Gramophone Turtle

Act A Friend

Comic page 1 of 5. Neku in his Angelic white glowing form sits and another glowing figure appears beside him and says "Hello, Friend." Neku looks unimpressed and asks, "Who are you?" From below and behind, 3/4 view, hair covering his face, the figure says "I'm Shinjuku's Composer." The figure's hair falls back to show sharp eyes and sharp smile, and says sharply, "Friend." Neku looks down and away, a little angry and annoyed. "Don't call me 'friend'. My name is Neku Sakuraba. And-"
Comic page 2 of 5. A far away shot of Neku sitting down and the other figure floating beside him, looking at a window plane of Shibuya. Neku asks his question "You gonna sit down?" The figure shifts down next to Neku. "Hmm," he says, "Of course, Nekky." The word "Nekky" is fractured. Neku freaks out and exclaims, "NEKKY?!" Close of of the other being as he introduces himself, "I'm Hazuki Mikagi. But you can call me Haz, my friend." The word "friend" is fractured.
Comic page 3 of 5. Neku stutters, "Th-that's- Look, just call me Neku!" Haz watches smugly. Haz comments, "Strange, I've heard it's a good way to make friends." The word "friends" is fractured. Neku looks down disbelievingly and says, "Uh huh." Neku pokes the window plane of Shibuya and continues, "And who told you that?" A close up of Haz's mouth, with a wide, thin smile. On a black background, Haz says "Joshua."
Comic page 4 of 5. Neku looks at Haz, shocked. Flashback to Joshua, smile wide and almost unnatural, arms spread and falling apart, dissolving. Neku says, "You can't just use nicknames and become friends. You have to work for it." Panels of smiling Player Shiki and Beat. Neku continues, "Otherwise it's not genuine."
Comic page 5 of 5. "Is that, how it works?" Haz asks looking up. Neku looks over to him, conflicted or uncertain by Haz's reaction and tone. Neku draws his hood up and looks back down at Shibuya's window plane. "Yeah" Neku responds. His hand touches the plane, the plane lighting up where Neku touches it, "something like that."
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Comic page 1 of 5. Neku in his Angelic white glowing form sits and another glowing figure appears beside him and says "Hello, Friend." Neku looks unimpressed and asks, "Who are you?" From below and behind, 3/4 view, hair covering his face, the figure says "I'm Shinjuku's Composer." The figure's hair falls back to show sharp eyes and sharp smile, and says sharply, "Friend." Neku looks down and away, a little angry and annoyed. "Don't call me 'friend'. My name is Neku Sakuraba. And-"
Comic page 2 of 5. A far away shot of Neku sitting down and the other figure floating beside him, looking at a window plane of Shibuya. Neku asks his question "You gonna sit down?" The figure shifts down next to Neku. "Hmm," he says, "Of course, Nekky." The word "Nekky" is fractured. Neku freaks out and exclaims, "NEKKY?!" Close of of the other being as he introduces himself, "I'm Hazuki Mikagi. But you can call me Haz, my friend." The word "friend" is fractured.
Comic page 3 of 5. Neku stutters, "Th-that's- Look, just call me Neku!" Haz watches smugly. Haz comments, "Strange, I've heard it's a good way to make friends." The word "friends" is fractured. Neku looks down disbelievingly and says, "Uh huh." Neku pokes the window plane of Shibuya and continues, "And who told you that?" A close up of Haz's mouth, with a wide, thin smile. On a black background, Haz says "Joshua."
Comic page 4 of 5. Neku looks at Haz, shocked. Flashback to Joshua, smile wide and almost unnatural, arms spread and falling apart, dissolving. Neku says, "You can't just use nicknames and become friends. You have to work for it." Panels of smiling Player Shiki and Beat. Neku continues, "Otherwise it's not genuine."
Comic page 5 of 5. "Is that, how it works?" Haz asks looking up. Neku looks over to him, conflicted or uncertain by Haz's reaction and tone. Neku draws his hood up and looks back down at Shibuya's window plane. "Yeah" Neku responds. His hand touches the plane, the plane lighting up where Neku touches it, "something like that."

Notes

NEO Composer Neku AU: Haz says hello to the new Composer of Shibuya. This was my first time drawing Haz and it was super challenging. Still like a lot of them. When I wrote him I felt like he was a little off, but I liked how he turned out. The end of page 3 is still my fave part when he drops Joshua's name. Making the fragmented/scratchy words was fun to make too.

Details

Original posted notes:

I started this a year ago and had like 85% finished. So Just in one evening I finished the remaining bits while keeping the original tone. I tried not to go back and redraw anything, so these were the earliest Hazs I’ve drawn.

Some notes from the original draft:

I’ve kept Neku’s hoodie from the AU, even though there could be a development between Haz and Neku with comfier clothing!

I’m not sure how I want to write Haz, but since looks up to Joshua and wants to follow in his footsteps, I wonder if Joshua has mentioned or used nicknames, calling others by friendlier terms, to try and break the ice and make connections. And maybe… maybe Haz had a feeling something wasn’t quite right with that, and now Neku is here to explain that.

(Present (earliest post date) note: If there weren’t drawing fatigue there would be something about Nao, who used nicknames but was genuinely friendly. I think the initial freakout of hearing “Nekky” was going to have a Nao flashback since she was the one that called him Nekky.)

Something like that. And/or Haz is feeling a little lost without Joshua around. So if you’re wondering how to read Haz and it’s hard…it’s intentional. I’m just rolling with the uneasy, awkward and sad feelings that could be here for Neku and Haz.

(Present (earliest post date) note: I debated which Shiki to use, and with more energy I would have have overlaided RG Shiki but…I got lazy. The only new last minute effect I introduced is the “”“intense”“” words Haz uses that are scratchy/glowy.)

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Originally posted on 2022-10-12.