#or ‘hey i need u to be blunt about this but don’t mention x specifically’

[starlooove]

Fumbled the social interaction 💔

[the-resurrection-3d]

hey mootie craziest ask ever but do u have any General writing tips bc on god. i have ideas i iust Cannot sequence them or put them on Technological paper im at a loss here

Oh for sure! This post ended up being rather long, but I wanted to be thorough -- feel free to let me know if I need to re-clarify something.

Anyway!

Usually, I have to write myself into the good writing -- by which I mean I begin a session with essentially artist's warm-ups, such as scribbling out a few words about the images that are coming to me, or starting my first sentence with some throwaway introductory phrase like "Thinking about..." and then describing the thing in whatever barebones form comes out -- "and then X, and then Y," and so on. It's not pretty writing by any means, but once I have those creative energies flowing, eventually I'll start to naturally slip in more description, more emotion, even dialogue. The "real" opening of the story is usually not the opening you first write -- Anne Lamott in her book Bird by Bird, for instance, mentions that, in her drafts for her three-page food reviews, her real opening usually was on page two of the first draft. I've had essays published where I had to literally revise every single sentence that was not a quotation from somebody else. By the end of last semester, I was struggling so badly to finish some first drafts of my final papers that I legitimately could barely finish my sentences. I'd write down half a thought, hit the enter key, and start a different thought entirely.

Which leads me into my main point, which is getting a draft done by any means necessary. To be as blunt as possible: you can't edit shit you didn't write. To quote the dancer Martha Graham:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."

So I have first drafts littered with Wikipedia summary-tier scene descriptions, huge quotes from other writers, half-baked ideas, completely context-less dialogue, and even abrupt swaps between first, third, and second person, because nothing else matters but simply getting it done. This is not to say I never edit as I write, but you have to give yourself the leeway to write bullshit. (For longer projects, @bettsfic in her most recent newsletter discusses writing out a "gauge" to figure out the project's writing style before committing to it, saying that:

in knitting, a gauge is a square you knit before you begin a project to make sure you’ll end up with the dimensions you intended. that way, a sweater you meant for a grown-ass adult doesn’t become a baby sweater by accident. a gauge makes sure you’re using the right yarn and the right needles so you don’t have to unravel the whole thing and start over.

Thus, she says she writes and rewrites the first chapter however many times it takes to find a perspective and "voice" that works so she won't have to, say, change an entire novel from past to present tense-- I dunno how long your ideas would be, but this could be helpful, too.)

Since you mentioned sequencing, I'll admit I also struggle with that a lot, so I find writing out of order pretty necessary. Once you actually have more story material out in front of you, though, thematic threads become more apparent and sequences can start to suggest themselves. Tying themes to specific reoccurring actions and symbols can also suggest organization, both on the more global story level and the more microscopic sentence-by-sentence level. The 5+1 fanfic form is a great example of this.

John McPhee goes way more in-depth with this thematic organization idea here, though he's talking specifically about narrative nonfiction. Peter Elbow also discusses in "Collage: Your Cheating Art" that, if you have a fragmentary draft of an essay, you can always essentially use it to reverse-engineer a more "professional" outline. Again, not fiction strictly, but I use the same principle a lot (alongside Kurt Vonnegut's suggestion to start my short stories as close to the ending as I possibly can, lollll).

If you have a general sense of what plot/genre you'd like to write, you can also try what I've seen Brandon Sanderson call scaffolding, wherein you look at the basic plot beats and structure of a novel in your genre and essentially use it as the traced deviantART anime base on which to design your new OC. You don't have to be completely beholden to that plot structure, of course, but this can be a great way to cheat-start making an outline or first draft.

I tend go back and forth between collage and scaffolding since I'm a mess, lol. After the draft is done (or even just 80-90% done, because sometimes I know I'm not finished, but I won't know exactly what to finish until I'm into the revision process), I find it particularly helpful to print out my drafts and physically cut them up and rearrange them into lines and piles, so I can test the flow of certain sequences more easily than on a screen.

I was flipping through my copy of Bird by Bird while I was writing this, and I think I'll end this (very ramblingly) post with a small but encouraging quote from it:

I hope that helps! It's 2:47 am right now, lol, so I apologize if this is at all messy or a little scattered.

[joeyglowy]

Waiting.

My new obsession is Umbrella Academy and holy shit, I love it so much! Five and Angst go so well together, do they not? I hope you enjoy my reader insert, i’ll uh, come here every once in a while but I wrote this in the spur of the moment and I thought I’d post this SOMEWHERE. I might do more at a later time!

This is my first time posting so if anything’s up, feel free to tell me!

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem! Reader

Warning: Angst

Word Count: 3072

Returning to the present—technically the past but he’s not up for nit-picking the technicalities—while reverting back into a pubescent thirteen year old and simultaneously being on the hunt for the manufacturer who created the prosthetic eye for the person that probably caused the Apocalypse. . . Is a much more taxing task than Number Five had initially anticipated.

 Especially when he kept glancing at a house that was only a few blocks away from his objective.

 His shoulders sagged, not averting his gaze from Meritech as he patiently waited in this shoddy truck for that damn manufacturer to come out. “No, I am not distracted Dolores. I’m just thinking.”

 He took a quick glimpse of his beloved partner. Dolores. The only entity that managed to transcend the paradox of time and space. Never aging, but always beautiful. Despite the amputation of her lower body limbs and an arm (also being marginally bald), he didn’t mind at all. He loved her, nonetheless. She was timeless. Tentatively, he removed his hand from the wheel, gently taking hers in his.

 It felt cold.

 As always.

 He reeled, retreating his hand back to its initial position on the wheel, swallowing hard. He tried to ignore her lifeless gaze. He turned his head to her before looking back at the white building.

 “No, I’m not hiding anything from you Dolores,” Five reassured her once more, looking away almost irritably now. Squeezing the wheel a little harder, he softly relented, “well, they’re not a thing per say, but a person.” Five screwed his eyes shut, ignoring the cruel irony that ruthlessly scraped at his mind, demanding attention. His throat grew drier every time he tried to gulp down a feeling of nausea.

 He looked back at Dolores, sighing. “She’s, an old friend. Before I met you Dolores, she was. . . amusing. Funny. Amicable and whatnot. She was a nice distraction from the insufferable mutations I call family. That’s all she was. . .” he trailed off, as did his mind. Klaus being the nosy druggie he is, had casually mentioned that his old friend had her own house now and slipped her address which just happened to be close to the workplace of the subject of his mission.

 His head snapped up, looking at his partner, aghast by their accusation. “No. NO, I did not like them--” he retorted before looking back up at Meritech, seething. He shook his head, chuckling. “Dolores, I have you, I don’t need them. I--” Five tried again and yet, he found his tongue caught in his throat.

 How. . . How much had you changed?

 Did he even want to know?

 He closed his eyes in defeat, pursing his lips as he surrendered the crown of his head to the rim of the wheel. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I mean, we were barely friends. She was just, a distraction.” Listening attentively to the silence, Five found his will weakening with each passing second, growling as he threw up his hands angrily. “Fine! You win! I’ll go see her, but if we miss the guy who could potentially lead us to the asshole that started the Apocalypse, you’re in trouble,” Five berated his lifelong companion before he groaned, roughly running his hands through his hair before he shook his head.

 Angrily, he threw open the door and shut it behind him. Hands in pockets, he shook his head sadly once more.

 “This is a really bad idea. Dammit Dolores.”

 Within another second, he found himself in front of a newly furbished doorstep. The vivacity and new paint infected the very air; it made him want to choke. How sickening, new beginnings. He smiled bitterly. Wow, he really is a spiteful old man. Yet, here he was, acting like a scared teenager, palms sweating, throat dry as if he’s anticipating having to meet the angry father of his date. He lifted his head, scolding his cowardice and rapped his knuckles on the door.

 The silence was deafening before he heard the approach of heavy footsteps lugging themselves at a leisurely pace. Each step sounded like gunfire. Before he could will himself to use his spatial jump, the door clacked, the lock now free as the doorknob slowly turned and creaked open. He couldn’t stop the small smile that pulled at his lips, his eyes landing on a pair of white fluffy socks. Fighting the strange increase of gravity, he forced himself to look up and interlocked with a pair of shocked [Eye Colour] eyes.

 His heart stopped.

 His fingers twitched in his pockets, which suddenly felt a lot hotter and smaller, his hands getting sweatier. Is hand claustrophobia a thing?

 He smiled casually.

 “Hey [Name]. It’s been a while, hasn’t it.”

 It was more of an acknowledgement to break the suffocating air around the two of you. The particles were interlaced with unsaid words, lost opportunities and broken wishes. He swallowed it all down, trying not to inhale the fumes of reminiscence that threatened to consume him.

 You looked, cosy.

 It made him want to smile.

 Dishevelled hair that had centuries of knots in those [Hair Colour] strands, deep [Eye Colour] eyes that were still widened with inexplicable shock, lush lips that were opened in an ‘o’ shape. You had casual pyjama shorts and an oversized black top that said, ‘My life’s the joke. *Badum Tss*’ and he tried really hard not to grin as you still looked like you had just witness the dead rise.

 Well technically, if you had come to that conclusion, it wouldn’t be completely implausible since he looked the exact same since you last saw him.

 Of course, your features had sharpened while some of your other bustier assets had, rounded, but overall, you look older, prettier, mature and. . .

 Dammit. Taller.

 “Five. . .?”

 For a moment, Five was certain he had blacked out at the sound of your voice before his vision completely cleared to see your frame getting bigger as you stepped out of the doorway and in front of him. You looked down, still in total disbelief, conflicted by what’s in front of you and years of what you had thought you’d known. Damn, he really wanted to laugh. You looked so goddamn stupid.

 “Hey kid.”

 You furrowed your brows; your head recoiling back as you looked down at him, clearly unimpressed. “Uh, funnily enough, I’m actually the adult here.”

 He smirked. “You know what’s funny? The fact that I beat you by twenty years since I’m currently a fifty eight year old in the body of a thirteen year old.” At that, you frowned, squinting at him with a look of confusion and he felt like laughing. He settled for a little snicker. “Yeah, time travel’s a pain in the ass like that.”

 You ran your hand through your hair, blinking excessively, trying to comprehend something he knew you could never wrap your head around. Still, it was funny watching you try. There was a certain beauty in how silly yet predictable you were.

 “That’s, insane. Completely insane. So, what are you doing here then?”

 That, admittedly, was a little less expected. He figured you’d try harder to understand, interrogate him, try and pry answers of your future. He shrugged, not thinking much of it.

 “Well, that’s nothing I can tell you or, anything I’d expect you to understand but--”

 “No, no! I mean, here.” Five snapped his head up and stared up at you in utter shock. You sheepishly smiled, nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe. “Sorry, should have been more specific, I meant here, at my doorstep.”

 Five felt like he was going into cardiac arrest.

 He couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word.

 Sensing his perplexity, you giggled at his bewildered face. Guiltily, you sighed, your head leaning back and you closed your eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to come out as, blunt, as it did. It’s just, I don’t know, you seemed so intent on acting like you know everything but the truth is, you don’t know anything about me now. Times have changed. I’m a different person Five.” You slowly opened your eyes, a glossy shine and a sad smile now equipped to your visage of sorrow.

 “I don’t think I could ever know you, Number Five. But if there was anything I had picked up on, it was that you hate wasting time.”

 Five felt the world burning around him. Smog clogged his airways as you smiled sweetly at him.

 “I’m sure that, whatever you’re doing here and now is much more important than I could ever understand. There always was something more important you had to attend to. I accepted that a long time ago. Although I’m not going to lie, I’m ecstatic to see you again, honestly, just seeing you here, alive and well makes me want to cry because, I had no idea why you suddenly disappeared all those years ago.”

 You let out a strangled laugh, a single tear falling down and you wiped it away, still offering your smile, wearing your heart on your sleeve. Five was still trying to recover from the shock and for once, he was at a loss. Speechless. He didn’t know what he should say. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, averting his gaze.

 “[Name], listen, I--”

 “Mommy!”

 Five’s eyes widened and he watched a little monster, no older than heh, five, latch onto your side, giggling uncontrollably before she noticed him. He inhaled deeply, the world shattering around him, the splinters cutting him as she hid behind your pair of, rather nice legs.

 “Who’s that Mommy?” she asked softly.

 Your warm laugh permeated the air and like an infection, a smile lit up on the miniature version of you as you squatted down, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

 “Hey Muffin. This is my friend.” You gestured to him, pausing for a moment with hesitance before you smiled contentedly. “Five Hargreeves.”

 Her eyes lit up like diamonds and Five could see they were just like yours every time he used to use his spatial jumps to show off. Her ragged hair and brilliant grin was just like yours too. Yet, he could see the other components that were used to fill the equation to create the beautiful product that stood before him. His shoulders sagged as she beamed, as if the sun had donated its light to her so she could radiate with its warmth and shine.

 He offered a rue smile in return. You noticed.

 “Hey kid.”

 A bittersweet smile formed on your lips as your daughter waved enthusiastically and introduced herself. She shyly turned to you and whispered something delicately in your ear. You felt the sting in your eyes but you giggled mischievously, cupping your mouth but whispering loud enough to be audible to Five’s ears.

 “I think he’s handsome too.”

 Five gulped, he felt his ears burn as you stood up straight, ruffling your daughter’s hair and booped her nose. “Alright honnie, I need to send him off so I can join you on our movie night!”

 “It’s day time though,” he interjected unhelpfully and you shook your head, grinning cheekily.

 “So~?”

 He shrugged, smiling. “Fair enough.”

 He looked at those smaller [Eye Colour] eyes who stared back at him curiously. She tilted her head. “Hey, Mr. Five, how come you’re named after a number? Do you have any brothers or sisters that are named numbers too?”

 His lips twitched up insincerely. “Yeah, six really stupid ones.”

 “He’s called Five because there’s five annoying things that I hate about him.” You harrumphed, opening an eye playfully, watching him scowl at you. Your daughter giggled, quickly saying her goodbyes before running off squealing.

 He huffed, chortling as he glanced up at you. “She’s a cute kid.” He said honestly.

 “I know.” You said wittingly.

 Five felt helpless under your scrutinising gaze. So much for a nice nostalgic visit. He cleared his throat, saluting you mockingly.

 “Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave.”

 Just as he turned away, he felt a strong grip freeze him solid on the spot. He was forcefully spun around and before he could protest, he was suddenly enveloped in the scent of lavender. It was intoxicating, he trembled, suddenly scared he might collapse under your bone crushing weight, every burden he’s ever caused you suddenly piling onto him. You squeezed him so tight; it made him feel small again, like a real thirteen year old. It felt just like your hugs all the way back then. Too tight.

 Nevertheless, they felt warm.

 As always.

 Then, an icy waterfall thundered in his ears as a gushing ravine was placed between you. He still felt too hot though; he held the urge to pull at his collar and wanted an ice pack for his face. You offered a tired but friendly smile instead.

 You were still the same.

 But everything was different now.

 With that all too familiar smile, you grasped the door like a lifeline, turning your back on him.

 “It was wonderful seeing you again Five. Thank you, for making the time to visit me. I hope that, regardless of what time, space or universe you’re in, you’re happy.”

 You slunk into your house and he just watched as you offered one last sign that made him realise, it was you, you had stolen all of the sun’s radiance first.

 And you passed a bit of your light to everyone you touched.

 “Goodbye Five.”

 “See ya [Last Name].”

 Your door closed with a resounding finality and he stared at the empty spot you had once occupied. Five felt a blistering cold wind in his veins, icing his blood over as he turned around.

 What was he expecting? That you were going to stay stagnant?

 He looked down. In hindsight, he supposed he was too dismissive of you at times. That’s just how he is. He was stupid to think that you wouldn’t do the same. Well, no, you weren’t dismissive of him.

 You just moved on.

 Something he can’t bring himself to do.

 Extra.

 Five sighed, making his way down the street. “Well, that went perfectly.”

 “No kidding! I thought you were going to faint, it was a moving performance though.”

 Five felt the urge to suddenly give up on this wretched world as he turned angrily to his brother who was probably high as balls.

 “How long have you been there?” he spat out with acid in his tone and Klaus shrugged, coming out from behind a swan topiary from the neighbouring house and purred suggestively, several winks following. Five wanted to kill himself and he stalked angrily down the street.

 “Oh hold up! It’s alright; no one should face a broken heart on their own!” Klaus paused shortly to see a glistening knife pointed between his eyes as Five glared, grinning so tightly that his lip split and bled.

 “Drop it Klaus.”

 “Oooh, how scary. You got any rope?” Klaus asked, smiling all the while.

 Five stared at his brother in genuine awe before sighing and lowering the knife. He continued walking back to the truck and his brother followed eagerly in pursuit.

 “You know, if it’s of any consolation, she would have never ended up with you anyway, so you didn’t miss out on anything.”

 Five felt his smile stricken and he growled. “I didn’t ask for your consolation--”

 “Hmm, her first reason could be. . . Ooh! I know! How you always think you’re better than everyone else.” Klaus shrugged, looking about with a carefree expression.

 Five scowled. “I am.”

 “Reason number two, probably the fact that you’re so arrogant, smug and cocky, ugh, but it’s just who you are, you can’t help it!” he says with passion, mocking him. Five then realised that Klaus had heard much more than he initially thought.

 “Three, hmm, toughie. I’d have to say, it’s probably the fact that you proudly parade how everyone is unreliable, untrustworthy or just not worth your time.”

 Five’s eyes widened, a searing guilt igniting in his stomach.

 “Four. . . Hmm, my number! So that means, aha! You’re numb, emotionally constipated. You find more solace in plastic than people. You can never really be honest, can you? Maybe we’re both addicts, we keep coming back to pain. Or maybe that’s more so masochism then?”

 Before Five could retort that he was nothing like Klaus and that he’d kill him if he mentioned Dolores again, his brother turned to him coyly.

 “Darn, I can’t think of a last reason! Do you think it’s something adorable where, even in spite all of that, she still loves you anyway? Awwh, that’d be real sweet.”

 Five stopped dead in his tracks. Klaus giggled in glee. “It’s alright Five, even if no one can love you, I have enough love for the both of us!”

 Five was silent, letting his brother’s words stir in his mind.

 “Say one more word and I will rip out your spinal cord so you can use it as a hookah because, of course, only you would do that.”

 Five coldly brushed past Klaus who stood there, feigning his shock before shrugging, happily trotting behind. “Oooh~ sounds, inventive. You know, I’ve tried a lot of things but I have to say, marrow-juana would have to be a first for me.”

 Five stopped to stare at his brother in a mixture of pity and amusement.

 “You’re an idiot. Although I admit, I’m almost impressed you managed to come up with that on your own and while you’re high.”

 “Aww, thanks! Although your girlfriend’s been waiting for you for a while now, you should be getting back to her shouldn’t you?”

 Five immediately began scowling again before he trudged back to the truck, sour and bitter. Yet, something sad lingered in the air as he watched the asphalt, getting further and further away from your home. He knew who Klaus was really talking about and yet, something stung nonetheless.

 Your home was a place filled with happiness. . . and rightfully, without him in it.

 Life goes on, huh?

 Unfortunately, so do people.

 Damn, how much time did he lose in a wasteland with no one but moulded plastic by his side?

 “Yeah, I know. She’s always waiting. That’s how I survived this whole time.”

[wanderingfan]

Eiji and Ash Part 1

Someone needs to make a roleplay blog as one of Ash’s henchman who took a pic of him handing his gun to some soft boy and tweeting “OMG SOMEONE TOUCHED ASH’S GUN AND HE STILL HAS HIS FINGERS.”  This is modern times and I demand one youth to livestream and take photos in inappropriate times.  They would not live long but I say it’d be worth it.

I’m going to try to break down what happens and then talk about the little details that help make the scene work.

1) Eyes Meeting

When Ash turns around and Eiji sees him for the first time we get this shot.

His hair is still visible and at that angle it looks like Ash is staring right back at Eiji, but we never see exactly where his eyes land on.  So while we know Eiji is curious about Ash right away, we (and by we I mean Eiji) don’t know yet what vibe Ash is getting from Eiji.  This is a good way to stay solely in Eiji’s perspective at this moment.

Whether or not Ash stares directly at Eiji he doesn’t turn away from either Eiji or Ibe until Ibe mentions taking photos.  Eiji also doesn’t move until Ash turns his head away and then only turns his own head away once Ibe asks him for help.  From their first moments neither one seems uncomfortable looking at each other directly unless there’s an outside source (Ibe)

2) Don’t Tease Him In Front Of Your Friends, Young Man!

Here’s a hint of Ash’s perspective on Eiji.  Not just in his words but that this is him seeing Eiji’s back.  Eiji looks like a bonafide good boy (tm) with his clothes, his smooth hair and his gentle treatment of Ibe’s equipment.  I’m assuming here that Ash was looking at Eiji for a good two seconds and felt he needed to say something so the people don’t go “Hey why is Ash looking at that kid?”  I am also going to assume here that he’s genuinely curious about a man around his age and obviously prefers throwing a quip at him over conversing with Ibe the Adult. (tm)

When Eiji pouts tells him he’s older, Ash doesn’t tease him in an insulting way, but responds with a act of politeness that’s not very sincere.  He’s not trying to be rude or mean, or even look down on Eiji.  But he did nick a guy’s ear with a gun that morning so hearing a guy who looks like a fly could get a hit on him say he’s older than him (implying Eiji must be more mature), must sound cute to hear.  Like a housecat trying to hiss at a...L y n x ? ;)  ;)  ;) im sorry

3) guys did you hear ash let some baby-face guy hold his gun oh mah gawd…

So once Eiji’s done his part helping Ibe out he looks at Ash chatting with his buds.  Given that this is all in Japanese its hard to tell what Eiji can and can’t understand in English (I’m interested in what the dub will do with the fact that Eiji and Ibe would sometime chat in Japanese and then go back to English) but what interests him is...THE GUN.

He then asks...a notorious gang leader...if the gun he’s carrying is real.

Ash does not know what to make of that question.  Does this kid want to fight?  Is he asking what type the gun is?  Is he saying the gun’s not big enough- I’M KIDDING I’M KIDDING-

Of course Eiji immediately answers his own obvious question in his head.

He explains himself understandably.  He could have stopped there and Ash and his bar mates would have been like, “ Oh yeah, culture differences, I get why he’s curious.  Whatever.”

But then Eiji asks a question he definitely shouldn’t have asked.

“Can I hold it?”

He says it so nonchalantly, like he’s asking to hold someone’s pet hamster.  It doesn’t occur to him that Ash could do more than just refuse (I mean he didn’t know about the drunk who got his fingers chopped off  b u t   s t i l l) and just.  just look.  just look at that face LOOK AT IT.  He’s so honest!  There’s absolutely nothing for Eiji to hide and its so visible that he’s just genuinely curious and interested.

Bartender's tensing up cuz he thinks he knows what’s going to happen to this poor kid.  Ibe grabs Eiji’s shoulder and is mentally preparing himself to book it.  Ash is staring at this stranger he just met for seven whole seconds...

“Sure”

Now the bartender, who just gave a little snort at Ash throwing a comment at Eiji before, uncrosses his arms as Ash gets off his stool to hand this strange naïve man a tool he supposedly never trusts anyone with.

And we KNOW this is out of place for him, because literally every one of his bar mates are stunned by what’s happening, turning their heads with the fear and fascination of seeing a tornado approach a house, not going any closer but too curious to run to safety.  Skip’s smart so he latches onto one his pals while he leans over to see what’s happening.

Eiji is excited, but is also very careful as he should be.  He gently weighs it, turning it slightly saying it’s heavy (that’s not a euphemism is it) but makes sure not handle the trigger or point it toward anyone.  He politely returns it, and thanks Ash for trusting him with it.  Ash plucks it out of Eiji’s hand without hesitation, showing he comfortable he is with handling a weapon.  

4) After Effect 

Eiji then has another question, and this time Ash just calmly ask what it is.

We then get this shot, which if you scroll alllll the way back up...or I just...here I’ll save you some time.

It’s similar to the shot from when Ash and Eiji saw each other for the first time.  Only now it’s different.  This is a genuine interaction between two acquaintances instead of two strangers and instead of them happening to be in close proximity with each other; this is them deciding to speak with one another voluntarily.  So when Eiji asks if Ash had killed anyone, he doesn’t scoff at the question, but answers it with his composed and serious form of honesty.

We didn’t know how/if Ash looked directly at Eiji before, but we see how he looks at Eiji now.  He see him as someone who deserves a direct answer, even if the answers heavier than the handle of the gun.

Eiji, the good boy that he is, does not know how exactly to react to hearing his new acquaintance’s answer.  I don’t think he expected such a direct answer, or if he was even prepared to hear an answer to such a question.  He’s just noticing the distance between the two of them and how different Ash is from him, unsure of what to make of what he’s learned.  Ash on the other hand has found one definite opinion on Eiji.

He says in a soft, gentle voice so distinct from the way he spoke the entire episode that I’d wonder if anyone could tell that this was still his voice.  It’s not just a different form of speaking for a certain sort of people, its a new form of speaking for this specific moment, meeting a boy completely new to him and vice versa.

In the manga Eiji couldn’t understand what Ash said (Ibe decided some things are better left untranslated) but here I think Ash just mumbled softly enough under his breath that Eiji couldn’t hear it clearly.  Either that or Eiji did hear it clearly enough and he just found another thing he doesn’t know how to respond to.  Either way Ash decided to end the conversation and has Ibe get the interview over with, ending the direct interaction between the two for the episode.  Eiji later realizes how close he was to losing a number of appendages and hears more about how cool Ash is from Skip while looking him with a flushed face, but honestly I think I’ll just concentrate on what’s above for now.  So let me just leave with three details on why I think this part of the episode worked so well.  These are short I promise.

1 - No Extra Fluff

The only music was the barely audible bar music in the background.  The only sound effect were the ones the characters made realistically.  There was no filter to soften the image and no music scratch when Eiji asked the Question.  What we saw was what all the characters saw, and what we saw worked really well.

2 - Framework

The way their interactions were framed, with them appearing closer in proximity as the scene went on, among other things...was neat.

3 - Voice Acting

When I can tell the distinct change in voice between interactions, even when I don’t really understand the different styles of Japanese speak, I’m really impressed.  The way Ash goes from blunt with Ibe to cordial with Eiji to relaxed with his buds to taking Eiji’s question seriously to that moment where he speaks softly only to himself is a treat to the ear.  I’m also loving the voice acting of Eiji as well.

Okay I just spent...about 5 hours on this, so I think I’ll end it here.  I don’t know if you noticed but I kinda didn’t realize the show started until like...Sunday?  I think when it comes to talking about the Eiji and Ash scene I should spread out my writing on it to more than one day.  Still, I’m glad you read til the end.  Looking forward with fear tomorrow!