#desu able

[spitblaze]

when i was in japan i tried to order a drink by name off the menu but i read it very wrong and the waiter looked at me like i just said absolute nonsense so i just had to swallow my pride and point to what i wanted and i still carry that humiliation with me when i practice japanese. i cant speak it out loud. what if i sound like a fucking idiot again

[thatsitso]

Komi Shouko the Auto Memory Doll~

Realized they're kinda similar so I wanted to draw Komi as Violet 🤲

[lovelesslittleloser]

Honestly I don’t think there’s been a Kumo Desu fic I’ve read that I haven’t enjoyed

[astrxealis]

sometimes i kind of forget i like genshin

[don-dake]

《あなたの番です》 (2019)

This opening ↓ in Episode 1…I believe it's done in tribute to the openings of 《古畑任三郎》 (Furuhata Ninzaburō), another favourite Japanese murder mystery series of mine.

[tentacle-therapissed]

I’m so glad the Guillermo Del Toro Pinocchio movie is being received really well, because it was literally my most anticipated movie of the year! So here’s some fun facts about the crew, concept, and production that got me excited about this movie and that I think would excite much of tumblr as well:

-the screenplay was cowritten by Del Toro and Patrick McHale, creator of Over The Garden Wall and a writer on Adventure Time.

-the movie was codirected by Mark Gustasfon, who was the animation director of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

-the primary art/animation designers of this movie (production designer Curt Enderle, art director Robert DeSue, character designer Georgina Hayns, animation supervisor Brian Leif Hansen, and photography director Frank Passingham) previously worked on projects that include Coraline, the Corpse Bride, Paranorman, Isle of Dogs, Frankenweenie, Kubo, and Chicken Run.

-Besides Netflix, it was produced by the Henson company (always a good sign when you’re doing anything with puppets) and ShadowMachine, who have produced a lot of Adult Swim shows including Robot Chicken, Moral Orel, and Tuca and Bertie, as well as the Netflix original BoJack Horseman.

-Del Toro was inspired to make this adaptation due to the similarities he’d always noticed between the original Pinocchio story and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both are about a man-made character’s relationship with his father/creator, and his attempts to understand what it means to be human. This inspiration is why the film takes on a gothic feel at times.

-the movie is over 10 years in the making. Del Toro announced the project in 2008 and production began in 2012, but it went into development hell and no further updates were made for several years. Del Toro has described it as his passion project, saying "I've wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.”

-the backdrop of Mussolini’s Italy was intended to show how Pinnochio was able to find his own humanity and will in a time where everyone else was acting like a blindly obedient puppet. Del Toro wanted to deviate from the original book’s themes of obeying authority by making his Pinocchio virtuous for questioning the rules and forging his own set of morals. (Also if you know anything about Del Toro, the guy likes to dunk on fascism.)

-Del Toro didn’t feel the need to have Pinocchio become flesh-and-blood at the end of the movie, saying all you need to be a real human is to behave like one.

I was lucky enough to see this movie in 35 mm in a movie theatre on Thanksgiving weekend. If there are any movie theatre showings near you and you’re in a position to be able to attend them, I would totally recommend it especially if you can go with loved ones. It was a gorgeous, heartwarming, and magical movie to experience on a big screen and perfect for the late fall/winter holiday season.

[the-teacup-dragon]

Thought I'd share this here, handmade plushie dragon backpack, plushies, books and more. For sale on poshmark(also mercari, same user name). Thanks to @sewdesune for the amazing patterns

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 419 (not actually) spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 死柄木の内より出づるAFO‼︎ しがらきのうちよりいづるオール・フォー・ワン‼︎ Shigaraki no uchi yori idzuru OORU FOO WAN!! The All For One that emerges from within Shigaraki!!

1 緑谷出久…！ みどりやいずく…！ Midoriya Izuku...! "Izuku Midoriya...!"

2 僕のOFAを…与一をよくも… ぼくのワン・フォー・オールを…与一をよくも… boku no WAN FOO OORU wo...Yoichi wo yokumo "[What you did to] my One for All...to my Yoichi, how dare you."

tagline 2 No.419　DESIGN　堀越耕平 ナンバー419　デザイン　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 419  DEZAIN  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 419 DESIGN Kouhei Horikoshi

3 だが daga "But"

4 無意識領域…転弧の心が押し負けたおかげで むいしきりょういき…てんこのこころがおしまけたおかげで muishiki ryouiki...Tenko no kokoro ga oshimaketa okage de "The unconscious realm...thanks to his heart being defeated*" (*Note: This word in Japanese more specifically means "to lose by being pushed out, to lose in a competition of pushing.")

5 再び意識を取り戻すことが出来た… ふたたびいしきをとりもどすことができた… futatabi ishiki wo torimodosu koto ga dekita... "I was again able to regain consciousness..."

1 愚かな志村転弧 おろかなしむらてんこ orokana Shimura Tenko "Foolish Tenko Shimura."

2 無垢なる超自我…薄鈍の人性と永訣できぬ弱き者！ むくなるちょうじが…うすにびのじんせいとえいけつできぬよわきもの！ mukunaru chou jiga...usunibi no jinsei to eiketsu dekinu yowaki mono! "[You have] become pure superego...a weak person with the nature of a half-wit and that can't say farewell!"

3 折角導いてやったというのに！ せっかくみちびいてやったというのに！ sekkaku michibiite yatta to iu noni! "Even though I took the trouble to guide you!"

4 先生が何を言っているか　わからない せんせいがなにをいっているか　わからない sensei ga nani wo itte iru ka wakaranai What is master saying? I don't understand.

5 言ったろう君は何一つ選んでなどいない いったろうきみはなにひとつえらんでなどいない ittarou kimi wa nani hitotsu erande nado inai "I told you, you didn't choose a single thing."

6 選んだ…これは僕の選択だ… えらんだ…これはぼくのせんたくだ… eranda...kore wa boku no sentaku da... I chose... This is my decision...

7 そう思わせねば"意志力"は生じない自由意志を逆向けにする事が肝要だった そうおもわせねば"いしりょく"はしょうじないじゆういしをさかむけにすることがかんようだった sou omowaseneba "ishiryoku" wa shoujinai jiyuu ishi wo sakamuke ni suru koto ga kan'you datta "If I didn't let you think that, then the willpower [I needed] would not arise. To reverse free will, it was essential."

1 「ラリアット」万縄大悟郎 「ラリアット」ばんじょうだいごろう 「RARIATTO」 Banjou Daigorou "Daigorou 'Lariat" Banjou"

2 「ガエン」揺蕩井煙 「ガエン」たゆたいえん 「GAEN」 Tayutai En "En 'Smoke Squatter*' Tayutai" (*Note: These kanji for En's hero name individually mean "bedroom, lie down, bend down, prostrate" and "smoke.")

3 二度の接触で確信した にどのせっしょくでかくしんした nido no sesshoku de kakushin shita "Those two encounters convinced me."

4 OFA奪還には"意志力"で上回らねばならぬ事 ワン・フォー・オールだっかんには"いしりょく"でうわまわらねばならぬこと WAN FOO OORU dakkan ni wa "ishi ryoku" de uwamawaraneba naranu koto "In order to recapture One For All, I must overcome its willpower."

5 オールマイトに追い詰められゆく中捜したのさ オールマイトにおいつめられゆくなかさがしたのさ OORU MAITO ni oitsumerare yuku naka sagashita no sa "While All Might was tracking me down, I searched"

6 いつかーーー奴の"意志力"を削ぎうる魂 いつかーーーやつの"いしりょく"をそぎうるたましい itsu ka---yatsu no "ishiryoku" wo sogiuru tamashii "for a soul that could--someday--chip away at his willpower."

7 そして最も強き感情 そしてもっともつよきかんじょう soshite motto mo tsuyoki kanjou "And then, [for] the strongest emotion,"

8 イドを抑圧する事で生じる心の機能… イドをよくあつすることでしょうじるこころのきのう… IDO wo yokuatsu suru koto de shoujiru kokoro no kinou... "one that arises as a function of the heart suppressing the id..."

9 原始の欲求 げんしのよっきゅう genshi no yokkyuu "A primitive desire."

10 "憎しみ"を醸成する苗床を "にくしみ"をじょうせいするなえどこを "nikushimi" wo jousei suru naedoko wo "[I searched for] a nursery that would foster hatred."

11 それは迷うことはないでしょう それはまようことはないでしょう sore wa mayou koto wa nai deshou "There's no reason to puzzle over it anymore, is there?"

12 この時世ヒーローは本当に助けてほしい時に助けてくれませんから このじせいヒーローはほんとうにたすけてほしいときにたすけてくれませんから kono jisei HIIROO wa hontou ni tasukete hoshii toki ni tasukete kuremasen kara "Because the heroes of this day and age, when you really want their help, won't help you out."

13 助け合えるきょうだいは必要ですよ たすけあえるきょうだいはひつようですよ tasuke aeru kyoudai wa hitsuyou desu yo "It's necessary to have siblings who help each other out."

14 長女は育ちすぎていたし ちょうじょはそだちすぎていたし choujo wa sodachi sugite ita shi "His eldest daughter had grown up too much."

15 絶対に見つかってはいけない目立つ行動は取れなかった ぜったいにみつかってはいけないめだつこうどうはとれなかった zettai ni mitsukatte wa kenai nudatsu koudou wa torenakatta "I couldn't be found out, nor could I take any conspicuous action."

16 僕は後押しするだけだった ぼくはあとおしするだけだった boku wa atooshi suru dake datta "I just gave him a push."

1 両親から授かったまだ見ぬ因子を抜き取り りょうしんからさずかったまだみぬいんしをぬきとり ryoushin kara sazukatta mada minu inshi wo nukitori "I extracted the yet-unseen quirk factor you received from your parents,"

2 抑圧を増進させ よくあつをぞうしんさせ yokuatsu wo zoushin sase "I made [your father] increase his restraint,"

3 憧憬を与えた どうけいをあたえた doukei wo ataeta "I supplied you with aspirations,"

4 志村さんの息子さん…だね？ しむらさんのむすこさん…だね？ Shimura-san no musuko-san...da ne? You're Mr. Shimura's son...right?

5 ここいらは車通りが多くて危ないから ここいらはくるまどおりがおおくてあぶないから kokoira wa kuruma-doori ga ookute abunai kara There's a lot of car traffic around here, so it's dangerous.

6 そして頃合いを見て そしてころあいをみて soshite koroai wo mite "and watched for when the time was right."

7-8 少し手をつなごうか すこしてをつなごうか sukoshi te wo tsunagou ka Shall we hold each other's hand for a little?

1 ドクターの施設にあった"個性"からーーーー ドクターのしせつにあった"こせい"からーーーー DOKUTAA no shisetsu ni atta "kosei" kara---- "It was a quirk that was in the doctor's facility----"

2 可逆性を取り払い かぎゃくせいをとりはらい kagyakusei wo toriharai "[We] got rid of the reversibility [function]"

3 破滅にのみつき進む粗悪な複製品を はめつにのみつきすすむそあくなコピーを hamestu ni nomitsuki susumu soaku na COPII wo "[to make] a crude/inferior copy that would be followed by nothing but ruin"

4 君に与えた きみにあたえた kimi ni ataeta "and bestowed it onto you."

5 ハッ HA "Hah" (*Note: The is a gasping sound for hyperventilation, which repeats throughout the page.)

6 じゃあ… jaa... "Then..."

7 そう sou "That's right."

8 悲劇も ひげきも higeki mo "The tragedy,"

9 試練も しれんも shiren mo "and the trials,"

10 否定も ひていも hitei mo "and the rejection,"

11 肯定も こうていも koutei mo "and the affirmation,"

12 僕が与えた ぼくがあたえた boku ga ataeta "I bestowed it onto you."

1 全部だ!!! ぜんぶだ!!! zenbu da!!! "All of it!!!"

2 何が"遷ろわない"だ⁉︎恥を知れ！ なにが"うつろわない"だ⁉︎はじをしれ！ nani ga "utsurowanai" da!? haji wo shire! "What's this 'Your heart won't waver' [crap]!? Have some shame!"

3 心を殺し消去！ こころをころししょうきょ！ kokoro wo koroshi shoukyo! I'll kill his heart and erase him!

4 OFA奪還後に切るカードだったが ワン・フォー・オールだっかんごにきるカードだったが WAN FOO OORU dakkan-go ni kiru KAADO datta ga It was my trump card for after I recaptured One For All, but

5 最早ーーーー もはやーーーー mohaya---- not anymore----

6 僕の身体から消えろ ぼくのからだからきえろ boku no karada kara kiero "Disappear from my body!"

1 オール・フォー・ワン‼︎ OORU FOO WAN!! "All For One!!"

2 ………もう与一はいない ………もうよいちはいない .........mou Yoichi wa inai ".........Yoichi is no longer here."

1 あ（僕の中期目標は絶たれた）あ あ（ぼくのちゅうきもくひょうはたたれた）あ a(boku no chuuki mokuhyou wa tatareta)a "AAA(My mid-term goal was eliminated.)AAA"

2 あ（余韻か）あ あ（よいんか）あ a(yoin ka)a "AAA(A lingering echo*?)AAA" (*Note: This word in Japanese refers to "a lingering memory, a lingering note, an aftertaste.")

3 黙っていろ だまっていろ damatte iro "Shut it."

1 とはいえ精神のダメージが肉体に出ている とはいえせいしんのダメージがにくたいにでている to wa ie seishin no DAMEEJI ga nikutai ni dete iru The spiritual damage is appearing on [my] physical body.

2 「崩壊」… 「ほうかい」… 「houkai」... Decay...

3 "怒り"…"憎しみ"が消え去った "いかり"…"にくしみ"がきえさった "ikari"..."nikushimi" ga kiesatta The rage...and hatred have vanished.

4 死んだか しんだか shinda ka "So he died?"

5 何年もかけて必死に捜して器を喪い なんねんもかけてひっしにさがしてうつわをうしない nannen mo kakete hisshi ni sagashite utsuwa wo ushinai I've lost the vessel for which I spent so many years desperately searching,

6 弟も喪った…じゃあ次は おとうともうしなった…じゃあつぎは otouto mo ushinatta...jaa tsugi wa and I've lost my little brother... Then next is...

7 オール… OORU... "All..."

8 フォー…ワン… FOO...WAN... "For...One..."

9 虚しき最終目標へ移行する むなしきさいしゅうもくひょうへいこうする munashiki saishuu mokuhyou e ikou suru "Transition to the hollow, final goal."

10 則ち世界へ すなわちせかいへ sunawachi sekai e "That is, to the world."

11 させ… sase... "I won't let..."

1 お互い肉体に出たな おたがいにくたいにでたな otagai nikutai ni deta na "[The damage] appeared on each of our bodies then."

2 うっ… u... "Ugh..."

3 ぐうぅ‼︎ guuu!! "Ggh!!"

4 まだ…‼︎ mada...!! "Not yet...!!"

5 まだーーーー!!! mada----!!! Not yet----!!!

6 人は喪う事で強くなり ひとはうしなうことでつよくなり hito wa ushinau koto de tsuyoku nari "People become stronger through loss."

7 その物語性を確立していくんだ そのものがたりせいをかくりつしていくんだ sono monogatarisei wo kakuritsu shite ikunda "That narrative I will go on to establish."

8 ハナから喪うもの無いガキが ハナからうしなうものないガキが HANA kara ushinau mono nai GAKI ga "For a brat with nothing to lose from the outset,"

9 こうなるのも必然だな こうなるのもひつぜんだな kou naru no mo hitsuzen da na "it's inevitable that something like this would happen."

1 瀬ーーーー せーーーー se---- Se----

2 小さい！ ちいさい！ chiisai! Small!

3 緑谷への感知にかき消される程ーー みどりやへのかんちにかきけされるほどーー Midoriya e no kanchi ni kakikesareru hodo So much so that it's almost drowned out by Midoriya--

4 緑谷あ!!! みどりやあ!!! Midoriyaa!!! "Midoriyaa!!!"

1 助けに来たぞ!!! たすけにきたぞ!!! tasuke ni kita zo!!! "[We] came to help!!!"

1 シュガーーーーナックル!!! SHUGAAAAA NAKKURU!!! Sugar Knuckle!!!

2 尾空旋舞!!! びくうせんぶ!!! bikuu senbu!!! Tornado Tail Dance!!!

3 ハァ HAA "Hah" (*Note: This is a sound effect for heavy breathing.)

4 ハァ HAA "Hah" (*Note: This is a sound effect for

5 瀬呂くん… せろくん… Sero-kun... "Sero-kun..."

6 尾白くん！ おじろくん！ Ojiro-kun! "Ojiro-kun!"

7 砂藤くん…！みんな…無事… さとうくん…！みんな…ぶじ… Satou-kun...! minna...buji... "Satou-kun...! You're all...okay..."

8 緑谷 みどりや Midoriya "Midoriya."

1 待たせてごめんな またせてごめんな matasete gomen na "Sorry for making you wait."

tagline ワープゲートより現れた希望ーー…！ ワープゲートよりあらわれたきぼうーー…！ WAAPU GEETO yori arawareta kibou--...! Hope has appeared from a warp gate-...!

[project-sekai-facts]

Have the motion capture artists ever been credited? Do we know if the same person portrays the same character every time?

I don't think they're credited in game but I did manage to find them a few months ago. All the mocap is done by a company called Solid Cube. They post the mocap artists for each MV on their twitter account, but don't say who played who so I've only been able to work out the mocap artists for a few characters.

Rui is always played by an actor called Masaki Murakami. The only reason I was able to work this out is because Murakami is the only male mocap artist credited on the Sukina Koto Dake no Ii desu MV, and is credited on almost every other WxS MVs but only ones that feature Rui (Oki ni Mesu mama being the only exception I could find. Maybe he was sick that day). Murakami also seems to be the mocap artist for KAITO aside from MVs that have Rui in them, and sometimes for either Akito or Toya (no way to tell which one).

I think Kohane is played by an actress called Maimi Atarashi. She did a stream with Akina back in 2022 where they talked about 3DMVs. Also she's credited on Wah Wah World and the unit rep songs and she is credited on almost every MMJ MV but based on the fact she's credited for Romeo to Cinderella she's not the actress for Minori. I think she's also the actress for Emu, since she's credited on a shitload of WxS MVs including Sukina Koto Dake no Ii desu, alongside an actress that I'm like 99% sure is the primary actress for female vsingers.

I also think that someone called Jakko is the regular mocap artist for female vsingers, and she's the mocap artist for Blue Planet so this holds some weight. Jakko also did the mocap for Luka's Afterglow MV. Jakko is credited on an assortment of other 3DMVs as well, like Children Record (I'm assuming she plays An) and Tondemo-Wonderz (likely as Emu, considering Maimi Atarashi isn't credited)

Len seems to be played by an actor called Keito Okuyama. He did the mocap for Buta ni Natte yeah yeah and is credited on various other Len MVs, like Flyer! and Watashi wa Watashitachi wa (which he definitely has to be Len in). This guy is also credited on quite a few WxS 3DMVs, so it's safe to say he's the regular mocap artist for Tsukasa (in instances of Len and Tsukasa being in the same 3DMV, I'm not sure which one gets swapped out).

Due to Leo/need playing instruments, they have mocap actors who can play the instruments. One of these is actors is called Moe Hirakawa (not entirely sure if that's the right reading of Kanji) who upon looking her up turned out to be a drummer, so there's Honami. The others that are most frequently credited are Hiyu Tsukigami (who is apparently an idol but I couldn't find anything about her playing instruments), chloe (basically impossible to google), and Reika Kisumi who is actually an actress under Solid Cube. I believe Kisumi is the mocap artist for Ichika, since she's credited on the unit leader songs as well.

Also we can work out Kanade based on some cast lists for Colorful Lives. The credits for SEKAI list Keito Okuyama (Tsukasa), Jakko (Miku), Reika Kisumi (Ichika) and another actress called Kanon Ookawa. Ookawa is also credited for multiple Niigo songs, including the Kanade/Mafuyu/Miku cover of Cutlery, so yeah she's Kanade. For lives at least. Journey 3DMV credits someone named Yukari instead, but Journey live credits Ookawa again. More recent 3DMVs don't credit either of these people just to make my life harder.

Continuing with Colorful Live credits, Wah Wah World lists an actress called Yuuka Nakanishi alongside Jakko and Maimi Atarashi, so we can assume that Nakanishi is Minori. She's also credited for multiple MMJ 3DMVs, so it's incredibly likely.

That Yukari person I mentioned is also credited on a lot of MMJ 3DMVs and live choreo. I think she might be Shizuku. Sometimes Ookawa and Yukari are credited alongside each other in Niigo MVs/lives, and in those instances I'm not sure who is playing Kanade and who's playing Mafuyu.

I worked out some other stuff but this is long so just check under the cut for a speculative cast list.

Speculated cast list based on my findings (**not confirmed at all**)

(some have multiple actors as I've mentioned, I just listed the most frequent ones)

Miku: Jakko & various (3DMVs done by Jakko)

Rin: Jakko & various (her 3DMV was done by Maimi Atarashi)

Len: Keito Okuyama (definite)

Luka: varies (her 3DMV was done by Jakko)

MEIKO: Jakko & various (her 3DMV was done by Maimi Atarashi)

KAITO: Masaki Murakami & a few others (definite)

Ichika: Reika Kisumi

Saki: Hiyu Tsukigami

Honami: Moe Hirakawa (definite)

Shiho: chloe (definite)

Minori: Yuuka Nakanishi (definite)

Haruka: Akari

Airi: Maimi Atarashi

Shizuku: Kanon Ookawa & Yukari (in older 3DMVs and lives), Momoka & various (more recently)

Kohane: Maimi Atarashi (definite)

An: Mari Kasuga & various

Akito: Either Keito Okuyama or Masaki Murakami (both occasionally swapped for TACCHI)

Toya: see above

Tsukasa: Keito Okuyama (definite)

Emu: Maimi Atarashi

Nene: Akari & various

Rui: Masaki Murakami (definite)

Kanade: See Shizuku

Mafuyu: Either Yukari or Kanon Ookawa (older 3DMVs/lives), Suzuka & various (more recently)

Ena: Likely either Yuuka Nakanishi or Reika Kisumi

Mizuki: see above

Niigo MVs are the least consistent with their casts, so it is very hard for me to tell who is playing who, especially when some of the actresses seem to swap roles between MVs.

[thelingodingo]

Haikyuu Characters' Informal & Formal Speech

Something I find interesting about different languages and cultures regarding sociolinguistics is the entire idea of formality. Of course, there are ways to sound more formal/polite in English and ways to sound more informal/rude depending on word choice (synonyms). But with a language such as Japanese, it's the grammatical structure itself (verb endings, vocab) that changes to convey varying levels of formality.

An example would be:

大丈夫? (informal) vs 大丈夫ですか？(formal) = Are you ok?

daijoubu vs daijoubudesuka

これは本だ (informal) vs これは本です (formal) = This is a book.

korewahonda vs korewahondesu

In a school setting, the younger grades (kohai) will use formal speech with the older grades (senpai) as well as teachers: meaning 1st years will be formal to 2nd and 3rd years, 2nd years will be informal to 1st years but formal to 3rd years, and 3rd years can be informal to both 1st and 2nd years.

This is easily shown in basically any anime but this post will focus on Haikyuu since it's the one I'm most familiar with.

Karasuno: Kageyama and Tsukishima definitely hold a very high level of politeness towards their senpai as they always speak formally towards them and also always call them "full surname-san" (Azumane-san instead of Asahi-san, Sugawara-san instead of Suga-san, Sawamura-san instead of Daichi-san, Nishinoya-san instead of Noya-san). It makes sense for them since in general their personalities are quite strict and rigid. Hinata also speaks formally to his senpai but calls them by their more usual names (Daichi-san, Suga-san, etc) and he tends to forget to speak formally out of sheer excitement (not because he's trying to be rude) so he ends up adding on the formal desu copula to quickly change his informal sentence to be formal at the last second. You might think that Tanaka and Nishinoya are pretty relaxed when it comes to formalities due to their crasser personalities but I would actually say it's more the opposite. They're both characters that really like upholding the entire senpai-kohai relationship and it shows in that they are always respectful to the 3rd years and use formal speech (it's also shown in how they both loveee being called senpai and specifically Nishinoya's relationship with Asahi). They still call the 3rd years by their more common names so they aren't as rigid as Tsukki and Kageyama when it comes to names though. The scenes in season 1 when Noya and Asahi were fighting (specifically the storage room fight) were surprising in particular due to Noya changing to informal speech while arguing with Asahi (his senpai).

some other random formalities I've noticed in the other characters: as mentioned in the anime, Kenma doesn't like any of that hierarchy stuff which is why Hinata is able to continue comfortably speaking informally to him even though Kenma is a senpai. The shock and immediate apology of Hinata when he finds out Kenma is older than him is sensible in the cultural context since there are many people who would get quite offended and angry if a kohai were to be speaking informally towards them. Although Kenma is never shown directly talking to any 3rd years (other than Kuroo, which he speaks informally to since they're childhood friends), I assume he would still speak formally since even though he doesn't find formal speech necessary he would still be aware that others would care about it. When it comes to Mad Dog, a small part of me expected him to be completely informal to everyone since those kind of characters are usually like that in anime but he still keeps a pretty formal tone when talking to his senpais which pleasantly surprised me. As far as I remember watching season 4, I don't think the Miya twins use formal speech when talking to Aran. They don't call him Aran-san or anything either, just Aran-kun, which could be another example of childhood friends not needing formalities even with the age gap.

EDIT: i just remembered that Kageyama is so damn polite that he doesn't even differentiate between the Miya twins by their first names, he calls them both "Miya-san"!

If anybody wants a particular character/school to be discussed in detail then just send me an ask and I'll try!

side note: this post isn't proofread so if theres any mistakes or corrections in the info please tell me (✿◠‿◠)

[gartenofbanny]

https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/co/image/1693/68/1693686060187.jpg

The script for the fizz episode and I’m not happy with it.

So these are possibly part of the script and lemme tell you Anon, I'm not happy with these either

So, first thing's first what the fuck is this Wattpad type dialogue?? This shit looks like something you'd read from some Helluva Boss fanfiction, who the fuck speaks like this??

"She hurts me and I'm fucking sick of it! Every day, it's constant agony!"

My brother in Christ, Stolas divorced her! Why the hell is he still interacting with her?! And don't get me started on

[Stolas not being able to take it anymore begins to break down]

MOTHERFUCKER YOU'RE A DEMON PRINCE! YOU'RE MORE POWERFUL THAN ALASTOR JUST PETRIFY THEM

And Asmodeus thinking he's him is all like "Stay Back" like he's some fucking Dragon Ball character or something.

God damn this dialogue is already pissing me off, I don't think I'm gonna like this episode at all because this shit is just BAD. Now there is the possibility that this dialogue is fake, but then again it's fucking Helluva Boss.

[wannaeatramyeon]

Ryuhei Kuroda x Reader: The moon is beautiful, isn't it?

G/N. A confession. Sorta follow up to this. (@razypie 🌝)

"Shall we bang?"

SMACK!

Finally, the errant bug stops buzzing. Squashed beneath your palm as payback for trying to bite you for the last minute.

Turning to Ryuhei with a glare and wiping the residue on his white coat, "I swear to god if you brought me out here to fuck, no one will ever find your body again."

"Can't blame me for trying," he says with a shrug and shit-eating grin.

Ignoring the stray insects and their valiant attempts to bite you now and then... and also ignoring your boyfriend's mood-killing question, you have to admit that this is pretty romantic.

A night time surprise, he had suggested. And you were definitely curious.

(The last night time surprise he sprang on you only a few days ago in bed, you thoroughly enjoyed. So why not, he's got a decent track record so far.)

What you didn't expect was for him to whip out a second motorcycle helmet, navigate quiet roads out of the city with you pressed against his back and arms holding him tight around the waist, until finally arriving at a lookout point.

Seoul shines in the distance, glowing and glimmering. Even from so far away you can feel the thrum of the city. The buzz and the beat of the capital.

But this here, where the cicadas are loudest, and the trees grown lush, sways and rustles with the breeze-

You begin to understand why when darkness falls and covers the earth in shadow, it is considered magical.

Air cool and skies clear. Stars sparkling in the inky sky that the light pollution of Seoul can only gently graze.

And then the moon. If you were a more sentimental person you would have gasped.

Full and bright and impossibly close. Overshadowing everything else with its lunar luminosity.

You didn't think Ryuhei had it in him for this type of romance.

(Truthfully, he was only half joking with his first question. Trying his luck. But if you agreed then you would both be doing something very different right this second.)

Ryuhei looks at you, everything else blurring into the background. There could be shooting stars and he wouldn't be able to catch one. The moon could be blue and he wouldn't notice.

What he does notice is you shivering when the breeze picks up. He wraps his arm around you and pulls you close, tucking you into his side, protecting you from the elements without complaint.

You rest your head on his shoulder.

The scent of grass and earth, the oil and petrol of his motorbike, citrus notes from his aftershave mingles together, carried by the wind until it's all around you.

Providing a deep comfort, a sense of ease and contentment.

Ryuhei, unusually quiet and in his native tongue, whispers into the night, "Tsuki ga kirei desu ne,"

You turn towards him, ready to ask for a translation but he's already looking at you.

"Tsuki ga kirei desu ne," he repeats again and you think he can see into your soul. Smiling softly, softer than you have ever seen, "It means the moon is beautiful, isn't it."

You nod. You think tonight is the most beautiful you've ever seen it.

Ryuhei smiles once more before pressing a kiss to your cheek, lips barely grazing your skin and then confesses.

Leans in close to your ear, voice hushed, "It also means I love you."

[maritessa]

As someone who kinda understands Japanese, the way the characters talk really adds a lot to their personality. I'm the type of person who really pays attention to the types of pronouns they use and Kuya's speech drives me nuts every time!!!

Okay, so first of all, we all know that Kuya has high regard for himself and that's justified. He's powerful and the wise old fox of the group plus, he's been with Huey the longest. With that being said, he talks way too respectfully and that gap in character really sells it for me.In Japanese he refers to himself as "boku" which is a very respectful term for a males. It's used in more formal settings or just situations that require more tact and manners in general. That's not all though, he uses it in its kanji form "僕" which means that it's even MORE formal! Just how cute is that?

Next, he never really refers to people with the pronouns for "you". He doesn't use terms like "omae", "anata", or "kimi" towards Eiden and the clan members but instead refers to them as titles like "wolf pup" for Garu/Karu, "old friend" for Quincy etc. This is just another show of Kuya talking very politely because using second-person pronouns can be seen as informal or rude in Japanese. As for Eiden, he refers to him as "Eito-san". Calling people by their names is just more respectful. In English, it's translated as "young master" and I think that's just a way for us to see how he still recognizes Eiden's position in some way. He also refers to Rei as such, so we can definitely see that Kuya recognizes hierarchial positions despite his personality. Even just generally, he uses "desu" and "masu" often so YES fox boy is very very respectful in his speech.

This is just word vomit so I don't know if I'm making any sense but I just cry inside everytime Kuya has new voiced lines because I also love the intonations in his voice. I don't really know Japanese fluently but I know enough to be able to play Japanese only games so if anyone wants to correct me or elaborate feel free to do so!

[yuurei20]

Regarding duo magic voice lines:

On the EN servers, Riddle's dorm uniform voice line, "Are you prepared, Azul?" Is met with "Naturally" from the aforementioned- over the text translation. What I hear sounds like "mochirondesuyo, Riddle-san" which doesn't line up. What do the JP duo magic voicelines say, and what were they translated to?

Hello hello!! You are correct, what you heard is exactly what Azul is saying in the audio!

EN's translation of "Naturally" for "Mochiron desu yo" is perfectly accurate (it can also be "of course," "obviously," etc,) but for some reason they removed Riddle's name from Azul's subtitles.

A large part of the appeal (and, arguably, the point) of the Duo Magic cut scene is the chance to hear the characters referring to one another by name, so it is interesting that Riddle's name was removed from Azul's subtitles.

And Riddle's dorm uniform duo is not alone!

Azul saying Riddle's name was also removed from Azul's form uniform Duo, though their lines are otherwise accurate to the original dialogue.

Deuce saying Ace's name was similarly removed from Ace's dorm uniform duo, and while Ace's line is accurately translated, Deuce's was reinterpreted a bit.

(Deuce's lines of 偉そうに and 誰に言ってんだ are extremely difficult to put into English, and I understand very much why they were cut down. What are cute little one-liners in Japanese can be very difficult to portray in English, and this is a great example: 偉そうに is something you would say if someone is talking down to you, similar to "get off your high horse," in English? Literally translated, 誰に言ってんだ is similar to, "Who do you think you're talking to?," but is actually maybe closer to, "Say that again!" or "Try saying that to my face!" or "You got something to say to me?" etc.)

Cater's name was removed from Trey's dorm uniform duo, and Jade saying Floyd's name was removed from Floyd's dorm uniform duo.

(Jade's line here is also a little difficult to put into English. It might also be able to be written as "Nothing makes me happier than when you look like you're having fun, Floyd," or maybe "There is nothing more important than when you seem to be having fun, Floyd.")

All of the above have been compiled below, accompanied by slightly more literal translations!

※ It is very possible that there are more changes to the duo lines on EN than what has been listed above, but unfortunately these are the only ones that I have access to :< If anything seems suspicious and it's possible to submit a screenshot, I would be happy to confirm the audio!

[notfreetoday]

MPW Language Analysis Part 2

Segasaki x Yoh: Shifts in Emotion and Acknowledging Roles

Masterlist || Language Analysis Part 1 || The Importance of Amae ||

In Japanese, one cannot utter a sentence without communicating at least two things: (1) the actual content of the message itself, the referential meaning; and (2) a metamessage about the relationship between the speaker and the listener, an indexical meaning. A striking feature about Japanese is that it is the latter message that most often assumes greater importance.

From: Creating an Ideal Self: Theories of Selfhood and Pedagogy at a Japanese Ethics Retreat by Dorinne K. Kondo

Every sentence that Segasaki and Yoh say to each other carries 2 meanings - the one we read in the subtitles, and too often, the one that never travels across the screen. The "miscommunication" that many perceive to be happening isn't always just about "using actions vs words" (though there is much to be said about that too) - the words are being used, but it's hard to hear them when said words are in Japanese and packed with information English is simply not designed to carry.

So, with 6 episodes of corrections made and nuances explained, it's finally time to get back to actually talking about how all of this adds to our understanding of the characters and of their relationship. In these 6 episodes, both Segasaki and Yoh have run the entire gamut of speech levels - but where Segasaki shifts consistently and with purpose, Yoh tends to shift as a reflexive, or reactionary response.

Or, what Segasaki choosing to shift up a speech level means to Yoh, and what Yoh's inconsistent shifts tells Segasaki (and us), about his emotional state. I'm kinda sorta not really sorry about this but ah, it's maybe possibly probably even longer than usual??

Quick Recap of Part 1:

We established two key aspects of their relationship:

1) They both acknowledge the power differential between them - Segasaki, by using "rougher" speech patterns, and Yoh, by tending to stick to the more polite end of the scale. 2) They both consider themselves to be from the same "in-group" - Both of them default to informal speech patterns when speaking to each other (even Yoh, despite being the junior/lower on the social hierarchy)

And now on to Part 2!

Changes in Emotion: Yoh

Yoh tends to experience his emotions rather intensely, and through his monologues we understand that he isn't always able to process these emotions immediately. As such, the shifts in his speech levels tend to happen subconsciously - there isn't an immediately obvious, predictable pattern to those shifts, because they are simply a reflection of how he's feeling in the moment.

Y: あ、いや。なんでもない…です* Y: Ah, iya, nandemonai…desu* Y: Ah, no, it's….nothing* The shift to polite form, and the awkward manner in which he does it, reflects Yoh's growing insecurity (See EP 2 for other examples).

From the moment Segasaki starts returning home late, Yoh becomes more and more unsure of where he stands with Segasaki, and this growing emotional distance is conveyed through his speech patterns becoming (awkardly) more polite than in Ep 1. He speaks hesitantly and indirectly, until he gets drunk (and even then, his insecurity still shows in how he barely switches down to rough speech during their not-argument).

In Ep 3, we again see Yoh shifting up to polite forms often, except this time, the shifts show his gratitude as well as sincerity.

Because of how ridiculously expensive the pork bun is, Yoh expresses his thanks by saying the full ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) here as opposed to just "arigatou" or other more casual forms. In return, Segasaki acknowledges the formality Yoh pays him with a nod (and a mouthful of pork bun).

Y: すいません Y: suimasen Y: I'm sorry This is the more formal version of "I'm sorry" (textbook pronunciation is sumimasen, but textbooks are for nerds Yoh's version is very common as well and still polite)

In both these scenes, Yoh switches to suimasen as opposed to his usual, and more casual, ごめん / ごめんなさい (gomen/gomen nasai), that he also uses in this episode. As previously mentioned, "sorry" in Japanese can also be used to mean "thank you". Here Yoh is doing both - apologizing for Segasaki having to "go the extra mile" to take care of him (ie, he feels he has imposed upon Segasaki - a fear he has mentioned a few times), and at the same time also expressing his gratitude for being taken care of. However, it's the shift up to the polite version that conveys his sincerity, and carries the extra message that - despite his regret at imposing on Segasaki - Yoh still values these moments and feels touched by them.

Both times, you see Segasaki taking note of this, albeit slightly confused, and probably a little shy too (Segasaki is after all, very good at picking up on social cues - especially Yoh's - and spends the whole of Ep 3 doing just that).

Y: 漫画が　とてもだめです Y: manga ga totemo dame desu Y: (My) manga is... really bad.

Yoh spends most of Ep 5 safely ensconced in the informal speech level, switching up only twice - the above scene, and later when he attributes his recovery to Segasaki's care as a way of thanks. The switch in the bathroom is sudden, and adds a sense of certainty to his statement that reflects the intensity of the despair he feels (even though he comes across as more kicked puppy than anything). The formality is also a way to "distance" himself from the reality of it, because it does hurt to acknowledge this.

All of these instances show us that Yoh's shifts up in speech levels tend to reflect when he's feeling vulnerable in some way - when he's insecure, dejected or hurt, or when he feels that he has imposed upon Segasaki.

So then, does Yoh also shift down?

Well, yes and no.

Left (Ep 4): Y: ふざけんな [very rude] Y: Fuzakenna Y: The hell are you doing! Right (Ep 5): Y: バカにすんなよ！[slurred vowels] Y: baka ni sun na yo Y: Don't look down on me!

Even if we include (just barely) the non-argument of Ep 2, there honestly aren't many scenarios in which Yoh shifts down to a "rougher" speech pattern - and he never drops as low as Segasaki does. This has to do with both his acknowledgement of the power differential that exists between Segasaki and him, as well as his less assertive nature. In fact, even when speaking to Man-san, with whom he shares his thoughts more freely, Yoh remains casual, but not rough. (Man-san is waaaay rougher than Yoh, tbh). Hence, when Yoh does shift down, it tends to be explosive and short lived, just like his frustration or anger.

So why "yes and no"? Because being lower in the social hierarchy also introduces another, more interesting way to express yourself - by choosing not to switch up.

We see this in Ep 5, when Yoh tries to lie about going to Man-san's place. He sticks to his baseline informal speech when he announces this, whereas he previously used polite speech in Ep 4. Is it possible that Yoh was simply overcompensating and trying too hard to sound casual to hide his lie in Ep 5? Yes. But before coming to that conclusion, there is another important detail to note - that instances like this, where Yoh doesn't switch up, have gradually been increasing as the show progresses.

In Ep 5 and 6, Yoh uses the slightly less formal gomen nasai to apologize (contrast this with Ep 2's suimasen mentioned earlier). Given that Yoh himself mentions in Ep 5 that he thought Segasaki would be angry, and in Ep 6 clearly underscores his apology with a proper bow (yes, there are standards to how you should bow in Japan) - you would think that these 2 situations would be the perfect time to switch back up again. So why? Once again, the key to unlocking the metamessage is the wider context; i.e., we need to consider what Segasaki has been doing. please indulge my desire to sound cool and mysterious despite already announcing it in the title

Establishing Roles: Segasaki

In direct contrast to Yoh, Segasaki is very consistent with his speech shifts, and a clear pattern emerges. First off - when Segasaki is angry with Yoh, he drops straight down.

Left (Ep 2): S: てめぇ [very, very rude] S: temee S: You Right (Ep 5): S: 分かってねぇだろ　分かってねぇから　泊りで仕事とか言い出すんだろうが [slurred Rs, word contraction, slurred vowels] S: wakattenee daro wakattenee kara tomari de shigoto toka ii dasun darou ga S: You don't do you? You don't understand and that's why you can just say things like you'll stay out to work overnight.

Like, waaaaaaaay down. The argument in Ep 5 is the most obvious example of this, but using "temee" to address someone like he does in Ep 2 is very very rude and, together with the "haaah?!" Segasaki says before this line, also does a lot to convey that he is Not Happy.

S: 明日は仕事すんのか [word contraction] S: ashita wa shigoto sun no ka S: すんのかしないのか、どっちだよ [word contraction, informal, assertive end particle] S: sun no ka shinai no ka, docchi da yo S: Are you working tomorrow? S: Working or not, which is it?

The lines in this interaction from Ep 3 aren't really rude per se - certainly not compared to temee - but they are rougher than his usual and very direct. We've seen Segasaki do this multiple times throughout the episodes - dropping his levels when he's being assertive, and it is in response to that assertiveness, that Yoh gives the following reply:

Y: いや、ないです [plain forms, but with the addition of desu form] Y: Iya, nai desu Y: No, I don't [have anything planned]

Mixing plain forms with -desu at the end makes Yoh's reply a little more formal, and is another way in which Yoh acknowledges the power differential between them. Being higher in the social hierarchy means Segasaki enjoys a greater sense of linguistic freedom, and shifts down in speech level are therefore unsurprising, and indeed, expected.

So, if there is no real need for Segasaki to shift up, then, what does it mean when he chooses to do so?

Left: S: まあ　残念ながら　相手は大嫌いな俺ですけど S: Maa... zennen nagara aite wa daikirai na ore desukedo S: Well, unfortunately, your partner is me - who you hate so much Right: S: 好きにさせてもらうけど...な ？ S: suki ni sasete morau kedo... na? S: I'll gratefully do as I please...yea?

After an entire episode of using Yoh's own words to tease him as a way to try and get Yoh to face his own feelings, Segasaki lands his sharpest and strongest push of the day in these 2 scenes not by reinforcing the hierarchy between them, but by subverting it. Shifting up to a more formal speech level when he doesn't have to, particularly in the second scene where he uses deferential word forms, creates the illusion of elevating Yoh in the hierarchy, which is then immediately undermined by the irreverent tone in which Segasaki says them.

In other words, Segasaki only shifts up as a power play.

S: よくできました S: yoku dekimashita

We first see Segasaki use this formal way of saying "well done" at the end of Ep 3 and again in Ep 4, and it brings to mind the literal stamp of approval that teachers often give to students in school. Here, there is no teasing or subversion of the hierarchy going on. Segasaki is establishing his role in Yoh's life - to provide and care for him - through the use of polite speech, and reinforcing the power differential between them in the most straightforward way possible.

This use of polite speech allows the speaker to indirectly index their social identity - often as one who is in charge or responsible. Within the Japanese household, it also happens when a role/obligation (often parental) is being carried out - eg , a parent might switch to polite speech to indicate their role as provider when asking the rest of the family "What would you like to eat?". Similarly, we again see Segasaki underscore his role in the following:

Left (Ep 5) S: ごちそうさまでした S: Gochisousama deshita S: Thank you for the food Right (Ep 4) S: 寝るなら部屋いきな* S: neru nara heya ikina S: If you're going to sleep, then go to the room alright?

In Ep 5, Segasaki leads the saying of this standard phrase, customarily said at the end of a meal to express gratitude to everything that made the meal possible. It is the use of the full, more formal version (as opposed to just gochisousama) that indexes his role as Yoh's caregiver when he leads in saying this, and indeed he spends most of Ep 5 enjoying that role. In Ep 4, although he does not quite use the -masu form here, the imperative form "ikina" brings to mind a parent trying to coax their child to bed, the same way Segasaki is doing to a very drunk and sleepy Yoh.

This is the key we were looking for - with every episode, Segasaki consistently reinforces his role in Yoh's life, the same way he consistently responds to and encourages Yoh's amae. And with every episode, Yoh becomes a little more confident of his place with Segasaki, a little more willing to believe that maybe Segasaki might really return his feelings. It's easy to look at Yoh in Ep 2, see him push Segasaki away, and think that the same Yoh appears in Ep 5, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Because in Ep 2, a drunk Yoh barely drops to rough speech, whereas in Ep 5, a sober Yoh feels safe enough to even "curse" a little (well, as far as cursing goes in Japan at least, which admittedly is not far). In both word and action, they have both grown, and have both contributed to the strengthening of their relationship.

So! In conclusion (omg we made it to the end) we have established that:

Segasaki has a clear, predictable pattern in his shifts - he switches up to formal when establishing or reinforcing his role in Yoh's life, but when he's serious, or angry with Yoh, he drops all the way down.

Yoh is less consistent, because his shifts tend to be more subconscious and reflective of his emotional state. He's more inclined to switch up when he's in a vulnerable state, eg, feeling insecure or dejected, or when he wants to express his sincerity in apologizing or showing gratitude. When he's nervous, or in response to Segasaki either being direct with him or upset with him, he'll sort of switch up too (ie, he'll mix polite forms with informal forms, or he'll try to say things in an indirect way).

Through the use of speech level shifts, both Segasaki and Yoh indirectly reinforce and acknowledge their individual roles in each other's life, and by observing the changes in these shifts over time, we the audience are able to track the progression of their relationship as well.

In the next part, we'll look at the differences in the way they speak to others versus between themselves - looking specifically at examples from Ep 4, 6 and 7.

As always, thank you for reading, and feel free to ask any questions! (*ˊᗜˋ*)/

[solarkindred]

Volume Control & Food Exchange but written

psst, go to the @critterbitter blog, its great(links at the end)

Another day in Unova another day of being a pariahed foreigner.. Oh what a dreary way to live, Elesa lamented dramatically to herself as she sped walked to her parent’s car with Blitzle close behind her. She doesn’t know why her parents thought moving to Unova would be a good idea, Sinnoh was just as great as Unova! If not better! Unova— specifically Nimbasa— was stinky, dirty and full of trubbish. Literally! She had to fight one off the community garbage bin yesterday. Yuck.

She normally didn’t pay attention to the people around because why should she when she couldn’t understand them nor they with her. But a particularly loud voice piped up, yelling something in what seemed like good-hearted disdain. And boy was the voice loud. She turned her head to look at the person causing the voice to mime to them to pipe down but what Elesa saw instead were two boys who looked disgustingly similar. And were it not for their different colored clothes of black and white she would not be able to tell who was being loud and who wasn’t.

The boy in a white zipped up jacket yelled triumphantly as he knocked the other black clad boy’s fingers with his two. Boy-in-black pouted and— oh my Arceus are they playing chopsticks? A spark of hope and anxiety spiked in her heart. Should she go introduce herself? They must be cool if they know the chopsticks game. Should she go ask to join despite her parents being just outside the school gates?

…

Screw it.

Pulling up as much confidence as she can she marched right up to the boys who upon closer inspection looking even more similar despite boy-in-white having a smile and boy-in-black having a frown. She cleared her throat effectively gaining both their attention and spoke up,”A sumimasen—*“ she said and cursing her shaking voice afterwards. Both boys suddenly grew nervous and tense under her gaze which she found a little odd but brushed it off. Boy-in-black stiffly pointed to himself while the other adamantly avoided her eyes while wringing his hands. Again, odd behavior but whatever!

She jabbed her hand out at the feeling of Blitzle leaning against her calves, his way of saying he was there and that she should at least try,”K-konichiwa! Watashi nu namae ma Elesa desu*!” She told them rushedly. Boy-in-black opened his mouth and a goddamn voice like a Noble Roar entered her ears and her hearing aids freaking broke. Yelping at the harsh sting of pain she covered her ears hopefully to prevent the sight of blood from peeking out and to distract her brain from the pain. Pressure, her mom told her several times before, was a good way to stop blood. Blitzle was braying, though she couldn’t really hear him do so, as Elesa felt tears pricking her eyes.

Boy-in-black suddenly looked away from his doppelgänger as the sound of her yell(as did several other kids in the yard) and grew much more withdrawn as his lips seemed to slow while Boy-in-white tensed and looked around them nervously. Blitzle was sparking defensively while nudging Elesa away and glaring at the black’ n’ white boys who very much shrunk at his glare. Elesa turned to run off, ears now ringing painfully “loud” and to her car with Blitzle in tow.

She didn’t notice the boys’ lamenting and grieving at their mucked-up attempt of being sociable.

~~~

Its been exactly 2 days, an hour and 5 minutes since Ingo’s attempt at introducing himself and Emmet to the exchange student at their school. So far neither him or Ingo have seen the girl and her Blitzle(that he definitely, absolutely didn’t want to pet) but! As a good man he would resolve this miscompl— no that’s not the word— miscommunis— no not that either, miscom— whatever the word was he would fix it! And by the dragons he would be dragging Ingo down with him if this failed. Emmet was sure of that.

Emmet set down the package as Ingo knocked on the door. After that was done both of them stood there. And waited. And waited… and waited until his brother snapped from nerves,”Nope. I can’t do this.” He said, half-hugging himself with one arm and slouching. A shockingly emotive moment for his brother. Emmet pounced on to his brother’s shoulder, his own well of nerves flooding up his spine like he was hit with Chilling Water,”HUH?! Don’t leave me alone—“ Ingo winced,”I-I would never but.. Emmet.” “Yes?”

“If this goes poorly I will perish on the spot.”

Ingo sounded as if he was about to burst into stress-induced tears. Verrrry not good. Quick Emmet, say something comforting. Or really anything.

“Brother, don’t be a shelmet—“ “If I’m a shelmet then you’re the whole escavlier.”

Emmet smirked and leaned away, hands raised as he cheekily replied,”Then as a humble support ‘mon—“ Ingo cut him off,”Why don’t you knock this time.” Emmet froze staring at his brother who stared back unwaveringly. Emmet, giving in, knocked for the second time. Really, where were these people? Don’t they know he and Ingo have a tight schedule?

Ingo quickly turned on his heels to walk away after a beat,”This is a mistake. I still do not know kantonese.” But Emmet was quicker and grabbed hold of his brother’s unwrinkled black polo shirt,”Ingo by the dragons if you leave—“

The door creaked open verrrrrrryy slowly. Both of them froze.

“Nope.” “ABSCOND! ABSCOND!”

Elesa opened to door, blissfully unaware of the distress she caused the boys who were fleeing her porch. Noticing the box at her doorstep she kneeled down to look at the post-it note on it. Not that she could read it. She opened it. A pair of headphones, cheap ones from what she could tell. They looked like Togekiss ears. She liked them.

Curious, she turned up her hearing aids. Just in time to hear the black clad boy who broke her previous pair say, in a very distinctly Unovan accent and somewhat messed up pronouncement, “gomen”. Boy-in-White said something too. Emmet? Was that he said? … was that his name? Elesa couldn’t help but giggle at them. Goofy, she thought as she put on her new headphones.

She should do something for them. To let them know she accepts the apology.

~~~

The day after was when Ingo and his brother met the girl again— Elesa was her name he believes. At least that’s what she said 3 days ago. Her face was flushed now with what he thinks was either embarrassment or anxiety. Or was it nervosity?

She came right up to them like she did last time during lunch break when he and Emmet were talking about what starters they would like to have. Emmet says he wants a druddigon like Uncle Drayden so he could— his words not Ingo’s— “kick some ass!” Ingo heavily disagreed. He thinks Emmet would have a karrablast, retribution for that shelmet remark yesterday.

Neither of them had said anything at first. Elesa’s Blitzle standing close by and staring daggers at Ingo, ready to shock him should he break Elesa’s hearing aids again. Elesa sucked in a large breath and shoved the box that was in her hands to them as she exhaled,”Honno kinochi desu.*” Emmet set down his burrito and hesitantly took hold of the box. It smelled really good. She bowed and then briskly walked away. Blitzle spared them a glance and followed his trainer.

Slowly, as if handling a particularly moody Voltorb, he opened the box only to be met with exquisite, nigh heavenly smelling food. The box was split into three compartments with two big pieces of some food that was made with spam, rice wrapped with dried seaweed in the bigger part with rice balls in one and three pecha berries in the last compartment. He and Emmet drooled at the sight of the food. By the dragons and Arceus above the food looked far too good to eat joyfully. Emmet didn’t share the sentiment as he went straight for rice balls. Ingo took one too. He almost cried when he took a bite.

“Oh this is scrumptious.” “Mmm!” “… and the rice balls look like emolga…” “Mm-mmm!!”

The boys were quick to scarf down the food, their previous lunch food forgotten and likely to end up as some fine dining for the trubbish to eat later. By the dragons and their aspects, their tastes buds have been spoiled by Elesa’s gift. They could never eat Unovan food ever again. How could they live like they did before after this? Their lives have been ruined.

They were definitely going to return the box of course, they’re no thieves, and maybe discreetly request for more. Sinnohan food was a blessing to their Unovan tastebuds.

////

* A sumimasen— : excuse me—

* K-konichiwa! Watashi nu namae ma Elesa desu! : H-hello! My name is Elesa!

* Honno kinochi desu. : a [little present] for you.

Rough translations by @critterbitter themself!

///

The inspo/direct comics!!

Volume Control (1)

Volume Control (2)

Food Exchange