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Process of Elimination for Discussion Nanase (thinking): Stupid female variant #5... / [[Nanase in imagining herself and Tedd in chibi form.]] / Chibi-Nanase: What were you thinking?!?! / Chibi-Tedd: Lesbians are neato! / [[Chibi-Nanase blasts chibi-Tedd.]] / Chibi-Nanase: PERVERT! / Chibi-Tedd: Ouch! / Nanase (thinking): This is bothering me too much... I've gotta talk to someone about this once this movie is over! But who can I actually talk to about this...? / Nanase (thinking): I can't talk to Ellen... I don't want her to know, and there's no telling how she would react... / Nanase (thinking): A positive response could be as bad as a negative one... / Nanase (thinking): Justin's a good friend, but he's bound to take the whole thing the wrong way. / Nanase (thinking): ...but if I can't talk to either of them, that only leaves... / [[shows Susan]] / Nanase (thinking): ...crap.
Feminine Problems Susan: I have to admit, that movie wasn't totally terrible. / Justin: So, what should we watch next? / Nanase: Actually, before we watch the next movie, I need to speak with Susan... in private, I mean. / Ellen: ? / Susan: ...uh... Nasase? Why would you want to do a crazy thing like that??? / Nanase: Please? / Susan: Ok, fine... But why do we have to speak in private? / Nanase: Um... "feminine" problems? / Susan: Lovely... / Ellen (thinking): I'm being left out of a girls-only discussion? But that must mean... / Ellen: BOO-YAH! I'M STILL "ONE OF THE GUYS"!!!
Private Discussion Susan: Ok, now that we're in the safety of my room, could you please enlighten me as to why we need to speak in private? / Nanase: I just needed to talk to someone about something, and I can't talk to Justin or Ellen about it... / Susan: How flattering. / Nanase: Sorry... it's just that... I'm a little uncomfortable around Ellen. / Susan: Really? I was getting the impression that you were quite fond of her. / Nanase: Well, I am fond of her, and that's the problem. Her special pheromones are what's bothering me. / Susan: ...what? / Nanase: Oh, you know what I'm talking about. She's the embodiment of female variant #5 as applied to Elliot, so she gives off freaky pheromones that can attract almost anyone... / Susan: Nanase... sit down. / Nanase: Huh? / Susan: Just... sit down.
Almost Caught Up Susan: Recently, Elliot and Sarah wanted to start sitting together at lunch. As a result, Tedd and I have been sitting at the same table with them. / Nanase: What does that have to do with anything? / Susan: Earlier this week, Tedd was complaining about female variant #5... / Susan: He was saying that the special pheromones weren't a permanent part of the transformation. That they apparently go away well before the transformation's month is up. / Susan: Nanase, Ellen doesn't have special pheromones that attract anyone. Tedd suspects that she never did. / [[Nanase stares at Susan.]] / Nanase: Wh-What does... that... have to do with anything...?
He Has Some Pride Elliot: ...Nanase?! So this is you as a fairy... Why are you here? / Nanase: I needed to get away... be alone for a while... but you showed up and ruined it. / Elliot: I'd apologize for this, if this wasn't my room in my house. But let's just ignore that minor detail for now; why did you need to get away? / Nanase: ...I guess I'm just used to hiding from myself... / Nanase: I never was willing to accept it... not until I was able to place the blame on someone else, but it turns out I can't... As it is, I wasn't even attracted to you when we were dating... not physically, at least... / Elliot: ... / Elliot: Not even a little physical attraction? / Nanase: EL~LIOT!!!
 
Tearful Acceptance [[Three panels: Nanase looking, in order, upset, frustrated, and in despair.]] / Nanase: When we were going out, I thought you'd make a good boyfriend because of your personality, but I was never attracted to you. I kept trying to be, but nothing we ever did worked for me! And then came Ellen, and I felt something I'd never been willing to accept before! I could only bring myself to accept it because of female variant #5, but it still made me feel uncomfortable. All throughout the night, Ellen kept doing stuff that made me like her more and more, and it was driving me nuts, but it was ok, because it wasn't my fault! But then Susan, who suddenly became blonde and has refused to tell me how or why, told me about how Tedd had told her that Ellen has normal pheromones! And now there's no more denying it! I-I'm gay! A-And that... th-that means I'm screwed! My mother is sickened by homosexuality! I-If she finds out... oh god... / Elliot: ... / [[Elliots pats Nanase's head.]] / Nanase: ...what the hell was that??? / Elliot: Well, normally I would put my arm around you to comfort you, but I don't want to crush you.
Why...? Elliot: I'm sorry that I don't really have any useful advice... / Nanase: It's ok; you help well enough just by listening. There's nothing you can say that could "fix" this. / [[Nanase is holding a tissue.]] / Elliot: You should probably go back as soon as you're up to it. / Nanase: Why? Are you trying to get rid of me so you can sleep? / Elliot: Of course not: it's just that the others are probably worried about you. / Elliot: Besides, I have to stay up for a while longer in any case. / Nanase: Why's that? / Elliot: Eh, I've gotta sneak some beer back downstairs for Ellen. / Nanase: ...why? / Elliot: Grace.
Smoked Fish and Closet Doors Elliot (off panel): "Earlier today, Grace wanted some soda. Ellen said she could grab some from out fridge, and to bring up a few." / Elliot (off panel): "Grace, not really knowing the difference, brought up some beer. Ellen would've taken it right back down, but mom was home, and she didn't want to explain why she had four cans of beer." / Elliot: So, once our parents go to bed, I'm going to sneak them back downstairs, and put them behind the red herring in the fridge. / Nanase: Well, good luck with that... / Elliot: You going back? / Nanase: Yeah, I don't want them to worry about me, but... please don't tell anyone about this? / Elliot: That goes without saying: it's not my place to tell anyone that you're homosexual. / Elliot: ...but I hope it won't have to be a secret forever. / Nanase: ...we'll see what tomorrow brings...
Who Keeps What From Whom? [[Nanase sitting up in a bed.]] / Nanase: This... isn't Susan's room... / Ellen: Hey, you're back! / Nanase: Um, yes... where am I? / Ellen: Oh, this is one of the guest rooms. Susan kinda freaked when you went fairy-doll on her, so she got me and Justin. / Nanase: Oh...? And you carried me here? / Ellen: Seemed like the best thing to do at the time. So, how are you feeling? / Nanase: Better, I suppose. / Ellen: That's good. Do you want to watch another movie now? / Nanase: You're... not going to ask why I "went fairy-doll"? / Ellen: It's not my place to ask. If you want to talk about it, though, we can. / Nanase: ...watching another movie sounds good. / Ellen: Alright! / Ellen (thinking): Nuts.
Night's End [[Ellen returns to the kitchen.]] / Ellen: Hey. Nanase's back. / Susan: How is she? / Ellen: She seems to be ok, all things considered. / Ellen: She's on her way down to watch the next movie with us; she doesn't know that Justin and I know, though. / Susan: I can't believe that I panicked and told you guys what we were talking about! I never panic! / Justin: I hope she's doing ok... of all my stupid theories, why is this the one that had to be right? / Nanase: What theory would that be? / Ellen, Susan & Justin: NOTHING! / [[A silhouette of Nanase and Ellen.]] / Caption: The remainder of the evening was spent watching movies, and eating a wide variety of unhealthy snacks. Ellen and Nanase sat at opposite ends of the sofa, though their eyes would drift towards each-other ever so often... / Caption: They stayed up watching movies until the break of dawn, an act that they will no doubt regret during the day that follows... / [[A silhouette of someone we don't know yet. His/her hair is wild, and there seems to be a scar over one eye.]] / Caption: ...for tomorrow night will be painted black...
 
A Fun Way to Start the Day [[The morning after the night out...]] / <> / Mr. Verres: Grace? You're up early for a saturday... / Grace: I had trouble sleeping. / Mr. Verres: Again? I'm sorry to hear that. / Grace: Sir... Why do you let me stay here? / Mr. Verres: Hm?? / Mr. Verres: Oh. Well... Because you and Tedd are working together to find a way to non-violently remove the threat of your brothers and Damien. / Grace: But you told me and Tedd to stop trying to do that... you said taking away our powers would be either fatal or impossible. / Grace: So why do you let me stay?
Oh Great... Another Guy Hidden in the Shadows... [[Grace and Mr. Verres are sitting at the kitchen table.]] / Mr. Verres: Grace, you should let sleeping dogs sleep. / Grace: ...What dogs? / Mr. Verres: Dammit, didn't you learn _any_ expressions while growing up? / Grace: Oh... It's corn that isn't corn... / Mr. Verres: What?! ...Look, do you really wanna know why I let you live here? / Grace: [[nodding]] / [[silhouette of informant mentioned in dialogue]] / Mr. Verres: We learned of you and your brothers through an informant. I... wound up promising this... informant... guy... that I would take care of you. / Mr. Verres: [Back to kitchen scene] Granted, at the time, I figured "taking care" of you would simply involve keeping you safe while I was working undercover, but... Anyway, that's why you're welcome here. / Grace: ...Who was the informant? / Mr. Verres: I can't tell you. / Grace: ...Why not? / Mr. Verres: I promised him that I wouldn't.
EGS Story for Friday, October 17, 2003 - Farewell? [[Grace envisions a bloodied hand]] / Grace: ...What if Damien finds me here? What will happen to my friends? To Tedd...? / Grace: ...I can't let them get hurt... / [[Tedd enters]] / Tedd: Grace, are you ok? You've been up here for a long time... / Tedd: ...Um... / Tedd: Grace...? / <> / [[Grace pounces on Tedd]]
Tied Up, And Feeling Fine! Hedge: Oh... you're awake. / Elliot: You didn't hurt Sarah, did you? / Hedge: ... last I saw her, she was fine. / Elliot: That's good. / Hedge: How the hell are you so calm? / Elliot: Well, for one thing, I believe you when you say you didn't hurt her, in part because I just heard you lie about me being alone. Also, I'm using a self-hypnotic suggestion to keep myself from freaking out. / Hedge: Ah... so you have trained for missions? / Elliot: If going to a friend's house can be called a mission, then yes.
Productive Peeping Grace: I think I remember! Hedge was probably talking about the place where we were born! / Tedd: You sure? Didn't Damien trash that place? Why would Hedge go there? / Grace: I-I don't know, but Damien called my birthplace "the nest" once, and that's the only "nest" I can think of. / Sarah: So then you know how to get there? / Grace: ... no, I don't. Damien moved us around so much that I don't know how to go back. / Sarah: Are you sure? You're not hidiing anything, are you, Ms. Sciuridae? / Grace: ... huh? / Nioi: Sciuridae?! / Nioi: Wow... and I thought I was just wasting time peeping at Tedd-chan...
 
Next Comic: Another Unnecessary Origin Story! [[Interior Tedd's house]] / [[observing suit-up antics]] Susan: Meh. Those skin-tight suits would look better on Justin. / [[confused]] Justin: Hm? / [[intrigued]] Sarah: Hm... / Ellen: I'm surprised you've never made use of these protective suits before. / Tedd: That's because they're not mine: Dad wound up getting them through his work. / Ellen (thinking): Now there's an unpleasant image. / Tedd: So long as we're making use of things that will get me grounded, we'll also benefit from these radio watches. / [[closeup of watch]] / Tedd: They're tuned so that you three can talk to each other , and so that we can talk with you. / Ellen: Any fancy story with these watches? / Tedd: Not that I know of... / [[Flashback to Dr. Germahn's laboratory]] / Narrator: A few years ago... / Amanda: I don't see how you plan to make any money with these costly watches when people already have cell phones. / Dr. Germahn: This isn't about money, you foolish intern! It's about having cool stuff to play with!
Ellen's Beacon [[Ellen fires a beam from her hand.]] / Vlad: What?! / [[The beam scores a direct hit on Vlad as Damien watches.]] / Narrator: The room made it difficult to hear what was going on outside of it, or to even see unless close to the glass as Damien was. The beam, however, shone forth as a beacon... / Grace (thinking): Ellen! / [[Vlad crashes into the ceiling and drops to a balcony.]]
PB Special Features: The Tale of the Lady Graces Dan: Grace was not originally Grace, but there was a Grace in her place. Back in high school, a time when I was just doodling EGS stuff as opposed to posting it online, "Grace" was the token female companion for Sarah. The only things the early version of Grace had in common with the current incarnation was an interest in Tedd and transformation. / Tedd: [[background panel left]] *Yawn* / Dan: When I was making out the original spotty plot for taking EGS online (aka "Painted Black"), I essentially had no place for the original Grace, and started designing a new character, "Shade Tail" (who was initially blonde for some reason). When it came time to give Shade Tail a non-code name, I decided to combine the two characters, making Shade Tail Grace. / Dan: I didn't have Grace's personality fleshed out all to well in the beginning. Her acceptance of nudity is me being merciful, as nudity is an occupational hazard for shape-shifters. I wound up going the cute and naive route, quickly abandoning her mean-squirrel design for a cute-squirrel design. / Dan: Now to blow your minds: I myself didn't realize this at first, but the initial version of Grace? She essentially became Susan. Granted, Susan is a little more cynical than the original Grace, but add in factoids such as Shade Tail initially being blonde, and you wind up with some strange connections between these two very different characters. / Chibi-Susan: [[left-to-right in three phases]] Ah... ah... Choo! <<*Blink* *Blink*>>
Dream Analysis and the Revenge of the Strategic Camera Shots Ellen: I didn't run into Sarah at all during the dream, but I did run into Tedd and Nioi. / Elliot: So that's why you said "nose-beep". / Ellen: Right. I don't doubt that that little nose-beep of hers is somehow responsible for all of this. / Ellen: What's weird is that she was as young as me in the dream, had more pinkish skin stripes and fur, and called herself "Kaoli". / Elliot: Maybe she wasn't Nioi. Even if she was, this was just a dream, wasn't it? None of them were actually there, right? / Ellen: I don't know. What I do know is that based on what she said before she beeped me, I'm gonna have more of these dreams until I've at least reached the age of seventeen in them. Seeing as mom and dad seem to be acting normal, I also figure that the people here and most of those in my dream other myself are separate. / Ellen: Regardless of that, I have to go take care of something...
Red Alert: Word [[Tedd and Elliot are walking down the hall at school]] / tedd: Now that was a strange weekend. / Elliot: You win the understatement of the day award. / Tedd: What was up with Ellen coming by yesterday? All she did was hug me and run off! / Elliot: I try not to think too hard about why Ellen would want to have physical contact with you. / Tedd: Nanase and Grace were also acting weird. / Elliot: No surprise there, given what Saturday was like. / Tedd: Well, yeah, but what made this freaky was how in sync they were... / [Flashback to Nanase and Grace laying on their backs with their hair spread out,staring up at the sky hippie-style] / Grace: ...It's like you think you know yourself, and then you like find out all this stuff, and it's like you gotta reevaluate your entire perception of who you are and junk... / Nanase: Word. / [Back to Tedd and Elliot at school] / Tedd: I get why Grace might be thinking stuff like that, but why would Nanase? / [[Elliot avoids eye contact, sweating]] / {{Nanase swore Elliot to secrecy when she came out to him at the end of Night Out; Tedd doesn't know she's gay}}
 
Drat! I Was Wondering Too! Grace: How'd you get in here? / Ellen: Good morning to you, too. I rang the door-bell, and Tedd's dad let me in. / Ellen: You look out of it. Is there anything you want to talk about? / Grace: ...thanks, but no. / Ellen: Really? You sure? Not even about why you haven't "re-grown" you antennae? / Grace: I'm sure. / Ellen: Crud. I was really wondering about that... / Tedd's father: I'm going to be going out on business, but I'll be back in time for dinner. With any luck I should be able to tell you whether or not school's going to work out by then. / Ellen: What?! I thought I was all set up to start a Moperville South a week from today! / Tedd's father: Oh, you're all set, Ellen. / Tedd's father: I was talking to Grace. With any luck, she'll be joining you.
While it May Appeal to Some of You, We Can't Have Nanase under Lock and Key [[A collection of shots of Ellen. Among others, Ellen as a mermaid, in venus from, and crying as in Sister Part VII: Cleanup.]] / [[Nanase was daydreaming.]] / (off-panel): So, just how many centuries are you grounded for? / Nanase: What? / Justin: You were away from home for two days without notice. Surely you got in trouble for that? / Nanase: Actually, all I got was a "brief" lecture about checking in. I was even allowed to go to a bookstore yesterday afternoon. / Justin: How is that possible? Isn't your mom, you know, strict? / Nanase: It varies. So long as I do well academically, I get to spend my time as I please, especially if my activities are "scholarly". / Justin: Is spending the night at your cousin's house "scholarly"? / Nanase: It is when I'm his "math tutor".
See Part II of EGS_NPs 'Magic Comic Shop' to Learn More About Nanase's Book Nanase: Anyway, I'm not in trouble, so I'll be able to keep you company while you're working today. / Justin: Ah yes, the dreaded three and a half hour shift at the comic shop. How I survive such arduous hours is a mystery for the ages! / Nanase: Ellen told me she might stop by at some point.* / Justin: cool. / {{*see EGS:NP - "Magic Comic Shop" & "Not a Date at the Mall"}} / Justin: So, did you get anything at the bookstore yesterday? / Nanase: Uh, yes... / Justin: ...so? What'd you get? / Nanase: Um... / Nanase: Er... / [[A skimpily dressed girl steps up.]] / Diane: Hello, Nanase. / Nanase: DIANE! / Diane: You know, for someone who claims to hate me, you seem rather happy to see me. / Nanase: Convenient timing, I assure you.
Mooching Tease Pimp Diane: Nanase, once again I'd like to offer you the opportunity to sit with myself, Lucy, and Rhoda. / Nanase: Sorry Diane, but I have no interest in luring boys over to your table so you can manipulate them into spending money on you. / Diane: You always seem to miss the point that they'd also buy YOU things. / Nanase: And YOU never seem to realize that I don't WANT to cheat guys out of their money. / Diane: We NEVER cheat boys out of their money! They hang out with us and willingly buy us things! / Diane: I'm asking you to be my friend, and I resent you making that sound like it's a bad thing! / Nanase: ...fine. If you let JUSTIN sit with us, and if HE'S ok with it, I'll give you at lunch a shot. / [[Justin smiling big.]] / Diane: But... but he's gay! HE won't buy us stuff, and he'll scare away guys who WOULD! / Nanase: Buh-bye now.
But Rhoda's so Small... Diane: Nanase, you should take this as a compliment, we wouldn't want you to sit with us if we didn't think you were good looking! / Nanase: How flattering that you think of me as a piece of meat... / [[Nasase is picturing herself on a platter with a tag "Hey Boys! $19.95!"]] / Diane: You'd be more than that! It's not like we got rid of Rhoda after she gained weight! / Rhoda: D-DIANE! / Nanase: Rhoda, don't listen to her. You look FINE. / [[That makes Rhoda all happy.]] / Lucy: What's with that stupid look on your face? / Diane: *sigh* I give up. Have fun with your defective male companion, Nanase. / Justin: Oh, she will, don't you worry!
 
Noah the Distant Melissa: Did you see that, Noah?! Those moocher girls were just at Justin's table! I bet they were trying to get his hard-earned comic book money! Those sleazy hussies! How DARE they harass poor Justin! / Noah: I did not give the matter much mind, Melissa, but it seemed like they were speaking with that Nanase girl, and not Justin himself. / Melissa: Girls hitting on girls? As trendy as that would be, I kind of doubt it. / Noah: I do not think they were flirting with Nanase. This judgment may be unfair, but from what little I know of those three, I suspect they were proposing a tainted friendship in the hopes of inflating their social status, most likely choosing Nanase due to her not only being evidently attractive and a little mysterious, but also probably due to the stubbornness of their leader who most likely does not like to take "no" for an answer. / Melissa: That was too complicated. I'm just gonna go with that "flirting with Justin" theory. / Noah: You do what you must. / {{Dan: Who the gingersnaps is Melissa? Read the Flipping Cardboard storyline to witness her introduction.}}
Requiem for Dreams of Love [[Justin transforms into a girl. Not a single word is spoken]]
Points of Divergence [[Grace kisses Tedd and he freaks out. Nothing is ever said.]] / {{Filename: egs20060526_thespellcheckingforthiscomicwasachore.gif}}
Failed Attempt at Kissery {{All Characters are in an alternate sex form. Names are the original character names, albeit Sarah is actually a guy and Elliot is actually a girl}} / Sarah: Where'd, uh, everybody go? / Elliot: I-I bet some of them are in the kitchen... / Sarah: Nope. Nobody's there. / Elliot: Huh. How about that. / Sarah: Do you think that Tedd and Grace are gonna be ok? / Elliot: They'll be fine as long as Tedd tells Grace the truth about how he feels. / Sarah: You're probably right. / Elliot: Yep. / [[Panel 5 is Sarah and Elliot sitting on the couch looking away from each other. No dialog.]] / <> / Sarah: OW! / Elliot: OW!
Did He Just Realize They're Hot or Something? Principal Washington: Mr. Raven, I suggest you calm down. / Ellen: Yeah! Back off! / Grace: It really was all new to me! / Mr. Raven: There is no way you-- / Washington: Mr. Raven... / Washington: Mr.Raven! You will stop being creepy and weird this instant! Do you hear me?! / Raven: Objection... withdrawn.
 

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