#i have not made a new profile picture in like actual years 🙏

[neat-nat]

new pfp! :}

[miloucomehome]

VIVANT EPISODE 7 THOUGHTS

(protip: never read the official episode titles from TB/S on T/Ver. Episode 7's could be considered a spoiler)

Wow. And wowowwow...

Pictured: Me finding yet more details I missed during the first two watchthroughs

Pictured 2: My reaction when I notice something brought up in this week's episode actually makes a statement/profile we saw a number of episodes ago look really suspicious.

First: Holy shit what the hell?! WHAT THE HELL NOGI?!

Second:

Kohinata, you're not off the hook! I don't remember which episode Kohinata's Nagano gets interrogated, but if I recall...didn't we learn that he was former JSDF? Isn't that what made him a prime suspect to Nozaki and Public Security? I kind of remember him saying how he left the forces...but wasn't he active in the 80s? We learned this week that Balka fell into civil war in 1983 and that Nogi Suguru (Nogi's dad) is reported dead in 1984 when he ends up dragged into the factional conflict. He did have a reaction when Nogi name-dropped Zayir/Zahir and Nogi F did go right up to his face and sniff him, stating he literally smelled "off"/suspicious.

(Kohinata always plays sus characters. I don't mind if in the end, it turns out he's just an old dude who wanted to hang out with a younger woman because his marriage is on the rocks, but MIU404, MOZU and even S1 of Emergency Interrogation Room set me up for years of doubt XDDD.)

Shinjo (gone from sus to maybe sus idk) brought up good points: why didn't Suguru communicate with Public Security in the 80s to tell them he was alive. I wonder if a flashback episode is around the corner...the late 70s to 80s seem like they might be really important. If Nozaki is in his 50s, then any older character we've seen could potentially be important a future flashback episode. If there's one planned.

Nozaki Mamoru = Canon gay lead? IN PRIMETIME JP SUNDAY NIGHT TV?!

(I'll take it. Even if they forget about it or reverse course)

One of the only pieces of good news in this episode--writers confirming, as much as jdrama will allow them to outside of a BL drama, that Nozaki is gay. Not only that but he had loved another man: Liu Mingxuan. (And that it seems like Liu liked him first before he noticed or wanted to commit but did? Maybe he was closeted back then and worried it could be used against him?)

Nozaki: Well, in your position, it's not like you can have a normal love life, can you? (pause) Nogi: Nozaki-san...? Nozaki: Yeah? Nogi: Could it be that you... Nozaki: (laughs) I'm sorry. I can't help but look [at you]. Nozaki: You look just like him. Nogi: I do? Nozaki: It's like I'm looking at the junior who I lovedーLiu Mingxuen. He was a colleague of mine when I worked as a liaison at the embassy in Beijing. Nogi: And I look like him? Nozaki: Yeah. But he's not in this world anymore...

I did find this part oddly curious? worrying?:

Nozaki: He worked so hard for me. He was serious and tried so hard to get me to like him. But because of that... (smile fades) I ended up going over the line during the interrogation <-- this part Nogi: So then...that's when...? Nozaki: If I had actually paid a little bit more attention to him, he wouldn't be dead. That, for me, is my one failure.

The part I "highlighted", the "I ended up going over the line during the interrogation" (other TLs welcome!) part, has me wondering...what happened. And when. He's jovial and charismatic, but Nozaki still is a state intelligence officer. What could've happened?

I'll also headcanon that Nozaki sharing his story about his last lover and how Nogi resembles him, is a roundabout way of confirming Nogi's question was maybe "Could it be that...you like me?".😇🙏

I don't watch BL dramas (because I simply don't know which ones are?), but I've seen the odd drama or two with vaguely-gay-but-we-won't-say characters (with some exceptions: Nigehaji, for example has three). The fact that so far Nozaki is older, has been in love, exudes life experience, and has a different personality and energy from the usual gay characters I've seen in jdrama, is something. He also cares. He's competent at his job. He comes off as really cool, too.

Also his wink is dangerous. I take 500,000+ pts in damage each time (thank you.).

I'm very inclined to believe that despite the increased frostiness and visible gradual distancing in their friendship (see: the last two episodes T_T)), Nozaki was being honest. I also would like to believe that Nogi's line to him later was somewhat reciprocal?

(I know we love to see Nozaki be all close to Nogi, but I'm actually also really enjoying the frostiness of their relationship and how they're both trying to maintain façades more than ever with each other--Nogi as he tries to deceive Nozaki more and Nozaki as he tries to act as he always has despite the very significant information he's been learning about Nogi's true identity)

But as much as I'm inclined to believe his story, jdramas have the ability to betray and I'm steeling myself ahaha.

Nogi's cryptic message to Nozaki on the plane

I totally misread this scene at first as an "end of relationship" moment...but I later felt it was a compliment...then a potential coded message? Jdrama detectives on twitter think it may have been purposefully cryptic/metaphorical as a message to Nozaki, even planting a kind of signal to him--"if something goes wrong, watch for my signals" or something. (Among so many other possibilities)

But it also felt...affectionate? Nogi gently placing his hand on top of Nozaki's and gently clasping(?) it before talking to him felt genuinely kind. The slow letting go of his hand felt, sad almost?

The first idiom used is apparently quite old (1800s) and together with the second half reads:

あなたは鶏群の一鶴、眼光紙背に��す

(For the sake of keeping it cryptic and rare-sounding, following the proposed definitions in the dictionary):

"You are a great figure among men; one who is able to read between the lines"

Literally (extra deep?):

You are a singular crane among a flock of ducklings chickens, able to read between the lines

Given how later the tracker Nogi removed and placed in some kind of signal blocking pouch, is reactivated and leads Nozaki, Chenggis and his officers to the site with the unconscious/dead Vostania members...Nozaki notices the "calling card" left by Nogi too before he receives a message that really catches his attention. I wonder if in that moment Nozaki's ability to "read between the lines" and grasp at the deeper meaning behind the evidence he finds kicks in.

I also feel like Nogi F realizes that he can trust Nozaki? Or at least that he believes he's exceptional and intelligent?

(I also believe that Nogi F was the one talking to Nozaki during that scene. Sorry Yuusuke! XD)

Now...my most recent "AFHDSKJHFSD AAAH" and "HMM 🤔🤔🤔🤔" discovery--

6 BEPPAN BODYCAMS BUT ONLY 5 ARE NAMED ON THE SCREEN IN THE CONTROL ROOM!!!

The most recent find--

The members of Beppan chosen for the Vostania-Tent meetup interception mission that were all gunned down by Nogi all had their bodycams named...except for Nogi's. That's such a strange thing to overlook.

Not only that, but weren't they all wearing bulletproof vests? Were the bullets in Nokor's gun for piercing bulletproof vests? I don't think the 6 willingly would go into danger without their vests...

COPIUM: Nogi and the Commander are in on it. This is their operation. Nogi didn't betray Beppan. Commander Sakurai's reaction may have been because of Nogi's methods and/or who was shot. If any of the 4 survived, it'll be interesting to find out what they think... (I think that...maybe each group in this series will have traitors of different kinds in their midst? Or maybe we learn about other members of Public Security, Beppan or Tent that neither of the revealed agents of either group are aware of?)

EDIT: THIS GUY LIVES! (credit to the fans in the VIVANT thoughts tag on Twitter) In the "Next Arc" trailer when ep 3 ended, they show Kumagai's actor, Nishiyama Jun, in hospital robes:

Now I'm extra curious. If the others are dead and only Kumagai and Kurosu live (please live), then maybe the Commander and Nogi suspected someone among them was a mole?

Sam is also in that trailer (earlier video?) maybe that wasn't him in episode 5 hahahahaha (denial)

H*rry P*tter -- Nozaki the geek

I made another post about this, but the HP reference and DVD set drop is actually likely really important, I think. I really do believe it's to find a subtle way to keep Drum by Jamine's side and keep watch over her (whether for Public Security or because his intuition is going wild and he's worried for her safety) The post is here and in summary, my realization is that his words to Drum as they leave Jamine's hospital room has me thinking he's setting Drum up to keep near-continuous watch of her later on!

Nozaki : Alright then Drum, let's go grab a bite to eat. Drum: 😄😄😄!!! Nozaki : See you, Nogi Nogi: (nods, smiling) Nozaki (as he leaves Jamine's hospital room with Drum): Oh yeah, that's right, there's no Mongolian [version]— Make sure you translate it properly for her [while she watches], alright?

Also, for real though, I'd like to believe that during happier times for everyone in that franchise's boom, Nozaki was definitely a fan and did the midnight lineups and dressed up with his buddies (or relatives?) for the movies and books. If he's not using a ruse, my headcanon is that he's been able to enjoy life in some ways and indulge in some hobbies.

(Also: If I were to romanize スネイプ社, it'd be using Mongolian Cyrillic romanization. "Snape Co." is too awkward lol and from what small research into Mongolian I've done, "sna" will not produce the same sound as it does in English. Maybe Snép? Snaype? Snaïp?? Snêip??? Snayipp??)

Is this is a hint that he's going to act as a double spy...?

I'm excited and scared to see how Nokor and Nogi will face off. Nino's delivery of the line "Hey there, brother of mine" was menacing in the episode 8 preview. (I'm only familiar with Matsumoto Jun's acting in 99,0%)

I wonder what Nozaki received on his phone. And poor Kurosu...he's living up to the kanji associated to him in the early promo cast announcement teaser of 信頼 (shinrai - trust, faith), but it's getting thrown back in his face in the worst way by this apparent(??) betrayal by Nogi?? I feel awful for Kurosu--he put a lot of faith in Nogi believing this betrayal, the capture, and the injuries, were all part of his plan...when apparently they're not. I want to go back in time to this moment:

I wonder if each character's kanji words will mean they'll each come face to face with that crashing down on them. Kurosu is sure to trust Nogi less, if at all, if it turns out this was all part of some bigger plan....maybe? A bit of a "One must fall before they can come back stronger" type of theme? (I wonder how Kurosu ended up partnered up with Nogi?) I'm still so sad over his "This is all part of the operation, right?" and "You did this because it's part of the plan, right?"....Kurosu really trusted Nogi.

To end (Because I could go on for a while I think)---

Nozaki and his "Oh wow oh no this sucks. It would've been great if someone had stuck another tracking device on Nogi somehow without him noticing, eh?" pose (Chenggis, meanwhile: $@%#!$#!%):

Chenggis being cute. CHENGGIS BEING CUTE??

Wink = 5,000,000pt damage

Thanks for reading to the end. Sorry if my thoughts were all over the place--I made a draft of this on Monday and meant to post it but was out in the evening and came home and was too tired XD;;.

[megidoreyn]

Hihi! For the ask meme, perhaps 4, 8 and 14?

Hey there! Aw, thank you for the questions! It's super rare to get asks like these, so it really made my day! 😇🙏

⭐️4. What defines your artistic style?

That's a good question!🤔 (Especially since I don't know how others might perceive my art!) Due to my own visual agnosia as well, it skews my perception of my own works... So I actually end up disliking the grand majority of the things I create tbh🤣 It's hard for me to become cognizant of any strengths due to the weaknesses being highlighted (in my skewed POV) sometimes! But from the comments I have kindly received before, I would say that my art is defined by: clean/polished lineart, round/"squishy" chibis, warm colors, and "an aura of softness/tenderness"! Truthfully, I would love to be known for having a well-rounded and versatile style! As in: switching from a dynamic + appealing full-body style to a charming chibi style with precision and confidence!💪 And in general: I'd like to be known for drawing handsome faces on full-body characters instead of only having a "cute" style tbh LOL

⭐️8. What is your favourite piece that you have done?

Oh man…For a self-critic, this is a tough yet great question too!!😂--There's usually elements of a picture I enjoy working on VS how the overall picture eventually turns out! But looking back at everything I've posted publicly so far on twitter from 2022-2023…I think it'd have to be these! ↓

And a special shout out to this Walter-Lucifer pseudo-fiend character turnaround sheet that started off as a "haha just messing around :^)" sketch but then quickly turned serious 2 days later LOL. I did like incorporating SMT4 Lucifer's Phase 2 wings on him, since the in-game design includes this gradient on the wings too. 😇🙏

⭐️14.What do you like drawing the most?

As a surprise to no one, my favorite thing to draw would be WalterJonathan---both the pairing and the individual characters LOL. There's actually a personal reason for this, but maybe that'll be a story for another time! Whether or not the majority of these (finished/ polished) sketches will ever see the light of day is also to be determined in the future...😂 Despite these canon Satan Husbands going through the many unspeakable horrors they suffer within base SMT4 + SMT4 Apoc's canon (and even the duology of the SMT4 manga's canon too!), I'll always prefer to draw them being sweet with each other...🥺 To at least give them a single soft moment of reprieve that they deserve...!😭🙏

↑ I also enjoy drawing the details of the SMT4 samurai coat/uniform! As well as other things and details like: 💙the SMT protags' COMPs + SMT4 Gauntlet 💙Clothing folds 💙Side profiles 💙Backside angles 💙Painting hair 💙Drawing hands 💙Dynamic chibis + dynamic body language in general (that convey a character's personality)

…and probably some more things I'm forgetting LOL.

💙↑ edit: I forgot how much I like sketching out Pokemon as quick warm-ups + other critters like the MOTHER/Earthbound Mr.Saturns too! It's good practice in understanding different shapes.

Again, thank you so much for the questions!🙏 It was fun to answer these!

⭐️⭐️⭐️It's still 12/31 here in my neck of the woods, so I wish you and everyone reading this a Happy New Year as well!

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

307 of 2023

True or False inspired by random posts in my Facebook newsfeed 2!

Created by joybucket

You're wearing pink socks. Today is Wednesday. You own a shirt that says "Good Vibes" on it. You wish your daughter wasn't growing up so fast. You updated your Facebook profile picture today. You pushed a baby in a stroller today. You met someone new today. You've drank coffee out of a heart-shaped mug. You have a sibling who is in another state visiting a friend right now. You've recently seen a musical live. You're single and thriving. You have a friend who looks just like you. You've had someone ask you if you and a friend were sisters. You enjoy watching basketball. 🏀 At least one of your Facebook friends has been posting pictures of original paintings that she is trying to sell. 🖼️ You've made a pot of homemade soup within the last 24 hours. Sometimes you scroll past Facebook posts that are too long. You've had a turtle for a pet. 🐢 You love the beach. 🏝️ You've painted a dresser. You haven't eaten an Oreo in a long time. There is someone in your family that you call Bubba. You're a millennial. You find it annoying when people misuse "your" and "you're." You ate a donut today. 🍩 Your baby is able to stand on his own now. You've dog-sat for a friend. You like golden retrievers. You've had a golden retriever for a pet. Prayer trumps panic every time. 🙏 You've been to the circus. 🎪 You've contemplated joining the circus. 🎪 You own a pair of knee-high boots. 👢 You haven't gone on vacation in ten or more years. One of your Facebook friends has identical twin daughters. You live in a Victorian mansion. You think you would enjoy becoming a graphic designer. You've been told you have talent for design. You're counting down the days until spring. 🌷 You don't really like the name Eden for a girl. You have flowers on your windowsill. 💐 You've recently ordered a pizza. 🍕 You've owned a horse. 🐎 You've never asked your doctor about a medication that you first saw advertised in a Facebook ad. 💊 (I mean... do people really do it?) .....and you wonder how many people, if any, have actually done this. You used to own a To Write Love On Her Arms shirt. You like peacocks. 🦚 You've seen a turtle crossing the road. 🐢 The last photo you posted online was a black and white photo. You've posted a picture of the front of your house on Instagram. 🏡 You've gone on a contemplative prayer retreat. The last thing you ate was pink. You own a teapot. 🫖 You've recently poured tea from a teapot. 🫖 Where you live, it has snowed for the entire month of February before. ❄️ Your birthday is in February. You've painted a picture of a Mason jar. Your brother recently had a birthday. 🥳 You like the quote, "Nothing in the world is big enough to worry about." You want to embrace the magic of new beginnings. You like the color magenta. You've dressed up as an angel for a school play. You've tried a Cinnamon Roll Latte.