also, i went ahead and compiled a version of the salvador comic below the cut with a transcript to make it a bit more translator/screen reader friendly w
please enjoy ! ! !
FRAME 1: A closeup of Ayano with her hands steepled.
Ayano: Okay.
Ayano: Has anyone here...
Ayano: Ever...
FRAME 2: The camera zooms out to reveal Ayano is speaking to Hazel, Mio, and Rufous. The name tags at the bottom read, from left to right: Hazel: Ayano's dev .. Ayano: SALVADOR's (the word "crush" is crossed out) .. Mio: SALVADOR's dev. The text "Rufous is here, too..." is faintly off to the side.
Ayano: ... Actually seen SALVADOR smile?
Hazel: (Oh boy...)
Mio: (So that's what this is about...)
FRAME 1: A closeup of Hazel, who looks concerned.
Hazel: One time I went to his shop to drop off some old phone adapters I had laying around, and he like...
FRAME 2: Hazel winces as she imagines SALVADOR. He looks very exhausted and is mumbling, "You had them, yay..."
Hazel: ... twisted his face into something kind of resembling a smile?
FRAME 3: A closeup of Mio, who is looking down and thinking.
Mio: Last time I took him out for lunch, I thought I was getting close.
Faintly, there is a doodle of Mio cheering on SALVADOR, saying, "Let me treat you!" SALVADOR is rubbing his neck and meekly saying, "If it's okay..."
FRAME 4: Mio looks off to the right with a sad smile.
Mio: But somehow they managed to get his order wrong, so he ended up just kind of sitting there feeling sorry for himself, and then feeling bad for feeling sorry for himself when I was treating him...
Faintly, there is a doodle of SALVADOR crying while eating a smelly fish.
Mio: (It was kinda cute...)
FRAME 1: Rufous is staring directly at the camera. His dialogue box looks like it's from a video game.
Rufous: I can expand my SALVADOR Smiling Album by using my 👁Inspect skill when SALVADOR is smiling.
FRAME 2 is the same as FRAME 1, except Rufous is silent. FRAME 2 and 3 are identical.
FRAME 4: Rufous opens his mouth to speak. Faint text at the bottom says, "This is Rufous, by the way."
Rufous: My SALVADOR Smiling Album is currently empty.
FRAME 1: Ayano is shouting at the camera, looking deeply distressed.
Ayano: This is insane!
FRAME 2: Ayano's shouts carry over, but she's not in frame. The camera is focused on SALVADOR as he walks through the door holding a box in his arms. He looks confused. The door sound effect says, "Ding ding."
Ayano: There have literally been four pairs of eyes on this nerd for, like, five years! And somehow none of us have ever seen him smile!?
Ayano: Literally how!
FRAME 3: SALVADOR walks up behind Ayano and sets down his box. She's sweating and looks nervous. The sound effect says, "Sets box down."
SALVADOR: ... What are you guys doing?
SALVADOR: (Why are you huddled on the floor of my shop?)
FRAME 4: Ayano jabs a finger at SALVADOR and shouts. SALVADOR is bristling with terror.
Ayano: You! Smile!
FRAME 5: A closeup of SALVADOR. He looks deeply confused and concerned.
SALVADOR: ???
FRAME 6: A closeup of Ayano as she shouts even louder.
Ayano: D-do it!
FRAME 7: SALVADOR panics and attempts to smile. His smile looks forced and painful.
FRAME 1: A wide shot showing Hazel, Mio, Rufous, and Ayano on the left staring silently at SALVADOR on the right, who is apprehensively waiting for their reaction.
FRAME 2: Everyone except SALVADOR huddles in, mumbling to each other. Beside them, SALVADOR practically explodes with anger.
???: It's no use, huh?
???: Maybe they didn't include it in his dev kit?
???: They literally never taught him how to smile... That's so sad...
SALVADOR: I literally know how to smile!!
FRAME 1: Later, SALVADOR is thinking to himself. He's frustrated and has his arms crossed.
SALVADOR: "Doesn't know how to smile..." Yeah, right! I practically smile all the time!
FRAME 2: SALVADOR shuts his eyes and frowns deeply.
SALVADOR: Like for instance, when I...
He pictures himself looking surprised but otherwise expressionless. The text pointing to him reads, "Got complimented," and "Not smiling."
FRAME 3: SALVADOR opens his eyes, looking a little nervous.
SALVADOR: Um, I—I mean like...
He pictures himself holding a small computer part and looking very exhausted.
SALVADOR: (Oh thank God, I still have one left.)
The text pointing to him reads, "Saved himself $400," and "Not smiling."
FRAME 4: The camera zooms in on SALVADOR, who is now sweating a looking very upset.
SALVADOR: Like when I...
He pictures himself crying very pathetically. The text pointing to him reads, in all caps, "Not smiling."
FRAME 5: A very wide shot of SALVADOR looking utterly devastated.
FRAME 1: A closeup of SALVADOR as he looks off to the left, looking worried and concerned.
SALVADOR: Surely, back then at least, I...
A picture of SALVADOR in his former idol outfit is seen faintly behind him. He's smiling, but most of his face is scribbled out.
FRAME 2: SALVADOR winces as he recalls the full picture. His idol self looks disheveled and is singing absently, tears falling down his cheeks.
FRAME 3: A wide shot of SALVADOR turned away from the camera, slumping over slightly as he holds his cheek.
SALVADOR: Do I actually... not know how to smile?
FRAME 1: Ayano walks through the door, looking off to the side.
Ayano: Yo, old man—you in here?
Ayano: (Why the hell are all the lights off?)
Ayano: Aiko said she'd let me borrow her dad's dirt bike, so I want to look online at which fireworks are—
FRAME 2: The camera watches over Ayano's shoulder as she stares at SALVADOR expressionlessly. SALVADOR is frozen at his desk. He has a mirror and notepad beside him and is looking at the WikiHow page for "How to Smile" on his computer.
FRAME 3: The camera is now over SALVADOR's shoulder, watching as the two stare at each other motionlessly.
FRAME 4: Ayano turns and leaves. SALVADOR starts to sweat and shake.
SALVADOR: H... Hey...
LATER...
FRAME 1: Ayano leans on SALVADOR's desk, interrogating him as he crosses his arms and huffs.
Ayano: Is it really bothering you that much?
SALVADOR: I'm not saying I don't smile!
FRAME 2: A closeup of Salvador as he frowns.
SALVADOR: But is... is it really...
FRAME 3: The same shot as before, but SALVADOR hunches over slightly and looks away, looking a little ashamed.
SALVADOR: ... that... hard to tell when I'm happy...?
FRAME 4: Ayano stares back at him, looking a little unsure of herself. She's losing her resolve.
The top frame shows SALVADOR looking back in surprise as Ayano's dialogue surrounds him. The bottom three frames show Ayano's reaction as she speaks. At first, she speaks loudly and plainly with her eyes shut in defiance. Then, she seems shocked by what she's saying. She finishes by looking away and gritting her teeth.
Ayano: You're happy when you're sorting things like your screws or your wrenches...
Ayano: You're happy when you find old junk or stuff you thought you lost...
Ayano: You're happy when someone brings you a treat, and—uh...
Ayano: You're, um...
Ayano: Y-you get happy about a bunch of nerd shit most people could care less about.
FRAME 1: Ayano gets up and storms off towards the camera, holding her hand up to block her face and prevent SALVADOR from seeing. SALVADOR is staring at her in shock.
Ayano: A-anyway...!
Ayano: As for the smile, don't bother practicing it.
FRAME 2: Ayano waves back to SALVADOR without turning around.
Ayano: Yours doesn't look half bad.
FRAME 3: SALVADOR stares back in total shock, his face completely red. He's lightly surrounded by bubbles.
FRAME 4: SALVADOR bashfully tucks his hand to his cheek and smiles to himself, surrounded by flowers.
SALVADOR: "Not half bad"...?
Meanwhile, outside SALVADOR's shop.
Ayano is steadying herself on a brick wall with a hole in it. There's a scuff mark on her forehead implying that she made the hole by bashing her head into it.
Ayano: I need him.
Ayano: Carnally.
somehow, in the 15 years i've had SALVADOR as a character, i've never drawn or written him smiling <333 (my contribution to terrible comic day that spiraled out of control also sdjkfghksjdhfk)
hazel and ayano belong to @cosmic-cd and rufous belongs to @anonprotagging ! ! !
GREETINGS miodiodavinci aka one of THE coolest artists
I must ask a very important question about Salvador AUTO RECOVERY.
what does he look like without his hat....
from a scrapped attempt at drawing him in a more casual context:
kind of just hat hair all around and some degree of "nice hair did you cut it yourself nerd????" w
What does the back of Salvador's hat look like? Actually now that I think about it, what does the back of his whole outfit look like? Sorry if this is a weird question aaaaaa
OH RIGHT I'VE NEVER POSTED THAT ANYWHERE HUH
haphazard back reference, originally put together for folks asking for cosplay refs sdkfjghksdjhflgjk
personally i am a huge fan of how salvador looks constantly lost and confused… i want to pick him up by his arms like a cat and place him on the top shelf and walk away without another word
put that twenty something year old man on a shelf ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
