I see. Makoto, that’s plenty. [I can see the smile...]

Makoto: ~Really? If there’s something that I can do, please let me know, whatever it is!

Haru: Yeah. I always rely on you.  [I can see the smile...]

Makoto: There are also things I can’t do well, but I’d be happy if we all put our strengths together, and everyone enjoys themselves until the end!

Haru: Thank you for showing me your smiles of enjoying yourselves. I’m also happy. [For a second I thought he was saying this to Makoto]

   Please make the best summer memories at Coco’s. Signing off,

All: This has been the campaign message!

Haru: Please continue to relax and enjoy your meal.

Collab Menu Voice (#3 and #4 are the same)

Haru / Rin / Ikuya: Coco’s x Free Collab Campaign is underway!

Rin: There’s a ton of menu items you can only taste here! Are you ready to enjoy yourself?

Haru: Please enjoy to the fullest today as well.

Reading of Corresponding Menu Item (#4)

Haru: New Birth! Mackerel Acqua Pazza 2023 ~Prepared by Nanase Haruka~

           I think everyone has already realized the appeal of mackerel, but I want you to please try it.

Haru: Sakura in Full Bloom! Mentaiko Pasta ~IWATOBI Special~

           We expressed our precious memories through cooking. We’d be happy if you also enjoyed it.

Haru: Haruka’s Dolphin Blue Wave

           A blue parfait that takes the image of the sea or pool we swam in. It’s a beautiful blue.

Haru: Albert’s Silver Sweet Odin

           Albert also ate it happily when taste testing it. I also want you to try it.

Voice when Ordering (Same #1 - #4)

Haru: Thank you for your order. I want you to continue to enjoy the Cocos x Free! campaign.

Makoto: Thank you for your order. Please continue to enjoy the Cocos x Free! campaign!

Rin: Thank you for your order! (says thank you in English) Please continue to enjoy the Cocos x Free! campaign.

Sousuke: Thank you for your order. Please continue to enjoy the Cocos x Free! campaign.

Sousuke: Thank you for coming today. Please continue taking part in the Cocos x Free! campaign.

Ikuya: Thank you for your order. Please continue to enjoy the Cocos x Free! campaign.

[panelshowsource]

saved a few anons asking personal questions not all related to panel shows, spamming answers below the cut :)

she/her!

interesting question! first, i think it's very special that you had the opportunity to study at an international university and i am glad to hear you had so many amazing experiences!

i also feel like i need to preface anything i say with... holidays are obviously different from living, and i hope people can trust that i wouldn't base an entire lifestyle decision off, like, being a fan of taskmaster lmao the state of politics, brexit, housing, prejudice, and more make it difficult to say i'd want to commit to life there — plus i really love new york city, where i do feel at home

that said, i would be open to living in the uk for a period of time, yes. i am certainly very motivated to visit a lot of places, particularly in england, and decided last year to start spending a month or two over there every year (this year i think i will be in york! maybe i can post a little about that if people care). the history and motivations behind that decision are really personal to me, but it feels...right. i am really looking forward to my time there this year and treasure being someone who works remotely and can make that happen

living permanently, it's hard to say, but speaking for my interests in history, architecture, art, cinema — it would be wonderful to explore those things more in person, yes!

i really think in the 6+ years of this blog this is the first i've ever been asked about music! which makes sense ofc it just took me by surprise!

hmmm i think this playlist most accurately expresses what i'm listening to a lot of the time + a lot a lot a lot of classical music, some dad rock, and a few balladeers like judy garland and rufus wainwright

i don't claim to be the world's biggest comedy buff or keep up the best with all of the comedy coming out of the uk and american industries — even though i do enjoy it so much! — but growing up i was very interested in comedy writing. in high school, i worked at a dvd store where people could trade in their old dvds for store credit to buy new ones, so we had a HUGE selection of not only new releases but older, sometimes nicher stuff that you typically wouldn't see at a suburban american blockbuster-like shop. i can't stress how formative this was! i would always go through the store and "beautify" the shelves (pulling all the spines up neatly, keeping everything alphabetised, etc) just to constantly look through what we had in stock, grab the old black bar criterion films before some movie buff snatched them up, touch all the special editions (physical releases were more than just steelbooks back then, like stuff like this). each of the employees had a little shelf in the back room where you could store dvds you wanted to buy when you eventually had the money, keeping them off the floor so no customer would see and buy them. i was always reserving 30+ dvds at a time and spent my whole paychecks at work hahaha

anyways, that's how i found a lot of the random british films i ended up loving — by people trading them in or me just running across them at the store: a cock and bull story, death at a funeral, this is england, gosford park, monty python, (particularly holy grail and life of brian), confetti (didn't love this one but it had a lot of actors i really liked in it so i remember watching it quite a few times) and more — but especially withnail and i and in the loop. i was fucking obsessed with in the loop, which i watched on a loop (zing!) and was ultimately how i worked my way backwards to the thick of it as well as shows like the office uk, alan partridge, green wing, fry and laurie, peep show, and more. (the thick of it and peep show were particularly everything to me!) i still have all of the dvds from the dvd store i worked at! lol

in terms of american comedy, i was obsessed with the state and then their groups' projects like wet hot american summer and reno 911 (michael showalter is a great example of a writer/director i don't think is one of the greats but follows his heart & vision, and i really respect that; my fave of his, which is genuinely so good, is hello my name is doris! underrated lil treasure). i also really loved it's always sunny, flight of the conchords, party down, arrested development, jackass and wild boys, and house md, and some of the wild characters on bravo lmao. we had this channel called logo that was my lifeline to queer content before i really had full-time access to the internet outside of a shared family computer, so i was always watching reruns of jeffrey & cole casserole, the big gay sketch show, plus the l word and queer as folk, and they also did syndication of reno 911 (but i already had all the box sets of that 😭). i was never heavy into the judd apatow/bro comedy that was so big in the 2000s, and even the 80s–90s american comedy heavily influenced by the talent at snl wasn't particularly engaging to me; of that, my favourites were probably throw momma from the train and a couple of romcoms

+ every panel show i could get my hands on! and i think because i was really engaged with sketch comedy i was also reading a lot of playwrights, especially alan bennett, harold pinter, and edward albee, who i had (and have!) huge collections of

and, yes, so many of these are at the foundation of my very favourite formats and styles of comedy: mockumentaries , black comedy or dark comedy, existential comedy, stories rooted in reality or plausibility / domestic dramedy. i used to be very engaged by sketch comedy and wanted to crack the science behind writing funny sketches, but i do think i've moved away from that format and filled that void with the improv nature of panel shows (it works for me the way i think the format of podcasts work for so many other people... i wonder if anyone will relate to that comparison)

comedy evolves so much by the decade and i appreciate a lot of the ways in which it has grown, so i don't think of it as a then vs now, which is better, whatever. and like you i can't help but revisit my nostalgic faves often!

i do think eventually he will! but rn he's lapping up that tv money hahaha my very fave is firing cheeseballs at a dog, but they're all genuinely great!

[celiaelise]

Just read chapter 169 of Shadows House, and I am so excited but so concerned for the new kiddos!!!!

Stella and Candy really intrigue me, because they have a lot of parallels to Kate and Emi! The fact that the first shot of them is Stella's shoes and socks, which look remarkably similar to Kate's? And that Stella named her something dissimilar to her own name, the red and the bows, and she's eating bread that she "shares" with Candy. (the physics of that accident seem debatable lol, but I will try and ignore that.) And that Candy's face is fully unveiled??? Hinting at her individuality/humanity? Much to ponder... Though, obviously Stella doesn't share Kate's temperment. She kinda seems like...the "Kate" Edward wishes he got at her debut.

There are a lot of pretty obvious parallels between these five pairs and Kate's cohort, as well, in both their personalities and color schemes. However, none seem to have as weak a connection as Shirley and Rum did. Even though we didn't see Laurel speak, (though the last speech bubble in their wide shot was a little ambiguous to me, so maybe we did?) Lulu spoke to her several times, and they're clearly used to making physical contact. The most ambiguous is Danny and Dan, but I wouldn't think Danny would be that powerful if Dan had been withdrawn like Rum?

I think it's very sweet how Mattie seems to be on top of things for Matilda! Very adorable that she brought a picnic basket; queen of being prepared. They seem to be the John/Shaun pair of this cohort.

Okay, so I went back to the chapters about Margaret's, um, episode, and, in addition to, of course, Stella and Candy, Matilda and Maddie seem to be among those who Patrick evacuates. And likely also Laurel and Lulu?? See below:

I wonder if the soot reached into their rooms, or if they were already breaking the rules? ALSO:

This seems like it could be Oscar and Oskar?? (very confusing name choice btw) and this panel follows Patrick observing that all the children with powers, specifically, have been captured. (Though it doesn't seem like he was entirely correct about that) So that might give us some information about Oscar? And explain how Matilda already knows him. Doesn't explain why he headed out for a 11:15am appointment at four in the morning, though! Absolutely unhinged behavior. Please get some sleep, gentlemen.

So, if I'm correct, out of these five pairs, we have: at least four of them have been out of their rooms prior to the debut, likely interacting with other children both within and outside their cohort. All of them seem to have formed strong shadow/face bonds. (to the point where one pair showed up holding hands and one shared "nice" bread in front of everyone) One of the faces is an independent enough thinker to have packed provisions without her shadow's oversight. Matilda, at least, knows they'll be spending time in the garden during the debut. And the current star bearers expressed the intention to coach all of them before their debut. I can't help but feel that Edward is in for another miserable debut day.

Also, is the implication of the first few panels that Kate has copies of the paperwork on the debutantes?? If so, love that for her. I'm a big fan of this new "spymaster" direction her arc is taking.

[riverstardis]

black alert:

ethan’s started on the energy drinks :(

lily sees him “have you slept?” he ignores her “i know i’m still the pariah of the department and it’s none of my business, but you have to stop beating yourself up about olivia. mistakes happen, believe me i know. why don’t you go and see mrs beauchamp? perhaps she could spare you for the day” “what and let everyone down?” “you are exhausted. staff welfare is just as important as patient welfare” 🥺🥺🥺 i guess she’s realised how she treated alicia was wrong then? presumably it was ethan calling her out on it that woke her up

ooh it’s lofty’s interview and henrik’s there lining up his pens

ethan actually does go and speak to connie but she’s on the phone and when she gets off she says that st james’ have declared a black alert and it’s only a matter of time before they start diverting (wow that never happens! /s) so he feels like he can’t ask to go home and instead says to let him know what he can do to help :(

zoe’s back! she went to visit nick jordan

cal says good morning to ethan only to get a blunt reply😢

ah a guy asks ethan if he works there and then hands him a letter about his suicidal thoughts :(

connie interrupts them talking in the relatives room and says she needs a word with ethan outside and then asks him what he’s doing

“i have a patient who has expressed suicidal thoughts” “you’re a registrar not a psychiatrist” bit of an odd way to phrase what she means seeing as you can be a psychiatry registrar??

he says he owes the guy a level of care and connie interrupts him like “what’s this really about?” lmaoo nothing gets past connie😭

when ethan goes back in the guy says he’ll go and that he should never have come there but ethan’s like no you did exactly the right thing and tells him that if he goes to reception and gets booked in then they can properly help him. he says he will but then just leaves instead. no prizes for guessing whether he’s gonna end up dead by the end of the episode😕

also this guy is played by the guy who played renfield in young dracula lol

ethan’s treating an elderly woman who’s only a few hours from death but first she was in the corridor then the only bed available was in cubicles and all the wards are full and he goes to admin, slams the file he’s carrying down and start ranting about it :(((

then henrik appears and tells them all st james’ have closed their doors😬

now ethan’s opening another energy drink (his third of the day possibly?) and louise is trying to deal with some guy with a sore ankle who’s demanding to be treated but refuses to be triaged first and ethan goes over to help and at first he’s being polite but the guy says he called an ambulance ethan starts having a go at him and cal and charlie have to calm him down :(

charlie says he’s got a mate who’s a therapist (ben harding presumably) and suggests to cal that they both go and see him but cal says he hasn’t told him because look at him and the last thing they need is some therapist getting involved “you can’t fix everyone so just stop trying!”

louise manages to get the difficult patient back to reception but he then starts filming everything saying he’s going to put it online to show what the nhs has become and lofty tries to help louise but the guy just pushes him backwards and he goes through the glass panel😬

connie suggests to hanssen that they set up a triage/field hospital outside and lofty volunteers to run it. go lofty!

dixie saying to iain “you could’ve died” and he replies “nah, cat with nine lives me” and she goes “jeff used to say that” :(((((

jess has dropped the complaint but they’re still going ahead with the investigation but she asks dixie out for a drink. dixie turns her down

ethan’s treating an rtc patient and connie wants to stop because she has a hematoma her heart or something like that but ethan suggests they do a clamshell thoracotomy. connie says that not something she wants to do here and he says but it’ll give her a chance and if they don’t she’s dead. just you wait connie he’ll be doing them in the back of ambulances next

lily checks over the difficult guy from before and says he has the common cold💀 he still refuses to leave though talking about how he pays his taxes and louise has a go at him and lily goes “you just got owned”

connie talks ethan through it and they manage to get a faint pulse and she’s like “you may very well just have saved that woman’s life, dr hardy. you’re a credit to this department, don’t forget that” 🥺🥺🥺

aw rita’s impressed with how well lofty’s doing running the tent

aw the difficult guy gives louise an envelope with an apology note and a lot of money in for the infuser, which puts the girls way ahead of the boys

they managed to get the elderly woman into hdc and ethan cries as she dies😢

ooh i was thinking i feel like this woman who’s playing the friend of the elderly lady has been on before because i recognise and i just realised she was the patient ethan treated on his first day!!

cal texts ethan “we need to talk…” not ominous at all😭

jess and dixie kiss but dixie says she can’t do this

so ethan goes looking for cal but first finds lily in the small resus looking at her dead patient who’s covered with a sheet. she says he had a fight with a bus and was basically doa :(

“look, earlier you said you were the pariah of the department” “am i not?” “not to me” yayyy they’re friends again!!

then he’s just about to call cal when he notices the dead patient’s hand is slightly uncovered and he recognises the ring, he pulls back the sheet and it’s the suicidal guy from before😢😢😢😢

the worst part is i’m not sure whether he threw himself in front of the bus on purpose, because we saw him get out pills in his car but then he seems to bottle it and runs off so it’s entirely possible that the bus wasn’t a suicide attempt. or maybe it was who knows.

rita tells lofty he got the job and he goes and hugs dylan🥺

[lilac-5ky]

I was reading your "Takasugi is just like a butterfly" theory (excellent meta btw!) and now I am curious: do you like his actual manga!yukata design? as in which version do you like better? ofc Takasugi looks hot good in both lol--is just that I have never seen his actual manga design anywhere in fics or in fanarts (never even seen his manga panels colored T_T) but yeah the manga!yukata design is way more... complicated(?) so I can see why the anime decided to change it. what can I say, this man is a fashion icon 😭

omg I'm terribly sorry for getting to this so late! I've neglected my inbox a bit while working on my fanfic ideas, so this got buried in there T-T

Honestly, I love both equally and I can't speak in favor of the manga yukata since, like you stated, we haven't seen a colored version of it, BUT if we did, then perhaps that one would outshine his anime butterfly one. The design of his manga yukata is so intricate and the meaning behind it is well thought of! I've read this theory on aminoapp about its design and you can find it here if you'd like to read into it, but I'll quote some of the things mentioned regardless.

Manga!Shinsuke's yukata analysis!

Looking at Shinsuke's most iconic yukata, we can see the theme of nature in the form of sakura flowers, mountains, clouds, and trees.

Sakura blossoms are known for being ephemeral, an attribute shared with butterflies. Sorachi might have made his yukata have a simpler butterfly pattern for the anime so that it's easier to draw and anime, but the concept remains the same. Ephemeral beauty. Something that doesn't last long, unlike the impression it leaves behind. Therefore, sakura blossoms and butterflies are both perfect symbolisms for a man whose life, albeit strong, held an unparalleled beauty in its entirety.

On the other hand, mountains could be seen as the exact opposite of sakura blossoms and butterflies. Mountains are unmoving and unyielding. They remain even after all nature around them dies. This could indicate Shinsuke's unyielding focus to his goal, the memories and the comrades he never forsook, and his ideals. No matter what, mountains can be viewed as a symbol of strength, and Shinsuke surely is a very strong individual.

As for the clouds, in a way, they too symbolize impermanence and are also linked to the divine due to proximity, but personally, when I view the clouds in relation to Shinsuke, I think of his famous poem-like saying in the Rakuyo arc. Clouds bring rain, and we all know how Shinsuke's sick of seeing the rain. The rain to him is both something he can't escape and haunts him, as well as something he's initiated himself. The clouds are an omen of his struggles and the pain he's brought upon himself; the very pain he is tired of feeling.

To sum up, the pattern of his kimono shows his life's flow, his ambitions, and his struggles. It's a very intimate exposure of his inner world, and for a man who doesn't let others in, he sure likes to put all that he is on display.

Since we got into this, I want to include another similar yukata of his, and the meaning behind it.

They look very much alike I know, BUT this one has two notable elements: Peony flowers and Shochikubai.

Starting with the latter, Shochikubai is an expression for Sho, chiku, and bai, the japanese words for pine tree, bamboo, and plum (picture below for reference on what the basic design is supposed to look like). Shochikubai traditionally refers to the 3 friends of winter and it's associated with good fortune. To quote this article right here, Shochikubai is an allegory for weathering hard times through various attributes of each element. A pine tree is tenacious and rooted deep enough to hold. Bamboo can bend in the breeze without breaking, while plum trees are the first to blossom in winter like a promise of hope.

It's hard to properly discern them in this image, but the leaves definitely belong to the pine trees and the little flowers are a mix of sakura blossoms and plum blossoms. Anyway, tenacity is a trait that defines Shinsuke, and the hope that is carried through winter is similar to the hope for a miracle that carries him through his rebellion.

Lastly, the bigger flowers are peonies, a symbol of love and nobility that is mostly preferred by women. A lot of people say that Shinsuke went down this path because of revenge and hatred, but really, his love for Shinsuke and all that he held dear from his days back at Shoka Sonjuku drove him. Nobility is something that Shinsuke himself has forsaken and claims to have never had, but many times he's shown kindness towards others and done the righteous thing. They are both elements of his personality, albeit well hidden.

To conclude this unnecessarily LONG answer, the kimonos he wears in the manga have such deep symbolism that one cannot ignore. They are a small peek into who he is as a person and all he represents, and because of that, I'll have to give them an extra point over his iconic butterfly yukata. One thing's for sure, Shinsuke surely knows how to dress to impress and he might as well be the most fashionable character in the entirety of the show. Hopefully this wasn't a snoozefest for you, I just thought it'd be interesting to explain why I favor his manga yukata more and provide proper reasoning.

[tfw-no-tennis]

csm 133 thoughtz....

I realized today that I read this every week and i love liveblogging so why not combine those two things. wow

I'm loving the completely objective signs that state factual things such as ‘not human’ and ‘chainsaw devil,’ thank you for those, chainsaw man protestors lol

yoshida let denji out of the yaoi dungeon?! interesting

‘I'm a good boy’ denji ily 

I loooove all of denjis delayed reactions to things lmfao

I feel like denji fr has brain damage from all his head trauma and lobotomies lol its like in the john wick movies how he gets less coherent as they go on bc, imo, he’s gotten so many concussions that by the 4th one he can barely talk

really like the panel of denji and yoshida sitting calmly and all the anti and pro csm people are clashing in the background. 

especially w/denji saying he kinda likes people fighting over him...but none of them realize that denji, sitting right there, is chainsaw man. poetry bro

oooh, getting political. I do (sometimes) love like, anime superpower’d world politics. it can be well done

love how vastly different yoshida and denjis priorities are 

like, yoshida is playing 5D chess and denji just ate a rock he found on the ground. and I don't mean this derisively for denji, its good that his priorities are nayuta et al

‘you no longer have sole control over chainsaw man’ is interesting. denji - chainsaw man - is becoming a figure beyond denji and chainsaw man himself. the IDEA of him is being used almost more than csm himself

oh damnnnnnn 

yoshida literally w/the ‘quit your job’ ‘what’ ‘join my emo band’ bit. except he doesn’t even offer to let denji join his band smh. I KNOW yoshida has an emo band just look at him

denjis facial expressions are the best lmao

YOSHIDA THATS FUCKING DARK GODDAMN 

I'm not shocked tho. he’s so sketchy!!!! I seriously STILL cant pin down what his deal is. whose side is he on!? what's his agenda, personally?!

damn. simplistically put, yoshida is kinda right. denji can live a normal life if he stops being chainsaw man voluntarily 

EXCEPT NO, because the apocalypse would still be happening or whatever, and denji is all fucked up and traumatized, and integrating with the ‘normies’ isn't gonna work as well as hanging out with weirdos and freaks like he’s currently doing

speaking of, WHERE is asa I miss her:( 

lmfao @ yoshida being like ‘ill be your friend if you quit being csm denji!!! I prommy!’

loooove those panels of yoshida describing what denjis ‘normal life’ could look like, over background of protestors fighting

DENJI ILY............

again with the 5D chess vs eating a rock. denji is so great because he’s so straightforward. he wants everyone to pay attention to him and fight over him!!!! he likes the attention, positive and negative, he gets as chainsaw man!!! he’s not too proud or ashamed to admit to that - he’s not the type to even attempt to be modest and pretend that he’s only chainsaw man to help people...if anything, that's a side effect of the rest of the deal

and to denji its simple: he doesn’t want to stop being csm, and he also doesn’t want nayuta to be killed. c’mon yoshida get with it

yoshida telling denji to be selfless, essentially...lmao bro who do you think you’re talking to

denji CAN be selfless but This Is Not The Way To Achieve That

HE CHOOSES BOTH. BOTH OPTIONS. lmao I love him

also I really question public safety’s ability to hold nayuta captive. js. 

denji trying to assemble the protestors to kill yoshida lmaoooooo

oh yep lmao there she is

OH AWWWWW they’re so cute uhghhhh I’m so glad they reunited

love her pose when she’s calling for denji. weirdgirlcore

I will say I’m still wary of nayuta...I feel like the story is purposely vague about her morals - like last chapter with her telling her classmates to give her their desserts - where’s the line between typical amoral tween behavior and like, not valuing human life? im excited to see more of her tho

yoshida w/some HILARIOUS facial expressions

nayuta not swearing lmaooooo

I wonder if yoshida thinks that denji agreed to his terms lol

we haven’t seen basically any of public safety this part...I wanna know how its been going there. is kishibe still involved???? did kobeni rejoin lmaoooo

the fact that they’ve had such little presence makes me think they’re pretty powerless. I wonder if their threat against nayuta really holds any weight

yoshida at the end hahaha ‘did he not understand me?’ dude I’m telling you hes playing -2D checkers MAYBE. this is the guy who recently lobotomized himself rather than face his trauma. plsssss

great chapter and I’m excited to read more as always. I wonder if we’ll catch up with asa next...