Sleeping pup
Benji carrying around a very valuable cargo!
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Proof that Katsumi is no figment of Jin’s mind. Not that there wasn’t plenty of that already, but seeing her wakeful when he’s conked out should convince the most stubborn of naysayers.
That’s my conclusion too.
Yup.
Daniel here…
Agreed. The thing I’m curious about her though is while nobody else can sense her with the standard Human senses (touch, taste :P, sight, hearing & smell), what about OTHER senses that Humans don’t normally have but something like, oh, I don’t know…. maybe a Hybrid might have? Would a bat or dolphin Sonar pick her up? Does she have a central nervous system something/someone with Electro-Sensory Perception could passively detect, or would an active perception scan pick her up? Platapus or Shark Hybrids could potentially have Electro-Sensory Perception, which passively picks up a creature’s bioelectric field or active pings like electric sonar…
I’ve instinctively (AKA involuntarily 😛 ) created an OC who lives in Hybrid City roughly half the year who is a “Hunter Demon” Mythical Class Hybrid. Think the Xenomorphs (Aliens) from the “Xenomorph” & “Xenomorph Vs Hunters” (“Aliens” & “Aliens Vs Predators”) franchises. My brain toyed with how the who traditional Demon thing of “I can see your SOUL” would translate, then I remembered Electro-Sensory Perception connected to the visual processors of the brain would allow them to “see” other people’s “souls” (nervous systems). It would also make watching TV normally impossible (They’d see the picture with a LOT of glowy white blinding it out), freak them out whenever they put their heads under the surface of the water (suddenly SO MUCH LONGER RANGE!!!!), and very high voltage locations could give them headaches if they’re nearby for too long…
The TV problem should be with old style CRT tubes only. LCD flat panels should be okay. Let’s assume that plasma flat panels are also bad.
But it’s not our decision.
Daniel here…
RWS – actually, I worked out the newer TVs would be worse – he can “see” the electricity getting fed to each pixel of the screen, causing a glare like effect over the entire screen. Parents tried getting him to watch kids TV shows, only for him to loose interest VERY quickly. When he’d draw pictures of people & animals, he’d draw them with “glowing skeletons” (their nervous systems). It was only when they came across a muted projector showing a TV show they’d tried getting him to watch many times and he reacted oblivious to who was projected on the wall that they started getting a feel of WHY he always ignored TVs…
He’d be 14 in comic-time, and by that point they know about his Electro-sensory Perception so there are no TVs or computer screens, all replaced with projectors. He can still see the picture with his eyes, it’s just the layer of “glare” makes it hard. He can use tablets and laptops for a while, but trying too long gives him a headache from the “glare”. I lurk on the Discord occasionally, tempted to share his details & a 3D model I’ve made of him using Heroforge :P, but it’s a “when I get to it” kinda thing…
My brain tends to REALLY fill in the details… 😛
Electroreception would be a separate sense – separate sensory organs connected to the brain by their own dedicated nerves. The brain would have no trouble telling electric and visual impressions apart. An electric field wouldn’t blind out pictures any more than a bright light blocks your hearing.
If a TV show were accompanied by a loud, jarring noise, and you couldn’t turn off the sound, then you might prefer to not watch the show – not because you couldn’t see the pictures, but because the noise made it unpleasant. That’s the kind of effect that electric noise from the TV might have on a person with electroreception.
By the way, the fact that electroreception is found almost exclusively in aquatic animals should tell you something about how useful that sense is in air.
Daniel here, finally getting to reply…
There’s 2 reasons I decided to link it to their sense of vision, the 1st being I originally designed his Hybrid side off something “demonic” I had created, but then realised I would be referencing something basically nobody else knew about. So instead I went with something much more well known, designing it off the Aliens from the “Aliens”/”Aliens Vs Predator” franchise. Much of the research I looked at pointed to Electroreception as 1 of the methods used to hunt their prey, even though I only remember them swimming once…
The 2nd reason is I knew I was making a Demon Hybrid, not a movie monster Alien Hybrid, and the demonic line that kept replaying in my head was “I can see your soul”. How could I represent that element of a Demon? That’s when my brain reminded me that the senses of taste and smell were strongly tied together Electroreception had been mentioned in the various Wikipedia type entries, so why wouldn’t 2 “visual” senses be as close too? Just like the Twins don’t know how their fire breathing works, my Demon Hybrid can’t tell the difference between the 2 closely linked senses, basically “seeing” through Electroreception with any & all disadvantages that come with it…
LOL, random thought, if I ever actually write up a profile for this guy, I’m probably going to have to add a link to this conversation just in case it starts up all over again… 😋
Not bad for wondering if Electroreception would detect the invisible Katsumi…
That and the fact she has her own thoughts Jin didn’t react to.
That hasn’t been enough for some people.
Her having her own thoughts probably wouldn’t be enough for anyone who is an author, unless they’re also a multiple. I’d imagine anyone who is a multiple would not be interested in the question.
At least, the vast majority of the authors with whom I’ve socialized have mentioned at one point or another some of their characters having their own thoughts. And even here, for all we know, Jin could just be having a waking dream in which he perceives her to be watching over him.
To be clear, I’m not particularly interested in the question. My headcanon says that *anyone* would be able to sense Katsumi by touch, except she’s deft and observant.
I AM an author, and I have not once doubted that Katsumi was her own entity after I saw Doc Reiniger’s papers. When an author says that their characters have their own thoughts, that’s not indicating any sort of independent autonomy like Katsumi is demonstrating; it means that being an author is less a matter of “I want [character] to do [action]” and more a matter of “[character] is the type of person who would do [action]”.
Proof to us.
If Katsumi was tangible, someone would have accidentally touched her at some point. A second soul in one body (done on Magical Misfits). Would make her “real”, but invisible, inaudible, and intangible.
Nice end to their first day in business. If this is indeed a multiday festival let’s hope the next day goes just as well for them. As for continued success after this I hope Cleo already has a few places scouted up where they can set up the food truck for regular business, maybe on a rotating basis so that they can get some regular clients all around the city. Maybe even look at catering events as well.
Fear the temple dog.
Katsumi watches over
Benji’s precious cargo.
If anyone harms him;
her wrath will surely flow…
The evening closes up
for Human, Wolf and pup.
The Dragons take Jin home,
leaving a snek to roam?
Ol’ Rex is fit to drop
before tomorrow comes.
So tired he might not wake
even to sounds of drums…
One Two Three Four
…the sound of drums from Doctor Who?
Doctor Benji, with Jin as the assistant? (And Katsumi as K-9/Fe-9?)
Katsumi might be disapproving of Benji, but she at least is willing to accept the positive effect Benji has on Jin.
Aww, sleepy puppy! Little Jin looks tuckered out from all the excitement at Day one of the Food Festival. Someone take some pictures! Making almost $3,000 at day one seems like a great start for Due Draghi, if they keep this up they’ll be able to finish the actual restaurant in no time! By the way, how come we haven’t been seeing much of Sabrina, aka Kai and Kaya’s mom? What has she been up to?
Katsumi stares down at the green albino dog boy carrying her little cinnamon bun on his back. Her mood quite unreadable, as she has the expressiveness of a wolf (sorry Rex, but it’s true). Has she gotten closer to finding out what Benji is hiding and how terrible this “secret” is?
Benji: “Hey, does anyone else feel that breeze?”
*Kai, Kaya, and Cleo start snickering, with the girls blushing and starting to have nosebleeds*
Kai: *Struggling not to laugh* “Uh, Benji? Your pants are around your ankles.”
Benji: *Looks down* “Aw man. Hey, why is my underwear starting to fall?”
*Katsumi paws at Benji’s lower half, tugging at his remaining garment.*
Katsumi: “What is your secret, leafy green haired dog? Are you any danger to Jin kun?”
*Kai and Kaya stop laughing for a second and turn to each other.*
Kai (and Kaya): *Whispering* “Kaya, do you see a big Lion Dog pulling down Benji’s pants and underwear?”
Kaya: *Stopped whispering the question halfway through* “I was about to ask you the same thing!”
Why do your comments always go in a weird sexual direction?
I meant that Katsumi was acting like a jealous or suspicious pet. I felt she’d express that by pranking Benji the way a dog (or Lion Dog) would. And an added joke that the twins can see Katsumi misbehaving.
Yeah, I just meant that the flashing/nudity jokes are a little jarring for a PG comic where the characters are all kids.
This. Not to mention Jin (and naturally to an extent Kasumi) have been raised to be very respectful of others so something like this would be very out of character for either of them.
I’d say this could also be considered PG13, with the occasional swearing, blood, humor, etc. It’s not like this comic has stayed away from jokes and stuff of this nature, like with chapter one having Kai check his butt in the mirror (albeit off panel) when Kaya said she wrote on his rump while he was asleep or the time Benji answered the door in his underwear or when Cleo entered the boy’s locker room while Kai was changing and we saw him hastily pull his pants back up… Should I go on?
Also, Jin was raised to be polite, as he’s technically (half) Human while Katsumi is only visible to Jin, is rather blunt, and appears to be still a nonhuman animal with Human sapience and so far her monologue evokes the image of a jealous or suspicious pet. I’d reckon Katsumi would still act a bit like her animal side.
I mean, you’re free to write whatever you want, it just comes across as creepy when it’s so frequent, and much more risqué/adult than any of those examples. I only remembered your username because you made some similar comments earlier that got a few negative reactions, so that’s just my honest two cents. This is the last I’ll comment about it.
starts to slightly kick his foot like a dreaming dog while Benji gives the snoozing pup a piggyback ride.
Benji: “Oof! Huh? I wonder what the little guy is dreaming about…”
Jin: *Softly mumbling in his sleep* “Koinu to kaizuku no o ni, boku wa naru…”
Kaya: “So cute! He kicks his foot while he’s sleeping, just like a doggy! Do you do that, Benji?
Benji: *Blushing as he denies this fact despite it being true* “What?! No!”
Jin, meanwhile, looks like he started to suck his “thumb.”
3000 USD must be gross income, not profit. If meals cost, say, ten dollars apiece, then it means they served 300 meals during the day, which seems like rather a lot for a food truck, but probably not impossible. Making 3000 dollars of profit, after deducting expenses and taxes, would surely be impossible.
The food cost is traditional 1/3 of the sell price. Subtract assorted other costs – electricity, gas, sewer, water. Subtract 10% of what’s left. So what, $1,500 – $1,000.
And salaries, at least to Nate, Rex, Benji and Jin (the “compensation” Marco mentions). Presumably food trucks also pay fees to the festival organizers.
Guardian spirit must guard!
Part of me hopes that others will be able to see Katsumi eventually.
I want to know if Katsumi is able to carry Jin home…
I’m guessing the answer would be no, otherwise Jin would have had a fair bit less trouble convincing his previous doctors that she’s real, but it could just be that she doesn’t approve of being ridden.
(Also, just imagine the sight of a sleeping Jin gliding home, 5 foot in the air, with nothing visible supporting him)
I’m picturing more of a jerking, undulating motion.
I’m pretty sure that yeah she doesn’t approve of being ridden.
Daniel here. I’m with HKMaly on this, I rather doubt the invisible Lion-Dog would like being used like some common horse. But if she did carry Jin or anyone else on her back in an emergency situation, I’d see them moving in a controlled, relatively smooth, wavy kind of way as she speeds up slightly and gains maybe half a meter from “leaping” then loses some momentum & the height just before “landing” as she races along like most other quadrupeds while trying to keep her passengers on her back. OR she’ll unintentionally whiplash them back & forth like a doll strapped to the back of a dog who’s chasing that cat who keeps getting into their yard…
Come to think of it, I see her TRYING to do the dignified smooth & wavy leaping style, but really her passengers have to hold on for dear life as a creature not used to carrying people on her back throws them around almost like a rodeo bull…
As Katsumi leaps down from the truck and glares at Benji while the leafy green albino dog boy is carrying precious cargo/Katsumi’s little cinnamon bun and contemplates what she should do to said Benji, a tired Kai and Kaya look on in bewilderment.
Kai and Kaya: *Speaking and thinking the exact same thing, possibly telepathically* “Kaya/Kai, do you see the giant, silver Lion Dog, too? Hey, that’s what I was gonna say.”
Kai: “We must be more tire than we thought if we’re seeing… the exact… same.. thing…”
*Kai immediately loses color the same way he did back in chapter 1, Kaya doing the same 30 seconds later as she reaches the same conclusion.*
Katsumi: *Stops glaring at Benji after catching the twins going full chameleon and talks to herself* “What are those strange, big eared reptiles scared of? Oh right, Jin kun said they are ‘Dragons.'”
They both witnessed the martial arts practice, had opportunity to see her than.
Yeah, pretty sure Kaya would have tried to crash tackle Katsumi screaming “FLUFFY!!!” if the twins could have seen her. At the Doctor’s office or at the Dojo. Katsumi would not be safe from fluffy finder Kaya…
Marco: “Also, we may want to check the suspension or the supports. It’s like someone put a lion or a very large dog on the roof and started tilting the kitchen.”
Katsumi: “Physics. Why do I keep forgetting about physics.”
Katsumi already shown several not-really-matching-physics tricks.
Jesse: No, this is not worst time to get back. Moment earlier would be worse. Also, why did you stopped?
Robin: “Hmmm, okay, so Jin is adorable, but I feel like I can add at least 13% more cuteness somewhere… ah, yes, sleep! The ultimate cuteness enhancer!” xD Seriously though, this comic never fails to make me smile. It’s so well made and so well drawn. The interactions make sense, the story feels about as realistic as you can get in a world full of hybrids of unknown origin, and the art/character designs are always just plain top tier. You put so much thought into the most minute details and the world is built so skillfully. I know I’ve been busy and don’t comment every week, but make no mistake I’m definitely still keeping up with the comic. Thanks for putting in so much hard work on the behalf of those of us in the comics and those of us just lurking and reading along. Your effort clearly shines through. Keep up the good work, and as always, stay awesome!
I can think of another way to increase Jin’s cuteness: taking a look at his baby pictures! That could potentially rival the baby video of Kai giving his fiercest Dragon Rawr at age 1!
Well : $ 3000 ; still $47000 to get . Tomorrow will be worse than today ^_^”
Seems that Jin isn’t a night-boy . I hope his grandfather won’t be “angry” to see him back only now ? A question : who will be the one to see Katsumi ?
Here’s a chart from 1 to 10 on how hard everyone worked today and a comment on what they did.
Rex: 10/10 (did he get his break?)
Cleo: 4/10 (reporting spam ratings can be annoying.)
Jin: 1/10 (literally only passed out like 30 flyers.)
Nate: 9/10 (5 star server.)
Benji: 3.5/10 (carried a small mythic hybrid for 70% of the day.)
Kai: 9.6/10 (has better cooking skills then me.)
Kaya: 5/10 (arsonist.)
Marco 10/10 (He is the chef.)
(if i missed anyone sorry.)
Dinah the avenger?
Great time to add more but that can come tomorrow.
Only 30? There must have been thousands of flyers in the tall stack they had.
I am sure Jin did more off screen.
Probably but if there were more than 30 then i either can’t count or I can’t count.
Also time to add Dinah the avenger to the list out of 1 to 10.
Dinah The Avenger 4.65/10 (Where is the nearest outlet?)
The fifth panel really drives home how exceptionally tall Marco is. It has been emphasized how Rex is the tallest in the basketball club and stands out in a crowd, but standing next to Marco, Rex looks almost short. 🙂
Wait ’til Jennifer shows up! 😉
When I first read the title, I was thinking that Rex would be the sleeping pup, with all the running around he did during that day.
He’s probably running on fumes at this point.
If Rex is really exhausted and passes out, he may need to be carried home as well. Luckily, Kai should be able to give Rex Ruthor here a piggyback ride as well. He’s certainly strong enough to carry a big werewolf boy like Rexie.
Don’t I recall Rex disliking being referred to as a “werewolf” at some point? “I’m a wolf, not a werewolf!” or something like that?
Alright, then he’s a Wolfboy. Which is a step below Wolfman.
I remember him taking issue with Kai calling him “Doggy”, but I don’t remember anyone calling him a werewolf.
Wouldn’t be the first time I remembered something like that wrong. I do remember that he’s kinda proud of his being a -wolf- though. 🙂
Dude, what happened to their mom? I just realize she was in the comic once.
I think it’s about time Jin and Katsumi were added to the Cast page.
Well, he is a strong opponent to Cleo in the “business department” – even if they are on the same side… And why would he pay for something, if he can get the results for “free”? Or – in this case – for someone else’s money? He is smart, but not that rich, as Cleo! (≧▽≦)
cant help but wonder if that thing is a spirit or imaginary.