#and you're able bodied just do me a favour and: don't lmao

[eremin0109]

So I just played the entire Majima introduction scene in Kiwami 2 and suffice to say I'm having some t h o t s. After having to sit through that awkward af scene where Kaoru undresses in front of Kiryu and then has a heart-to-heart with him about wanting to find out about her past (like seriously? if y'all wanted show them bonding just do THAT?? Do they need to sexualise that encounter like fucking look at the way the camera positions on Kaoru's breasts while she's genuinely talking about wanting to find out the truth. men at sega are truly limp dicked bastards istg) it was such a breath of fresh air to FINALLY go and see Majima.

Like at the Tojo HQ I almost screamed when Kiryu found the demonfire knife in Terada's backroom and was all like "I'd recognise that dagger anywhere..." like we know baby. You've got scars on your body the shape of the dagger's edge, of course you'd recognise it! And then the conviction with which he says that Majima is the only one who can save the clan from falling apart when Yayoi and Kashiwagi are both apprehensive about it is just...*chef's kiss*.

The actual meeting scene takes the cake of course. Kiryu brings that damn dagger with him to Purgatory and tosses it to the ground like some sort of a mating call to Majima, like he knows that's the only way he'll actually respond. And then what follows is just Sayama being obviously third-wheeled the entire time these gay bitches are in proximity to each other. Like I'm pretty sure the use of the very possessive sounding "my Kiryu-chan" definitely raised her eyebrows. (Not to mention, his dialogue with Sayama comes off more or less catty. The nicknames he calls her feel patronizing, like he dismisses her being anything more than another arm candy. Of course that is until the "I'm a cop" reveal lmao, that sobers him up pretty fucking fast).

And of course then Kiryu is more or less begging Majima to come back to the Tojo, bowing his head low in reverence and desperation and a bit of selfishness too because he KNOWS Majima won't be able to say no. Not to him, HIS Kiryu-chan. And Majima surely just reinforces that fact by saying "Ya know I can't bear seeing ya like this..." They're both pretty fucking aware of the fact that Majima has a big ol' soft spot for Kiryu (and now, thanks to all of this shit happening right in front of her salad, Sayama does too).

But the real highlight of the scene comes after, during Kiryu's entry into the coliseum where Majima is just so shamelessly checking him out through the cage it's not even subtle. But we all know that already.

What we don't know is the fact that its Kiryu who looks at him first and he just keeps looking at Majima's direction after winning against Di Sciuva:

against Gary Buster Holmes:

Kiryu knows Majima's eyes have constantly been on him throughout the tournament. And so it's not even entirely subtle that he's making sure Majima's having a good time because all of this is basically a show Kiryu's putting on for his eyes, hoping it'd be impressive enough to convince him to come back to Tojo clan. But I'm willing to bet anything that some part of Kiryu thoroughly enjoyed that shit too.

Everyone and their mother knows what comes next, gay sex in a caged fight, but still I will never get tired of going absolutely bonkers over Majima's entry scene. Everything about it is just so powerful and sensual and just so fucking cool.

It SCREAMS reciprocation. Majima is basically like 'Kiryu-chan gave me such a spectacular show it'd be such a shame not to return the favour' and then he just presents himself like THAT to Kiryu, in all his glory and asks him all smugly whether he likes the fucking view. That was so cunty of him UGH.

and Kiryu is just so fucking amused and he VERY MUCH VISIBLY likes what he's seeing. his body language, the way his voice drips with something dangerously close to fondness, that damn li'l smile like Kazuma Kiryu you're so fucking gay for this man it's embarrassing~

Their post-fight scene has a different fanbase altogether, because goddamnit Kiryu do be looking at Majima like he wants to wreak him all ways to Sunday.

This is one of the few times through the 3 Yakuza games I've played that I've genuinely found Kiryu to be smokin' hot. Like I don't think he's EVER smirked like that at anyone, much less a female love interest. There's just so much going on on his face (bless the dragon engine graphics) and good GOD every bit of it is downright filthy.

He fucked that man, hard (or got dicked down within an inch of his life). PERIODT.

Sjsjdjdjrowjehejkeje I don't think we talk enough about Majima here. The way he looks down then slowly back up to Kiryu while a little smile plays on his lips, the way he lowers his voice to that sultry af tone and he invites Kiryu for a drink, almost as if it's an inside thing for them both, as if it's code for "hey, wanna fuck nasty on my desk?" And Kiryu, for once in his life, picks right up on that, and then fucking smirks like THAT because of course he wants to fuck, what kind of a question is that?

Like there's just no other feasible way to explain this interaction. Y'all know if this exact scene was between Kiryu and Sayama, they'd have been all over each other in the next scene.

But because it's SEGA's two leading men, they settled for the most obvious insinuation possible that it just makes it way more horny than if they'd just straight away fucked. I said what I said.

[purplesurveys]

1871

Everything: Categorised survey by xflirtykaosx

Z o o s

What's the first animal you go to see at the zoo? Well I've never really...looked forward when it comes to zoos. As a kid I found it cool to see eagles I guess but that's it?

Which animal[s] don't you ever go to see at the zoos? I've never avoided any animal in particular.

What's the strangest or rarest creature you've seen at a zoo? Nothing comes to mind. I've rarely visited zoos all my life.

What animal is at a zoo that really, in your opinion, shouldn't be? All of them, I guess. Zoos just rub me off the wrong way.

Have you ever been to a zoo with an aquarium/water creature section? I've been to places that are aquariums/ocean parks on their own already.

Do you like zoos or aren't you bothered? I am very bothered by zoos, yeah.

Y e s O r N o

I offer you a cigarette, you say... Sure.

I offer to buy you an alcoholic drink and you reply... That's very nice of you, thanks!

I have some Weed, do you want any? Nope.

Got some harder stuff too. Interested? Nope.

I offer you $5,0000 to kill a world leader. What's your response? 5000 or 50,000?

You sleep with me and I'll get you a record/modeling deal. Yes or No? That's creepy and neither of those sounds appealing.

W h e n . . .

Did you last cry? Last night. Just came across several posts that hit too close to home and unlocked feelings that I buried long ago.

Do you normally laugh the most? When I'm with my sister or with Angela/Hans; or when I watch BTS videos that are funny.

Do you forget things more? I have my forgetful moments at work.

Do you usually get up during the weekend? Anywhere between 7 to 9:30 AM. More or less the same time I wake up on weekdays since my body is used to the habit already.

Do you usually go to bed during the week? On weekdays, the latest I allow myself to stay up would be 2:30 AM. Any later than that I'd be fucked in the morning.

Did you last forget something important? Can't remember tbh. I forget a lot of little things, but rarely if it comes to big big big significant stuff.

Do you feel the most secure? Just whenever I'm on my own. I like and find comfort in my own company.

Do you ask for advice? When even my own pep talks or solutions don't work anymore.

W h y . . .

Do you think you see the world the way you do? What a deep question, sorry I'm gonna give such a basic answer lmao. Just my experiences and the stories I hear from the people around me, I guess. My perception of the world is shaped from the way I've encountered it.

Do you think you were put on this earth? I don't think there's a real purpose to it. I think of it as I'm just a cell that managed to be formed, and it's up to me to make the most out of the life I've been given and do it happy.

Do you favour your favourite colour? It reminds me of BTS.

Do you like the clothes you are wearing? It's CM Punk's WWE return shirt, and it personally means a lot to be able to own it because I've stuck around long enough to have been with him throughout his entire journey, and him coming back to the place we all thought he'd never come back to continues to be such an unbelievable feeling haha.

Do you lose your temper at people? I cannot handle stupidity, laziness, or slow people, and that's when I tend to be the most impatient.

Can or can't people empathise with others? Differences in the way we've lived life.

W h e r e . . .

Do your grandparents live? My father's parents live somewhere south; my grandma on my mom's side lives nearby.

Do you want to visit this year? Just anywhere abroad, really; and I should be able to tick that off my list soon as we're headed for Vietnam in a couple of weeks. We'll be visiting Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang.

Do you feel the most complete? Museums.

Did you go yesterday? I went to North Caloocan for the first time for work, and what a shitshow of a city. I'm so glad I live where I live.

Can you go when you're in trouble? Not sure what this is asking...? I'm 26. I never really...get in trouble anymore lol.

Does your best friend live? Just nearby.

W h o . . .

Could you tell anything to? Angela.

Has hurt you the most in life so far? My mom and my ex.

Has made you laugh in the last 24 hours? My sister.

Has made you question something in the last week? Ange, for being a terrible coworker and for making me ask myself why I ever agreed to work with her given the warnings everyone gave. Idk, I just wanted to give her another chance and I was genuinely rooting for her...

Idk. I typically have infinite patience at work because I know everyone's doing their best and the last thing I resort to is to be pissed at any one of my own teammates. But she's clearly not doing her best and is checked out as all hell and it's making the rest of the team who are doing their best look bad, so I've given myself the go signal to be a little harsh on her.

Do you think, outside family, has made the biggest impact on your life? My ex.

Never fails to cheer you up? Angela.

Gets on your nerves the most? Ange, clearly. And my brother.

W h a t . . .

Age do you wish you were? I don't really think about this. I'm fine at the present, where I am and how old I am currently.

Colour is the nearest book to you? There are no books near me. I'm somewhere up north now for a bit of a staycation, and I meant to bring The Midnight Library with me but ultimately forgot about it since I was rushing this morning :(((

Memory sticks out the most? There isn't one in particular. Different memories pop up for me depending on my mood or what my brain feels like remembering.

Subject did you dislike in school? Chemistry, calculus, trigonometry, and philosophy.

Dish/meal would you like to eat right now? Tuna sashimi would be great.

Sense of yours is the strongest? Touch.

Book has impacted you on an emotional/psychological level? None.

Word do you always misspell? Rhythm.

Decade were you born in? 90s.

V i o l e n c e

Is it ever okay to hit a child? When is this? Never. I dislike kids lol, but realistically I hate the idea of physically harming them. That's how every Filipino kid until the 2010s grew up and I will be the first to tell you it doesn't fucking work. I've seen my cousins get lashed with belts, whipped with sandals, or harshly slapped and 100% of that bullshit was ineffective.

Do you think violence is a huge problem in the world? Sure.

Are you afraid of going out at night incase you get attacked? Yeah. I'm a woman in the cat calling capital of the world. You'll never see me walking at night.

Do you live in an area with a reputation of being violent? Fortunately, no.

Do you think violence is appropriate when someone gives you verbal abuse? Not always; things like this are never black and white. But, say, someone's endured abuse for a time and finally decides to snap back – situations like that, I would understand and empathize with.

Someone hits you, what do you do? Ideally I would hit back but it really depends on the situation. I could always freeze – which has happened before.

Have you ever been "beaten up"? Did you report it? Nope.

Do you think violence in rap music influences the nation to violent acts? No, the same way violence in video games does not necessarily mean those acts are carried over to real life. I was 5 when I first learned how to go up parking lots on GTA and go on rocket launcher killing sprees to everyone walking below; I turned out fine lol.

If so, list a few songs you feel show an example of this:

Do you think violence in video/computer games influences the nation also? No.

If so, list a few games that you feel show an example of this:

Do you think that violence in films influences the nation? Example[s]? No for me, because I feel like in shows or movies they add inaccuracies on purpose anyway so that no one can imitate stupid shit. Like how they purposely fucked up the scene order of making meth on Breaking Bad so that anyone who tries to copy it in real life will turn out wrong.

U n d e r n e a t h I t A l l

Do you truly think you are better than someone else? No. If anything I feel like everyone can do at least one thing better than I can. But I've learned to be alright with that; it's made me learn how to live a calmer life while not losing my competitiveness.

Is there something you fear above anything else? What is it? Losing my loved ones to death. Because where do they go? Were they in pain? Are they watching over from another dimension that I just can't perceive, like I like to believe? things like that I hate thinking about but can't stop thinking about either.

Are you in any shape or form, racist? I am wary of the mainland Chinese, but that also comes in the context of those people being bullies to Filipinos, those people infiltrating my country, and from personally experiencing their rudeness.

Are you in any shape or form, sexist? Nope.

Are you discriminative in any other way? Elaborate. I try not to be, but I'll sometimes encounter one too many booboos or annoying tendencies of a particular group that I can't help but lose my trust and neutral impression of them – Christians.

Can you honestly say you've got a good heart and mean well? For the most part. I'm not a saint, and that will sometimes show intentionally or otherwise. Other times, others are the first to be mean and I typically like to respond to that with the same meanness. So, not a saint LOL.

Are you more selfish or selfless? Idk, a little bit of both.

Do you believe you make life what it is? Yes. Sometimes I make it beyond what I think it's giving me at the moment, because life is short and you gotta learn how to be extra and do everything you wanna do and not be shy. But for the most part I've been more accepting of life and do what I can with what is around me.

Is there someone you truly hate? Why do you hate them? Not anyone in real life but I'm pretty sure I'm capable of physically harming animal abusers. I almost got started with a dude 9 years ago but my parents restrained me because they thought I was making a scene.

Do you feel comfortable around the opposite sex? How about the same sex? Guys are fine as long as they are not creepy. I'm comfortable around women.

Do you consider yourself wise/intelligent/knowledgeable? Booksmart, I guess. I'm not very confident in other areas lol.

Do you respect other peoples choices/right to freedom of speech? Sure...it just becomes annoying when this becomes the excuse to be a gigantic asshole. Aka Filipino Christians and their agenda to always be the Main Character in every narrative because it's Their Beliefs That Always Have To Be Followed.

Are you afraid of getting older? No.

Do you know what drives you in this world? Money.

Can you honestly say you'd risk your life for someone else? I would.

Are you a children/animal/people person, or not at all? Animal. I don't care much for the other two, hah.

Do you have any hormone problems? How do these affect you? No.

Do you take things people say on a personal level? Sometimes! I can be sensitive but this is a Me thing. I need to learn and I've also been told to learn how to not always take things personally.

T r a v e l

Have you ever been to England, if don't live there? No.

Any other part of the UK? No.

Have you been to more than 5 US States if live in the US? No.

Have you visited any country in Africa? Name the ones you've been to? No.

Have you visited any country in Australasia? Name the ones you've been to? No.

Have you visited any country in Europe? Name the ones you've been to? No.

Have you visited any country in Asia? Name the places you've been to? I live in the Philippines; but I've also been to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and China. Vietnam in the next two weeks as well.

Have you visited North/South America? Name the places you've been? No.

Do you like travelling? Where is the best place you've been? Yes. I really enjoyed Bangkok – it felt like being back home, but with MUCH more shopping and a wider variety of street food so it was like, a lot of fun without the whole culture shock adjustment haha. Japan was nice too because the weather felt great and everyone was very very kind.

The worst place visited? Calling it the worst is a BIG stretch since it was nowhere near that state, but maybe Shanghai is the closest fit? I liked the urban-ness it offered, but tbh I don't feel like it was meant to be a tourist city. It's great for shopping and if you specifically set out to buy high-end stuff, but if you're not there for that, I'm not quite sure what you can do there. Then again we also weren't there for a long time so it's also on us for not having the chance to explore the place further.

Do you prefer to backpack, stay in a hotel, a cabin or summerhouse? A homey condo Airbnb in the middle of the city is the way to go! I find hotels too fancy, but I also don't want to be in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar place. If I was traveling in a different country, I want my essentials to be just a short walk away.

Who do you normally take with you travelling? Phone, laptop (just in case I need to bring it out for work lol), power banks, chargers, wallet, Airpods, basic makeup, toiletries, and if I'm going overseas then obviously my passport.

T e c h n o l o g y

Do you own a laptop computer? Yes.

PC? No.

XBox? Never had one as we've always preferred Playstation.

Nintendo DS? My sister had one. I borrowed it sometimes but I was never hooked since I much preferred to play with the Wii.

Wii? Yes, spent hours on that thing.

Playstation 2? We did have one, yeah.

Mobile/Cell? Yes. Kind of need to treat it as an essential these days.

House Phone? We still have one since we have a few relatives who still prefer to talk using the house phone + some businesses will still use your landline as a means of communication.

What's your favourite form of technology? I mean, the lengths the smartphone has come has been pretty mind-blowing to watch. What do you mean this tiny thing can hold tens of thousands of photos, can be used for vlogging, can accommodate Powerpoints, and can carry all the app versions of programs that for a very long time you could only use via computer? I would be nowhere without my phone; I definitely use mine for everything.

Do you have Bluetooth on any of your devices? Yeah, they all do.

Wireless connections on your PC and/or laptop? Sure.

Coloured or black and white ink in printer? Are you asking what I prefer or if our printer has these features lol? In any case, our printer has both and I prefer colored.

Do you spend a lot of money on technology? I do when I do buy new gadgets, but it's not often at all.

Do you understand basic technological language? It depends on what you mean by basic technological language lol...

T e l e v i s i o n

What's your favourite show? Quality-wise, Breaking Bad. Rewatch-wise, Friends.

What's your favourite type of show [soap, talk show]? Sitcoms, since I appreciate an easy watch. For K-dramas, I like romcoms or those that take a crack at social commentary.

What about your list of favourite shows? At least for my top 5, it would be Breaking Bad, Friends, Descendants of the Sun, The Crown, and BoJack Horseman.

Least favourite type of show? Crime, mystery, fantasy, scifi.

Why don't you like the above type of show? In the grand scheme of things they're the least likely to be realistic.

Did/do you watch Friends? What's your opinion? I did! And I continue to rewatch it consistently. It's no secret that it's one of my favorites – I've enjoyed most episodes, the cast's dynamic was consistently great, and even after 10-20 rewatches for some episodes the same jokes still make me laugh.

Did/do you watch Smallville? Verdict? I did not watch it.

Did/do you watch Family Guy? Verdict? I watched it sometimes when it was on, but it was never a favorite. I think the biggest factor is that I was too young for the jokes, but even if I watch an episode today I still don't think it'd make me laugh or that the humor would be something up my alley.

What's your favourite talent show? None of them since they're all highly scripted anyway. I do want to get into Street Woman Fighter, though.

What's your favourite sitcom? Friends.

What do you refuse to even bother watching? Game of Thrones, Bridgerton, 13 Reasons Why, HIMYM, Doctor Who.

What TV package do you have? We have a smart TV now, hahaha.

How many channels do you have? Aww.

Do you subscribe to any packages? Which types? Welcome to 2024, survey-maker! Most TVs are smart now lol. That said I'll *kind of* answer this with some of my most frequently used apps instead – YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, Disney+, and Prime.

Do you prefer TV, films or radio? More on vlogs, tbh.

T h e E n d

How do you think the world will end? However the scientists have calculated it to be. Idk there's a lot of legs to it lol so it's hard to summarize everything in one sentence, but I've watched a few visual timelines about this question and I'm pretty much on the same boat.

How far away do you think that will be? Billions of years from now.

Do you see tragedy in the near future? Possibly.

T h o u g h t P r o v o k i n g

Do you believe in aliens? Yes.

Can you imagine a world without music? Being technical I see how that can be possible, but what a miserable prospect that is. Music is its own language, music has been used to express feelings and culture, music has quite literally saved lives. It'd feel like a very big hole if we suddenly lost all music.

What colour would you paint the stars if you could? I'm fine with how they look like from here.

If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself? I dunno. Just my name, I guess. I don't want to draw attention lol

What natural phenomenon do you find the most beautiful? Auroras and eclipses.

What age do you think you are old enough to vote? I'm fine with 18 being the legal age here.

Does the characteristics of your starsign reflect you? Some of it does and some of it does not. Same as with any other sign.

Do you cry usually because you feel hurt, confused, happy or angry? It can be any one of these things. I'm a big crier hahaha.

Would you kill someone who killed a child? No.

How about YOUR child? I think so.

Does learning someone is a different religion to you change your opinion? Like, of them? I have a very complicated relationship with religion. Most beliefs I 100% have no problem with and I embrace the chance to learn from them and hear their culture; but given my consistently negative firsthand experience with Christians, I am wary every time I meet someone who is very serious about that faith.

What is the most beautiful word in the English language? I personally like the word 'poignant.'

What emotion do you feel the strongest right now? Nervous-but-trying-to-run-away-from-it would be most accurate.

The last film you watched - how did it leave you feeling? Excited. (The last movie I saw was The Menu, haha)

Love of a Partner or a true friendship? Friendship.

[sunsetsover]

hello i know i’ve been gone for a couple of weeks and i disappeared without a trace and originally that was because ben’s deafness storyline was bringing back a lot of my own personal experiences that i dealt with when coming to terms with my disability and it was (and still is) really really hard to see what he’s going through and how shitty it is and how badly he’s handling it both because it genuinely is a tough thing to see but also because it reopens all these wounds and gives me anxiety and stresses me out bc reminds me of what i went through and what was easily the toughest and darkest part of my life and obviously that’s no fun to relive lmao

however at this point i’m just staying away bc every time i poke my head in to check what’s going on i’m seeing the most fucked up opinions and takes on the whole thing that it’s actually genuinely making me really angry and upset because the way some of you talk about ben’s disability and situation and specifically the way he’s handling this massive petrifying change in his life speaks volumes about how you view disabled people in real life. because yeah, this is a tv show and ben isn’t real, but things like this happen to people. it happened to ME. and guess what!! i did the exact same fucking thing ben’s doing!!! i isolated myself and felt miserable and got angry and acted out and did stupid shit and hurt the people that cared about!!! and i did that because i was terrified and suffering and hurting and angry!!!! and i’m fucking real!!! i’m a real person and i know for a fact i’m not the only person out there who’s dealt with this kind of thing and reacted in this kind of way. so yeah, you might be sitting behind your fucking keyboards saying all these things about ben being selfish or dramatic or unreasonable or whatever else and think it’s ok because ben’s not a real person but you forget that there are real disabled people reading this shit and potentially internalising those things and feeling like THEY have to deal with their situation in a certain way or that they can’t feel certain things because some able bodied dickhead on tumblr dot com feels like they’re entitled to give their shitty fucking input on how disabled people should react to or deal with their disability - and this apparently means we’re not allowed to break down or be upset or act out because that’s too dramatic!!! ben should just shut up and have his operation right!!!! he should just stop misbehaving and causing so much trouble because it’s inconvenient!!! it’s not fair on callum right!!!!!!

like for some reason some of you cannot see beyond the end of your fucking noses to see that this has absolutely NOTHING to do with callum!!!!!! what the fuck does callum have to do with the fact that ben is having a fucking break down!!!!! what does callum have to do with the fact that ben is scared and acting out in the only way he knows how because he’s desperate to prove he isn’t different and that nothing’s changed and that he can still do the things he’s always done!!!!! callum has so fucking little to do with what ben’s going through at the moment and yet some people cannot look at this horrible situation that ben’s dealing with through anything other than a ballum lens and it fucking REEKS

ben lost his fucking hearing, he’s isolated, he’s feels like he’s lost so much of his self, he’s angry, he’s scared, he’s upset, he’s petrified he’ll never hear his daughter’s voice again - his daughter who got hit by a fucking car because he couldn’t hear it and now he feels like he’ll never be able to look after her or keep her safe the way he should - and yes he’s acting out because of all of that!! that’s what happens when you can’t accept your disability!!! you’re determined to prove you can do what you could before no matter what it costs you!!! and yet i’ve seen MULTIPLE people reduce that to ‘well he shouldn’t do that because it’s unfair and inconvenient for callum’!!!!!!!!!! or ‘ben isn’t putting enough effort into his relationship with callum/thinking about callum’!!!! or ‘this is just angst porn that serves no purpose’!!!!!!!! do you not have a brain in your fucking head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! his brother’s just died!!!!! he’s just become deaf!!!!!!! he can’t fucking hear!!!!!!!!!!! he might never hear again!!!!!!! and is facing major surgery that might not even work!!!!!!!!!!!!! like hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of course he’s struggling and acting out!!!! the fact that so few of you seem to be able to comprehend what’s going on is genuinely worrying

the fact of the matter is that some of you are upset that you don’t have your able bodied ship being all cute and domestic anymore. YOU are the ones who feel inconvenienced or slighted, and you’re projecting that onto callum bc that’s how you can get away w saying this bullshit. bc - and i know this might come as a shock to some of you - when you care about and love someone, you support them when they’re going through such a difficult time. you try to be as understanding as you can. also just look at who callum is as a character. you think he wouldn’t understand ben’s behaviour rn??? like come on!! so maybe it’s YOU that has the problem. maybe it’s YOU that doesn’t like it bc ben’s struggling through this in an ugly (but COMPLETELY valid) way and that’s inconvenient for you bc, whether you’re even aware of it or not, being disabled is an inconvenience. disabled people are hard work. this is just how most able bodied people see disabled people. if you’re reading this and you’re able bodied, you’re not immune from this. you’re not special. like any other prejudice, it’s something you just subconsciously learn and you might not even be aware of. but i’m telling you as a disabled person, the way some of you are speaking abt ben/this storyline tells me everything i need to know about how you view disabled people. so maybe take a step back and ask yourself why you’re saying what you’re saying and why you may feel the way you feel regarding this particular sl. bc for a lot of you, whether you wanna admit it or not, the answer is ableism. 

i didn’t want to make this post bc i don’t LIKE being confrontational!! i wanna be polite and kind and fair!!! but some of you have to understand that when you’re saying some of this shit you’re basically disregarding/making light of/taking the piss out of disabled people and their experiences. maybe you’re not even aware you’re doing it, but that’s exactly what it is. that’s exactly what it comes across as, and that’s exactly what it feels like to read some of the things you post as a disabled person (and it’s not just me - i know for a fact this stuff is affecting other disabled people in this fandom too). it’s upsetting, it’s invalidating, it’s HUMILIATING. and i’m fortunate enough to be a point in my life where i’m at relative peace w my disability, but if this were 5 years ago?? you have no idea how reading some of this shit would have fucked with my head. so the fact that i know there are other disabled people out there reading this stuff and it’s affecting them is more important to me than not starting drama on tumblr dot com. their feelings mean too much to me for me to just sit here and not say anything bc i don’t wanna upset people. some of u need to be upset. it’s the only way you’re gonna learn.

literally all i’m asking is for you to think about the things you say before you post them. ask yourself why you feel a certain way about things. ask yourself if what you wanna say is potentially gonna hurt or upset or insult a disabled person who might be reading it. ask yourself if you just wanna say some bullshit abt ben bc you’re just mad callum isn’t getting more screentime. bc if the answer is yes i promise you your opinion is unhelpful, unneeded and unwanted. so maybe just u know. keep your mouth shut.

[tvitr]

So I finally got a screenshot of Iben's backstory scene and it is just (chef's kiss) bloody awful

Gonna stick it under a spoiler cut because this is obviously taken DIRECT from the book and I know not everybody's read it.

Also I'll probably get long and ranty lmao

Okay let's get started:

Christ on a bike did Dhar Mann write this dialogue?

There's a lot to unpack here but let's just cut to it:

Iben doesn't need to justify.... why she loves her parents.

Or at least, this isn't the way to go around proving she had a good relationship with her parents. I imagine a lot of you are familiar with the phrase "show, don't tell", that is to say, don't spoonfeed your audience information they're capable of gathering themselves. What we have here is spoonfeeding; information that could easily be implied to us through alternative dialogue or notes on Iben's tone or body language rather than just having her dump a load of waffle onto us. It's padding. Fluff.

Also I'm not sure if the original Japanese text was like this or if this is an issue with the way this passage is translated but her dialogue is just so unnatural sounding. Like this doesn't sound like an adult human to me, this sounds like an alien from a planet where feelings are outlawed trying to approximate what love is, or a child describing love to an adult. I get that this is aimed at a younger audience but I'm sure you could drive this message home without her lamenting about how remarkably mundane her parents were.

Because, let's face it, nothing she's describing here demonstrates a particularly strong bond, they're just... normal things most parents would do.

Also this could just be me but is anyone else weirded out how she's focussing on what her parents were like when she was a child? Like she's an adult, why is she thinking about things that happened when she was little? Why not talk about how she rang her dad every evening to talk about their day, or meeting her mom every weekend for coffee, or toss in a few tragedy tropes about how their 20th wedding anniversary was coming up when they died and she was arranging a surprise party for them. Just because you're writing for children, doesn't mean your characters have to talk like children damn.

Moving on...

Whoa calm your tits there Elsa he's like 14

Not only do we have some delightfully awful dialogue again (seriously, I know this book is aimed at a younger audience but I think children are smart enough to grasp the idea of "death = bad") but it's completely redundant dialogue. Leo already acknowledges that what's happened to Iben is terrible; we don't need Iben to reiterate this. Regardless of whether Leo is able to relate to her or not, the point doesn't need repeating, especially not like this. Because even on the off chance that this dialogue was actually good, there's just so much of it. Like I feel like this whole scene could be trimmed down significantly, and especially given how we're writing a character talking about the sudden death of a loved one, shortening this down and not having it be so damn overly-worded would work in its favour. Like this:

"What?" he said, rattled by her accusing tone, "do you hate your parents or something?" "No, I-" "Then why do you want to forget them?" "Because they're dead." Leo recoiled slightly, suddenly feeling guilty for his earlier tone. "Oh... that's..."

I dunno, I feel like cutting straight to the chase works a lot better with this particular situation. Iben's parent's death was sudden after all, having her reveal it in a very blunt manner serves as catching Leo and subsequently the audience (even if you were already aware of her backstory because you played the game) off guard.

And I didn't get screenshots of it but I feel Balan should've at least called Iben out for snapping at Leo, like even a "hey I know you're hurting but it's not okay to take your pain out on a 15 year old boy who didn't do anything wrong" would've done.

Also side note, but some of the names in the book are just... way too long and unwieldy. Again, not sure if this is a translation problem and the nicknames are snappier in the Japanese version, but a character's most used name should be like... 2/3 syllables max. Not 7.

Anyways, if you've reached this far then thank you! For reading All This Shit by Me 😂

[punkscowardschampions]

Ali & Tess

A nice pre-Christmas argument

Tess joined the chat 2 hours ago Ali: Mamacita! How's tricks? Did you manage to get the gum out of Rocky's hair in the end or is he rocking a no.1 rn? Tess: It's hat season he'll be fine. It's your da you need to worry about if he doesn't get those bloody Christmas decs out Ali: At least you'll be saved the toxic fumes of the nit shampoo, like. I'll make him some earmuffs, ears like that, he'll get frostbite. Ali: Aww, leave off, he's got a bad back, like 😜 Ali: Caleb can come help with the heavy shit, he's like an ox, I'll be creative director, obvs, I've got the eye, he's got the body Ali: 😉 Tess: I hope you've got plenty of wool 'cause the dog got to ours and its a bloody state. He'll have a bad head to go with it in a minute. Nah you're alright bab Tommy's offered and Drew might as well make himself useful now he's sniffing round again. Ali: Well, there goes your classic jumper presents! Have to brave dem crowds, fight a bitch for the last...idk, what do kids even want these days? Last I heard from Rock mutant turtles and power rangers were back in vogue but they're probably out again, its been a week or so 😏 Contrary fuckers, eh? I was NEVER that bad, was I? Bet you wish you could relieve those easy years raising me, the dream child 😇 Ali: Alright then, though I wouldn't recommend confining Tommo and Drew to a space as small as the loft, T is gunning for him Ali: aren't we all? but hey 🤷 see if those muscles are just for show ay Tess: He's still on about that slime bollocks. Supposedly this stuff blows bubbles and expands or whatever. All I'm bothered about is that it says it ain't sticky. Better sodding not be. Ha! If you weren't being a little demon you were trying to raise them. Easy ain't the word love! Tess: I'll put Drew at the bottom of the ladder. Maybe some of the boxes'll land on his head. Knock some sense into the lad. Ro too seeing as she's never far. Ali: That shit is such a rip-off though, I could make him some dead cheap, tell him he can have it whatever colour, whatever random shit he wants in it, and no one else will have the same at School Ali: Save your money for the feast 💃'cos I won't be absolutely stuffed from my first xmas dinner, like, nah Ali: and demons need love too, ma, just ask Ro Ali: will he be joining us for meal numero dos? cos i don't think i can stomach 2 helpings of him in one day tbh Tess: Tell him yourself. I tried to make some with him in the summer and the ungrateful little sod wouldn't even come sit up the table. His loss. They loved it at work. Tess: Don't. That girl'll do me in one of these days . I'm surviving on spite by now 'cause he'll be eating with us over my dead body. Caleb's lot are welcome to keep him. Ali: I'm tellin ya get the kid some prescription speed, it'll do him wonders 😂 Well, that's another idea fucked...tis the season! Ali: I know, it ain't even funny at this point. Ali: You know she's gonna wanna go see him, yeah? You'll never get her to sit through games and shit telly once she's picked at her veg Ali: Its like kid swap up in here Tess: If I can get some what's on her plate into her instead of just the dog I'll be laughing. Fuck's sake. Kids who'd celebrate 'em? Grandkids on the other hand. Mary'd have been proper buzzing for that. Ali: Oi, woman! I'm right here Ali: and the giver of majority grandkids, so, think on, love Tess: You're even stevens kiddo. Keep it that way 'til you're done with uni yeah? Call that the xmas gift that keeps giving. Ali: yeah but a twofer ain't the same, is it? 😜 don't make promises i can't keep, ma Ali: engineering students are so fit, how will i resist? Tess: Tell that to Bea. I'm sure she'd have plenty to say back. Ali Mckenna don't test me there's plenty of room in the car when we go for Tommo's new specs I can get you in too. Ali: Yeah, yeah, she can lord it over me with her efficient vagina, getting it done in one, I'll be many bucks fizzes deep by then, give a shizzle Ali: Gurl, my vision is 20/20, in my third eye too, ooOOoOoOOOo Ali: Maybe Beatrice will prove again why she's your favourite daughter by distracting Ro so much with this London visit she won't have time to pine over Drew at all, happy days Tess: That's the spirit. Save your dad's back. He still thinks he's a brawler. Tess: Shh I don't have favorites I'm not one of your teachers. Tess: I'm sure Drew'll stay one text away throughout. Never off her phone now is she. Ali: Ahh, old man could still take him, Drew's a pussy Ali: I'll get Marlene round again lmao Ali: Suuuuuuuuuuuure ya don't 😏 Ali: We can only assume texting is a medium in which he really shines, 'cos seeing them IRL, doesn't make sense, so... Tess: Now that girl is a fave, thinking 'bout it. Yeah I like her. Tess: He must know his selfie angles or some shit. Tess: You tell me I'll never see the appeal. Ali: oh, sweet mama, if only you'd voiced your preference sooner, maybe i'd of married her and had lots of gaybies instead Ali: alas 🤣 Ali: you sound 100, do you feel it? 😉 Ali: he's a vessel for her hopes and dreams, init, but he ain't, he just needs to man up and move the fuck on so she can too Tess: Like you've ever listened to your ma. Double it and you ain't close, bab. I'm in those vampiric numbers here. Tess: Yeah. Maybe try telling her that. Ali: You wish you were a vampire. Which, tbh, is telling of how old you is. Ain't nothing cool about being a basement dwelling weirdo who can't sample the wonder and joy of garlic bread. Ali: Why don't you? Oh wait, cos it ain't for either of us to say it so we'll just sit here like bitter old lemons Ali: You're a bad influence, lady Tess: If that's what you think about vampire lore then I ain't gonna even waste my breath young'un. Tess: I have, cheers. I ain't sitting on my arse doing fuck all for you lot even if that's what you reckon. Tess: Exactly. Learn a lesson. Ali: Mhmm, go tell it to the lost boys 'cos I don't give a damn, I'm getting doughballs baby Ali: Pshhh, well fat lot of good its done, why you setting me up to fail then?! Ali: I know when to bow out gracefully Tess: I don't need to 'cause we'll all be snacking. If you'd watched that movie when I offered you'd know garlic don't work in that verse. Tess: There's nothing graceful about tapping out with a fight left to finish. I thought you'd been set up to go 'til the final bell but do what you've gotta do. Or don't. Tess: There's plenty of other shit stuck to the fridge singing your praises like Ali: No thank you, there's watching some lame for jokes, then there's forcing yourself to endure kiefer sutherland and co Ali: That's sadism. Ali: Well, there's nothing graceful about kicking a girl when she's down Ali: going blow for blow ain't always the right approach, is it? not with someone like Ro so don't start alright Tess: Lame? And you wonder why you ain't my fave. Tess: Helping your sister up is always the right approach if you don't want her to stay down. Tess: I'm not starting anything. I've said my piece. End of. Ali: C'mon, I know even Joe couldn't pretend to like it, like Ali: That's my point, she ain't fell yet, she's on a Drew-related high so pardon me from not trying take the rug from up under her Ali: not that I could if I tried, like I said, what good has you 'saying your piece' done? Ali: sometimes all you can do is be there to pick up the pieces after, that's just facts Tess: You all take after your da is why. No taste none of ya. Tess: It's done me a lot of good being able to get it on the record each time, cheers. Tess: sometimes that's a cop out 'cause you want a easy life Tess: Fact is there's plenty that could have been done before he did his reappearing act. Ali: Oh, yeah? Like what? Changing her entire worldview in time for tea? Ali: If it was that easy, you would've managed it by now Ali: Don't be so hard on yourself, your not doing her, or any of us, a favour with this shit Tess: He's a dealer it is that easy. It ain't my job to manage it though. You all wanna be treated like adults and have me wipe your arses for you at the same time I think not. Do yourself and her, a favor and use that big brain of yours. Ali: You think she doesn't know? Now who's being thick Ali: She doesn't care, so unless you're planning to cop shop him that means sweet fuck all doesn't it Tess: It ain't about what she knows. Last I checked he's not the only dealer in Dublin. There's still some honor among scumbags and more than one way to get caught out. Ali: Aww, such a softie at heart, ain't ya? Tess: Takes one to know one. Ali: That is one small step above 'I know you are but what am I?' Ali: No one wants Drew to get kneecapped or Ro to be collateral but he wants to be treated like an adult, so we can't wipe his arse, can we? Tess: Speak for yourself I'd spend my reddies to see that. However bad he thinks he is there's always someone worse and the sooner he learns it the better for all of us having to watch him play silly beggars Tess: Ro's worth a million of him maybe when she's grown up she'll know it. Ali: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're such a hard bitch. Maybe if he'd got proper help from people like you he woulda turned out better when he was grown too. Ali: It ain't too late for either of them. Tess: I'm what I've had to be. I can't save 'em all. Not even close. You'd be well to stay away from him if you've still got the sense you were born with. Ali: Yeah but you still try, don't you? Read back your previous wisdom for your answer there. Ali: Bit hard when we live in the same gaff isn't it but I can assure you I'm not going out of my way to be his bestie, mother Tess: I ain't about to flog a dead dog. He ain't a stupid kid anymore and what happened when he was a little 'un ain't an excuse either Tess: Nobody's got it easy. Tess: It's up to him to work out if his turning point's come and gone or if he even reckons he needs one. Ali: You don't have to but you can see the pretense Ro is working under, yeah? She doesn't think she's doing anything wrong and, arguably, she ain't. But sometimes all you get for your efforts is a kick in the teeth. Ali: Nobody's got it easy. Ali: It's up to HER to call time, not us. Tess: Who says? I've been there. Thinkin I had it all and knew even more about my future with my dream boy. Nobody came to clue me in but even now I wish they fucking had done. Ali: Like you'd have listened. Tess: If I had someone who gave a shit maybe Tess: She'd listen to you. Ali: Say you had, would you have done anything differently? Even if you knew how it'd go, if you didn't have Ronnie, you might still be with Josh now Ali: It changes everything about you Ali: I don't think she would. There's no reasoning because there is no reason, or rhyme for that matter Tess: Of course I would. I'd do everything differently. I'm not trying to romanticise who I was. Or am. Tess: Change ain't no bad thing when it comes to this. Or me Tess: Because you don't wanna think that she would and deal with all the shit that comes with her doing that. I don't blame ya but that don't make it right Tess: it's still a cop out. Ali: Well, I hope it soothes YOUR soul villainizing yourself because as someone who's half you, it's not something that is helpful, at all. Ali: Who's been there for her after every break-up? Who has to listen to every fucking detail? It ain't been you. And I can assure you I didn't spend those times when he was out of the picture singing his fucking praises. I HAVE told her. Everyone has. It just pisses you off that you can't fix this, or her. Tess: You're all you. Your own person. End of. Tess: And it should help you to know the truth. I was a bad person Ali and I ain't exactly sainted now. I do my best that's all any of us've got. Deal with it. Tess: I'm sorry you want a gold star or pat on the head for doing what you're supposed to for who you love. You're not getting it from me. Try your luck with your da maybe. Tess: And yeah it does piss me off so what? Ali: That isn't close to being true. There's no such thing as an individual, sorry to burst your bubble. Ali: And no one is one or the other. Christ, you're so fucking old testament. Ali: If your going in for all that shite, you should look at how revered a knocked-up teenage girl is whilst you're at it Ali: No one gives a shit about your war stories, they don't help anyone but you so you keep all that anger and hold it tight 'cos none of us are here for it any more Ali: Good luck trying to get Rocky to sit still so you can tell him all about damnation to scare him straight, good fucking luck Tess: You're not gonna change my mind. If you were anything close to being half of me we wouldn't be having this conversation. Tess: Life's black and white for me. That's what happens when you don't have choices. Call it what you like. Tess: And there's nothing to be preached to me about being a knocked up teen by you or anyone else. I ain't trying to either you just think it's that onesided 'cause you never listen Tess: There you go again speaking for everyone else when you mean yourself. But whatever. Tess: Get your own stories and leave mine out of it. Tess: Grow up, Ali. Ali: Now there's a copout if I ever heard one. Ali: Listen to what? What are you spouting but hot air? Ali: Oh, yeah? What one of your sainted children has benefitted? Ronnie hates you, Joe's a junkie, me and Fraze did exactly what you did. Ali: Tommy is passable but he's unhappy as fuck so, well done there. You've only got one left. Ali: What's the point? No one can ever match up to your infinite wisdom, I'd rather stay young so I knew what the hell I was talking about instead of making myself look like an old fool