#I think I did an okay job on that censoring honestly

[chinashio16]

Stay With Me is a censored BL

Honestly speaking I’m flabbergasted by the fact that viewers still question whether Stay With Me is just a bromance or a BL.

I’m not even gonna talk about previous episodes in which it was already pretty obvious in my opinion with all the subtext (and even if it wasn’t Wu Bi’s “Su You is mine!” should have done the job) but okay, even if we ignore all of these...

Episode 13 has done it. This episode confirmed that it’s a BL. And you can’t even question it anymore. 

Exhibit A:

Su Yu dug up the box from episode 9 in which all three of them (Wu Bi, Su Yu and Duo) put in papers or “letters” with their own wish. They agreed to wait 10 years to open it together.

Whoever digs up the box first is a puppy. Su Yu couldn’t wait that long though. He had to know what Wu Bi wrote in his letter.

He reads Wu Bi’s letter and he is very pleased about what he finds out.

By reading the letter he figured everything out. How? I’m pretty sure Wu Bi’s letter mentioned something about the fact that he’s in love with Su Yu or at least that he is in love. When they were writing the letters Su Yu’s ex wasn’t even in the picture so even if Wu Bi didn’t explicitly mention Su Yu’s name in the letter Su Yu should be smart enough to suspect that he’s the one Wu Bi is in love with. 

Exhibit B:

Su Yu’s ex wants to know why he’s cold towards her and why he’s trying to get rid of her asking if it’s because Wu Bi likes her. Su Yu confirms that it’s because Wu Bi likes her (altho at this point Su Yu definitely knows that Wu Bi doesn’t like her but he’s tired of her and he wants to get rid of her without having to explain any further).

The ex thinks that Su Yu is upset because he thinks that she likes Wu Bi back. So she tells him she doesn’t like Wu Bi back. 

But Su Yu says he doesn’t give a flying fuck whether his ex likes Wu Bi. 

There is only one reason why Wu Bi liking the ex bothers Su Yu but why Su Yu doesn’t give a damn whether the ex likes Wu Bi.

The girl doesn’t get this. (I guess the rainbow colours didn’t flash in her mind yet and won’t for a very long time.)

The ex says there is no way Su Yu doesn’t like her (oh my god, the amount of self-confidence she has!) since Su Yu punched Wu Bi “for her”.

But Su Yu easily explains to his ex that he punched Wu Bi “for himself”. 

Why? Because he was jealous. But he wasn’t jealous of the person the ex thinks.

If it still didn’t translate well I’ll explain: 

Su Yu was jealous about the possibility of Wu Bi being in love with his ex. That’s why he punched Wu Bi. Because they (Wu Bi and Su Yu’s ex) stood so close to each other in episode 12 and Su Yu thought the ex was telling the truth about Wu Bi liking her. 

But Su Yu doesn’t have any feelings for his ex. He said so in previous episodes and said so again in this one. 

A bit harsh but Su Yu needed to say it out loud like this. The girl just couldn’t get the hint. 

Su Yu also explain that she helped him “see his own heart clearly”. 

Meaning: Thanks to her intervening he finally understands that Wu Bi likes him (and that Su Yu likes Wu Bi).

Exhibit C:

Su Yu goes to see Wu Bi who tries to explain the entire situation to Su Yu but it doesn’t matter to Su Yu. Why? Because he doesn’t care about the ex. He knows that Wu Bi doesn’t like her, that Wu Bi likes him and that’s enough for him. Nothing else matters.

Su Yu is also finally clear with Wu Bi about his feelings for his ex.

Now all cards are on the table. 

They’re not talking about the lies of the ex. Su Yu already established that he doesn’t care about any of it. They’re talking about something else here.

Wu Bi leaning in and asking how he figured it out is also pretty telling. The cat’s out of bag. 

They’re talking about Wu Bi’s feelings for Su Yu.

Now Su Yu’s is also trying to save his face. He doesn’t want to admit he was so desperate that he decided to dig up the box to find out what Wu Bi wrote in his letter. 

So he just focuses on the fact that Wu Bi did tell Duo about his love struggles and he figured the rest out. 

Honestly speaking no matter how you look at this scene, it reads as romantic with the music in the background, the lighting around them, Wu Bi leaning in more and more... and it’s that way on purpose. It is a romantic scene because the main characters finally confirmed their feelings for each other. Now, to be exact, Su Yu wasn’t as clear to Wu Bi about his feelings for Wu Bi but he told Wu Bi that he figured out Wu Bi likes him and therefore he doesn’t care about the ex anymore. It should read as “i don’t care about her because you like me and I like you too”

I truly do not need a tv show site to tell me if something is a BL and I truly do not need a kiss scene between characters when we know that the show is heavily censored for certain reasons. All I need is to watch the show. Even if the heavy subtext isn’t enough for you the text and everything that was said in episode 13 should have done the job. 

Bonus:

I think Su Yu wrote something in Wu Bi’s letter and I truly wonder what it is ( In my opinion he confirmed his feelings for Wu Bi in whatever he added to the letter). But I’m sure we’ll find out later on what it was.

[delicatelystrangepolice]

Some thoughts on fandom and discussions around art and how I don't really know how to feel about it

(because I was trying not to write something and I wrote this one instead)

I've been thinking to write something about that one post-s3 Lisa's interview (in fact, I did write some drafts with way too many words and scattered thoughts) but ultimately I decided it's not worth it 1) spending my time writing about something I DID NOT like and 2) engaging with a discussion around here because... I'm kind of on the fence about how I want to spend my time on tumblr.

Anyway, this led me to some thinking. From my previous experiences I was very sure that criticizing the creators was always a fair game. I always had a clear belief that creators and the audience are two separate entities and they of course have an overlap with discussing the given art, but ultimately they should be kept separate. It's the creators' choice if they want to engage with the audience but I think it can lead to some problems when the fans can't freely express themselves because they are afraid to hurt someone's feelings.

With the internet culure and social media this line between the creators and the audience blurred heavily - for better or for worse, I don't know, it probably has some benefits. But I remember when last year I was watching some Hearstopper interviews and Jo Locke's brought up something - someone commented it's nice that they casted more unconventionally attractive person for his role and I think he got a bit offended and described it as 'backhanded compliment.' It made me think.

I thought that the comment was fair - yeah, it's good that we maybe starting to see less supermodels casted for average people roles. I also thought yeah, I understand that because maybe I was never in any heavily marginalized group but sure as hell I never saw myself represented on screen when I was a teenager. I think that commenting on the casting choices is totally within the fair game of discussing a piece of media. And it's not Locke's fault - he was asked about it, he answered honestly how he feels, all good. But I think it put in people's minds this idea that the evil audience can harm the creators simply by commenting on the creation.

I saw some of it in YR fandom, the idea that criticizing something can harm the people who created it. That somehow we should be protective of them and only talk about privately about the negative things. And I personally think that having a big audience can get harmful, especially for young actors (or artists in general) especially if the social media is involved and they are there in the open to have fans coming on them personally - commenting on their private lives, looks, career choices etc. But I don't agree that it's the audience's job to censor themselves just because there's a chance someone can see their thoughts. To put it simply, it's not okay to harrass the creators on their profiles but it should be totally fine to write something on your blog.

It's the audience's job not to reach out to the creators with vile comments but it's the creator's job not to seek out the discussion in fandom spaces if they feel too sensitive to handle it.

I don't think the distinction is hard to understand and to execute.

I'm a big fan of having the discussion being there in the open. One of the benefits of the internet is the fact that people can gather around something they feel strongly about and seeking others to share the those feeling. Benefit of the fandom is that you can find someone as crazy and as weird as you. But when when the creators start to be a part of the fandom - I think the discussion stops being as honest as it could be.

And the honesty is the only interesting part for me.

[duckielover151]

Some OPLA Thoughts: Episode 6

Holy crap, you guys were right. This one WAS even better than the last episode. I don't even know where to start.

Okay, the only possibly negative point... Honestly, Zoro's wound didn't look that impressive to me. I was expecting something a little more dramatic for what was-- rightfully-- meant to be a life-threatening injury.

But everything else in this episode was absolute gold.

I love that this is the event that's really impressing upon Luffy what it means and what it takes to be a captain. I honestly don't remember that being such a big deal until later into the anime, when Nami's sick and Vivi's berating him for not being willing to bow down to the Drum Island guards-- to do whatever it takes to save her. He's so visibly shaken throughout this whole episode, until Zoro wakes back up... It was some really great character development. And I loved how often he continued to smile... even when you could tell he really wasn't feeling it.

And damn. All the child actors have been pretty good-- no complaints, at least. (My issue with Kuina was a writing one; I think both young actors did a great job with the scripts they were given.) But Christian Convery as young Sanji was, like, just on another level. I hope he was having a great time doing so many dramatic, emotional, angry scenes, because they came out great. (Okay, maybe I was expecting a little something more with the special effects, as far as him looking starved half to death goes... but they did a great job with the sunburns and general skin deterioration so... I'll give that one a pass.) And I cannot stress enough how glad I am that they didn't censor the origins of Zeff losing his leg like they did in the anime.

I loved the little Easter egg of Nami reading about Noland to Zoro while he was unconscious. There's an added depth to a liar reading a children's tale about a liar.

The fish-men look great. (Arlong's voice is fantastic. Love that casting.) And I really love that they're not downplaying the racism that exists towards fish-people in this world. That yes, Arlong hates humans, but there is a reason he is the way he is. That's something that doesn't really get addressed until much, much later in the anime, and I think they made the right choice in bringing it up.

There are so, so many things... The way they're continuing to incorporate Buggy, the reveal of Nami's betrayal, Zeff's little argument with Sanji about how he didn't save his life so he could give up on his dream and work in a restaurant for the rest of his days... I loved them all. There was not a single scene in this episode that didn't hit exactly the mark it was meant to, and I'm more excited than ever for the next one.

[dailybayonetta]

sorry, if im bothering you with this (you don't need to anwer if you don't want to), another one of these discourses about bayonetta i've seen with queerbaiting with bayojeanne and that one spoilers thing. do you agree it's an actual thing that happened?

Okay, so BIG SPOILERS AHEAD (metion of them, but not explicit) and lots of text ________

So let me start by saying, usually, as a gay person myself - I've been in this situation. When you clearly have a dynamic between friends of the same gender but it's written much more deeply and with the care and with the actual tropes that get used for het couples and filled with love (and that word gets thrown around, but like, we talking about any kind of love). That happens. But what also happens - is that writers / devs usually never confirm these. Fans and fandom do more job of putting lgbt rep into something that originally doesn't really have it or hidden in narrative (pushed, that also common with censoring) and then act like devs or writes or show runners own them something they invented. Again, it's a complex issue, because sometimes authors take time or have to push for relation ships (LoK / adventure time) and sometimes authors take credit for the ships fans popularised (that one supergirl show comes to mind???) However, in Bayojeanne cause, I can kind of see where people coming from because: a) Bayo herself is an ambiguous character, people been saying for ages that she's bi coded (i can't speak on that honestly) b) Kamiya called Bayonetta and Jeanne couple - not a pair, not duo, and compared them with other couples (that also semi-canon / canon)

c) a lot of promo material art, just as concept art depicted them in way that would couples would. especially couples that have "different side of the coin" dynamic and that complement each other some examples: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Fanservice? Sure. Still. A thing that did happened. d) the scenes they had were also common for couples, shots on the reaching hands (the recent one i can think about with cloud and tifa in ff7remake), bayonetta holding jeanne "bride" style, bayonetta holding jeanne when saving her soul (do i need to mention how later they did that scene in familliar way with luka and bayo but just without the kiss, riiiight) and like, i could go on, but you get the idea

d) And what I also think Bayojeanne isn't just that kind of ship that was "oh fans hyped it up and they never interacted in canon" or something. It's in the story. Again, maybe it wasn't explicit and writers probably didn't intended to be that way (maybe Kamiya did but looking at bayo3 who knows), because once again it's a common thing when writes do this type of dynamic and "oh, the bond is so strong" and that kind of thing has a right to exists, if it wasn't for the othert stuff i said about. Again, it's a complex idea and situation. And many things matter in the case. And I'm not a professional and not that type of person who cared about it in Bayonetta of all things. Does that falls under "queerbaiting"? Hell, if I know, because I never expected them somehow to get canon or anything (and if you go through my baoyjeanne tag you know I love them dearly), cause not only being a game from japanese devs but also that I know better now because I got baited enough in various media before. Can I blame people for thinking this was queerbaiting? No, I don't think I can. Especially because it's just bad for the script. What this implies of such strong and impowering fantasy character as Bayonetta is even worse. And like, Bay///o/lu//ka doesn't in any way erase Bayonetta's bi-coding or her being into Jeanne (afterall it's not the same Bayo and we got multiverses now🙄) but I think people are upset because it was executed reeeeeally poorly and untasteful for such character. And people saying it's kind of character assasination are right in a lot of ways. Hell idk why anyone skips the part that Luka also didn't got any development and got thrown in this mess as well. And also THAT PART. What happened with it - who knows what was even going on in the writing room of Platinum.

[randomly--accessed--memories]

Decided to do some channel surfing of my own and transcribe some real TV snippets to use for Vox's dialogue at some point.

"We’re celebrating the legends."

"–and they pull these people out of the bus one by one. They’re risking their lives, being toppled over by the wind, getting hit, one of these people could easily get killed."

"Goooo England!" "Hi! We’re going away for a while and we wanted you to know where, since you’d worry and wonder."

"Bon Appetit." "Thank you very much. That’s a nice place. Always listen to a gas station attendant. They know where to eat." "Uh huh."

"So that was all taken and analyzed. They mentioned to us, they said, hairbrush, uh, it had *name*’s hair in there, but also found a, uh… synthetic hair."

"–to tell you that your shower doesn’t work as well as you think it does and *name* is clinically proven to work better than a shower with soap. Give *name* a try and see what happens because your body has never been so odor-free as it will be with *name.*"

"–the logistics can get a little crazy. So on the day of the book signing, what happened?" "Well, the books weren’t there." "Okay, then what did you do?" "So I went into overdrive and ran down to *name* and got some–"

"At the moment, it’s going to primarily be me, but after talking to our son and that ability–"

"I remember the little drink from the same bar, in the same bar." "How old were you when you went?" "Twenty-eight. I honestly didn’t prefer that type of beer. I prefer blondes."

"A technician tweaks the machine’s computer program to fine-tune the drop-off coordinates. After all, releasing the cones too soon could cause them to topple."

"Your ears must be burning! Do you think you could do me a favor? Can I get a few more of those pain killers." "Shoulder acting up again?" "Obviously, that’s why I’m calling you."

"Mommy, why did someone kill Daddy?" "People do bad things–"

"Please don’t hate me." "Think I’m gonna go check on the rest of the horses." "I’ll see you around, okay?"

"That balance is key to a healthy gut environment. *Name* plant-based, prebiotic fiber gently nourishes the good bacteria, working with your body to help your gut and you flourish effortlessly every day. Grow what feels good, with *name.*"

"–Man will lend people money the spur of the moment." "You are married to one of the wealthiest women in Georgia. Why do you need to go to a loanshark? All you have to do is ask your wife!"

"A 50% discount on a second one! You get it all! An incredible value! Order now!"

"Yes it is." "Take off your shirt." "Okay." "Oh, we’re gonna need more wax!" "I’m staying, this is gonna be good!"

"Perhaps finding your perfect match. Too good to be true can be true. New *name* cold brew."

"Oh, you don’t know?"

"The prosecution laid out their case using an enormous amount of evidence, including one of the getaway vehicles, the note found in *name*’s house on which the crime stoppers’ tip ID number had been written."

"–could have hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth-year!" "You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, *name*!" "It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, *name*, perhaps you–"

"I swam for about five minutes. The shore wasn’t getting any closer. I felt really weak."

"Our aviary team cares for our shoebill here, currently. Because this animal is going to be living with *name*, our primate team will actually be caring for her, so it’s really important that they work together."

"*Censored* idiot!" "Oh, now I’m an idiot?"

"Step out of their homes and paddle past wild mangrove forests, just as people have been doing on the Florida coast for centuries."

"–the horrors of the first World War that they had to really think the unthinkable." "The mergers creates one of the most prolific car making entities in history. A company that will go on to bring in over one hundred billion dollars."

"Its main objective: go out and rip open the enemy armor like a can opener with an attitude. Fire!"

"May lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems." "With *name,* I’m losing weight," "I’m keeping it off," "And I’m lowering my CB risk!" "That’s the power of we!"

"It was a game changer for my patients." "Try *name* mouthwash."

"Why take less when you can get a beefy, five-layer burrito, a chalupa supreme, a double stacked taco, and a drink for just $7?"

"Representative!" "Command unclear. Goodbye." "Hello?" "Flight cancelled." "With *name,* nothing stands between you and what you want to watch. Just say “for you” into your *name* voice remote to jump back into your favorites."

"–in your state have problems with taking that out. That is not Pennsylvania!" "When I went to the judge to get released. Y’all keep playing these games with me!"

"It’s showtime for the *name* tour bus." "Riding on a bus, you have a lot of time. Time to create. That’s what our clients do. They create music."

"–they were given what they considered physical proof. One Alaskan native said that they had ivory to prove it."

"He was actually just saying last night 'Ah! I should’ve ask for something for drinks and wine and things like that.'" "Okay, we’re way ahead of you. We felt the vibes, you know, that kinetic energy. Ha ha ha!"

"Oh, what a beautiful day. So, today’s the day we give the dome back to the *name* family, and we are ready to go. Perfect!"

"*Name* helps me to look on the outside the way I feel on the inside." "When you order *name* today, you get all of this: a $247 value! That’s already an incredible deal at $69.95! But smart shoppers who use the promo code “SAVE20” will get an additional $20 off!"

"–of the United States, because *name* has no other pathway." "Is it winning or is it reducing the amount by which *indecipherable* rural voters? You have a very large rural population."

"You just kinda see through the mirror them seeing themselves for the first time." "That was the start of my new life and it was very emotional."

"Offended me. I heard messages that didn’t sit well with me. Actually– what is his name– Richard, a good old boy. He was a good guy, I liked him."

"Which I will discharge, unconditional, to honor the new president-elect and do everything possible to help him bring Americans together in fulfillment of the great vision that our declaration of independence defines–"

"So, *name* is going to get us to AGI?" "You know, we are committed to making foundational progress, uh, towards AGI and bold and responsible way, and so, you know, focus on the effort to do that."

"But he vows to fight to prove that he had nothing to do with the abduction of convenience store clerk, *name,* back in 1994." "Well, I’d rather die out there than die in here."

"Except that it means people are taking fewer precautions in spreading other STDs. Two other diseases bear mentioning: common illnesses like flu and strep throat have–"

"–information is so impactful is because it has been researched. They understand that these are the messages that are going to break through and seize hold and make people uncomfortable. So I think that one of the things that’s different about the fear mongering now, is that it actually–"

"But the fact is, right after that, she got all types of blowback on social media. Everybody saying 'Oh my God, is she actually a *name* fan?' Which to her– you know, something I love that she did–"

"–double eagle. Each coin is struck in .25 *indecipherable* ounces of .999 pure silver. The final issue price was to be set at $39 per coin, but during this–"

"Look, check my computer, my records, whatever you want. We run a legitimate business here." "You give us permission to search the premises?" "Yes, yes, if you need to. I have nothing to hide."

"So chic, so sleek."

"You’re all clear kid! Now, let’s blow this thing and go home!" "Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!" "Remember, the Force will be with you, always."

"Over two grand! See how much you can save when you dare to compare! In store or at *name*.com"

"At *name,* we know that not all paint is created equal. So they do it right. Start with our most durable paint–"

"For a limited time, *name* just dropped the price of every foot-long in the app to $6.99! Wait, *name* did what?! $6.99 foot-long?!"

"Who. did. this?" "We did. One way or another, *name* always gets his man. And like that, they were gone."

"Who are you? What’s your phone nu–" "What’d I miss?" "The cases of *name*: all new, Friday at 9:00. On *name.*"

"Yeah. Yeah, it was so nice to meet you all. Buddy, come on, let’s do this." "Thanks to my awesome team, we were able to make this house look so cool, and we got a strong offer of $360,000."

"–outside my door / Hello / Is it me you’re looking for?"

"*Name*! I don’t have much time *name,* so let me get straight to it. Did you or did you not put your name into the *name*?" "No!" "Shh! I had to ask."

"–separate and equally important groups. The police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."

"I think *name* understands me. When I’m speaking to her, she cuts me off, or she’ll be like 'No, no. I know, I know, I know.'" "Ooo, that’s not good. Where do you think this is going to end up?" "I don’t know, but they have to talk it out!"

"This house has its challenges, but they wouldn’t trade it for the world." "Heyyyy! It’s looking good!" "Yeah, it’s gettin’ there, right?" "Yeah, babe!"

"It’s these moments at the table with family and friends– "perfect!" –that matter most."

"Just like the Bermuda Triangle, the Alaska Triangle is a place of mysterious events and unexplained phenomena. And one of the strangest stories has emerged from the depths–"

"What an *censored*! Can you imagine having that guy on your tail? 'Yeah, I might be going slow, but you’re behind me, *censored*!'" "I look into the viewfinder like–"

"–ample way of moving your couch around?" "Nuh-uh. It’s an exercise class where you punch and you kick til you can’t think of anything else no more. No, uh, no, actually. Punch, kick, kick, squats!"

"Beautiful is an understatement, *name*, and it’s also one of the best bodies of water in the nation. Look at those day one waits for our top ten." "Yeah, very much, uh, tightly grouped there in the top ten. *Name* on top."

"–team to the Super Bowl. I think *name* hit upon it, and last night was a perfect of. That *name*'s offense is–"

[just-3d-mario-things]

Verdict: I liked it!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was absolutely a love letter to fans. Yeah, I’ll admit that if you didn’t grow up with Mario, there’s not much for you in terms of story. It’s your basic Family Member Goes Missing, gotta save them and also Save The World I Guess kinda movie. I won’t give a comprehensive review, but I’ve got some thoughts about it :)

Positive

- Deep cuts! Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew, as well as Charles Martinet cameoing as classic Mario’s design, was a nice touch

- Yeah, it’s an isekai, but isekais aren’t inherently bad. Mario has a lot of different continuities, and in some it is an isekai. They obviously care a lot about the Super Show, doing the jingle and all. They manage to respect their audience’s intelligence, and don’t provide much exposition (which is awesome!)

- Diversity! There were so many Mario enemies and races in the movie, it was great. Shyguys kidnap Luigi, Dry Bones chase him through a swamp reminiscent of Luigi’s Mansion, the penguins from 64 have their own kingdom, all kinds of Koopas and Spinies make appearances, Goombas look like Goombas, there are like a hundred unique Kong designs, and we get a Luma! I’m not sure if it’s meant to be Lumalee or not, though they do bear a striking resemblance to them. The writers did their homework.

- The jokes for we the fans were genuinely pretty funny. There’s a part when Mario is fighting DK and has only tried one type of Power Up thus far, a regular mushroom to make him bigger. Mario grabs a blue Mini Mushroom, unaware of its effects. The audience gets to see Mario triumphantly grab the mushroom, thinking it’ll make him stronger. There’s a good moment for the audience members who know exactly what’ll happen, but those unaware of the Mini Mushroom won’t until it happens and Mario goes tiny.

- A good Power Up selection! I was afraid only the Fire Flower would be used, but we got Cat Mario, Tanooki Mario, Fire Peach and DK, Ice Flower Peach, and Super Star Mario and Luigi. Here’s hoping the sequels will use Bee Mario, Penguin Suit Mario, and Frog Mario. Oh! And the Feather Cape is kinda cameoed in their plumbing commercial, when they’re posing on the stools wearing capes. That was pretty neat.

- A solid mix of games’ soundtracks and elements. I didn’t notice much from Sunshine unfortunately, no FLUDD or Bowser Jr or anything. Come to think if it, does Bowser Jr exist in this continuity? How about the Koopalings? Evidence of Ludwig exist: the piano Bowser plays is Ludwig von Koopa brand, which was really funny.

- Bowser. Bowser Bowser Bowser. I think he was perfect, honestly. We all knew it when Jack Black stepped up to the plate, but seeing the piano scenes. And him dressed in his suit with the top hat. Man. I’m so glad they went for a mix of dopey lovesick Bowser from Odyssey and super powerful firebreath Bowser from Galaxy. I really like that if you censor his Peaches song correctly, you could make it sound like he’s saying “bitches”, which is objectively funny. No bitches :’(

- The Jungle Kingdom was a super fun segment. Literally a rollercoaster. I really enjoyed the showdown between DK and Mario, the sound effects and music were on point. They play the opening riff that plays in the original Donkey Kong when he bends the girders, and then. The DK rap plays. It was so unexpected that I had to laugh aloud. DK uses it as like his personal anthem, kinda like how professional wrestlers have a signature song they play when they come out into the ring. The unique Kongs were really cool to see too, like in the stands and the dude who drives them into the kingdom. At one point Diddy in the stands has the bongoes from Donkey Konga, it’s all a blast.

- Speaking of, Seth Rogen’s DK is surprisingly strong. Like, dang, I didn’t expect the “Seth Rogen laugh” to actually fit DK’s character, but it does!

- Okay, fine, Crisp Rat did a passable job. I never forgot it was him, but they eased into the voice by having him do a fakey Italian voice at the beginning. Still waiting on the dub featuring English cast + Italian dub Mario with no subtitles. Considering how low in content the story is, it would be a perfectly fine movie if you muted him completely :)

- The animation! I mean, you’ve seen the trailers, this is the best work Illumination has done, no question. I really like how they partially modelled the characters after their VAs. Bowser is just dripping with Jack Black’s chaotic energy, and Luigi and Mario are eerily reminiscent of Charlie Day and Crisp Rat despite being 100% Luigi and Mario. Toad is pretty solid as well, Key does a really good Toad voice without it being incredibly grating. Jack Black’s smile and Parks & Recreation-era Crisp Rat seem to be some inspiration behind the way they emote.

- Peach is pretty good. I like her voice, Anya Taylor Joy understood the assignment. She isn’t too “girlboss-y”, and she’s actually kind of a weirdo. I love that for her. Makes sense, she was raised by Toads and all. She only brings Mario along to help him, and she isn’t really saved by him at all. She’s delightfully pink and pretty, and oooh her wedding dress, Fire Flower dress, and Ice Flower Dress are all soo pretty. Like seriously, I want that wedding dress. She only gets to hover exactly once during the training montage, and she doesn’t get her parasol, but otherwise I quite liked her. She doesn’t have any groundbreaking character development or anything, or even much for flaws, but she’s just peachy in my opinion :)

- I think the Question Blocks serving as Toad ATMs was really funny. Also, I liked that Pauline was on the TV in Brooklyn. And the brothers’ family was fun to see, they absolutely captured the Italian-American family dynamic. Also, acknowledging the white gloves was pretty funny. We got to see Mario’s actual hands, too, which was… unsettling. Luigi’s ringtone is the Gamecube startup sound, Mario’s playing Kid Icarus on his home TV, Satoru Iwata features in the credits, and the little retro shop in the Mushroom Kingdom was neat. I feel like they referenced all throughout Mario’s history, unlike the Sonic movies where they only focused on the golden years of the Genesis games (no shade to the Sonic movies, I actually really liked them too)

- Oh the score. Ohhhh the score. Just… the score. Not enough Galaxy rep, but it’s forgiven. They use the themes from Mario games so well, it’s actually incredible. Just, like, go watch it and see how many you can recognize. I think I got most of them, though I wish they used the Wii Rainbow Road music since that’s the RR I’m most familiar with. Ah, well. I’m not sure if they used a Mario Kart theme for that scene or nor, someone who’s played the other Mario Karts will have to tell me

Negative

- crisp rat >:(

- Lack of Sunshine rep :( I can’t remember if there were any musical references, but I didn’t detect any, anyway. No Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr, Piantas, or FLUDD. Maybe we’ll get to Isle Delfino in the sequel?

- No Funky, Birdo, Rosalina, Daisy, Wario, or Waluigi. I can’t expect to get all of the fun side characters, but when I saw the Kong kingdom and the Luma I had a few shreds of hope that Funky and Rosa would show. I have a feeling Miyamoto doesn’t really like Wario/Waluigi, which is fair but sad. There wasn’t much room for Daisy and Birdo since the movie was so quick-paced. With the Yoshi egg teased at the end, it is possible Birdo will appear in the sequel? Maybe? And since it is an isekai, it’s revealed that no humans are native to the Mushroom Kingdom/Peach’s world, so maybe Daisy just doesn’t fit in this narrative. Ah, well.

- I have a feeling other reviews will remark on this, but Cranky is kinda weak :( I expected him to get better dialogue/direction, since I think Fred Armisen is generally a good actor. He just wasn’t… cranky enough? I dunno. Every time he spoke, I just pictured a voice actor in a booth instead of Cranky Kong.

- The story was… a Shigeru Miyamoto story. That is, no real intense story beats. They don’t really try anything new, but hey. You don’t walk into the Mario Movie expecting Miyazaki, y’know? It was all a bit too fast-paced for me, but I get it, it’s better than senseless filler. Illumination likes cheap movies, so the short runtime might cover for the quality animation.

- The licensed songs aren’t abysmal, but I wish there were fewer where Mario songs could have taken their place. I dunno, as much as I love Take on Me, I feel like there’s a better song out there for introducing the Jungle Kingdom.

Aaand those are my thoughts! I have more, but I’m sleepy and it’s 1:58 AM for me at the mo’. I’m sure I’ll be MarioMovie Posting in the future :)

[whoslaurapalmer]

okay so, lindsay lohan was on the tonight show with jimmy fallon, but more importantly, she did a parent trap skit to announce her guest star status, which led me to rereading your parent trap au, and well, here i am to sing your praises — ahhhhhh i adore it !! it’s so good. better than oreos good. the dynamics between so many different characters, dynamics that you’re able to explore !! not constrained by canon !! (three favorites : the standouts, kit and bernadette 💕, and bertrand and klaus, but specifically when klaus is really violet, AND THE ATLAS, and then there’s something so sweet and lovely about b,r, and o as a trio and i love them omg) but also stay true to their original characterizations. i always like how you write lemony, your voice for him fits just right, like a favorite pair of shoes, but he’s particularly good in this. i love the image of him in a theater, doing a book reading. it’s so mr snicket. and b and b and l ??? all together ??? the candy grams ??! the censored candy grams ?!!? iconic. i love how bertrand couldn’t be as horrid as meredith blake, so there’s no other way but a happy ending, and i love how violet and klaus would accept nothing less. i love how it is bits and pieces and asides, it feels right, like a scrapbook of the summer their parents got together, and stayed that way. 💕 lovely work all around !!!

awww thank you lainey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i always love hearing about people rereading parent trap au 💖💖 any fic. all of my fic. but especially parent trap au. it warms my heart. my soul. i gain many levels of power when people want to talk about parent trap au. it is so silly and so so precious to me and was such a rambling whim and is so unstructured but so many people have seen the heart i wanted in it. yes i DID just watch it again the other day. i love that people still find it as delightful as i hoped!! and oh that skit was fun!!

i am always very very proud of how i made bernadette in this alt universe 💖 i always think i did a great job there and no regrets at all on the most cryptic, most determined little bean. and getting to write kit as a mother....................

THE ATLAS IS A PARTICULAR FAVORITE OF MINE TOO i love the intent behind the atlas. bertrand just wants to be considerate and respectful of his girlfriend's small child. i love how violet is impressed. i love how you could kill a man with it. i myself like to look at heavy objects and wonder if you could, in fact, kill a man with it. also it's really funny that bea shares the sentiment. anyway i was imagining it as like, a deep navy blue with gold and silver???? like in little sparkly sections on the cover but also the pages!!!! with fancy borders and shiny spots and just. fun maps.

i do have regrets that ramona and olivia kind of drop out of the fic at the end bc they're so good and deserve to be part of this family still, i just couldn't imagine them leaving california. maybe they visit, though......and honestly the three of them raising klaus was something i did NOT do enough with. or ramona's mother. or olivia's eclairs!!!!!!!! klaus should've brought some of the eclairs anyway. packed them with a couple ice packs so they'd keep. eat them the first night of camp, in the dead of night, joyously.

i frequently and fondly think of 'they censored my loving sonnet about your ass but they still sent it!' with bea's candygram. teenagers with candygrams is such a hilarious mess. just, the commitment. the shenanigans. it's delightful and deeply embarrassing to look back on.

lemony is one of my favorite povs to do and i don't really like to say that he comes very easily to me bc. i mean, uh, technically, at the end of the day, he is not mine, and i will of course never get the perfect lemony voice that danhan has (and actually when i'm not in his head i struggle a lot to get his dialogue right) but i do think i do a very good lemony voice and he is one of the easiest character voices for me to write (bc he has a structure! he has a vibe! you know where you stand with him!!!!! you get to do neat things in his narration!!!!) and he's very fun to do. characterization is something that, AS ALWAYS i say this so much but god it's just always very big on my mind, i work very hard on and stress a lot about, especially on the occasion i Do Stray A Little Far From Canon, and it's something i am very critical about, so when people think i do it well it's very 💖💖

also i frequently and fondly think of 'haircuts are things that happen, at one time or another, to all of us.' speaking of lemony. god what a guy.

oh i LOVE the idea of it feeling like a scrapbook oh that's so perfect!!!!! what a homey and cozy thought!!!!!! like the pictures of nick and elizabeth's wedding in the credits.......oh i love it so much. violet and klaus put the taped-up wedding photo at the beginning of the book and then at the end is the new lemonberry ice wedding photo. although i don't actually really like the wedding gown elizabeth designs in the movie that has the photo shoot, bea is DEFINITELY at least wearing that veil/top hat combo in the new photo. that's so her vibe. it's an outside summer wedding. color scheme is lots of reds and pinks.......lemony and bertrand both wear white. bea's dress has a red waist ribbon. oooo wait or maybe it's one of those dresses with all the embroidered flowers all over??? i love those kinds of wedding dresses. bertrand cries through the whole thing. kit actually, genuinely cries too, once.

[ladyseidr]

Headcanon dump time because I have Mrs. Em.ily brainrot!!!

born in fredonia, arizona, which is not only extremely close to the utah-arizona border, but also right near the grand canyon and many other parks and such

her parents spent a lot of time traveling after moving to america and settled on this town because they are very outdoorsy people and the area charmed them

yes, as a consequence, julianna and her sisters are very outdoorsy too. anna in particular loves to go camping and enjoys visiting natural monuments and national / state parks. she absolutely will insist on taking henry and charlie ( and the af.tons too! ) to see the sights near her hometown

while anna's parents did give their kids anglicized names ( her sister's names are kathleen and marilyn ), they all have chinese middle names and anna is quiet fond of hers ( chán juān ( 婵娟 ) )

yes, i heavily headcanon that henry calls her by her middle name often once she tells him this <3

julianna is pronounced joo-lee-ahn-a. anna is pronounced ah-na. yes, she will correct someone if they say either the other way lmao

she stays in contact with her extended family in china, although she doesn't get to visit until she's in her 30s

she is the middle sister, with kat being older and lyn being younger. they are each two years apart. she is super close to her sisters

honestly very close to her whole family. i have to let at least one fn.af muse have a happy childhood alright.

works as a manager in a bookstore and is a very, very avid reader. definitely meets henry there as a default ( but obviously i'm open to alternatives! )

loves hot drinks!! big tea and coffee drinker, but also always down for hot chocolate in the colder months

( going to use elise by default when talking abt mrs. af.ton so i don't have to censor it 30000 times but understand that this is all open to any mrs. af.ton lmao )

meets elise after elise in particular insists on a double date when she hears henry is dating someone. yes i think a double date with these four ppl is SO funny. it's incredibly awkward but elise and anna hit it off.

lbr she's so head-over-heels for henry and she's very much like. a believer in soulmates and similar. so, when she falls, she falls hard

honestly: her and henry as a perfect example of two people who are incredibly in love but just, like. . . not meant to be together long-term. i mean obv i'm open to there being Problems beyond that ( up to and including either charlie's death ending the marriage or just william's dumb ass ), but i do lean toward "they were never going to be satisfied long term"

literally charlie is the light of her life. yes, her death does absolutely destroy anna.

charlie was very much planned. anna initially had a little difficulty getting pregnant, but it worked out. she'd always wanted 1-2 kids, though they either never get around to trying again or she simply doesn't get pregnant again prior to the divorce

post-divorce, anna and henry honestly have like. a healthy relationship. the love never goes away, but they do a good job sharing custody and she'd genuinely still consider him a friend

would she ever be willing to give their relationship a try again? after charlie, it's possible. . . but unlikely to work out

definitely an introvert but you can't tell. she's not shy or socially anxious at all, just enjoys her alone time

can and would kill william with her bare hands if she knew what he had done. like yeah okay henry's grieving, but so is anna and she'd kill the motherfucker

( would she join henry in his Crusade that leads to fn.af6 if he actually told her abt it? . . . debatable. possibly, but she's also very, very, very tired by that point. if she knew about charlie / the puppet however? absolutely )

she is fluent in mandarin chinese

loves to bake and is very good at it!

dreams of both opening her own business and writing novels

i just love her sm you guys—

[dragontamer05]

Thoughts / sort of rating of the Yugioh dubs;

DM- Look for all it's flaws, weird edits and censorship over all it's fairly decent. Most of the voices are good, generally speaking the tone and story are still relatively in tact. No episodes were skipped or out right cut, although changes were made.

Are somethings handles better/ make more sense in the orignal form for sure but during a time among a sea of very mixed dubs (and even compared to some of the other series 4kids/4K tried) It's honestly pretty good.

GX- Look while I admit to having some nostalgia for it's just.. not great. The joke meter got turned farther up and while some areas they did manage to keep the tone/ emotion- particularly there's a few good lines of Jaden/Judai from the dub when desperately going after Jesse/Johan

BUt oh boy is it sure just a product of its time with just some of the dialogue feeling very peak 2000s energy. And also a lot more questionable voice choices for characters (some is decent tho)

I'll sooner recommend someone watch the sub first if genuinely interested in the series. But if you've got a bit of nostalgia or just want to have some fun riffing on something it can be a fun watch.

Other majour problem is due to the desire of wanting to get on the next series fast as possible it never got completed and never got s4

5Ds- A mess.

Once again for a lot of the main cast voices are okay but definitely getting worse/more extreme in their attempts to try and hide death / censor or alter things. Whole chunks of it simply was not dubbed at all which I'm sure made pacing weird.

Never actually watched it all but oof. Even if everything else was great just the fact that there is a good chunk that got cut / not translated makes it hard to recommend watching it.

Might be a fun curious watch I guess but probably the dub series with some of the most issues (maybe)

Zexal- Well at least it got completed, like DM did so that's something. Personally kind eh about some of the voices. Astral's is great love it, Yuma is okay but I can understand how it may get annoying for some.

Another one with pretty bad censorship problems that I think even some who's only watched dub could probably figure seem off.

Probably could have ended up a lot worse truth be told but even looking at how DM was handled probably could have been better in places.

Still suggest subs over dub generally but if knowing of the changes doesn't bother you / okay with the voices I mean there's worse out there.

Arc V-

Decent. A clear sign of things to change and improvements. Complete series, still some expected censorship and changes here and there but otherwise fairly faithful to the source. No egregious changes even any allusions to death if altered it's in away that still makes sense / doesn't totally negate it just perhaps stated less overtly or something.

Serious moments often able to be kept serious (compared to some from what I recall just the usage of jokes didn't feel as egregious / bad)

Voicing pretty good over all with only a few characters that make me question the voice direction.

Overall, for sure worth watching it's fun (also there are just some great very quotable lines that got me laughing)

Likely helped in part by being owned by Konami thus I'd assume giving them some control/input on how things go

Vrains-

So good. Voice acting great and just everything was handled well I think.

Once again Complete series, some of the typical changes that are just usual stuff at this point but for a series that can get as dark and serious as it does they handled it pretty well. I think honestly they even have a few lines that just wow.

Like as much as it would be great to have them do a dub where nothing gets changed (say for anything that is typically might happen for any localization- i.e like changing a joke that doesn't work in translation or whatever) I'd say it's pretty darn close and over solid job.

I know some people we kinda eh on that ending/scene in the last episode and I get it, wasn't what was expected or hoped for maybe but I thought it was fine. Far from the worst thing they could have done and it still felt at least fitting/ pretty in character. And if your someone watching only dub I think they still manage to hit and keep the emotion of that scene just doing it in a different way.

Sevens-

As it is, Sevens is a pretty goofy show with big Saturday morning cartoons energy. From the get go it had the makings of what would be a fun dub and they nailed.

Voice choices are so good, continuing on the track of completing series and whatever changes might have been made be it dialogue or what have was nothing that I ever noticed or affected the plot/story in anyway.

Like obviously the script can't/won't be word for word exact but I'm pretty sure more often then not whatever was used or said was pretty close to/equivalent there of whatever was in the original anyway.

It's good, it's fun and silly and I can promise that despite what you may think I'd argue the vast majority of jokes come straight from the Sub itself or at the very least it keeps within the general tone /feeling of something the character would say. Never came across any moment where a joke was used that did feel quite right.

As said as it is Sevens is a pretty silly and fun show even in its original form and the Dub does a great job of keeping the spirit alive and story intact

Sub or dub I strongly recommend watching it anyway. Yes it's animated by a different group- no longer done by Studio Gallop. But honestly it fits and works. I have no idea how much was already planned out before the switch was made or any of the behind the scenes but regardless the art/animation style really fits well the tone of the series - and you can still look at it and go 'that's a yugioh'

Plus after the plot of Vrains ngl kinda nice n fun to have what Sevens brought.

Also look it's time to accept that for as much as it is a series that anyone can enjoy the target demographic IS technically kids / a younger audience (and trying to use this as a means to attract more of that younger audience get them interested)

Go Rush doesn't have a dub yet but I'm hyped and am sure it'll be a blast to.

[jjmorelikeotp]

I honestly felt SO uncomfortable with Riverdale the last few episodes.

Like yes I know after the past few seasons we should be used to a whole damn plot being abandoned ONCE AGAIN - but this; this is actually useless!

I love the visual aesthetics and the 50s being a setting. But that's about it.

We have zero connection to the whole time travel universe thing, which I honestly thought would be picked up with the help of some tiny hints like ,,hey, btw, y'all are in a seperate dimension". But no. Where tf did angel tabitha go??? Was her saying her goodbyes to jughead just a tool to jump into this new setting with no plot connection at all?

And yes, I get it that the actors are WAY over eighteen, but as we all should be VERY aware about, they are playing MINORS again.

And personally I believe the show is doing a very poor job at not sexualizing those minors.

Yes, I know of the small details like Veronica demanding the bikini and heels performance being banned and the actual sex scenes being censored. I STILL believe this is not okay.

It just takes over. So many referenxed are made and so many conversations suddenly all have to be sexual. Like, really? Is that necessary?

Yes as a teenager you are allowed to experiment and do everything you want to as long as youre comfortable with it and do not hurt anyone else.

But constantly showing - again, they are MINORS in this universe - these characters in underwear is just not okay. There is no need for these scenes to be actually played out.

If they wanted scenarios like this, why not leave the age normal and just put them in the 50s universe? Ooor was the point, dare I say, to let these charachers represent minors again???

The industry is a filthy place. I say that as someone who works there.

People who let this be shot and shown do NOT care about teenagers getting representation or having a sweet little plot about haha, teenagers think about sex all the time its so funny and just for the plot cuz it used to be like this in the 50s for real, they allow it for different reasons and it worries me.

And besides the fact that the lack of continuity really triggers me - suddenly all the episodes have their own plotline and barely have to be watched together anymore - we have several suggestions for an orgy, yes in a sexual way, which I totally do not find funny in this context.

The characters are cool and I love some of the relationships, but the repeatingly unnecessary everyone-with-everyone for 0.39393 seconds just feels like they wanna feed the audience a bite of everything before the last episode.

I am also against cencorship. But the casual mentioning of cannibalism??? In the comic books??? Yeah i would understand that this would have to be banned. Or at least marked to be only sold to adult readers. Yes, the point was that basically everything should be banned and that would be too much, but the way they've thrown some of those topics in so casually and making the bad guy say "protecting children is our number one priority" as if because of his other unreasonable things this would also be unreasonable does not sit right with me.

And btw, the musical episode was a pain to watch. Nothing new there.

I really didnt take riverdale seriously for the past seasons, but right now i feel like we need to take that exact point a little more serious.

[daedalmirage]

daisy ♥ marigold ♥ r.e: franz, tezuka, gawain

Marigold's always been the proactive sort; the kind of person to keep a friend group together and moving just by sheer will of pushing plans forwards rather than just talking about them.

(The problem with plans even there though is that they require time.)

"Oh come on, Tezuka, I was clearly talking about stab wounds from being pushed into loads of glass like we were talking about, not one single stab wound. If you're gonna try catch me out, can you make it something a little less picky?"

Her tone is still flippant, uncaring, though there's an edge boiling underneath it- and Franz's direct question was completely ignored in favour of rounding on Tezuka as soon as chance came.

Once her expression had picked itself back up from where it had plummeted once Gawain was in Tezuka's sights instead, anyway.

There was a quiet "Wait-" likely only heard by those closest to Marigold, and those who happened to still be looking her way may have caught the flash of pleading that crosses her face as Tezuka finishes up, as Gawain eases his way into an answer-

But then that switch is flipped again and she's back to the uncaring display she just had joking about herself being a serial killer.

"Anyway, what am I meant to be doing if you're saying someone else was doing all the cleanup, that's... give me some..."

She trails off.

And the usual easygoing mean girl confidence seeps away as she lets out a breath and her shoulders fall. Tired voice sounding dangerously close to shattering into what could only be crying.

"...I'm so sick of doing this."

Her eyes drift to Franz's, so he has the best view of the previously ignited spark - the one that's so often present as she treads on the current topic without a care - fading out. But she manages a tired smile, beginning to tug at her jacket proper.

"You can't be too mad, okay? I only did what I said we were gonna focus on, way back when."

She throws her voice out to the room at large, putting the steel of announcement rather than flippancy underneath her projected words now.

"Listen up, cause I'm only going through this once, and honestly you're all lucky I'm doing this cause from what I've seen today? I don't have a good reason to trust many of you. But... there were a couple of things that I realised Misery did back at the motive that I thought could've triggered the privacy measures."

Her jacket falls off her shoulders, but hugs her rather than exposing her arms just yet.

"Misery took a magazine fully out of the case, read through the whole thing, and read it out loud too. I was gonna wait longer to try and figure out the rules behind the privacy thing more, but then you guys started talking about destroying it and everyone was getting so stressed out and I just... I thought I had something passable two days ago."

(So round about when she shifted in the chat to saying they were all going to be fine.)

She pulls her arms out of her jacket, letting the garment fall into her lap.

"And I didn't think anyone else was gonna feel like drugging Inkyo and committing a break-in, so I did this while she was asleep."

And this is immediately obvious as she holds her arms up.

Her Death Mark is still present, but somehow that barely looks like the harsher curse afflicting Marigold anymore. Wrapped all around her arms below the wrists are oh-so-many black bars just like the censored magazines, varying in length, occasionally underlined by a fainter line of black marker.

Marigold doesn't seem too alarmed though, turning one arm back and forth to scan the lines with her eyes.

"I guess this just looks like censor bars to you though, huh? And I only ripped the pages out after I got the privacy message, so... this is all the stuff I read. I dunno why I can still see it, I guess Misery is just messing with anyone close to the scene like that censored name, huh? It kinda sucks, though. I thought I did a really good job of breaking in, only for- only for it to trigger the privacy stuff anyway?"

(Her voice broke a little in its forced flippancy towards the end, there.)

She steels herself again, resting shaking hands on the table.

"...Come on, the killer wouldn't be Kei though. You think he's the kind of guy to wake up and decide he's gonna go mess stuff up to this degree, start fires and stab someone?"

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Source: The Art Of Lesbian Love ( A Pillow Book)

[angsty-omi]

truth or drink.

kuroo tetsuro x reader

tw: suggestive content, exes, cursing

you heard about this interview game show on youtube through your good friends. watching it your first time with them, it was so blatantly obvious that they were still in love.

you pointed your drumstick at the TV screen, “it’s so obvious that she still likes him, look at her posture!” your voice muffled with a mouth full of ice cream.

“that’s what’s fun about these videos! plus it’s kinda sweet that they rekindle the fire through an intense game of truth or dare” hinata replied.

“truth or drink” you emphasized, “and plus, they’re exes for a reason, nonetheless. just because you try again, doesn’t mean there will always be a different outcome. if there was an issue that both parties couldn’t get over, what makes it okay now in front of a camera? men ain’t shit, and honestly so are the girls who participate in these. no self worth honestly.”

“wow... y/n it’s very obvious you’re projecting your feelings about your breakup with kuroo onto these fun challenges,” kageyama spoke for the first time that night.

and he was right. you were still in the mourning period over your breakup. every romantic song, couple, and certain aphrodisiacs were out to get you because it reminded you of him. to ease the pain, you expressed your hurt through bitchiness to others. not only were you a bitch, but a hypocrite.

how? because two years later you were sitting across the table from kuroo, with a camera to your right and shots to your left. you didn’t even know how you got into this position. one night you were super drunk and missed him. submissions were open and your intention was to see him again. other than that, it was all a blur.

as the director read the rules of the game, your’s and kuroo’s eyes were boring into each other, and you were nervous about how he felt currently being in such a vulnerable position.

“first off, we’ll introduce you guys and your back story,” the director instructed.

[where did you guys meet?]

“we-

“she was-”

you both interrupted each other. you lent out your hand as a gesture that he could say it.

“she was actually watching a game of mine, our school was against hers and her seat just happened to be directly in front of my eyesight. she looked beautiful and i-”

“now i have to stop you there, i was not beautiful. i had a bunch of acne and a crooked tooth”

*you look straight at the camera*

“since when are those features not beautiful?” kuroo mocked, making him seem like the best guy in front of the cameras.

you only rolled your eyes and let him go on.

“on our last set, it was a close game. the score was 25-24 nekoma and i needed one more hit. when kenma set it to me, i hit it. the winning spike. that’s when i looked at her, pointed, and blew a kiss. and the rest was history”

you smiled at that memory. it was actually a really sweet moment. you’ve never really felt seen or unique, but he made you feel like the most important person in the world, and you’ll always cherish that.

[when did you guys break up?]

“around 2-3 years ago, it was a while ago” you responded.

*you both immediately grabbed the shots next to each other and clanked the glass together, before downing it*

you chuckled, because of how you both knew this was going to be hard.

*you picked up the top card*

“pffffftttttt rate me in bed, and how i can improve?”

“i would honestly say you’re a good 9? it was very passionate and soft except for the times it wasn’t”

*kuroo winked at the camera, while you punched his shoulder*

“i just wish you let me hit it in the back more”

*you hid your face in complete embarrassment with the card*

“next.”

*kuroo swiped the next card*

the smile on his face immediately turned into stone when he read the card.

“are you attracted to any of my friends?” he said with a pinch of pettiness.

“HAHAhahahaha...” you slowly grab the tequila bottle next to you.

his face conveyed mild irritation with a “🙂” face on him.

“weren’t you attracted to kyoko?” you dramatically raised an eyebrow.

then he grabbed the bottle from your hand. you didn’t feel jealous at all, in fact, you too were attracted to kyoko.

“please censor the name during the final editing” you smiled at the director, and you swore they just blushed.

*you grabbed the next card*

“what’s the most annoying thing about me?”

“you would always just kiss me to avoid conflict. like, when you washed your pink clothes with my white shirts and i called you out on it, we ended up just fucking and i forgot completely about it”

“so you’re saying it worked” you fist bumped the air.

“what about me?” kuroo asked.

“i guess, if i had to name something it’d be your loud snores, loud chewing, forgetting to buy groceries, screaming at our television because kenma missed his sho-”

“okay okay i get it,” stopping you from continuing.

there were only a few more cards left when kuroo picked up the next one.

“are you happy for me now? be honest.”

“of course! you’re literally a professional volley player, basically a celebrity. i am honored i am one of the few that got to know you. you deserve everything that you have and you’re the realest person out there, tetsu” slipping out his nickname so casually, that you mentally screamed.

“thank you y/n, i really appreciate that.” he put his hand on yours with a warming smile, making it seem like he ignored it for your sake.

[why did you guys break up]

that was very tough question. both you stayed silent for a good second, wondering who will talk first.

“i-i’ll go first,

kuroo had been offered a job, fresh off of high school, while i decided to choose the local college. the job was to be a profession volleyball player... for the states. at first, he wasn’t going to take it, because it was too far from me. during our last few months of senior year, rumors about me and kenma circled around. nothing actually happened, but when kuroo asked me, i didn’t respond and...” you hesitated, kuroo’s eyes expressed the same pain from all those years ago.

you bit your lip before continuing, “because letting him think that made him let go and i couldn’t let myself hold him back y’know? it was just a situational breakup and i’m glad i made that decision. all was forgiven between him and kenma shortly after that by the way, just not with him and me.” you giggled at the end, to seemingly make it less awkward. your eyes were glossy— but, you had to confess your biggest secret.

you tried to look for a response from kuroo, but he just stayed silent. desperation started to tingle your skin.

then, kuroo did respond, by getting up from his seat and leaving you there, alone. tears now were freely falling on your face, in front of tons of people nonetheless.

“listen y/n, we can just not post this for privacy.” the director comforted.

“no it’s okay, a deals a deal kenma.” you waved off and left abruptly.

you slammed the doors open to the outside, with a cool breeze hitting your tears. you crouched in a position sobbing, while gasping for breath. he was the love of your life, and the thought of him never forgiving you really hurt.

“y/n”

you knew that voice. it was the same one just minutes ago laughing. you were so mentally drained that you thought you were hallucinating. it was only then when he wrapped his arms around you. you missed this. you missed the warmth of kuroo’s bear hugs.

“if you told me to stay i would’ve.” kuroo whispered into your ear.

“i know you would’ve, t-that’s why i h-had to do what i had to do. and now look at you, you’re rich, famous and... and” you stopped.

“you don’t have to say it y/n.” kuroo raised his voice in a serious manner.

“i-i have to or else i will never accept it nor get any closure.” you sighed, pushing him back out. looking into his eyes, they were also full of remorse, conflict, and sorrow.

as you try muster up the words, he crashed his lips against yours. immediately, you retaliate, knowing that it’s selfish but this was the last time you were ever going to be this vulnerable. the kiss screamed pain, and both of you tasted each other’s salty tears that were getting in the way.

when you finally came to your senses, you pulled away.

“if somehow we are both 40 and single, let’s meet at the place where we first met. until then, happy engagement.”

[whitehotharlots]

The point is control

Whenever we think or talk about censorship, we usually conceptualize it as certain types of speech being somehow disallowed: maybe (rarely) it's made formally illegal by the government, maybe it's banned in certain venues, maybe the FCC will fine you if you broadcast it, maybe your boss will fire you if she learns of it, maybe your friends will stop talking to you if they see what you've written, etc. etc. 

This understanding engenders a lot of mostly worthless discussion precisely because it's so broad. Pedants--usually arguing in favor of banning a certain work or idea--will often argue that speech protections only apply to direct, government bans. These bans, when they exist, are fairly narrow and apply only to those rare speech acts in which other people are put in danger by speech (yelling the N-word in a crowded theater, for example). This pedantry isn't correct even within its own terms, however, because plenty of people get in trouble for making threats. The FBI has an entire entrapment program dedicated to getting mentally ill muslims and rednecks to post stuff like "Death 2 the Super bowl!!" on twitter, arresting them, and the doing a press conference about how they heroically saved the world from terrorism. 

Another, more recent pedant's trend is claiming that, actually, you do have freedom of speech; you just don't have freedom from the consequences of speech. This logic is eerily dictatorial and ignores the entire purpose of speech protections. Like, even in the history's most repressive regimes, people still technically had freedom of speech but not from consequences. Those leftist kids who the nazis beheaded for speaking out against the war were, by this logic, merely being held accountable. 

The two conceptualizations of censorship I described above are, 99% of the time, deployed by people who are arguing in favor of a certain act of censorship but trying to exempt themselves from the moral implications of doing so. Censorship is rad when they get to do it, but they realize such a solipsism seems kinda icky so they need to explain how, actually, they're not censoring anybody, what they're doing is an act of righteous silencing that's a totally different matter. Maybe they associate censorship with groups they don't like, such as nazis or religious zealots. Maybe they have a vague dedication toward Enlightenment principles and don't want to be regarded as incurious dullards. Most typically, they're just afraid of the axe slicing both ways, and they want to make sure that the precedent they're establishing for others will not be applied to themselves.

Anyone who engages with this honestly for more than a few minutes will realize that censorship is much more complicated, especially in regards to its informal and social dimensions. We can all agree that society simply would not function if everyone said whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. You might think your boss is a moron or your wife's dress doesn't look flattering, but you realize that such tidbits are probably best kept to yourself. 

Again, this is a two-way proposition that everyone is seeking to balance. Do you really want people to verbalize every time they dislike or disagree with you? I sure as hell don't. And so, as part of a social compact, we learn to self-censor. Sometimes this is to the detriment of ourselves and our communities. Most often, however, it's just a price we have to pay in order to keep things from collapsing. 

But as systems, large and small, grow increasingly more insane and untenable, so do the comportment standards of speech. The disconnect between America's reality and the image Americans have of themselves has never been more plainly obvious, and so striving for situational equanimity is no longer good enough. We can't just pretend cops aren't racist and the economy isn't run by venal retards or that the government places any value on the life of its citizens. There's too much evidence that contradicts all that, and the evidence is too omnipresent. There's too many damn internet videos, and only so many of them can be cast as Russian disinformation. So, sadly, we must abandon our old ways of communicating and embrace instead systems that are even more unstable, repressive, and insane than the ones that were previously in place.

Until very, very recently, nuance and big-picture, balanced thinking were considered signs of seriousness, if not intelligence. Such considerations were always exploited by shitheads to obfuscate things that otherwise would have seemed much less ambiguous, yes, but this fact alone does not mitigate the potential value of such an approach to understanding the world--especially since the stuff that's been offered up to replace it is, by every worthwhile metric, even worse.

So let's not pretend I'm Malcolm Gladwell or some similarly slimy asshole seeking to "both sides" a clearcut moral issue. Let's pretend I am me. Flash back to about a year ago, when there was real, widespread, and sustained support for police reform. Remember that? Seems like forever ago, man, but it was just last year... anyhow, now, remember what happened? Direct, issues-focused attempts to reform policing were knocked down. Blotted out. Instead, we were told two things: 1) we had to repeat the slogan ABOLISH THE POLICE, and 2) we had to say it was actually very good and beautiful and nonviolent and valid when rioters burned down poor neighborhoods.

Now, in a relatively healthy discourse, it might have been possible for someone to say something like "while I agree that American policing is heavily violent and racist and requires substantial reforms, I worry that taking such an absolutist point of demanding abolition and cheering on the destruction of city blocks will be a political non-starter." This statement would have been, in retrospect, 100000000% correct. But could you have said it, in any worthwhile manner? If you had said something along those lines, what would the fallout had been? Would you have lost friends? Your job? Would you have suffered something more minor, like getting yelled at, told your opinion did not matter? Would your acquaintances still now--a year later, after their political project has failed beyond all dispute--would they still defame you in "whisper networks," never quite articulating your verbal sins but nonetheless informing others that you are a dangerous and bad person because one time you tried to tell them how utterly fucking self-destructive they were being? It is undeniably clear that last year's most-elevated voices were demanding not reform but catharsis. I hope they really had fun watching those immigrant-owned bodegas burn down, because that’s it, that will forever be remembered as the most palpable and consequential aspect of their shitty, selfish movement. We ain't reforming shit. Instead, we gave everyone who's already in power a blank check to fortify that power to a degree you and I cannot fully fathom.

But, oh, these people knew what they were doing. They were good little boys and girls. They have been rewarded with near-total control of the national discourse, and they are all either too guilt-ridden or too stupid to realize how badly they played into the hands of the structures they were supposedly trying to upend.

And so left-liberalism is now controlled by people whose worldview is equal parts superficial and incoherent. This was the only possible outcome that would have let the system continue to sustain itself in light of such immense evidence of its unsustainability without resulting in reform, so that's what has happened.

But... okay, let's take a step back. Let's focus on what I wanted to talk about when I started this.

I came across a post today from a young man who claimed that his high school English department head had been removed from his position and had his tenure revoked for refusing to remove three books from classrooms. This was, of course, fallout from the ongoing debate about Critical Race Theory. Two of those books were Marjane Satropi's Persepolis and, oh boy, The Diary of Anne Frank. Fuck. Jesus christ, fuck.

Now, here's the thing... When Persepolis was named, I assumed the bannors were anti-CRT. The graphic novel does not deal with racism all that much, at least not as its discussed contemporarily, but it centers an Iranian girl protagonist and maybe that upset Republican types. But Anne Frank? I'm sorry, but the most likely censors there are liberal identiarians who believe that teaching her diary amounts to centering the suffering of a white woman instead of talking about the One Real Racism, which must always be understood in an American context. The super woke cult group Black Hammer made waves recently with their #FuckAnneFrank campaign... you'd be hard pressed to find anyone associated with the GOP taking a firm stance against the diary since, oh, about 1975 or so.

So which side was it? That doesn't matter. What matters is, I cannot find out.

Now, pro-CRT people always accuse anti-CRT people of not knowing what CRT is, and then after making such accusations they always define CRT in a way that absolutely is not what CRT is. Pro-CRTers default to "they don't want  students to read about slavery or racism." This is absolutely not true, and absolutely not what actual CRT concerns itself with. Slavery and racism have been mainstays of American history curriucla since before I was born. Even people who barely paid attention in school would admit this, if there were any more desire for honesty in our discourse. 

My high school history teacher was a southern "lost causer" who took the south's side in the Civil War but nonetheless provided us with the most descriptive and unapologetic understandings of slavery's brutalities I had heard up until that point. He also unambiguously referred to the nuclear attacks on Hiroshmia and Nagasaki as "genocidal." Why? Because most people's politics are idiosyncratic, and because you cannot genuinely infer a person to believe one thing based on their opinion of another, tangentially related thing. The totality of human understanding used to be something open-minded people prided themselves on being aware of, believe it or not...

This is the problem with CRT. This is is the motivation behind the majority of people who wish to ban it. It’s not because they are necessarily racist themselves. It’s because they recognize, correctly, that the now-ascendant frames for understanding social issues boils everything down to a superficial patina that denies not only the realities of the systems they seek to upend but the very humanity of the people who exist within them. There is no humanity without depth and nuance and complexities and contradictions. When you argue otherwise, people will get mad and fight back. 

And this is the most bitter irony of this idiotic debate: it was never about not wanting to teach the sinful or embarrassing parts of our history. That was a different debate, one that was settled and won long ago. It is instead an immense, embarrassing overreach on behalf of people who have bullied their way to complete dominance of their spheres of influence within media and academe assuming they could do the same to everyone else. Some of its purveyors may have convinced themselves that getting students to admit complicity in privilege will prevent police shootings, sure. But I know these people. I’ve spoken to them at length. I’ve read their work. The vast, vast majority of them aren’t that stupid. The point is to exert control. The point is to make sure they stay in charge and that nothing changes. The point is failure. 

[lan-barbie]

Hello! I hope it's okay for me to ask you about this here - I didn't want to "comment dumb" on your not me high school au that you wrote for fun😂 I'm probably getting a bit in my own head about this, but I don't understand why you censored the self harm mention in the A/N, since ao3 has a really good filtering system w the tags/doesn't really do censorship the way tumblr for example does. To me it seems like you did a really nice job of warning for it, and treating it respectfully, but not saying the words makes it seem like a slur - like you shouldn't generally discuss it. however it does nothing for people who might be triggered by it. we will most likely recognise any "slang" version of the term that there's ever been. It kind of bugs me, since that "tabooness" was a big part of why it personally took me a long time to talk about my own experience with sh which was ultimately what really helped me recover because i destigmatised it for myself. maybe you have a reason and I'd love to hear your thought process about it - but it's such a sensitive topic so if you don't want to answer this I get it. Thank you for sharing the fic in any case, I really found it very sweet and have enjoyed it in the post-final wallowing 💜💜💜

Oh-- Most definitely I would have never gassed you for something like this. Talking about my experience with SH, i only censored the large word in my A/N, because it's like the first thing ppl see and in a story you can rather build up to say the word. I didn't wanna like immediately trigger someone in my A/N

For more my experience w/ sh you can keep reading :-)!

A little more personal - All of Black's character backstory involving sh and White's experience is straight from my own experience. I suffer terribly with sh, it's like my horrible habit I can't get rid of.

my senior year of hs I had bandcamp coming up. I was so freaking stressed about it and I went super maniac and just did my usually sh to calm down. Then i swear to God dread consumed because I realized I had to wear short sleeves because our camp is in the summer. Which my mania said 'yep, we're done. time to go!' and I tried to ya know -argh- myself that night.

I told my older sister the next morning, I took a very large amount of medication and it made me super sick and also insanely calm. I got medically instituted and I was PISSED. My boyfriend at the time had no clue, my phone got taken because I was texting my best friend terrible stuff. It was shitty, and I wanted to leave, because I never thought my sh was that bad... I had a terrible set of internet friends that egged me on and I just wanted to stop everything. It was while I was locked away that I realized that a lot of people cared about me. I just remember laying in my room just sobbing my eyes out with a photograph of my mom and sister in my arms, vowing I was going to get better for them.

First them, then myself.

It was in my journey that truly opened my eyes. I got really into death, caring for the dead and embalming. I was already really into gore because of my sh, and it was when I started realizing that it wasn't a fascination with blood and nasty stuff-- it was death. I kind of signed my ass up for mortuary school for a last resort, because I honestly didn't think I was going to live that long. It ended up being a super good decision, I love my job, caring for those mourning and dressing those to be viewed.

Just sometimes I'll get someone on my table, young people, my age, and I think to myself-- That could of been you bitch. Aren't you glad ur not dead in a ditch somewhere? It's harsh, but I'm normally super harsh on myself.

I still cut, I won't lie. I get in moods and it calms me, but it sucks, because I can't rid of the habit.

I think because I am revisiting a lot of my school experiences and projecting Black's character as a angry-version of myself, it's how it sounds so realistic, but still hold a joke because it's a funny joke to me. I think there are two types of sh ppl, the one's that can joke and the other that can't-- or is scared to. I am just one of those people that can read myself to filth and I put this trait on Black, because he just feels like the type of self depricating people.

It's a little different from both an outside pov and inside pov. In the Black/Gram fic, there is very speific part that talks about Black sh and -ARGH- himself from Gram while not truly talking about in Black's pov, because from an outsider pov Gram is hurt by this. Scared for Black while Black pov he could care less. He struggled with this for years and from me I never truly focus on my coping. It's just there and it's dumb but I do it. He's getting help and he still doesn't see it as a bad thing, which it is. I'm not saying do it lol.

My advice to you anon, from someone who has hit rock bottom and still sometimes will hit it, there's only up from there. Celebrate succession and don't dwell on failing if you do slip up. Su su na :-)!

-Barbie <3

[kamari333]

Got tagged by @starsgivemehp for this meme!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I'll go backwards from last update, if thats okay? First paragraph of each first chapter...

mind the tags and be responsible <3

iNVaDeR FeLL: The Nightmare Begins :: The Irken Empire (which had retained its name even after the shift in management brought about by the events of Operation Impending Doom I) was more alive than it had been in years. Signs replayed message after message redirecting convention-goers how and where to attend the Great Assigning in the Main Convention Hall on Conventia, one of the many planets conquered and repurposed for the good of the Empire. The teleporter ring was blazing almost as brightly as it once did before OID1, only this time, it brought to the surface not Irkens, but Monsters; creatures of every shape and size. They came not only from the 'kingdom' that had overtaken Irk (they called themselves 'Fell'), but those from the 'kingdoms' of conquered worlds as well, which had been expeditiously subjugated in a fashion worthy of the Irken Empire.

How Dance Got a Picture of Lust Covered in Kittens :: "there's sammaches in th' fridge," Red mumbled, feeling the lunchbox lid click shut under his claws. "'r if ya want some'n lighter, there's soup in th' freezer. just gotta nuke it..."

Burlesque Noir :: Lust peeked around the curtain to look out at the crowd, as he had done so many times before the last few days. The speakeasy was full and vibrant and alive as it was every night, as swanky a joint as Grillby could make it and still keep it safe. As packed as it was, however, Lust didn't see any sign of his favorite patron.

It Could be Worse :: Life... Could be worse.

An Anthology of Dreams :: Sans was at his desk, as always, analyzing his latest attempt at a synthetic soul compound. His last two-thousand-and-twenty trials had been devastating failures, but even Dr Gaster was intrigued by his steady progress.

The EMV Anthology :: Red had a love-hate relationship with the holiday season.

An Anthology of Nightmares :: Sans stumbled out of his room just in time to escape. He had no idea what was coming, he only knew his years of fighting for his life underground was screaming that he had to move his bony ass if he wanted to live. Just as he crossed the threshold of his bedroom into the hallway, there was a loud crash. When he looked back, his whole room was gone.

A Growing Future :: Red stumbled out of the house, squinting at the glare of sunrise peaking like a glinting knife over the neighbor's rooftops. The air had a crisp chill to it, made all the more shocking by his lack of a shirt, but he knew it would be overly warm in only a few hours, and there was a lot of work to do.

Kinktober 2020 : Kamari333 Edition :: HI FOLKS! Beyond this point you will find 72.5k words of pure, unadulterated, self indulgent, Undertail-themed SIN, ~57.7k of which was prewritten in September, the rest in October, all written and published for Kinktober2020. This year, due to conflicting schedules, the sin was written in September, to be published on time in October. Please note that there may be plenty of typos, although I will/have since gone back and fixed some of them since I'm garbage and read my own stuff, and this year I have been indulging in the use of my lovely betas!

A Night in the Woods :: Red bit back a curse as he once again had to detangle his phalanges from the flimsy tent material. Stupid-ass cheap plastic bullshit, so thin he could breathe on it wrong and watch it disintegrate, but the packaging said it somehow kept out wind and rain, and that was honestly all he could have asked for. That, and perhaps that the piece of shit stop snagging on his claws every five god damn mother fucking seconds, fuck-

Arum :: The room was pitch black, save for a nearly indiscernible ambiance that glowed low and dim like the twilight right before the true darkness of night. The walls and floor of the room oozed with a viscous substance that stank of fermentation and rubber. At the end of the room, upon a throne of black stone, sat a diminutive figure from whence the slime seemed to originate, itself drenched in it to the point of blackness save for the singular glow of one lavender eyelight, shining like poison in the darkness.

Poignance :: Sans Blueberry pulled on his modified gloves, rolling his shoulders to make sure his makeshift pauldrons were cinched tight enough. The scalemail he wore under his chestplate made a soft noise, not quite the clink of chainmail, but not quite the hiss of cloth or leather either. He fingered at the tiny plates over his torso before pulling his bandanna back on around his neck, grateful to Alphys again for donating her sheds, and Undyne for reinforcing them so they wouldn't turn to dust.

Those Feelings at the Bottom of a Bottle :: Ink carefully managed his supply of emotions, keeping his usual level of orange (excitement) and yellow (happiness) as he made his way back through the house. The crowd of people, with their ever-vivid colors and gold-glittered eyes, made it easy to blend in and keep himself inconspicuous to the ever watchful guardian. It was like a game of hide-and-seek: Ink hid, and Dream looked for anything potentially amiss.

A Skeleton Plague Doctor in Lord Dream's Court :: Falsi woke up from a restful sleep on his examination table, shifting under his thick black blanket (one of the few luxuries he was allowed, usually kept hidden away in his bedroom with all the other small luxuries he had managed to keep, like his collection of skulls, his beast fur pelt, his mask, and the tapes and videos of a more personal nature he had collected over the years). He slid down to the floor, thankful once again for the mercy of a windowless apartment, as he folded his blanket and stumbled into the adjacent room: his bedroom.

Bad Day :: Edge was used to getting ominous messages from Red at odd times. It was just the nature of any relationship Red was involved in.

Burlesque (Censored) & (Uncensored) :: Of all the bars Red frequented in Ebott City, this was his favorite.

Happily Ever Laughter :: It was almost midnight. Papyrus had been sitting at Muffet's bar, enjoying his third (or was it fourth? Fifth? Hard to say) glass of Spider Cider, when he got the call. He pulled out his phone, surprised. That was his brother's ringtone. He flipped it open. "heya, bro. wazzup?"

Egg on Arrival :: Slinky could feel it in his bones: the hum of his future, the tremble of his soul. Even if it was still cold as balls outside the nest, his internal clock said it was spring.

I think I'm Paranoid :: Red came back into the livingroom, popcorn in one hand and a six-pack of coke in the other. He lingered, taking in the scene in front of him.

Another Me :: Lust fiddled with the TV remote idly as he mentally went through the available channels in his head. He didn't dare cable surf, not when He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was so prominent, and Pink's relentless job searching made his schedule so erratic that he could show up at any minute. The sight of the blackout curtain over the bookshelf (which served as the house's movie collection's honored display) reminded him of how understanding Papyrus had been of the need for temporary censorship.

...oh my some of these are terrible for catching the readers attention XD (why are all my hooks like 3 paragraphs in gdi).

EDIT: i forgot to tag folks! um... @deku-lily @silverryu25 @bonerpuns @msmkcreates @jellyficsnfucks @jellyfish-swims-through-gold @tkwolf45 @nanenna @dana-chan325 @skerbaderbadoo @keelywolfe ...im terrible with names and can't remember anyone else's handles ;-;