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literaryeagle · 4 years

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For my sixty-seventh Evangelion book review, here is Shin Seiki Evangelion Koushiki Guide Book (Neon Genesis Evangelion Official Guide Book), published by Kadokawa Shoten. This 171-page paperback is a guide to Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's Evangelion manga, however it was released before the manga was finished, so it only covers the first 12 volumes (the whole manga was 14 volumes).

This book is not available in English or French - although the chapter titles are in English - but it has plenty of pictures. The illustrations are in full color for the first twelve pages, and then the rest of the book is in black-and-white. (The book's dust jacket is also removable, however there is no alternate cover art hidden underneath.) The full color pages are devoted to the cover art for the first 12 volumes of the manga. For example, here is the cover for Volume 6, which features Toji, Hikari, and Evangelion Unit-03:

It's interesting how some of the characters' hair color in the manga is different from how they look in the anime. And as many of you probably already know, Shinji's eyes are a different color as well.

By the way, this is going to be another multiship-friendly review, so expect a mix of ReiShin, KawoShin, and AsuShin. Keep reading for the rest of the book review, plus a few more pictures!

After the Cover Illustration Gallery, there is a title page and a Table of Contents page, and then the first chapter of the book which is called "the Character". This section contains pics and information about various characters, including dates of birth and blood types, and discussions about the characters' personalities. Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Kaworu, and Misato each get 4 pages devoted to them, while the other characters only get one or two pages. The other characters in this chapter are Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Gendo, Ritsuko, Kaji, Fuyutsuki, Maya and Makoto and Shigeru (these three characters are squeezed together into two pages), Yui, Naoko, and Keel. This part of the book also contains three brief columns about other topics: Evangelions and Angels, Nerv, and Seele.

By the way, even though this chapter has lots of pictures, they're all from the manga, so you won't see anything new here if you've already read the manga. Also, many of the pages have multiple images all crammed together, so the pics end up being very tiny. Most of the book is like this, unfortunately.

The second chapter of this book is called "the Episode", and it contains illustrated timelines for events in the manga (again, only for the first 12 volumes), plus information on battles, characters' relationships, and some background stuff about Nerv and Seele. The section on relationships isn't just about romance; it also covers family (for example, Asuka and her mother) and friendships (such as Shinji and his classmates). Anyway, I said this would be a multiship-friendly review, so I'll get to that now. Let's start with Rei and Shinji. This chapter devotes three pages to Rei's relationship with Shinji (two of those pages are for Rei II, while the third page is about the introduction of Rei III). Here is a piece from one of those pages:

Awww, Rei and Shinji holding hands! So sweet! (By the way, the above scan is larger than actual size, so you can see it better. As I mentioned before, a lot of the pictures in this book are really small.)

Moving on, this chapter has two pages about Kaworu's relationship with Shinji. Here's a piece from one of those pages (yes, the kiss is here):

Such an iconic moment. ^_^

As for Asuka and Shinji, um... This chapter only devotes half a page to their relationship. Yeah, not even one full page (the other half of the page is for Asuka and Kaji). What the heck? None of the illustrations for the Asuka and Shinji portion are romantic, either: There's a picture of Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke freaking out; a pic of Asuka kicking somebody; and a picture of Misato standing next to Asuka. That's it. Fortunately, there are some images later in the book that I think AsuShin fans will like, so don't worry, I'll get to those next!

The third chapter of the book is "All of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto". It starts with a Q&A section, and then there's a gallery of the title page illustrations from various chapters of the manga. Like many other parts of the book, this gallery crams multiple images onto each page, so most of the pics are tiny. But at any rate, here are some cute ones that AsuShin fans can enjoy:

Adorable pics, aren't they? The one of Shinji and Asuka dancing together is so precious!

The next part of this chapter has some pictures and info about other manga that Sadamoto has worked on, plus his art books, and other things for which he has done illustrations or character designs such as album covers, video games, and anime. There is also a timeline of his career, and some extra comments from him.

Okay, next we have the fourth chapter of the book, which is called "Message from EVA Friends". It starts with a conversation between Hiroya Oku (creator of the manga Gantz) and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. After that, there are short messages from some of the Evangelion anime staff: Hideaki Anno (creator), Ikuto Yamashita (mecha designer), Yoshito Asari (assistant character designer), Yuko Miyamura (voice of Asuka), and Megumi Hayashibara (voice of Rei).

The next part of the chapter has illustrated messages from various writers/artists. Finally, some pictures that aren't already in the graphic novels! Check out this message from Kazuya Tsurumaki (assistant director for the Evangelion TV series, director for the first half of The End of Evangelion, and one of the directors for the New Theatrical Edition - AKA "Rebuild" - movies):

What a cute drawing of Asuka!

All right, I'll show one more illustrated message from this section. This is from Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou (the writer and the artist for the manga Deadman Wonderland):

Wow, Rei and Evangelion Unit-01 look pretty cool in that art style!

The book's fifth chapter is "Comic EVA History", and it shows Evangelion-related covers for various issues of Monthly Shounen Ace magazine and Young Ace magazine (the chapters of Sadamoto's Evangelion manga were originally published in Monthly Shounen Ace, and then starting in the summer of 2009 the remaining chapters were published in Young Ace). This part of the book also has pictures of some Evangelion-related bonus goodies that could be obtained with those magazines, such as posters, cards, and stickers.

And finally, the sixth chapter of the book is called "Extra Part", which includes notes for some of the terminology used in the manga, such as "LCL" and "entry plug". Then the book ends with a short psychology test to see which of the Children you are most in sync with.

Overall, I don't really recommend Shin Seiki Evangelion Koushiki Guide Book. It's supposed to be a guide to Sadamoto's Evangelion manga, but it was released before the last two volumes of the manga came out, so the information is not complete. Also, most of the illustrations are smaller versions of images that you can already see by simply reading the manga, so it isn't even all that great as an art book. It just feels like a cash grab. There are much better Evangelion books out there, so I would say don't bother with this one unless you're a serious collector who wants to obtain as many Evangelion-related publications as possible. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Well, that’s it for my sixty-seventh Evangelion book review. I have plenty more Evangelion books to discuss, so keep checking my blog for new reviews!

#Evangelion #KawoShin #ReiShin #AsuShin #Kaworu Nagisa #Rei Ayanami #Asuka Langley Soryu #Shinji Ikari #Toji Suzuhara #Hikari Horaki #Evangelion Unit 01 #Evangelion Unit 03 #book review

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candlelight27 · 3 years

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Chapter 5: This Moment Lost in Time

Summary: Sylvain has been ignoring you since you met him. You had been in love with him since you met him. College is about to offer you a fresh start. New academic year, new life. You were ready to forget him. But fate seems to have other plans… (COLLEGE AU)

Series: Seeking Your Warmth If Only For A Day

Warnings: BLOOD, game spoilers and felony (don’t steal, kids)

Pairings: Sylvain Jose Gautier x Female Reader

Word Count: 5143

AO3: This Moment Lost in Time

A/N: Thanks to @galamixx and their help!!! If you like this chapter, please consider commenting. My inbox is always open too, for suggestiong or just to chat! :)

You put a hesitant foot in Sylvain’s room, walking right behind him as he guided you. It was an ample space and it had a window that let the sunshine inside in the morning. The decoration was quite simple. The bed, placed under the window, was covered in white linen, and the walls were bare, without any pictures or posters. Its appearance broke your every expectation of what you had thought his room would be like.

You were surprised you couldn’t find anything that screamed ‘Sylvain lives here’, or any hint at all of his renowned affairs. You chastised yourself for thinking he’d have a box filled with panties he had stolen, or obscene magazines thrown around. He was now a close friend – perhaps something more, but your brain was trying to avoid that subject at the moment – so you’d have to stop assuming things about him. Especially regarding the high number of misconceptions you’ve had about him. Yet the truth was that you would have never suspected that he lived in such an austere manner. You began to understand how he got along with Dimitri so well.

Despite the absence of luxuries, there was something that caught your eye: the quantity of books he owned. His desk and shelves were crammed, and there were even a few piles over the floor. You identified in a glance some history titles, as well as fiction and philosophical essays. It was quite the collection for someone most people considered an airhead – a thought that made you slightly angry at those people.

“Sit wherever you want,” Sylvain commented. You sat on the bed, while he moved to take a seat on the chair in front of his desk. He carefully placed on the floor a board of chess, trying not to move any pieces. It was incomplete, with only a handful of blacks and whites. You wondered if Sylvain was trying to solve one of those problems that he used to do with Claude back in high school. Afterwards, Sylvain placed his hands behind his head and leant back. You looked around nervous, absentmindedly caressing the bed dressing with your fingertips, avoiding by all means ogling him.

“You have a nice room,” you said. This was awkward, and you didn’t know what to say. You felt once again you were invading his privacy by simply being there. And you were on his bed, where he slept. It felt very personal, and you were not sure if it was your place to be there.

“Not what you expected for someone like me, right?”, he hummed. You feared that he actually was able to read your mind after that line.

“How is Glenn?”, you changed the subject, hoping Sylvain wouldn’t notice.

“Oh, he’s fine! He’s conscious and recovering. Apparently, when he was going to work, a dog crossed the road and he crashed the car avoiding it.” Sylvain drew out a breath. “Honestly, I’m so relieved he’s alive.”

“That gives us time to proceed with our plan. But then again, Flayn is onto whatever is happening. It’s not just paranoia, there must be a clue somewhere,” you reflected.

You had a few days to come to terms with Sylvain’s crazy theories after that encounter with Flayn at the hospital. As if fate had been mocking you, you had even more visions of your classmates in times of war, which only reinforced Sylvain’s words. You started writing down the smallest details you could recall, hoping they’d be of help to clarify something. Anything. And you realised some names kept appearing time after time.

“I wanted to show you a few things,” Sylvain said. He turned around to look at the books opened on his desk. He moved a couple of volumes and used papers around until he chose one. The sound of papers being flipped frantically came from behind you. “Here it is!”

He stood up and gave it to you, waiting a minute for you to inspect it thoroughly.

“So?” He insisted. Sylvain was eager to know your opinion. “What do you think?”

“It’s…” you opened your mouth.

“Awfully familiar?”, he offered.

“Yes”, you nodded.

It was an ancient copy of Seiros’ precepts. There you could see a coloured engraving that displayed Saint Seiros, who had an eerie resemblance to Rhea, officially in charge of Garreg Mach High School and the cathedral annexed to it. Her light green hair, her bright and big eyes, her figure. Everything was exactly the same. She had a serene countenance, and she was surrounded by dragons. Once, you were taught that they represented the strength of Seiros and the four saints, but they had so many details, they looked real.

“And that’s not the only thing!” Sylvain added before you could finish examining it. He passed you another book. “This one is Linhardt’s, but he lent it to me indefinitely. He knows a lot about Saint Cethleann, he’s investigating her figure and plans to do a PhD.”

“What am I looking for?”, you asked, tracing the index with your finger.

“Look at the pictures first. There are a couple of engravings and drawings. Just look at any.”

You did as he told you. A chill ran down your spine.

“This is Flayn,” you babbled, totally astonished. “But, like, it’s clearly Flayn.”

“Yes!” Sylvain was thrilled.

“They have the same face,” you repeated. You looked at the bottom of the page, where a footnote was written, and read it out loud. “‘Saint Cethleann was said to possess a kind heart and devoted her life to helping others in need. That’s why she developed an interest in medicine, and she is the patron saint of those who practice the art of healing. She healed countless wounded in her life, sparking the faith in those who met her.’ Is this real?” He nodded, an amused expression decorating his face. He seemed entertained by your reaction. “It looks like a set up.”

“It’s weird that all the pieces fit together as we go, right?”, Sylvain agreed.

“If everything is so evident, why hasn’t anyone found out anything yet?”, you exclaimed exasperated.

“We’ve gone over that before,” he sat next to you on the bed. He crossed one of his legs and was careful not to touch you with any part of his body. After all, you were not the only one self-conscious about this meeting. He had been feeling vulnerable ever since he went all in with you – it was easy to recognise.

You wanted to tell him that it was okay to have physical contact and get close to you. And that you had similar feelings for him. But neither of you had said anything after his speech, and your conversations hadn’t got that way any other time. And now it seemed that you had lost your opportunity to give him an answer; it seemed forgotten and entombed.

“Yeah, yeah. Everyone has bigger problems. Except us, apparently”, you said ironically.

“I have plenty of problems”, he said with fake seriousness.

“Oh?”, you mocked him. “I’ve never noticed.”

“One of them is no one takes me seriously”, he smirked. You felt a pang of guilt on your stomach and averted your gaze towards the book. It was shameful to admit, but you had done it several times in the past. You didn’t know he resented it.

“I wanted to try something,” Sylvain said out loud, demanding your attention. He looked flushed, but you dismissed the thought.

That’s when you remembered his cryptic messages earlier.

Sylvain (13:25): I might have come up with a thing that can be useful 😊.

Sylvain (13:25): Come home whenever you want, I’ll be here.

He hadn’t texted you as regularly as he did during the previous days, thus when his icon popped up on the screen of your phone, your heart fluttered in your chest. Should you go right away? Should you wait? There were things unsaid between you, but you had been dying to spend time with your favourite redhead. You convinced yourself that curiosity was playing a big part in your decision, and not your own emotions, so immediately answered affirmatively to his proposition.

“Yes, you mentioned that before.” You looked at him in the eye. He was blushing, you had no doubts now. And it seemed that he was out of character, because who would have thought Sylvain would be ashamed at all flirting? “What’s wrong?”

“You might not like my methods,” he shrugged.

“Sylvain!” you sighed, annoyed. “We’re way past your mysterious phase! Just tell me!”

“No need to get mad, darling,” he laughed. Then, Sylvain coughed and recomposed himself. “I thought that maybe we could trigger memories so we can investigate them. Find a common pattern.”

“Okay.”

“What was the last thing you dreamt?” He inquired carefully. Sylvain knew that some dreams were… Unfavorable.

“That horrible nightmare where I bury an axe in your chest”, you said. It made you want to cry, just the mere mention of it. Such a brutal act, why would it have happened?

“Ah, yes. That one”, he made a disgusted gesture. “You could’ve picked a nicer one.”

“How are we going to trigger the memories?”, you questioned him.

“By touching,” Sylvain answered. You raised your eyebrows. “W-Wait, not in that way!”, he stuttered while waving his arms around, as if to clear the atmosphere. Hewas trying his best to correct his accidental innuendo. “We can hold our hands, or just bump our shoulders together? We don’t have to, of course, but–”

“Sylvain, relax. I don’t mind”, you took his hand in yours to downplay the issue. That warmth that had become familiar spread throughout your skin. “Besides, it’s a good idea. It’s worked before.”

“But it’s not working now,” Sylvain complained.

“What did you think that was going to happen? Fireworks and a narrated episode of the battle of Garreg Mach?” You mocked, while he simply smirked.

The situation made your heart fly. The light outside was fading, dying the room of orange and gold. Everything surrounding you belonged to Sylvain, and you were on his bed, holding his hand in yours. It was special. A great fluttery feeling was forming in your stomach, one that made you light in the head and giggly. You shifted your body around awkwardly, without changing your position, and his grip tightened.

You noticed the muscles in his arm flexing, and his palm becoming sweaty.

“It’s not working…”, Sylvain lamented again.

“Close your eyes. Let’s focus on that memory together,” you instructed, half hoping it would work, half hoping it would prevent him from releasing your hand.

You let your eyes close. Every sensation became sharper. His touch, his presence, his smell. Everything had a distinct scent, the detergent of his clothes, his cologne, his books. - ‘Put yourself together!’ you scolded yourself and tried to envision your memory instead of focusing on Sylvain.

The large field of Gronder; the confusion of bodies, some dead, some alive; the fresh blood; Sylvain’s horrid expression.

And, as if it was magic, it worked. You could vividly see it. The world surrounding you disappeared, and you were immersed in that moment lost in time.

The heat was suffocating, and so was the odour of burnt bodies and death. The podium where the archers had been trying to knock down the wyverns and pegasi had suddenly burned when the infantry had reached it. Many had died from all three parties: Dimitri’s, Edelgard’s and Claude’s. The flames were consuming everything on your left. Your arms stung out of tiredness, for you couldn’t even remember how long you had been there, fighting enemies.

Suddenly, you saw Sylvain. His horse was nowhere to be seen, and it saddened you. It was probably dead, too. A bad omen. You thought of the times he had insisted you rode with him, and the few times you accepted. Or when he stayed overtime to take care of the mount. You shook your head: he was now your enemy, and you had to kill him. Tears filled your eyes, and you voiced all the curses you could think of. How had everything turned into this? Where did it go wrong?

Sylvain was not aware that you were there. You traced his direction with your eyes. Was he escaping the fire? You hoped he was fleeing, but you knew him like the back of your hand. He had sworn loyalty to Dimitri and he wouldn’t leave him behind. Never. You looked far beyond.

When the realisation hit you, you started running.

He was heading towards Claude, who wasn’t riding his wyvern. Instead, he was supporting the infantry on the right flank with a sword and his bow. It was being effective in providing a much needed morale boost, but it wasn’t his brightest move. Damn him for not knowing how to keep himself safe.

Your gaze fell upon Byleth, who in this world had long hair, cuter clothes and was Jeralt’s daughter instead of his son. She had advanced more, leading the knights fighting the Adrestian forces, so she wasn’t going to save Claude, as she always did. Not this time, when she was risking her neck. You panicked, thinking about what disaster would happen if the heir to the Alliance, the only nation fighting actively against the Adrestian invasion, fell in battle.

You were almost there, axe in hand.

“Claude!”, you shouted. The Golden Deer leader realised Sylvain was about to stab him in the back, but dodged the hit just in time. Claude rolled on his side, while Sylvain’s lance got stuck in the ground.

You took advantage of this chance, arriving just a few seconds later, and with a swing of your weapon you broke the handle of his weapon in two. Moving with the momentum, your propelled the edge of the axe to Sylvain’s body. You contained your breath, wishing he would move away, that he’d escape. That you’d see him alive in the next battle, even if it meant going through another hell. Maybe you’d both survive, overcome your differences. But he didn’t move away. He stayed in place.

A lost arrow pierced your thigh. Even if you didn’t feel it at all thanks to the adrenaline pumping through your blood, it made you face reality.

Sylvain, disarmed, was on the other side of your weapon. You let go of the handle. It had cracked his armour, and his hot blood was flowing down. Sylvain fell to his knees, his face completely white.

“I’m sorry, Sylvain...” you said, as you fell backwards, unable to use your right leg due to the deep wound. He smiled but stayed completely still. Life was slowly escaping his body. You threw up on your side.

“Ignatz! Cover me!”, you heard Claude shouting. It seemed distant, while in reality he was too close. He was shouting your name, too, but your gaze was fixed on Sylvain. You couldn’t speak or move. Claude lifted you and placed you in his arms, carrying you somewhere safe. Sylvain was still alive, yet immobile. You couldn’t help thinking about him. Why was no one helping him? Is he going to die alone on the battlefield? Claude’s voice, assuring you that you were going to be alright, started to fade and his face was getting blurry…

“Are you okay!?” Sylvain was shaking your shoulder. You were laid down on his bed and he was above you.

“Yes”, you answered, eyes open wide. You got up, and you returned to the position you had been in before on Sylvain’s bed. “What happened?”

“You’ve been gone for 5 minutes. As in, eyes opened, not responding to anything. I was about to call an ambulance.” Sylvain inspected you closely, quite worried. You could sense his breath on your skin.

“I’m fine”, you whispered, still a bit disoriented and dizzy.

“Are you sure?”

You nodded.

“Sylvain,” you called his name, his hand still on your shoulder. “What happened after you killed me? Did you see that?” Why did you want to know?

“Ah, yes. Ferdinand killed me afterwards”, he groaned. “He was avenging your death…”

“Typical of him. I’ll make sure to thank him, though. It was very thoughtful,” you joked. “What about Claude? And Dimitri?”

“They were dead too. Fallen in combat,” he said with an unsure voice. “Edelgard was the one reigning after that, or so I’ve thought. It makes sense.”

“I recall professor Byleth there, behind me. He was fighting side by side with Edelgard. They must have won.” You agreed with a gesture. “What about when we married? Was Byleth there?”

“Yes. Next to Dimitri. I think they got married too. That time, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus got the victory.” He crossed his arms, but his leg was touching yours. “What are you implying?”

“I killed you to protect Claude”, you started. The redhead knitted his brows.

“We already know that,” Sylvain commented, annoyed.

“Why are you so irritated?” You got confused why he was hasty upon mentioning Claude, until a certain thought crossed your mind.

“No reason, just that the last thing I got to see was you in the arms of Claude.” He sighed. A smile found its way on your lips, an eyebrow raising.

“Are you jealous?” You teased him.

“Then, you got together with Claude after that. He commented something once about it,” Sylvain continued, ignoring your question. “Okay, keep going. What are you trying to say?”

“The war is between the three countries of the continent of Fódlan. And the respective leaders of each are, coincidentally, the leaders of each House at Garreg Mach – former monastery, currently a high school.” He nodded, prompting you to carry on. “When I killed you, Claude was the winner. The other countries fell and the Alliance took over. And Byleth was at his side. The same happened with Edelgard and Dimitri respectively, right? So that might indicate that Byleth is the deciding piece of the board. Depending on what side he-”, you remembered how Byleth had different appearances, “-He, she, or they pick, the events change and makes their side win the war and, ultimately, take control of Fódlan.”

“And how did that occur to you?”, he looked concerned. “It’s plausible. I’m not questioning you, but it’s quite twisted.”

“Because they are the only thing that actually changes in the war. Everything seems the same until Byleth arrives.”

“Well, you changed from Houses all the time,” Sylvain pointed out.

“Every time, to join Byleth’s class. Don’t you see it?” You tried to convince him.

“It seems logical to think that Byleth has something to do with it but we can’t be sure…”

“It’s a hunch, Sylvain,” you explained. “I’m sure we have to talk to Byleth. We will find something. This time, when I saw Byleth fighting, something clicked.”

Sylvain hugged you without a warning. He buried his head on the crook of your neck and enclosed you in his arms. Your hands rested against his chest, you trapped and unable to make a single move. The warmth surrounding you felt so warm, so comforting. Everything was going to be okay, Sylvain was there, and he won’t be gone this time.

“I’m scared that this will lead to a dead-end street. But… at last we’ve found a clue. I’ve been waiting for this forever…” He said with a strained tone. Sylvain’s voice was quiet. He didn’t want to let you go.

“It’s thanks to all your work, Sylvain. Everything you wrote was very useful…” You smiled, leaning into his embrace, almost melting. “You had noticed too Byleth was an important factor–”

“I’m just really happy you’re here with me. That you haven’t chosen Claude or Edelgard over me this time.” He chuckled, trying to shoo away the remainders of sadness. “Not gonna lie here, I’m extremely happy you didn’t choose Claude. That bastard.”

“Hey,” you reprimanded him. “Claude is nice. It’s not his fault we’re in this mess.”

“Well, he took you away from me once”, Sylvain said as he hugged you closer. “Have I told you that you married him?”

“What did you want me to do? You were dead!” You chuckled. It was weird to talk so lightly about it, but Sylvain became more comfortable the less relevant it felt. “This feels nice…”, you muttered, turning your face to kiss the top of his head. His red hair was soft, and it smelt of citrus. “So now we’re on hugging terms?”

“Yes”, Sylvain affirmed. “I might never let you go now that we crossed that line.”

“I wouldn’t mind…”

But a loud gasp resounded behind you. The tender moment that you wished would last forever was suddenly replaced with surprise.

“I’m so sorry Sylvain!” A voice shouted, someone that you identified as Dimitri. He closed the door with a slam.

Sylvain moved away, averting his eyes. His cheeks were blushing, and your own were warm too.

“I’m going to explain to Dimitri that we weren’t doing anything weird, okay?”, he scratched his head, again, and you recognised it as a gesture he made when he felt awkward. Little by little, you had been learning his non-verbal language. “I don’t want him traumatized for all his life.” You giggled.

“Does it make you nervous that Dimitri thinks we’re banging? He only saw us hugging,” You questioned daringly.

“Shut up”, he flashed his handsome smile. Flirting was an art he had mastered, and he felt confident with it. “And say that you’re staying for dinner, instead.”

“Not if you’re cooking instant noodles, Sylvain”, you narrowed your eyes. “That’s not a real dinner. You won’t trick me – I’ve seen all the packages in the cupboards.”

“First, we’re in college, and everything’s valid.” He stood up with a flourish. “Second, Dimitri had gone to the supermarket, so he’s the one cooking. It relaxes him.”

“Okay, he cooks real food. I’m staying then.”

“Perfect.” Sylvain winked, as he ran out of the room. His voice could be heard all over the apartment, and Dimitri was still stuttering. You smiled to yourself and took out your phone and opened the app to write an email.

[From: YOU - To: [email protected]]

Dear Professor Eisner,

I hope everything is fine.

Sylvain Jose Gautier and I are having a few questions regarding the bibliography of our project. We’d like to meet you next week to settle the matter and discuss some work.

Thank you very much.

“I’ve never skipped classes legally before”, commented Sylvain casually.

You two were navigating the corridors of the building where teachers had their offices. Everything was dull and generic, except for the occasional cabinets that displayed trophies and nameplates that students and professors had earned long ago.

“That’s why you were in detention all the time”, you reminded him.

“It was intentional. I wanted to strengthen my relationship with Seteth”, he said, laughing. You had to give in and laugh too, not only because he was actually funny, but because his humour was contagious. You couldn’t help but mirror it.

You eyed him from head to toe. Your companion was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt. He had a dark-grey, almost black blazer with rolled up sleeves on due to the chilliness in the air. His attire rang a bell.

“Why are you dressing like we did in the Monastery?” You wondered out loud to him.

“Because I’m pretty hot in black and white”, Sylvain chuckled in delight with a deep and sexy tone. He was right. You could outline with a glance his body, which was pretty well built. Of course, you did everything you could to deny it, so you put on your best deadpan face. “Okay, okay. I think it might make Byleth nervous.”

“Now that’s a joke,” you remarked. “Byleth barely showed any emotion during a war. Do you think it takes so little to irk him?”

“You might be right,” he conceded.

“Here!” You grabbed Sylvain’s sleeve, bringing him back after he walked past the correct door.

“The nameplate says Dr. Gloucester. Do you need your eyes checked?” Sylvain emphasized.

“Dr. Gloucester retired, and they gave his office to Byleth. He told us the first day! What were you doing?”

“Okay, okay,” he rolled his light brown eyes. “You knock.”

“What are you? Five?” You said while hitting the door with your knuckles.

“Come in,” Byleth’s voice came from the interior of the office.

You opened the door to see your professor encircled by lots of papers. No one can escape bureaucracy.

You stopped in the middle of the room. Right then, you felt an extraordinary sense of existence. As if all the years that had passed before your adventures with Sylvain were but a mere dream and your consciousness had come back to you a few weeks ago. You were sure that Byleth’s presence was having its own influence on you, now that you had regained a good number of your forgotten memories. There was a strange energy in the atmosphere.

Now that you considered it, this was just like that sweet time you spent at Garreg Mach Monastery. Wandering around to avoid boredom with Sylvain and finding much more than just entertainment, following Byleth around to ask all kinds of questions, spending the big seasonal events with your friends… That was what happiness looked like to you.

“You can take a seat,” Byleth said.

“Ah, yes, thank you.” You muttered. Sylvain was next to you in those uncomfortable iron chairs your university loved buying.

“What can I help you with?” He asked, ever so willing to help, yet enigmatic.

“Ah, we have a basic bibliography for the Crescent Moon War, but we’re lacking a few good articles in Loog’s biography”, Sylvain started, replaying the topics you had agreed on. “We don’t know if the authors are reliable.”

“I can take a look at those names”, Byleth smiled. “And I have a few books you could use.”

“That’d be great!”, you cheered with a fake façade. You had to admit, it was quite fun to play spies.

“They’re on that bookcase”, your professor pointed at the one right on your side. You stood up and started looking around.

“I had a question on Klaus I, that king of Faerghus, as well. What was the role he played in…”, Sylvain asked, so serious and well versed in the matter.

You disconnected from the conversation, turning to read the titles on the wall. You took a thick, blue book filled with dust, pretending it caught your interest. Then another black volume, with leather covers and golden letters. You kept investigating, about the Almyran invasion; the formation of the Academy of Garreg Mach, the base of your own high school; history of the Adrestian Empire… Nothing past the year 1000. It was quite suspicious.

You turned around, and Byleth was drawing a diagram for a focused Sylvain, who was all nods and questions. They couldn’t see you anymore, or at least it seemed so. Out of the corner of your eye, on the closest end of the professor’s large mahogany desk, you saw a bunch of letters. Discreetly, you looked up the sender. Curly letters with the address of Rhea were written there, right from the Cathedral.

You made sure Byleth’s vision was blocked by a stack of folders. With decision and a steady hand, you took the most recent one and hid it under your clothes. Desperate situations call for desperate measures, right? Besides, it wasn’t exactly stealing, and you had already made an excuse. ‘It got misplaced when I took the books you lent me, professor,’ you heard yourself say in your head.

“Is there anything else you need?” Byleth said, when his discussion with Sylvain was done. He clearly intended for you to leave, as it was getting late.

“No, we were going away now,” Sylvain confirmed, walking towards the door. You followed him. Yet you grew bold.

“Can I ask just one more thing?” You said to the professor right before exiting.

“Of course.” The man with the dark blue hair.

“I can’t seem to find how the Crescent Moon War influenced the later war of 1180,” you stated.

Byleth remained silent for a moment. His jaw tensed. Your heart pounded. Did you catch him?

“That’s because there wasn’t any war that year,” Byleth responded. His demeanour was calm and serious as ever. Had he been practicing?

“Oh, really?” You tried to sound candid, feigning surprise. “I’m really bad with dates! That must be it!”

“You might have confused a couple of battles with a war. The battle took place around that year, but there wasn’t any declaration of war made” Byleth declared with a tense smile.

“Sorry for the trouble!” You exclaimed at last, urging Sylvain to go out with your elbow.

You closed the door behind you, and walked fast to distance yourself from any of the offices.

“What was that?” Sylvain was shocked.

“Wait until we get out of here,” You begged.

Once you were on the common grounds of the student buildings, you stopped Sylvain. There was nobody around, as they were still in class. The ginger plopped himself on a bench.

“That was a good shot, but you were right”, he shrugged. “Byleth’s cold blood won’t make it easy. You were right, he’s special, I could feel a kind of connection… But we got nothing out of this…”

“I might have something”, you looked at him intently.

“On the books he gave you?”, he tilted his head. “Because I have revised all the library and –”

You took the opened letter out of your blouse. The silver details shone under the light.

“What the hell!”, Sylvain shouted. You shushed him, making desperate gestures with your arms to keep him from attracting any attention. You were paranoid, even though you were alone. Instead of any logical reaction, he had a fit of laughter.

“What?” You asked, irked.

“I thought you were physically incapable of anything remotely wrong in a moral sense!” He kept laughing, despite your attempts to quiet him down. “Why did you take it? Another hunch?”

“If you don’t get caught, you don’t get punished”, you said in a sarcastic tone.

“I knew it! You’re just as bad as me!” Sylvain was delighted.

“I might be,” You admitted because, well, he was right. Stealing the mail was a serious crime. But you took a small comfort in the pride and surprise Sylvain made you feel. You were no longer your dull, old self, that went on with the flow of events. No, you had a goal – multiple goals, in fact – and you were going to be an active participant in your life.

In that moment you wanted to kiss Sylvain again. But you had other priorities.

“Are we going to read this or not?” You dared him.

“Don’t ask me twice.”

#sylvain x reader #sylvain jose gautier #sylvain jose gautier x reader #fe3h fanfiction #fe3h fanfic #sylvain gautier #fire emblem three houses fanfiction

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patheticphallacy · 4 years

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This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series.

I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I’d be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don’t find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month. I want to spend more time actually talking about what I read, especially graphic fiction/non-fiction, which I get through so much of that I feel like I don’t spend enough time explaining my thoughts.

If you would like longer reviews of anything I talk about in this post, let me know. I have some P L A N S for Christmas blogging to make up for what will be a smaller November upload month.

#1 is my first wrap up after my September wrap up, if you want to see what else I’ve read.

Assassination Classroom Volume 5 by Yusei Matsui

I’m very fond of this series, and the growth of its characters. The prioritisation of developing the students and their self esteem is so incredible: rather than beating his students down, Korosensei works them towards improvement, and it’s interesting seeing so many layers of characters who aren’t strictly good or evil. This volume has the end of the baseball arc, a fight against the new PE teacher, and the next arc is another assassination attempt on Korosensei, which is exciting.

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

I’ve been reading this webcomic since 2016, so finally being able to pick up this volume now I have money has been a long time coming. I hold every character deep in my heart and I know pretty much every chapter/episode like the back of my hand, so reading this was more like revisiting an old friend than something new. I HIIIIGHLY recommend this webcomic, and I will only discuss it with you if you also rate it 5 stars and love it unconditionally!

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by the McElroy’s (especially Clint) and Carey Pietsch

This is my favourite arc in the podcast, so I was expecting to love it more than I did. It feels like some of the humour isn’t translated as well over to these graphic novels, but I think changes made are important to fit the format. I think this works well for people who are fans of the podcast, but I’d definitely recommend the podcast first for other people, just to understand the characterisation and the D&D self-inserts Griffin has. But I will say…. Angus McDonald is still my baby boy and I love him.

Momo to Manji Volume 1 and 2 by Sawa Sakura

A very heavy series, while still being cute. Momo to Manji is set during the Edo Period and follows a male prostitute who is taken in by another man after growing too old to still serve. It has confusing moments, and has very dark material– some violence, obviously prostitution, as well as incest and very young characters having sex with adults– but the relationship between the two main characters is very endearing, and I really grew to care about Momo especially.

Welcome to Wanderland #4 by Jackie Ball (not pictured)

Finally got to read issue 4! A very quick and fantastical series, and I think the new artist did a great job helping finish up a series that was very dear to the hearts of the writer and the original artist. I was satisfied with this conclusion and I think I’ll end up re-reading it, maybe next year, just to experience the full story in all its glory.

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito

This is a solid 3 star collection. None of the stories really lingered with me other than Gentle Goodbye, which is now one of my favourite short stories. It’s a beautiful and incredibly moving story for me, even if that wasn’t Ito’s original intention when writing it as a horror story. There’s something to be said about generational horror and ghosts, and what family means to different individuals.

Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito

My new favourite Junji Ito manga! There’s a focus on body horror, as there always is, but this felt more… fun. Chizumi is a nightmare child, I think she’s so great and definitely up there with my favourite children in horror now. I know the ending will be hit or miss with other people, but it’s not like Uzumaki, where I waited 600 pages to be disappointed at the end.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Volume 1, 2 & 3 by Kore Yamazaki

A series I’m very much in the middle about. I’m enjoying the fantastical elements, but the setting and time period are so confusing to wrap my head around in terms of modernity. It very much reminds me of Lore Olympus in that regard, but that webcomic is more straightforward in explaining, so I just don’t know with this manga. There’s also something stopping me for completely loving the characters. I’m not a fan of age-gap romances that don’t spell out what’s going on: is this romantic, or is it purely platonic? If I don’t know where I’m supposed to stand, I can’t feel at ease reading it.

The Avant-Guards #7 & #8 by Carly Usdin

This series is so good! Great cast of characters who are believable in their love for one another and their basketball playing. There’s a genuine wholesomeness to this series that really reminds me of Check, Please! and Haikyuu!!. What is it with sports stories and exclamation marks? Anyway, I highly recommend this series, I’m glad it’s been longer running than Usdin’s other stories. Also, did you see the Heavy Vinyl graphic novel announcement? SICK.

Lovely Complex Volume 2 by Aya Nakahara

This series is getting better by volume. It definitely draws on cliches and tropes of the genre, but I really enjoy that, and I’m still attached to the characters and the slow burn complexity of the feelings between the two leads. It’s easy reading where the conflicts never linger and isn’t at all difficult to get through, which is definitely something I need more of in my reading.

Parasyte Volume 1 by Hitoshi Iwaaki

Meh. For some reason, I was really expecting to love this– a dude learning to live with a parasite who controls his arm is a great premise– but there was something about the writing that stopped me from feeling compelled. I can’t really feel any risk, and that’s something I like in my horror. The body horror is also not too great, which was one of the selling points for me. Sad! Not sure if I’ll carry on with this series, honestly.

Out of Skin by Emily Carroll

Another freaky short story from Emily Carroll, who honestly does no wrong in my eyes. Amazing art– character design, colour palette, all of it, amazing– and the eerie story at its heart. I love Emily Carroll’s focus on more feminine voices and stories, it never feels exploitative of women and draws on violence towards women without feeling nasty or targeted.

Teen Dog by Jake Lawrence

The ULTIMATE graphic novel. Literally, one of my all time favourites. It’s the perfect balance of silly and existential, and I genuinely love every moment of reading this. It was my second read through and I just smiled the whole time.

Are you a fan of this new recapping format? I found it a lot more easy to only talk about manga/comics/graphic novels, and doing this means I don’t put myself under pressure to get wrap ups out at the same time every month and have about 40 things to get through in one go!

I’d love some recommendations in the comments.

If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi.

Goodreads|Twitter|Instagram|Letterboxd

Graphic Reading Wrap Up #1 This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series. I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I'd be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don't find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month.

#blog #blogging #comic books #graphic novels #manga #reading #reading wrap up

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constructionaccounting · 4 years

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0357: Annual Tax Return Pointers For Construction Contractors

This Podcast Is Episode Number 0357, And It's About Annual Tax Return Pointers For Construction Contractors

Preparing for tax season is a year-round endeavor. Well-organized small businesses are better positioned to minimize their tax bill while avoiding penalties associated with missing or inaccurate information.

Tip number one for construction company owners is to update financials every month, using a streamlined software or cloud-based system. This way, come tax time, everything you need is all in one place.

Second - The Profit And Loss Balance Sheet is what Tax Accountants use.

The numbers on these reports offer a summary snapshot of your business. They are referred to and reviewed over and over by banks and others.

Below is a copy of the "Schedule C” it is the standardized format from the Internal Revenue Service.

Besides the bottom number, what does it tell you? I suspect minimal information. Why? Because the Internal Revenue Service has rules/regulations/restrictions about their forms and as much as they want to cram in more detail. How many pages? What font size? The form becomes the "Bigger Bucket" theory.

The "Bigger Bucket Theory" is where data input installs as many transactions as possible into a single line. For example, income can be all of the deposits from bank statements, which may have come from a single z-tape each day. Or Utilities, Office supplies, Marketing, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) are classified as "Expenses." As the business owner, you may want to know more specific information about your costs and your income to make intelligent decisions.

The annual business tax return doesn't need to know which client is profitable – it's all income, it doesn't need to know the details about Costs of Goods Sold – it's all material (or just an expense). It is not relevant to the tax accountant. Remember, it's the "Big Bucket" theory. Of course – most tax returns have gotten longer and longer saying the same thing over and over again.

If your construction company files annual tax return as Sub-Chapter S, you know that most of the numbers transfer over to your personal return, and the numbers repeat again.

We have all heard "Garbage In" and "Garbage Out." It is becoming more common to do the bookkeeping "fast"; after all, it should only take about 10 minutes a day. One shortcut is downloading transactions directly from the bank.

Tax Accountants Typically set up QuickBooks Chart of Accounts to map directly into their tax software, which makes it easy to download from the bank "Big Bucket" theory again.

What is the purpose of your accounting system? To help you run your business more efficiently or file your taxes? Neither choice is good or bad as long as you have made a choice and understand the outcome.

Like most people, I go to my bank website often, and one of the things I have discovered is that all banks appear to treat each transaction uniquely. How do you get money out of your checking account?

Do you write a paper check that is manually presented to the bank?

Do you write a paper check that is electronically presented to the bank?

Do you use your bank's online bill pay that mails out a paper check you can present to the bank?

Does your bank's online bill pay – use EFT to transfer your funds to the vendor?

Do you pay online using another bill pay service?

Do you pay online by going directly to your vendor's website?

Do you pay online using pay pal bank?

From the bank's transaction report, it looks straightforward. When the actual bank statement comes, the transactions can look differently. Bank breaks transactions into Checks / Debit / ACH / EFT – Vendors may have a different name on the account that accepts each of these types of transactions.

Downloading transactions from your bank can be an excellent time-saver if all goes well. I have heard stories of tax accountants without permission from their clients (they know everything they need to know to file your taxes), downloading a whole bunch of transactions into QuickBooks without correctly mapping them.

Construction companies have very complex Work In Progress (WIP), Job Costing and Job Profitability Reporting, and Other QuickBooks Reporting needs, which means some transactions must be coded to Items and some to Accounts for the reports to be accurate.

When in doubt, many times, the Bad Bookkeeper or whoever is doing the bookkeeping will send the transaction to the owner's draw, personal expenses, or some other wrong place.

This is because too often, the business owner sees all accounting costs as "Overhead and a Waste Of Money," and they want the "Cheapest Option Possible," and the "tax accountant is the only one who needs the information anyway" so why not let them do it.

We know several Tax Accountants that are a real pleasure to work with because they do not try to do bookkeeping in the off-season of tax preparation. They like clean and tidy QuickBooks - with reports and balances that make it is easy for them to review the Profit and Loss (P&L) and Balance Sheet, consider their client's entire financial picture, make decisions as needed and complete the annual tax return. And yes, a good tax accountant takes more than 15 minutes to complete their client's business return.

We recommend a Tax Accountant to complete your annual tax return for several reasons:

They are a fresh set of eyes reviewing your QuickBooks and your business as a whole.

They are an important part of your Board of Advisors.

It makes it easier to get bank loans because the bank knows you have more than one person in your accounting.

We have used Tax Accountants for our business and personal annual returns for over thirty years.

Here are three more ways to take the stress out of tax time and get the most out of your return:

Know your credits and deductions

Small businesses typically benefit from a wide range of tax credits. From special allowances for research and development to programs that supplement wages for student employees and apprentices, knowing which credits apply to your business can save you a bundle on taxes.

It's also essential for SMBs to be savvy about deductions. After all, you want to keep as much of your hard-earned revenue as possible. Often-overlooked items you may be able to deduct include:

Seminars, classes or conventions you attended to improve your professional skills;

Unused inventory that you've donated to charity (a good reason to consider donating your overstock, rather than paying for storage); and

Capital assets, such as office furniture, computers, and equipment.

Speak to your accountant about the full range of available deductions you can plan for each tax year.

Be careful about what you claim

If you run your business out of your home, you may be able to claim a portion of expenditures like utilities, insurance, property tax, and rent. But you'll need to keep good records, and all your receipts, to justify why you've allocated business costs to your home office.

The same goes for home office computers and mobile phone expenses. Tax authorities will want to see how you've separated the personal and professional use of these assets when you claim them as work expenses.

Want to claim drive-time as a work expense? Ensure you submit a log of your business-related mileage, so you can demonstrate how your vehicle was used for professional purposes.

Don't miss the deadline

This should go without saying, but every year construction business owners are hit with severe penalties for filing taxes late. Missing the deadline can have a range of negative repercussions, including:

Added interest to amounts owing, plus a late payment penalty;

Losing your claim to a refund;

Loss of credits toward retirement or disability benefits; and

Delay of loan approvals (lenders require a copy of your filed tax return to process your application).

Final thoughts

Always seek a professional's advice. Current technology has made it easier than ever for small business owners to file for themselves, but when it comes to thoroughness and accuracy, nothing can replace the expert advice of an accountant.

Consult a professional well in advance, to ensure you're getting the most out of your tax return, and that your documentation is complete. On the bright side, accounting fees are often tax-deductible!

P.S.

With networking and building connections in mind, we are excited and honored that Randal is nominated for the 2020 Small Business Person Of The Year award in our city. If you are on Alignable, I would appreciate it if you can connect with us and "like" our recommendation.

Screenshot of Alignable nomination

About The Author:

Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood, Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. Call 1-800-361-1770 or [email protected]

Check out this episode about Contractors Marketing - Accounting - Production (M.A.P.)!

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