Hoshikuzu Telepath - Tumblr Posts

Foreheadpathy = Gal Pals

Happy birthday Umika-chan from HoshiTele anime! 🎂🥳

meaning to reblog this but i absolutely adore this hoshitele cat au that op's been drawing it's so cute

After a bunch of months, I'm posting my art here again. Hoshikuzu Telepath, Raimon and Haruno-inspired cats! More info under the read more:

They're inspired by them, but they'll still be called those names even though they're not one-to-one. White bg intentional!

The idea is their personalities are the same but the setting/details are different bc I decided to go all the way. For example, (this) Raimon-cat is an actual stray cat who does everything on her own. Part of her ear is torn (from fights), she hunts, and she's MORE violent/wild.

I get to make stuff up as I please, so Haruno-cat is a house cat who basically comes across an injured (bleeding to death) Raimon and takes care of her (where she lives in a cozy home with her owner). Raimon doesn't care for house cats but she's forced to stay as she recovers.

That's the setting and it's one of those "tough one softens up after being shown kindness for the first time" stories. The story is about their daily life and interactions as Raimon recovers from her injuries. Backstory and personalities are revealed and they fall in love

It's fanfiction-tier but it's fun. I'm gonna draw all this in my sketchbook now but I might digitalize it or share pictures if I keep going with it xD I just wanted to draw them with their base colors though. Even I don't know what the inside of the house should look like

I'll brush up on cat anatomy more, but anyway

Other details: Haruno's collar doesn't have a tag because it's on the inside/behind the front. So the idea is you lift it and see name/details/etc. on the inside of it. There are no accessories; all stripes/etc are markings

(NOT SPOILERS, UNADAPTED FROM EP1)

so i'm doing a readthrough of the stardust telepath manga in the discord, and we're reading through ch3, it's the part where umika visits the lighthouse for the first time

anyway yuu switches on the lighthouse beam by accident, and instead of umika stammering in squeaks as usual, she instead does this:

it's so out of left field but i love it so much. just the idea of timid and shy and soft-spoken umika screaming MOTHERFUCKER in shock will never not be funny

i could write a full length trilogy on why yuu and kita meeting would be such a bad idea

I just started Stardust Telepath and I absolutely need to see these two try to attempt a conversation

ohhhhhh you aint seen NOTHING yet, you might wanna get the tissue box and a scream pillow for later episodes

so i'm watching stardust telepath currently and i think i'll never be normal about this scene

"I'll upload to AO3 on request"

I have a request for you

Anyway, AMAZING opening story! I really love the way you characterised the two, especially Raimon-cat. The whole near-death scene was done really nicely. Only some small little nitpicks from me, mostly regarding epithets and paragraphs, but nothing that detracts or devalues the story in any way, shape, or form.

Super well written, and a joy to read. Cannot wait to see more cats!!!

Domestic Stray (Hoshitele Cat AU)

TITLE: Domestic Stray 

Ship: Cat!Haruno x Cat!Matataki

Word count: 3188 words

A/N: Finally putting words down in a document to try to bring the Hoshitele cat AU to life! Just to quickly set expectations, what I’ve written will focus mainly on Haruno and Matataki, as cats! However, do note that these cats are INSPIRED by Haruno and Matataki and thus will not be completely the same. I’ll try to make them as in-character as I can while trying to connect stuff with the source material, but this is a cat alternate universe, so keep that in mind before you engage with this (100% self-indulgent, made for fun) work. 

Just in case, TW for blood in this first scene lol but we’re mainly a cute slice-of-life/lowkey love story (on the slow side), and I would never have them harm each other, so rest assured. xD 

While writing this, I debated whether I should have honorifics (like -chan) or not, and I think I won’t. Since this is an AU, this is one of those things I won’t have because Haruno’s the only one who’s gonna be using them anyway. xD 

If you’re ok with all that… Hope you enjoy! 

I knew I shouldn’t’ve trusted them. 

That was the thought a certain light brick red-colored cat had as she forced herself to put one paw in front of the other, despite her entire body screaming at her to stop. With each painful step, a decent amount of blood would pool on the ground beneath her, forcing her to keep going unless she wanted to leave behind an even more obvious trail to where she was. 

If I actually die from this, I’ll be so pissed off, she thought bitterly, biting back a hiss as she accidentally stepped on a small, pointed rock. Normally she wouldn’t make such an amateur-ish mistake, but it was kind of hard to see with her vision going in and out, and the blood pouring into one eye from the gash on her forehead didn’t help. 

Quickly. She had to find somewhere to hide quickly just in case those other cats (who she’d given a good beating to, thank you very much) decided to come back for more. With how much blood she’d lost, she knew she didn’t have much time left before she straight-up passed out, but if she could find a place to rest for just a little while, then there was still hope for her yet. 

House cats didn’t like it when anyone intruded on their turf, but house cats were also soft and typically unused to combat; she was pretty sure she could take one. And if she chose the right spot, then she wouldn’t have to encounter a dog, a human, or a cat! 

The scent of blood might be strong, but the smell of everything else in the neighborhood would be even stronger. 

Taking a deep breath, the light reddish-brown cat forced herself to keep going, letting her nose guide her. She couldn’t be too picky, lest she risk collapsing while still out in the open, so she chose quickly.

Small gap under the fence she could squeeze through? Check. 

No strong scent of humans or cats in this area? Check. 

Long row of bushes that would effectively hide her and help mask her scent? Check.

By now, her wounds had stopped bleeding as much, so there wouldn’t be the equivalent of a giant bloody arrow pointing to where she was. This was perfect. 

The light brick red-colored cat collapsed on the spot, shutting her eyes tight with a grimace as another wave of pain went through her from the impact. 

That’s it, she thought firmly as she felt her consciousness rapidly slip away. If I survive this, I’m not trusting anyone ever again. 

–

Birds were chirping. And although her eyes were closed, she could tell that the light of the sun was shining on her face. Which means…

I’m alive? Matataki thought, as her eyes snapped open. It took a second for her vision to adjust, but instead of seeing the green of grass or the dark green of the bushes she’d taken shelter behind, what she saw was… A wall? 

Huh? 

Her heart sped up as the almost-too-familiar feeling of dread started to creep in. Without moving her body, she scanned everything she could see in front of her first: a wall, and above it, a windowsill, and on top of that…. A cat! 

Matataki felt her hackles rise, but she didn’t make any sudden movements just yet. The other cat was currently facing away from her, looking out the window, and it looked like they hadn’t noticed her yet. If Matataki was careful, maybe she’d be able to get away while the other cat was still distracted. After all, if there was a cat here, then maybe there was a cat door?

Very, very slowly, the reddish-brown cat tried standing up, but it was no use. Her legs immediately gave way, but instead of landing on the hard floor, she landed on a soft cat bed, which she just now realized she had been on top of. The sound had been muffled, but the other cat had been so close. There was no way they wouldn’t have noticed, Matataki thought.

Sure enough, the other cat, who was a lovely vanilla yellow color, turned around. Her eyes, which were a more saturated yellow, at first looked surprised, before they shifted into something else. 

“You’re awake!” she exclaimed, and her voice sounded kind of… relieved? 

“Who are you?” Matataki asked, eyes narrowed. And what do you want from me? she thought, but she decided to ask one question at a time. 

“Don’t you remember me?” the yellow cat asked, and Matataki took a moment to study her in more detail. 

Horizontal black stripe on the top of her head that followed the shape of her head but ended at her ears. Perpendicular to that stripe was a vertical stripe that went down the back of the cat’s back and flowed into a black tail, which Matataki had seen before she’d turned around. And finally… The thing that set a wild cat like herself apart from a house cat: the black strip of fabric tied around the cat’s neck, which ended at a neat bow behind the cat’s neck.  

“Nope. Not ringing any bells,” Matataki said bluntly, with a deep frown. If this cat was trying to pretend they knew each other in order to get on her good side– 

“I’m Haruno,” the blonde cat said warmly, seemingly unbothered by Matataki’s cold reply. “I guess it has been a really long time since we last spoke to each other,” she added in a lower tone, as if speaking to herself. To Matataki, she continued: “I say hi to you sometimes when you pass by. We’ve never had a proper conversation or anything before, but, well. It’s nice to meet you! I’ve always wanted to get along.” 

Unfortunately for Haruno, the brick-colored cat had stopped listening to her after ‘I say hi to you sometimes when you pass by.’ Instead, those words had caused Matataki to dive deep into her memory to try to figure out if she remembered anything like that. In general, Matataki didn’t speak to house cats, so it was 100% likely she had never spared the golden-colored cat a reply. But when it came to friendly house cats and the cats that lived in this neighborhood… Maybe something like that happened? 

“Matataki?” 

Matataki snapped out of her thoughts and almost glared at Haruno. “How do you know my name?” she asked, not bothering to hide her wariness. 

Haruno blinked, obviously surprised once again. “You don’t know?” she asked. This time Matataki did glare at her, so she hastily explained: “I thought you would already know this, but you’re kind of famous around here. Like, from all of the things you know and can do. I heard you’re really good at using tools! And apparently there’s no place that can keep you out if you’ve decided you want in.” 

Haruno wasn’t even bothering to hide the admiration in her tone as she praised her, and Matataki couldn’t help but feel awkward from suddenly being showered with compliments. Being famous or whatever isn’t a good thing, she thought darkly as she remembered what had happened to her. They only keep you around to use you and then try to get rid of you so they don’t have to honor their end of the deal. 

“Whatever they say about me, I don’t care,” Matataki said, her tone harsh. “What do you…” She paused as she glanced down at herself, finally noticing and registering the bandages on her body. “...did you do this?” 

“Nope! Not me! My human did,” came the reply, which sounded happy and proud. “I’m glad I found you as quickly as I did, because it looked really bad–”

“Wait,” Matataki cut in. “What happened? What human?” she asked, her blood having run cold. Was that human still around now?

“My owner. My caretaker,” Haruno answered. “Who’s usually out of the house, by the way, so you don’t have to worry about meeting them if you don’t want to.” The vanilla-colored cat had read the panic and look of displeasure on Matataki’s face and directly addressed it. “As for your question about what happened, well… You were kinda out for three whole days. I was wondering when you’d wake up, but your breathing was normal, at least, so I knew you would eventually. Anyway, I’m really glad you’re alright! You really gave me a heart attack out there…”

Once again, Matataki was drowning the rest of her words out in favor of focusing on what the other cat had just revealed. Three whole days, and she’d been patched up by a human? It was good she wouldn’t have to interact with it, but… Ugh… If she had to live with a human, then maybe it would’ve been better if she hadn’t been saved.

Pushing that thought out of her head, the light red-brown-colored cat tried to stand up again. She managed to succeed for a couple of seconds, but her legs were shaking too much, so she eventually opted to sit. 

Okay. She was way too weak to leave, and even if she did leave, she might not last for long, especially if those cats were still out to get her. 

“Okay, house cat.” 

“It’s Haruno.” 

“Yeah, that.” Whatever, she almost added, but she decided being snarky to someone she was at the mercy of probably wasn’t the best idea. “I assume there’s probably a reason why you brought me in here, so just tell me your terms. You house cats– er… House cats like you are usually more pacifistic, and I can at least pay you back for helping me.” Even though I didn’t ask you to. “So just tell me what you want, and we can settle this peacefully, without any issues.” As long as it doesn’t involve any humans. 

Matataki was met with a blank stare before Haruno’s eyes widened in surprise yet again. Looks like Haruno was as unused to dealing with her as Matataki was with house cats in general, who she tended to ignore altogether.

“Terms?” the blonde cat asked. She immediately shook her head. “Nonono, you don’t need to pay me back or anything! I didn’t try to save you with an ulterior motive or anything.” 

During their whole conversation, Haruno had been sitting on the windowsill and Matataki had been either sitting or lying on the cat bed. Now, Haruno chose to jump down from the windowsill so that they were more or less on the same ground. With them sitting in front of each other, it was clear Haruno was more than a little bit bigger than the injured cat, which made Matataki frown.

“I didn’t help you because I wanted something from you,” Haruno repeated, flicking her black tail. “When I see someone in trouble, I just want to help them. I couldn’t just leave you like that,” she said, her eyes softening. 

The yellow cat’s eyes were a bit too earnest, so Matataki found herself immediately looking away from them. It didn’t matter what others said. The only thing that mattered was how they actually acted in the end. 

“Anyway–” the stray cat said, trying to continue to negotiate her exit, but she was interrupted by the sound of her stomach loudly growling. Before she could react, Haruno was already on her paws again, her golden eyes sparkling. 

“How inconsiderate of me!” the house cat exclaimed, yet she looked excited for some reason. “I have no idea when your last meal was, but you haven’t eaten for at least three days! You must be famished!” 

Matataki opened her mouth to deny it, but after a second, she seemed to reconsider and closed it. There was no point trying to avoid looking weak in front of this cat. She had been too weak to stand properly, for goodness’ sake. 

Haruno seemed pleased with this silent agreement, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. “I’ll be right back!” she announced, darting off. As Matataki watched her black tail disappear out of view behind a wall, she couldn’t help but silently agree that Haruno seemed to really like taking care of others. 

I’m not trusting anyone ever again. The very last thought that she’d had before passing out came back to her again, and she internally patted herself on the back for remembering what she’d decided on. No matter how nice someone acted, they showed their true colors eventually– especially when it was no longer useful to act nice. 

Everyone is selfish, after all. In the end, the only one you can trust is yourself. 

It took barely thirty seconds before Haruno was back. In her mouth was a bowl, which she proudly placed in front of Matataki and pushed towards her. 

“Since you’re a patient here, we provide only the highest quality care,” Haruno said cheerfully in almost a faux-professional voice. “This is my favorite! Wet food! I know wild cats hunt and all, but I bet you’ve never tasted chicken before! Go on! Try it!”

Matataki looked at the contents of the bowl suspiciously. Brown mashed “stuff” mushed together with pale light chunks mixed in and strange yellow-ish liquid coating everything and oozing out the bottom. She didn’t know how cats would be able to get their paws on poison, but she couldn’t rule the idea out. 

“You eat it,” she demanded. Even if she was hungry, maybe she could still find something else. 

“But it’s for you,” Haruno said, looking disappointed that her offer had been rejected. She seemed to look up in thought before finally nodding. “Oh, I get it! You probably haven’t eaten anything like this before, so you want me to taste-test it for you to show you it’s safe. Sure! It’s really yummy, so I’ll take a couple of bites. But I really want you to try it too! Is that okay?”

“No promises.” 

Haruno seemed to think this answer was good enough, so as promised, she took a couple of bites of the wet food. Matataki watched as she licked the rest of it off her muzzle and then sat back with a satisfied expression, looking at the slightly smaller cat expectantly. 

Well. No cat would be crazy enough to consume poison in front of her, so after maintaining Haruno’s stare for a moment, Matataki finally gave in and decided to try it. 

It… was better than anything she’d ever tasted. Cooked food was much better than raw food, and the stray cat didn’t often get the chance to eat it for obvious reasons. Either she was really hungry or she couldn’t get enough because the food was gone before she knew it… 

When she looked up, Haruno was giving her a really kind smile, which really made her fur stand on end. It felt like she’d lost somehow… Matataki was a stray cat! A wild cat at heart! And she would not be won over by house cat luxuries, even if they tasted better than her usual. 

“You– you don’t have to watch me while I eat! I’m not gonna waste it!” the light red brick-colored cat snapped, mostly to hide her growing embarrassment. 

“Hehe, sorry,” Haruno said with a giggle, but she looked more amused rather than apologetic. Matataki didn’t know how to react to someone reacting to her like that. As if to throw the injured cat a lifeline, however, Haruno changed the subject. “It’s not good to eat too much, so that’ll be it for now. The automatic cat feeder gives you the exact amount you need at the exact time you should have it. Convenient, right?” 

She paused, as if she remembered something. “Water!” she exclaimed, her tail standing straight up. “I’ll get you some water! And I’ll make sure not to spill it!” 

As if this was going to turn into a thing now, Haruno dashed off. This time, she took a little longer to return, but as promised, she carefully offered the other cat a bowl of water. Matataki hadn’t even gotten a word in before the yellow cat had decided to act on her own, and once more, she eyed the bowl before doing anything else. She considered refusing since she’d already been offered a handout earlier, but one glance at the taller cat reminded her that she should probably stay in her good graces, so she gave the water a cursory lick or two before moving back again. 

“Okay!” With that word, Haruno curled her tail into a hook shape and circled Matataki as if she was examining a shiny new toy. In reality, she was just making sure the bandaged cat was in good condition and not in need of anything else. The smaller cat narrowed her eyes and regarded her uneasily as she did this, and Haruno took the hint and stopped. 

“Can I get you anything?” the house cat asked, and Matataki shook her head. 

The only thing Matataki wanted was to get out of here, but in her current condition, that was a horrible idea, so she was slowly accepting that she would be stuck here for a little while. But she probably couldn’t have been stuck with someone even friendlier or more helpful than Haruno, so at least it wasn’t worse. 

“What are you expecting from me?” she finally asked, unable to articulate sentences like Is it fine if I stay and I can’t leave right now so I’m stuck here. The latter statement would reveal too much information (and vulnerability) to a cat who had the advantage over her, even if it was only a house cat. 

“Nothing,” Haruno answered easily, with a smile. “I just want you to recover and get better! So you need lots of rest, you shouldn’t overwork yourself, and if you ever need anything, you can just ask me!” She curled her tail over her paws, her eyes sparkling beautifully like yellow topaz gemstones. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. You’re my guest.” 

Matataki almost let out a sigh of relief, but it just came out as a slow exhale. In her entire life, she’d never been treated with as much grace and hospitality as this. It made the skin under her fur crawl because she knew it would all fall apart eventually– it inevitably did, when it came to her relationships (or lack thereof) with other cats. 

“...thank you,” she finally said. Even though she was incredibly out of her element and expecting the worst, it still felt like an important weight had been taken off her shoulders. She would do her best to avoid the human, but since she wasn’t being left outside to fend for herself in her weakened state, it was still much better than nothing. She just hoped Haruno wouldn’t force her to get along with her human, even if that human had possibly saved her life. 

She didn’t say anything else though. She just looked at the other cat, and Haruno was wearing the brightest smile she’d had all day. 

“You’re welcome! Let’s get along from now on!” 

END 

A/N: Ok that was much longer than I expected and I kinda started writing at like 10:36 PM and now it’s 2:46 AM. So that took me like… about 4 hours to write! But it was really fun to me! :D I really wanted to write something for them and now I’m glad and happy I finally did it! c: 

Yes, if you’re wondering, I did look up cat facts whenever I needed them. I also looked up stuff about blood loss. I’m thinking Matataki stays with Haruno for like a month, at the very least? And any other stories will be about them doing various activities or bonding. 

I didn’t think I’d make the intro as long as it is (actually, I was planning to make it like maybe a 3-sentence scene or preview and go straight into the waking up scene, but it has important details I might like to reference later so you know what? Yeah, I’ll keep it like that.) 

I’m a Warrior cats kid so I’m totally used to all the cat descriptions and stuff (paws, tail, muzzle, lol) but it might be weird for a non-cat person, I think. xD Anyway, I’ll upload this to AO3 on request but since this is just a niche thing for now, I’ll keep it on this blog only. This won’t be the last time I write about them, I think, ‘cuz I like this AU a lot, but hopefully I did a good job capturing their characters! I don’t want Matataki to be too mean or Haruno to be too hyperactive/helpful or anything, but this is their first meeting and they’re drastically different, so their differences get exaggerated a bit. If anyone ever feels like giving me feedback, I’m totally open to it! Anyhow, I love cats. How did you know? xD

i don't care what anyone says, yuu is wearing a wedding dress and nobody can stop me. they are getting married. they are having a space wedding. the end.

YEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LET HER BUILD A ROCKETTTTTT

I started this on December 19 and I wanted to finish coloring it one of these days and that day is today. I drew this up in response to someone on Twitter going, "What is the end game of Hoshitele? It can't be them actually building a rocket, right" and while I can't tell you for the life of me who said it (i forgor), I made this because I think the girls can and should build a rocket as the endgame of Hoshitele. xD Let them do it!!!! xD Plz get that far 🙏

HOLY SHIT YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

1400+ words of Umiyu kissing

the manga was one of the single craziest trips i've ever been on in any manga, and all of it happened for the 20 chapters after the anime. like, They Could Not Have Possibly Ended The Anime At A Worse Time

bad alien bad alien bad alien bad alien bad alien bad alien bad al

Stardust Telepath

YEEEESSSS HOLY SHIT SOMEONE ACTUALLY SUMMARISING THE MANGA I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS MANGA IT'S SO SO SO PEAAAAKKKK (spoilers under cut)

Lmao I read the entire post-anime section, including the Bad Alien arc, in one four-hour stream I did on the Hoshitele discord, and...man. I cannot stress enough how absolutely batshit INSANE the post-anime got. I think reading the whole Bad Alien arc in one sitting, going on no food or sleep, probably shook me up more but FUCK me if it wasn't a trip.

Everyone was hyping up Chapter 42/43, when Yuu had her psychotic slip, and of course without me knowing a thing. So obviously I got there and was at a complete loss for words. Like, I don't think I've EVER seen a CGDCT manga get that heavy. Especially since the Yuu of chapter 42 is so different to the Yuu of the anime. It's like looking at two different people. Seeing someone who's always presented as either funny and energetic or calm and soothing just slowly lose their mind, lashing out and becoming cold is. Actually Pretty Horrifying! As someone on Hoshitelecord once said, "if Matataki stops using 'fruit', shit's about to hit the fan".

I think that Umika's growth is quite amazing considering the person she was at the beginning. She went from blaming and shutting herself inside her room for a week after losing one tournament, to being unfazed by her closest friend (who's an OP alien with superpowers!) pinning her down and threatening her and then fucking DIGGING THROUGH A FOREST UNTIL HER HANDS WERE RAW JUST TO SAVE HER. Most people would have lost their sanity and she KEPT. FUCKING. GOING. I initially had my reservations about her being the leader of the Model Rocket Association, but that single act convinced me that despite her shortcomings she DESERVES to be called President.

(Oh, and also count the fact that she saved Matataki from drowning with zero hesitation. She just immediately grabbed her and pulled her out. This girl is AMAZING.)

I can rant about this manga for aaaaages but I'm just so glad that more and more people are coming to appreciate it, because it really is amazing. Super sad that the anime will never get a second season, because aough people are missing out on absolute peak.

(Yuumika and Harutaki for the win, by the way. They're so married.)

When I started Hoshikuzu Telepath, I expected a mediocre CGDCT and slight yuri undertones that started and ended at the forehead-elepathy.

DAMN was I wrong.

Warning: MAJOR spoilers. This is pretty much a summary occasionally mixed in with my thoughts.

In short, if you haven't read Hoshikuzu Telepath, you should read it. It's really fucking good.

In long:

First off, Umika is a believable anxious character. She doesn't just get sad or withdrawn, she'll cry if she gets too overwhelmed or worried. That isn't to say there aren't anxious people who just shut down, but it is nice to see a character who cries and is still presented as emotionally strong.

Because Umika is! So many stories present protagonists that supposedly get up after being knocked down, but there's never the impressions that they're knocked down, just pushed back. They don't cry, get frustrated, or react poorly, they just have an obstacle they need to get around and, while the progress they make feels satisfying, it never feels like they overcome the internal strife they supposedly have.

With Hoshikuzu Telepath, things actually get worse before they get better. There's almost always something stressing out one of the members of the main cast, because they're all girls with some level of trauma, but it doesn't become oppressive at any point.

To start, Matataki joining was pretty lighthearted. There were some rough spots, but it kind of felt inevitable she'd join. The subsequent competition, Umika's panic attack during her speech, and the listless air of defeat after the competition was not where I expected the story to go, but it was what got me hooked.

The heartfelt conversation between Umika and Yuu in the lighthouse... that was YURI! It also sets up the core of Umika and Yuu's relationship and it's connection to light. And, of course, the fact that while Umika thinks she's an absolute failure, other people at school think its awesome that she makes model rockets is great! Because, yeah, that's what all people in a field of expertise experience at some point, or at least what they deserve. You have experience and think you're terrible, but someone without experience thinks its cool.

To be honest, I think Matataki is my favorite character. I'm a sucker for mechanics, I'm a sucker for characters with a gay little fang, and I relate to a lot of her character. Her relationship with Haruno is great, especially when she realizes she can't blow the material down the rocket tube because that would mean an indirect kiss. And of course, Haruno coming in when she's brooding, yelling about how she's gonna beat her in a competition and make her lose, then taking her goggles... excellent.

Side note: I would not object if this managed to become poly yuri. The relationships between our four main characters are all well established and they aren't relegated to only having deep and intimate character moments with their narrative foil.

Matataki facing off against Haruno, Umika, and Yuu was great, and her losing on purpose so she could go back to being alone was an amazing character moment. And then Haruno calling that she used an engine too small? AGHHH! Matataki getting pissed off and trying to push everyone away again is great! She's not just someone who says some kinda mean things and doesn't ever mean them, she genuinely says this to hurt, not because she hates anyone, but because she distrusts them. And earlier, she made Umika cry with her words, which just makes Umika coming back and making a speech about wanting to make a place where all of them can pursue their dreams and be comfortable... it feels so genuine because we've SEEN her pursue this goal!

Umika getting sick from all this exertion is a bit contrived, but it leads to some good yuri, so I have no complaints. Also Umika's mom works at the aquarium. I wonder if we'll get the state-mandated aquarium yuri date? Umika's gay little dream about Yuu is cute, and her asking Yuu to not do forehead-elepathy with anyone else is not just adorable, but a portent of the drama to come, as Yuu immediately does whatever Umika wants due to her desperation for someone who cares for her. While it just looks like a cute, two-sided yuri crush at this point, we can tell it's sowing the seeds for something that could be seriously codependent looking back. Also, while forehead-elepathy is obviously a (debatably) platonic stand-in for kissing, it feels way gayer. This is also where Yuu starts becoming aware of her feelings for Umika.

And here is where I start going feral over the chapter taglines. "I must be the only one who noticed that our hands are touching," shows Yuu's love for Umika so clearly. Umika is thrilled to have a companion like Yuu, and while she's pretty gay about it, she does not realize the extent of her influence on Yuu. Yuu thinks that Umika is the only one who truly and wholly accepts her and thus is desperate to be exactly what Umika wants her to be. Yet she also doesn't think that Umika could reciprocate those feelings, and thus worries about how their relationship would progress. Thus, she thinks that she's the only one who notices their hands touching.

The lighthouse meeting here demonstrates this perfectly. Yuu is following a request Umika gave her while delirious from fever with immense discipline. Then, Yuu is thrilled when Umika gets better at talking to other people. Then she's terrified. Terrified of Umika drifting away from her, terrified that if Umika doesn't need her anymore, she won't want her.

Umika gets better at talking to people and gives her presentation at the club leader meeting pretty well and tells Yuu about it. Yuu tries to voice her worries, but ultimately is afraid that Umika will push her away and plays it off and tells Umika that she's not doing forehead-elepathy with anyone else because Umika asked her too. And Umika doesn't remember, she apologizes, and Yuu calls herself stupid for it.

And the ending tagline here is GRAHHH. "An arm's length is so frustratingly short." Yuu wants to keep herself away, because she's becoming worried. She wants Umika to get better, and if Yuu gets too obsessed with Umika, she might try to stop that.

Yuu thinks that it's fine if Umika doesn't get better at talking to other people, because Yuu will always be able to understand her. And she feels terrible, because she wants Umika to get better at talking to other people, so the only person she can blame is herself.

She gets worse, but lets take a diversion to look at Haruno and Matataki and their gay ol' times together. Haruno arriving to Matataki, ready to ride on her motorcycle in a skirt, only for Matataki to put her in jeans and a biker jacket is great, but the fact that they talk about it being to Matataki's "taste," is... GRAHHHHH!!!

Haruno pouring out her worries about herself, talking about how she's grown, and thanking Matataki for helping improve is adorable. Haruno leaning over the railing, losing her balance, and falling back into Matataki's arms is adorable. And then Haruno says "I love it when... you're so strong and kind, Matataki-chan!" She was about to confess, I guarantee you.

Then Matataki gives her a new choker??? And Haruno grins like an idiot when she gets it and asks if she fits Matataki's tastes more now??? And then when Haruno asks her for help finding out what her grandfather's dreams were, she says "I love you!" when Matataki agrees????? They're so girlfriends.

Anyways, they've got a radio to the aliens now that only works intermittently and Yuu is FUCKED UP. She is panicking, torn between elation at possibly meeting her people and fear at leaving Umika. When they go to the coordinates, in the woods, where they think the UFO is going to land eventually, it doesn't come immediately. Then night passes and Matataki and Haruno leave Umika and Yuu to it.

Umika is positive, as usual, but then Yuu starts getting worried about her possessiveness. And then it gets fuckin' wild. The 4koma template that's only been broken for big moments is broken again as Yuu pins Umika to the ground and covers her mouth and starts talking about how "Only you could tug at my heart like that..." Then she starts caressing Umika's hand and face and talking about how Umika doesn't need other people, about how Yuu can understand her just fine, about how they should "stay together... forever." Then Yuu is overwhelmed with guilt and says that she doesn't really want to do any of that and runs off terrified.

I was NOT FUCKING EXPECTING THIS. I did not anticipate the series would delve into an actual toxic lesbian relationship, but here we are!

And, of course, Umika doesn't give up. Her digging through the grounds with her bare hands because she thinks that what the coordinates marked was actually a piece of meteorite that could restore the function of the radio... she really does love Yuu.

I'm getting a bit tired, so I won't go into their reconciliation, but it's nice seeing Umika realize her feelings for Yuu. And the fact that they both realize and say, in front of Haruno and Matataki, that they feel jealousy over each other in a way different than from friendship... c'monnnnn canon lesbians lets go, canon lesbians.

Also Matataki is getting interested in the Cosmic language (which is Esperanto! Pretty nice.) and I'm betting she's going to confess to Haruno in it so she can admit to herself that she's in love and then pass it off as an insult when Haruno asks what she said. Of course, this is going to be followed by Haruno saying it to Umika or Yuu, who will tell her what it actually means. Investing in this now.

The series does seem to be getting lighter now, what with Matataki in a maid outfit for the culture festival. I do like the scene where the middle schooler looks at the display from the Rocket Research Association and Umika shows her what everything does. It's nice seeing someone passing on their knowledge to someone and getting them interested in the field while sharing their passion. Even if they're only 15 (Umika, probably) and 14 (the middle schooler, probably) years old.

Also the yuri is getting cranked up after that mutual confession of jealousy, with Yuu and Umika pretty much flirting in public.

Also, can't remember when it happened, but Matataki really did say "Fuck them kids." Poor teacher gets constantly ignored, too.

This ended up being more of a summary than an analysis. Ah well.

The TVTropes page is also desperate to emphasize that these girls AREN'T EXPLICITLY ATTRACTED TO EACHOTHER GUYS ALRIGHT THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT CANONICALLY YURI!

TVTropes is wrong btw. They're gay. Gay as fuck.

bad influence

Anime-onlies: Lmao she's so gay it's so funny

Manga readers:

fellas is it gay to want to be the only person your alien bestie communicates telepathically with via their forehead?

From "Hoshikuzu Telepath" a.k.a. "Stardust Telepath".