#me: who has dreams of raising my own kids for 10+ years and thinking it’s real before waking up to a cold morning

[sonderblade]

WARNING: MINOR FLASHING LIGHTS!

SPIDER-VERSE SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The autism struck a cord within me like a lighting strike on grass. Across the spiderverse is so fucking GOOD and i already made like 4 OC’s (not joking). Miguel is so me bro. I, too, would go to another universe to be happy 🙏

Anyways, here’s an animation/edit of Miguel mourning his daughter to Sarah by Alex g🙏🙏🙏

Here are some of the still shots and background!!!

Anyways, more spider-verse content soon as it has been on my mind since I’ve watched it. Next up will be more Miguel content but much more depressed that I’m pretty sure I will cry while making it‼️‼️

[mirai-e-jump]

Animage January 2024 Issue Kamen Rider THE WINTER MOVIE: Gotchard & Geats Gotchard Main Cast Interviews (translations below)

Publication: December 8, 2023

Clear it! The strongest Chemy catching game!!

In order to seal the 101 Chemies released into this world onto cards, Houtarou Ichinose (Kamen Rider Gotchard) searches for Chemies every day with his friends from the Alchemy Academy. One day, he meets Ace Ukiyo (Kamen Rider Geats) fighting against some Jyamato monsters. Behind the scenes is Chemy X Wizard, a level number 10 supreme wizard.

Kamen Rider's Winter film will be released again this year, featuring a dream collaboration of Kamen Riders from different series. The main highlight includes Houtarou and other Gotchard members, and Ace and other Geats members being divided into teams to take on the ultimate Chemy catching game. It's the unique charm of this work that features the familiar search for Chemies from Gotchard, and the characteristics of Geats, where Kamen Riders do challenging games, which have been "combined!" The dialogue between the characters of Gotchard and Geats that you can't normally see on TV is a must see!

The presence of Geats Chemy, who looks exactly like Kamen Rider Geats, is also a point of interest. Centering around X Wizard and Geats Chemy, the drama between humans and Chemies, which is the real appeal of Gotchard, is depicted on a scale that only a film can provide. What will the encounter with the new Chemy and Ace and his group bring to Houtarou and his friends?

Junsei Motojima (Houtarou) x Reiyo Matsumoto (Rinne) Fujibayashi Yasunari (Spanner) x Abe Oto (Renge) Rikiya Tomizono (Sabimaru) x Kumaki Rikuto (Minato)

"Double" the expected chemistry!

-Is Spanner, a mood maker, the complete opposite of the person playing the role?-

"The first quarter has passed since the broadcast started, what has the response been?"

Motojima: I feel that the number of messages of support have gradually increased. At talk events, there were those who would say to me, "I'm cheering for you," and those who brought support fans (uchiwa), and I think I'm starting to actually realize it myself. It makes me incredibly happy.

Matsumoto: I have the feeling that I'm gradually getting used to being on set. I'm now trying to expand my range of acting by taking on new challenges every day, and reviewing my own performance to see how I can improve it.

Fujibayashi: As the story progresses, there'll be more scenes that delve deeper into each character's individuality. My desire to see the stories we've filmed, including this film, as soon as possible has become stronger since the broadcast started.

Abe: Up until now, I haven't appeared regularly in dramas, so I was really happy, and when I heard a kid next to me on the train talking about Gotchard, I thought, "What a great response!"

Fujibayashi: Did they realize that you were Renge?

Abe: I don't think they noticed (laughs). I'll do my best to get them to notice!

Tomizono: At first, when I played the role I thought, "Who is Sabimaru…" But, as he interacts with Houtarou and the others, I gradually felt that I was building up my own image of Sabimaru's character. I'd like to carefully build up Sabimaru's growth in the future, and I want to do my best to make tablets more popular (laughs).

Kumaki: It seems that there are events at kindergartens and other places where they hand out Gotchard cards, and my friends send me pictures of their children receiving the cards. When I see this, I realize that I'm creating these children's dreams, and that joy is my driving force.

"For the photo shoot, we got the impression that Fujibayashi-san was at the center, and that everyone else had a relaxed mood, but is Fujibayashi-san also "in charge" of things on set?"

Fujibayashi: No, I don't think that's the case.

Tomizono: He's got so much energy, and I feel like he raises everyone's spirits.

Abe: That's for sure!

Motojima: Even when we greet each other at 5 a.m., I can't believe how energetic he is.

Kumaki: It's so early in the morning that everyone else isn't fully awake yet.

Fujibayashi: Lately, I've been paying attention to everyone's mood and greeting them in a calmer manner.

Everyone: (laughs).

Kumaki: You've become an adult, huh?

Fujibayashi: I've become an adult (laughs).

Motojima: But, when we're filming early in the morning, having Yasu-kun (Fujibayashi) around makes me feel more energetic.

-Appearing together with Geats, filming was peaceful from start to finish-

"In this work, Houtarou and his friends split into teams together with the members of Kamen Rider Geats to take on the ultimate Chemy catching game."

Motojima: It's interesting that we're teamed up with those who have similar personalities. Houtarou and Tycoon, Rinne and Geats, Spanner and Buffa. I think that because of our similarities, we can relate to each other, and there's some good "chemical reactions."

Matsumoto: I've been working with Kan Hideyoshi-san for a long time, and I was trying to take in things from Kan-san's acting that I could apply to Rinne. Also, Houtarou falling into a trap so fast was so funny, that I laughed during the test takes (laugh).

Motojima: When I read the script, I thought to myself, "That's just like Houtarou….." (laughs). I thought it was charming because he has a childlike quality that's different from the Houtarou in the TV show.

Abe: When we were filming, I remember that it was very windy (laughs).

Tomizono: The sandy beach scene of our capture game was the first scene filmed of the movie. The wind was strong and it was raining quite abit. Furthermore, Na-Go Chemy gets covered in seaweed (laughs).

Abe: That's right (laughs). I feel like alot of the scenes with Na-Go Chemy were filmed with lots of imagination.

Tomizono: There was also something about jet planes. It was fun to film.

Abe: We were the imagination team (laughs).

Fujibayashi: In that sense, Buffa Chemy and I were both part of the imagination solo team.

Tomizono: I guess so (laughs).

Fujibayashi: Both Spanner and Buffa's theme color is purple, and they also have slightly stuck up personalities, so when the film was announced, there were many people on SNS who were looking forward to us appearing together. The interactions between the two of them are very interesting, so I hope you'll look forward to it.

"In a scene with Kugimiya Licht, Minato was depicted in his teacher's attaire."

Kumaki: I remember well the first time I greeted Motomiya Yasukaze-san, who plays Licht. Despite him being about 4-5 meters away (13-16 ft), I felt an overwhelming aura that made me feel like he was right in front of me.

Everyone: (laughs)

Kumaki: I was alittle nervous (laughs), but once I gathered up my courage and greeted him, he was very kind to me. I felt a sense of security all at once, and performed with the intention of receiving advice from my senior.

"What's your most memorable experience working with the Geats team?"

Abe: There was a part where I could feel the experience of working on a project for a year. In a scene where a drone is used, Mokudai Kazuto-san noticed a mark (for where to stand) and asked the staff, "Is this okay?" We weren't paying attention to it, so it's amazing that he noticed it instantly and acted accordingly.

Tomizono: We'd never met before, but they created an atmosphere where we felt comfortable talking to them and had alot of fun. During breaks, we'd play games where you have to hold back your laughter. Kan-kun is also from the Kansai region, so we got along really well, and were able to film in a really friendly atmosphere.

Matsumoto: Everyone was very kind, and I remember that they talked to us alot.

Abe: It was easy to talk to them.

Fujibayashi: The two of you had a girls night out with Tsumuri (Aoshima Kokoro) and Neon (Hoshino Yuna).

Matsumoto: That's right.

Abe: We had some girl talk.

Tomizono: I'm sure you did.

Fujibayashi: What did you talk about?

Matsumoto: Things like painting nails, perfume and other stuff.

Motojima: To be honest, I've been paying alot of attention to my appearance lately, and I've been asking Matsumoto-san and Abe-san alot of questions.

Matsumoto: It's true

Motojima: When Tsumuri-san heard about this, she set up a prank for the makeup artists to teach me fake beauty info. I was completely fooled.

Everyone: (laughs).

Motojima: I also felt that everyone from Geats did things very freely. They included adlibs, and there's a scene where Ace says, "I'm glad I was turned into this," but it was interesting to see Ace say things in a way that he'd never do during test takes. I thought he was very good at keeping the atmosphere on set peaceful.

Tomizono: But, when it was a real take, it was really cool.

Motojima: That's right! There was an incredible difference.

-Becoming a level ... Chemy?!-

"In this work, the Geats members are turned into Chemies, but if you could become a Chemy, what would you want to look like?"

Fujibayashi: Because It's obvious what I'd be, I probably don't need to say it.

Motojima: What do you mean?

Fujibayashi: I could only be a spanner.

Matsumoto: Ah!

Tomizono: If not a spanner, what Chemy would Yasu become instead?

Fujibayashi: None, I can't think of anything else.

Tomizono: You've become Spanner Chemy. What do you do?

Fujibayashi: Loosen the screws in people's heads.

Everyone: (laughs).

Fujibayashi: Everyone becomes so stupid, that they forget how to transform and can no longer speak Japanese.

Abe: That's terrible (laughs). That'd make you the strongest, wouldn't it?

Tomizono: What'll happen if you combine with another Chemy?

Fujibayashi: Valvarad uses it, not Gotchard.

Tomizono: I see.

Fujibayashi: Sabimaru would be a tablet, right?

Tomizono: (laughs). As Tomizono, I'd like a Chemy that's really cool. Like a dragon, but softer.

Fujibayashi: Like something you'd find on a souvenir from a school field trip?

Tomizono: Right, like something on a keychain.

Fujibayashi: I think children would love that.

Tomizono: That's good. I want to appear like that as a level 10 Chemy.

Motojima: I want to become a level 100 Chemy.

Everyone: (laughs).

Motojima: I want to be treated like a legend.

Matsumoto: What would I be? Maybe a bird?

Abe: Ah!

Tomizono: Is that what you wanted?

Abe: I've been beat.

Fujibayashi: But, it depends on the type of bird.

Matsumoto: Hmmm…a crow?

Fujibayashi: A crow, huh? I'd like to own one atleast once.

Tomizono: People say they're smart.

Abe: They're said to have the intelligence of 5 year olds.

Fujibayashi: Well then, they're smarter than me.

Everyone: (laughs).

Tomizono: Is there a reason why you went with a bird?

Matsumoto: I think it'd be nice to fly across the open sky. The wind would feel great too.

Abe: You get it!

Matsumoto: And crows are cool, aren't they? That's why I want to be Crow Chemy.

Fujibayashi: Oto-chan, what kind of bird would you like to be?

Abe: I want to be a black kite.

Tomizono: A black kite?

Abe: When I was little, I remember them because they used to attack me alot when I went camping. When I’d be eating a meal, they'd suddenly snatch it away. They're agile, can fly, and they can enjoy scenery that we can't normally see.

Fujibayashi: I want to steal someone's food.

Abe: Right, right.

Tomizono: Really? (laughs).

Abe: I think black kite's are the strongest.

Fujibayashi: What about Kuma-san?

Kumaki: Because of Bumblebee, I like cars.

Fujibayashi: Ah, from "Transformers."

Kumaki: I think it would be cute if I were a Chemy that looked like Bumblebee.

Tomizono: Would you be a transforming Chemy?

Kumaki: Yeah, I'd transform.

Motojima: I think that'll be in the show sooner or later.

Kumaki: When will it appear?

Fujibayashi: It'd be alot like Golddash.

Kumaki: Ah! That's right!

Motojima: Then, it'll be like a car version of Golddash!

"We would love to hear more, but we'd like to conclude with a message from Motojima-san to our readers on behalf of everyone."

Motojima: I think the highlight is that the character's charm, which is different from the TV show, is brought out by interacting with the Kamen Rider Geats members. Many of the strongest level number 10 Chemies appear, and the development where humans turn into Chemies is also unexpected, it's unexpected plus unexpected twice expected…….it's like unexpected x2.

Tomizono: So double expected?

Fujibayashi: Are you saying…it's going to turn out to be more than expected?

Motojima: Ah, that sounds good.

Fujibayashi: You just said it yourself. You bite your tongue?

Tomizono: Did you mispronounce something?

Motojima: Well uh, it turned out to be more than I expected…

Everyone: (laughs).

Motojima: The unpredictable development of the story is appealing, and the fact that it features Chemies that can talk is also a key point.

Abe: Agreed.

Motojima: Please watch out for how Houtarou and his friends will interact with the talking Chemies, which have yet to appear in the TV show!

[charmikarma]

hallo it's me. (crookedgrifter) I'm back and I want your davejade / davejadekat thoughts. gimme

my thoughts huh ... i sure am a rambler so you're gonna get a whole essay on this

i guess in thinking abt davejadekat it always starts with jade. which is well enough because davekat has been talked to death at this point, hasn't it? i don't think i could tell you anything new or interesting about that dynamic at this point.

ANYWAY. jade. i kind of get into this in my polar express fic which ik you've read, but she is SO lonely. what the fuck are you supposed to do for ~10 years alone on an island with just a dog?? a dog who could take you somewhere else, somewhere with people, but he won't. and maybe jade knows why because of her dreams on prospit, but also maybe not! either way i think she puts a lot of faith in her dreams. it's kind of the only hope she has for the future.

i think she also has some hope in dave, this really cool dude she has this awkward internet middle school crush on. and dave is super cool to her too! i think it's implied he furry roleplays with her even?? cutest shit ever. i think this is the thing that has made me always love davejade ... they are just. so sweet to each other. dave clearly cares SO much about her.

the other thing about jade is... she's kinda fucked over repeatedly by the narrative, isn't she? she's the last beta kid introduced, so she has a lot less time to develop. the closest she really gets to developing is being really pissed off at karkat after her dreamself dies (i'll talk about this in a sec). her arc basically ends at cascade. her character arc ends in the dead middle of the comic, in a flash animation that contains exactly 0 character development. hussie says so himself in the author's notes. (don't even get me started on the author's notes jesus christ.) everything that happens on the boat is pretty much irrelevant, because it gets retconned out. instead she spends 3 years completely fucking alone, and we like... barely unpack this in canon.

so her life story up until this point is basically: raised by grandpa till ~3-5ish > living on her own till 13 > meeting dave briefly in the game > DAVE FUCKING DIES IN FRONT OF HER, WITH HER OWN BULLETS > she meets john briefly > JOHN AND DAVESPRITE FUCKING DIE > she spends 3 years alone with no solace except "yeah they had to die but you'll see them again in the new session" from alt!calliope and i guess a bunch of sprites and consorts and chess dudes. she says it herself: as nice as it is to have these folks around, they're not able to relate to her. they're not fellow thirteen year old kids. she may not be technically alone, but she is essentially alone, and she just 1. died twice in one day and 2. witnessed the deaths of several of her friends.

more on being fucked over by the narrative - jade actually has a kind of interesting dynamic with karkat in the middle of a5a2! what happens with this dynamic later on? fucking nothing!!!! like seriously i am so interested in this whole. self-hatred parallel that gets drawn between them and then how jade puts her foot down and is like you are fucking nuts. no more yelling at yourself. and it goes nowhere!! this dynamic exists for like, maybe 1% of the comic. it's really fucking sad honestly. even at the very end of homestuck, she has to be sidelined for being too powerful, thereby excluding her from all the endgame convos. like we cannot win with her

ok anyway, here's where i get into the stuff i think is really interesting. at the end of homestuck, alt!calliope tells jade that she's suffered enough, and that it's time for her to live her life how she wants to. we don't see how this plays out in homestuck proper, BUT...... the epilogues. sighs heavily.

i may be an epilogues lover but even i have to admit that jade's portrayal is.... a mess. i don't think it's wildly out of character, exactly, but it definitely toes the line... and it's definitely extremely fucking uncomfortable. it does, however, give me some insight into how i think about jade now, because while the minutiae don't really feel in character, i do think the broad strokes of what they were going for make sense.

jade took alt!calliope's words and said, fuck it. i will take charge! i won't wait anymore! i am going to have what i want. and she does get a lot of that! she gets to hang out with her friends, hang out with her brother, meet a ton of people, have a bunch of sex (presumably when she's older), and so on. but see... doing a lot of things doesn't really fill the emptiness she feels. she has so much love to give and not enough outlet for it. she needs all the love in the world and has nobody to give it to her. and she still has this big fat ten-year-old crush on dave strider that never went anywhere. but the approach she takes to life now is just... so incompatible with what dave needs. same for karkat. they both need a LOT of patience to come out of their shells, and jade is living life in the fast lane. the more she pushes, the more withdrawn they become. it is a disaster.

i want to fix it so fucking bad.

jade needs a lot of character development for all this to work, but the dynamic is absolutely there. some of their convos in early meat are so fucking funny dude, they are such good friends. it is absolutely not for lack of caring on either dave or karkat's part that things don't work out in the epilogues. it's this disconnect between what jade thinks is helpful and what dave and karkat need. i really want jade to find the balance between living at breakneck speed and waiting ten years for something to happen. i want her to feel loved for once in her damn life. and i want dave and karkat to stop being such depressing shut-ins. please guys you could balance each other out if you would just figure out how to communicate

anyway. there's your essay. it's mostly about jade. hope that's ok. i love jade harley so much my ultimate goal is to see her happy and mark my words i will figure out how

[amethystina]

Hi! Reading your fics, which are mainly post canon, I was wondering... do you ever imagine gahan getting married and talking about kids (besides Elijah, of course) or do you think they would just stick to each other's company and that would be enough?

Personally, I love the ideia of Yo Han being able to raise a child in a fully open loving way, without the restrictions he had to put on Elijah (we saw a few glimpses of how he used to be with her before the fire). After 10 year in anger and in chase for revenge, Yo Han deserves some peace, I wonder if he ever considerated a child as part of it (we can't forget his own childhood). Knowing how deep he can love someone, it feels such a loss not being able to have a person that only knows him for that, openly, without the mask he used to put on in front Ga On and Elijah (i don't know if you'll get what I mean lol).

I'd just love to know your personal's head canon for that 😅 Since, for me, you're so good in thinking as Yo Han.

I imagine that they will, yes — in most scenarios I can think of. I mean, granted, the marriage can obviously never happen in South Korea (and not only because Yo Han is officially dead) but I think they'd definitely end up building an even bigger family somewhere down the line.

As I've touched on in Who Holds the Devil, I think that Ga On 100% wants kids. And, let's face it, he'd be such a good dad. But, that said, he would never force Yo Han to want kids since... well, that's not very like Ga On, is it? He wouldn't want to do that to Yo Han or the kid/kids.

So, in the end, the decision on whether or not they end up getting kids lies with Yo Han. And, as with many of my theories, I think his answer depends on when he would be asked that question. Like, during canon? I think he'd say no, without a moment's hesitation. Or on pure reflex might be a better way of putting it. Because, at that point in his life? He wouldn't consider kids to be something for him. He's so defensive, so convinced of his own darkness, and also well aware of how poorly he treated Elijah.

He did his best — but that's also the problem. Even his best left the child in his care to become a bitter, isolated teenager with little to no social skills. He'd no doubt be convinced that he'd only fuck up again if he was ever in charge of raising another child. So why bother? Clearly, it's not for him. And not fair to the child, either.

But after he gets settled with Ga On? Especially a year or two down the line? After they've dealt with the majority of the guilt and trauma and gotten comfortable? And Yo Han has softened even more? And gets to have a stable, loving home environment for the first time in his life?

Then his opinion would most likely change, especially once he starts suspecting that Ga On wants kids. Because Yo Han, as we all know, can't deny Ga On anything. That's not to say that he would agree immediately, though.

Quite the opposite.

He'd have to think about it a lot before reaching a conclusion. Because I think he'd panic a bit at first. Like, when he first realises that Ga On wants kids? That's terrifying. Because, again, up until that point I think Yo Han has just decided that kids aren't for him. And his first instinct won't be to reevaluate if that decision has changed, but rather feel a kneejerk rush of: "That's not something I can give him. I'm going to have to crush his dream of having children. I'm going to make him miserable."

And Yo Han would feel terrible.

But then, thankfully, his rational side would kick in and try to straighten out what's actually going on. As in, Yo Han would ask himself if he might just have changed his mind about kids now that he has a stable partner — especially one who balances and complements him as well as Ga On does. Maybe kids aren't out of reach anymore?

But even once Yo Han realises that, yeah, he might actually want kids after all — at least if it's with Ga On — he'd also have to overcome the fear that he'll fuck them up as much as he accidentally ruined Elijah. But, again, it helps to know that Ga On would be there, making sure that Yo Han doesn't go overboard with the protectiveness. Ga On wouldn't let Yo Han hurt another child like he hurt Elijah.

Yo Han would also have to figure out how a child would change his relationship with Ga On, their relationship with Elijah, and their existence overall. And he'd have to overcome that quiet, simmering fear at the back of his mind that he might turn out to be like his father.

Yo Han is good at thinking on his feet and can obviously be spontaneous and unpredictable when needed, but I think he'd approach "Do I want kids?" like it's one of his schemes. He'd collect data, meticulously structure his thoughts, weigh pros and cons, plot and plan, and, finally, reach a conclusion.

Because having a child — starting a family — would be huge for Yo Han.

I mean, he obviously already has a family, but it's one that Yo Han didn't have all that much input in? Miss Ji is there because his father hired her. Yo Han became Elijah's guardian due to incredibly tragic circumstances and because there was no one else who could take her. Ga On came into his life because of Jung Sun Ah's machinations, and was intended to be a weapon against him.

But having a child? Choosing to have a child? And build a bigger family with Ga On? That's no small thing.

And, for the best result, I think Yo Han should probably be left alone with that thought for literal months to have time to work through his own thoughts and feelings on the matter before he and Ga On ever broach the subject. If they do it too soon, Yo Han could get defensive and start deflecting without meaning to, which would no doubt make Ga On backtrack and just... resign himself to the idea that Yo Han clearly doesn't want kids. Because Ga On, too, knows that Yo Han can't deny him anything and he'd be afraid that if he pushes too hard — or shows how much he wants kids — Yo Han might feel forced to agree. So Ga On would rather pull back and drop the subject instead of feeling like he's making too many demands.

But once Yo Han has thought it through? And realises that, yes, he wants kids?

Then he's all-in in that way only Kang Yo Han can be.

He'd still be terrified from time to time, of course — because he did grow up thinking he was a monster and that will resurface when he's got tiny humans to take care of — but oh man he'd love those kids with every fibre of his being. And I totally agree that it would be so, so wonderful to see him do that, without having to hold back or be afraid of being seen as soft or weak (as he no doubt did with Elijah).

All he has to do is love them.

My personal headcanon (i.e. this is something I'm choosing to believe because I want to, since I'm not sure what Yo Han would actually think) is that Yo Han wouldn't want those kids to be his biological ones, though. I think that, somewhere deep down, he'd be scared they'd turn out like him. That whatever it is that makes him so vicious and different would be hereditary. So he'd prefer the kids to be adopted or, even better, Ga On's.

Like, just imagine how much Yo Han would love to have miniature Ga Ons running around?

He'd practically combust from happiness.

(but he would obviously love the kids either way — Yo Han, if anyone, knows that chosen family is more important than blood relations)

So yeah! I totally agree that they'll get a kid/kids sometime in the future. It just feels like the kind of family that both Ga On and Yo Han would want considering their childhoods and how lonely and isolated they've both been. Ga On is the one who expresses a longing for family the most, but it's clear that Yo Han wants that, too. And I think there's something very beautiful in it being their choice to start that family? Something they're creating together because they want to?

They deserve that love and peace.

But it would take a while for them to reach that point, since it's such a big decision and there would be a lot of heightened emotions involved. And they would also have to spend a lot of time preparing Elijah for it, to make sure she doesn't feel neglected or replaced. But, hopefully, she's had enough therapy and matured enough by that point that she'll eventually come around. She'd of course be wary at first and perhaps a little snappish from time to time, until she realises that, sure, there are more kids in the house now, but her relationship with both Yo Han and Ga On is still unique and they're not abandoning her.

And once they reach that stage?

It'll turn into a full-time job to keep Elijah from a) spoiling the kids rotten, b) undermining all of the hard work they (but mostly Ga On) put into teaching the kids about rules and responsibility, and c) kidnapping the kids and holding them for ransom whenever Yo Han makes her angry and she wants to punish him. Complete with a hostage-like exchange once he caves and eventually apologises — which sometimes requires Ga On's intervention because he would like his kids back now, thank you very much, so suck it up and just apologise, Mr. Abyss.

They'd be a wonderful little family and deliriously happy, in other words.

[presidentlokis-hornyhelmet]

Home Is Where You Are

🕷MASTERLIST🕷

Pairing: Pavitr Prabhakar x Reader Summary: (From This Ask) Reconnecting: You and Pavitr were childhood besties, yet in-between your friendship, you had to move away. You guys were still in touch as well, but little did Pavitr know you decided to surprise him by finally moving back to your hometown where you and Pavitr used to live. Tags: Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers

Also Read on AO3

🎵 🎶 The sight of you lit me up Could not believe my luck Now I know where I need to be Home is where you are 🎵 🎶 Song by Ant Utama A/N: Google says "meri jaan" can be used to refer both your gf/bf and your friends too(?), so if it's not so irl, just assume they're comfy w/ it 😅😅😅 LOL

Pavitr Prabhakar -or Pavi, as you often call him- has been your bff since childhood.

Stuck at the hip, running around doing mischeif and pleading your parents to allow just 5 more minutes playtime.. Oh, those were the days! A chuckle slips your lips when you remember that even as a child, he was proud of his hair.

You remember vividly, back when you guys first met. Pavitr's hair was wild and curly and all over the place, bouncing with his every step. It was physically untamable for him. He was fussing with it and you, having watched him for quite a while, offered to help him keep it in place with a messy pigtail and putting all your hairclips on him. It didn't help much but little Pavitr had been very grateful, a big smile pulled across his face.

That was in kindergarten.

Growing up, you became the closest of friends -and the most chaotic. There was no one in school who hadn't heard of the infamous micheif-makers, the prankster pair. Prank wars 24/7 and very concerning to the school board.  It was even more hectic when they tried to put you guys in different sections to discipline you. You threw a tantrum, he spilled food everywhere as all the other kids joined in; it was sort of a mutiny you guys had started. The headmistress then decided it was best for everyone to not separate you two and let you guys be in the same class thereon on the condition that there will be no more horsing around.

Things finally went back to normal and all was going well.. until your parents got a transfer.

You remember that day, when your parents said you were going to move. Initially, you had been over the moon, not knowing that it meant leaving Pavitr for good. God, you were so naive. But when it finally  dawned on you that this is where your friendship will possibly end, you ran to his house and cried to him. Pavitr shared your sentiment; he loved as much as you loved him and separating you guys just was wrong.

Whenever there's something scary at night or if he hears weird sounds that frighten him, Pavitr used to hide under the bed until it goes away. He suggested you do the same. So there you both were, crouching  under his tiny bed and staying there sharing stories and whatever 11 year olds talk about.

Uncle Bhim did find you soon enough and called your worried parents. A lot of kicking and screaming and yelling 'I don't wanna goooooooo!' while your parents dragged your naughty butt to the new home, practically ripping your hand away from Pav's.

It had been a bit too dramatic, now that you think about it, though a little funny too.

Pav had been crying for a week after you left, just like you, and every night for a month, Uncle Bhim would let him call you and speak. Then school began, and you drifted apart.

______

You stepped out of the airport and raised a finger, calling for a taxi.

It's been 10 years now. A decade since you and Pavi last saw each other in person. Sure, you stay in touch via video calls and social media but nothing beats physical connection.

You've graduated and found a new internship at your dream company that requires you to stay in Mumbattan. What else do you need? To say you were happy would be an understatement.

Dropping your things at your own apartment, you take the cab straight to Maya auntie's as he's still staying here to take care of her. (Hope she still likes pranks!)

The elderly woman is the first to greet you, full of joy, her aged eyes shining with tears of sentiment. "Oh, mera beta!"

You let her wrap you in her embrace and hug you close. Maya auntie shares your tears, giving a moment of respectful silence to Uncle Bhim. It's hard to digest his death when you loved him like your own father.

After pleasantries are exchanged, you're about to ask about him when doubt creeps upon you. Sure, you've talked a lot but.. Does he still feel the same way about you, or is it the version of you in his head? Does he still value your friendship like before? Or were you just a passing cloud? A chapter in his book? Just a childhood memory and nothing more?

But most importantly, has he found someone else more worthy of his time?

Maya auntie, always as perceptive as ever, sees the hesitation in your eyes and encourages you to give him a surprise, assuring you that, of course, nothing is more important to him than your friendship.

With renewed confidence, you walk into Pavitr's room. He isn't there but you hear the water running. Assuming he's taking a bath, you take your time to look around the room.

The sky blue wall is a bit faded but it brings you happy memories. Same big old window from which you used to watch the city. Books, books and more books, some kind of gadget and a- is that spandex!? A Halloween costume, perhaps.

A framed picture is sitting on his desk, of your childhood selves holding hands, your front teeth missing, standing before Pavitr's apartment. It was the first time you had come over. Aww!

The cot is certainly larger than last time and you hide a chuckle when you think if you both can fit under this one.

Actually.... didn't Maya aunty talk about surprise?

Giggling like the mischievous child still inside you, you crawl under the bed. What you expected is to not fit under it, what you didn't expect is a red and blue hand-painted shoe box filled with little trinkets.

The lid is open, so you're not actually intruding on his privacy.. (Right?)

The box is filled with shiny stuff and upon inspecting one, you realise these are the same gifts that you gave Pavitr a decade ago. He.. he still cherishes them? Your heart swells.

A glittery red paper heart catches your eye but you don't remember giving it to him. Sloppy cursive runs in gold glitter:

"I threw my plans all away So that I could hear you say You love me, yes, you want me The sight of you lit me up Could not believe my luck Now I know where I need to be Home is where you are

I miss you meri jaan 💔 "

It takes a moment before you realise it's from him. He'd written it to you before you moved but never actually came around to giving it.

Oh, oh God, Pavitr loves you!

Tears of joy gislten in your eyes. You did have a similar thought once,  but dismissed as soon as it came. You would never believe if someone told you Pav had had feelings for you. And seemingly, still does.

A greeting card falls out, a dried rose attached to it. It was written on last Valentines day:

"A little birdie told me you wished for a Knight in shining armour. Now that I'm here, what are your other two wishes, meri jaan? ;P"

Wet thuds sound and you look up -wincing from the bump to your head- to see Pavitr come out of the bathroom, towel-drying his curly hair and dripping water everywhere.

"Looking swag as always, Pav!", he says, making finger guns to his reflection, flaunting his amazing hair as he runs a hand through his damp curls. And, wow, it's grown longer!

The moment you try to scare him from under the bed, he stiffens and turns around cautiously. Grabbing a cricket bat, he curls his other hand into a mudra. (Is he going to spiritualize you to the death??)

"Who is it? Whoever you are, better come out or else-!"

"Or else, you'll crouch under the bed?"

He drops the cricket bat, frozen in pleasant shock.

You're struck speechless too, lost in his eyes. Wow, Pavitr has.. grown. He's so very handsome, much more than you remember. You gasp softly, mesmerized by his beauty.

"O-Oh my god, N/N?!"

He engulfs you in an embrace, hugging to tight to his chest. His wet cheek rests cool against your warm skin, so close you can smell his shampoo. "Ah, I can't believe it! Meri jaan, is it really you? H-how-?"

"A little birdie told me you wished for a Knight in shining armour. Now that I'm here, what are your other two wishes.. meri jaan?"

It takes him less than a second to realise you'd read his card. "Oh God, you read that!?" He blushes terribly, pressing his face into the crook of your neck as he stumbles over his words. It's cute to see him flustered.

The laughter dies but your smile stays.

"Y/n", his breath is hot in your ear, "may I.."

Your heart beat quickens, stuttering with every stretching moment. Every breath you take is growing heavy.

"Yes..?"

Your noses touch. He's close, so close..

Suddenly, he twirls you around and begins to sing:

"The sight of you lit me up Could not believe my luck Now I know where I need to be Home is where you are!"

Once you recover, you try to hit him in the chest for playing you like that, but he's quicker. You giggle, laughter erupting from your throat as he hugs you from behind, pecking your cheek like he used to do all those years ago as you sing along.

It may be unspoken, but it exists. He's never forgotten, nor have you.

"Now I know where I need to be Home is where you are!"

_____

hope you enjoyed it!

@moraleswithoutmorals I am so sorry for the delay, I think I need some more time for the other prompts (seriously, they're SO GOOD i can't CHOOSE!) and I think of merging a couple prompts, hope that's fine with you 😊

[sheikahwarriork]

Post war unplanned pregnancy dimileth in which Byleth had to leave because Dimitri lowkey ghosted her after a one night stand because he felt unworthy of her love.

But she came back per Gustave's request because of a new kingdom crisis. When Dimitri met her again he fell all over again but he is heartbroken because he thinks she already got to do her life since she is now is a mother of three and his very slim chance is gone.

Reader, all the kids are his. They were triplets. That Blaiddyd (TM) genes were at it again.

Gustave: *requesting Byleth to help Dimitri once again to stabilize the kingdom while lamenting the king is still unmarried and the Blaiddyd line is done for*

Byleth, who has been raising by herself three small blonde menaces with major crests of blaiddyd:

Background: One of her 3 year olds plucking a wholeass tree with their crest, 10 times their size, because his momma loves flowers and the tree had a lot of flowers while Gustave speaks. And the others kids running to search bigger flower trees for her.

Dimitri found out they were his when one of them mistook Areadbhar for an ugly stick and tried to use it to search for earthworms for their mom's fishing and accidentally activated atrocity.

YAAAAAS i love dimi being a dumbass clueless of byleth's feelings

id like to think of this headcanon as post three hopes: byleth got recruited into the kingdom army, she and dimitri [REDACTED] and then she left while being pregnant after the war ended. both of them have feelings for each other but are unaware of the others'

gustave calls her back after a few years and dimitri is all sad and grumpy seeing his beloved the ashen demon got over their little one-night adventure (unlike him) so that she has a family of her own (even tho... wheres the father?? what kind of man could have left this beautiful woman all alone with three children????? children that are particulary cute..... with their blonde hair and green eyes........ dimitri cant stop thinking about his old fantasy of having a family with her and how much they look like his dreamed-children...... well what a funny coincidence!)

since its hopes, jeralt is still around but he doesnt know who the real father is. when he sees the king playing around with his grandchildren he goes <.< but says nothing. too much to deal with

one day, dimitri talks to byleth about his worries of not having a wife yet bc blayddid bloodline blabla...... byleth is like 👁_👁 while thinking about how well dimitri f*cked her all those years ago and his desk looks great for getting pregnant again...........

the little three menaces children go around the castle causing troubles but everybody already loves them. one day dedue tries to teach them to cook and when he saw one of the children eating leaf-spices [how are they called those like laurel?? lol] thinks "hm. already saw that but cant recall when or where"

and then your last scene dear anon. dimitri looks at that child with disbelief... ofc his first thought is "did the ashen demon meet someone else with the crest of blayddid?? who are they??? could it be...... RUFUS?!?!?!??!?!" bc hes dumb as fuck. dimitri is still looking at his child when byleth arrives and grabs the baby, lecturing them about taking someone else's things without permission, but smiles fondly when the child hands her the worms they found. dimitri is MESMERIZED by her smile and loses his composture. he drops by his knee and says, "miss eisner... i am aware you already have another significant other in your life since you two have children, but... i cannot bear the sight of you raising them alone. please let me take care of them, of you... please let me be their father and your husband"

byleth: 👁_👁 "you DUMBASS they are already YOURS. always have been"

dimitri: *brain stopped working* "oh! i... see..."

byleth: "the marriage thing can still be arranged. yk. since we're not married."

dimitri: *hes in paradise or what??* "you... youd like to marry me????"

byleth: *oh my sothis help me* *kisses dimitri* "pretty much so." and smiles again

they get married the next day and one month later byleth is pregnant again eheh. the blayddid bloodline requires a lot of heirs and they are both happy to indulge in it

[alexissara]

Alexis Sara's Top 10 Most Anticipated Games Of 2024

We're about to enter 2024 and with that we have all the lists, lists I am not immune to making because I slowly build them up all year. Last year I played a fuck load of games and so this year I wanted to talk about 10 games I think look really fucking cool that are coming out in the next year or two. Some of these games are likely to release in 2025 instead but it'll be fun to see if they remain on the list next year then. I mostly just wanted to spotlight some art that looks cool to me outside of the context of a Sapphic Games Guide or a Review and maybe get others on the hype train with me. This list is not in order and just 10 games I think look like they could have an impact on me, I may not even buy every game on this list but there the 10 that look like I am most likely to check out.

Gales Of Nayeli

So this is one of two games on the list I've already purchased. I backed the kickstarter of the game a while back and I thought "it looks alright and when I asked if there was gonna be any sapphic content the creator told me in depth what content he had already made so sure I'll back it. What was more if a thank you for being so kind and responsive so fast has turned into my most hype game of the year. Blindcoco and me have become friends over time so I am biased but I was actually sold on the game before me and him became buddy buddy when I played the demo and saw the amazing work that went into it. Then the extremally positive response from him and the community towards my desire to focus in on women and sapphic women only added to my excitement for the game.

The game genuinely seems to be raising the bar for SRPGs and really feels like it is a step above Fire Emblem and not an emulation of Fire Emblem. I loved the demo and the concepts in the game so much it inspired me to start working on my own SRPG studios game knowing what is possible at the high end of investment in the system can really be something special and really cool. I love that there is a focus on trying to cast voice actors who match ethnicity to the diverse cast, I love that there is a wide range of diversity in the revealed cast, I love the amount of queer women I am aware of in the game, I love the animations and sprite work, I love the gameplay, I am really really excited about this game and I think this game has a high shot at being one of my favorite games.

Fields Of Mistria 

I make fun of farming sims a little on my lists and stuff but only because I actually love farming sims especially in concept. This game probably has my favorite art style of the whole lot of games today. It's lovely 90s anime style sprite work is just AHHHHHHHHHH so good. I do in fact want to kiss the women in this game very badly and I would enjoy playing the game for the sake of dating them alone.

Rune Factory: Dragon

Let's bang out the second farming sim while we're at it. We don't know a bunch about this game but it really just has to do two things for me to be into it. One, let you be gay like the newest RF and Story of Season games already let you do and Two, keep up the art direction and bam, I'm in. My biggest problem with the last Rune Factory game was that the art style made every woman look like a 12 year old and not in the like chibi story of seasons way like they just looked like they were kids. This however, has a much better set of art direction and it makes me think there might actually be women I'd want to gay marry.

Mahou Senshi Cosplay Club

I really love Behold's previous game Chroma Squad but when I got this demo I had no idea they were the Chroma Squad people. The mix of dress up and RPG gameplay is a dream come true kind of game and the outfit customization is leagues beyond a game like Fashion Dreamer despite likely being made on a much smaller budget. The PSX style graphics actually work here with them evoking nostalgic graphics while also not actually being restrained by a Playstation One's issues. I just really loved the process of making the outfit and character in this game and honestly that alone is a potential game seller. The gameplay element was solid and I really want to play more of this.

Beastieball 

BeastieBall seems to be a really fun take on the Monster Taming genre. Having the monster friends play a sport and naturally be inclined to play the sport makes for a very cute and wholesome premise to which you become more a coach than an owner to these little cuties. It's a pretty simple concept in the demo but it's promising and cute and I do like that the monsters you collect build relationships with each other, I think that is something really special and neat and something I'd like to see more monster tamers do.

Love In A Bottle

 There is a lot of nice looking visual novels coming out but Love In A Bottle is dating sim that is really capturing my eye. You play as a demon girl, bam okay I am sold. You date other monster girls okay I'm sold. And it's got more then the basic one outfit you expect from a standard visual novel dating sim type deal for characters that is yet another sold factor. It seems really cute, seems fun and I hope I can smooch all the women at once.

Fantasy Life I

While I said we were done with farming sims, I didn't say we were done with sims as we have Level-5's Life Sim, Fantasy Life. I won't be buying the game if I can't be gay in it but I really loved the first Fantasy Life on the 3DS and I think if it can keep up the charm and fun of the original game and add a homosexual seasoning on top it'll be a perfect cute and fun time. I love the wide array of jobs and how these all build into each other, it's a very one of a kind experience and really fun.

Princess Peach Showtime 

This is the true triple A game of the list and the only one that has captivated me in all the shows of all the consoles and developers I've seen of late. Peach is barbie now and I am here for it, let her have a million jobs and have a game based around her doing these different roles and being an icon in each of them, sounds good, I'm in, it's a really cute and fun concept. It looks really fun and the art style looks great.

Our Life Now and Forever 

There is no other games like the Our Life games and getting to be sapphic in this one means I finally get to go ahead and experience the series I have been curious about for a while now. This game will let you be polyamarous which is the only game on this list I can say for sure will allow you to do that and that alone is something that would keep me engaged. However, getting to grow up with characters, change your pronouns, your name, anything about yourself as you do and having the characters change with you is amazing. I love the concept of this game and the wild reactivity the games demo has always provided just to a simple thing like me choosing to be trans in the childhood phase is amazing, it is truly such a considered and thoughtful game with such masterful crafting that the act one demo alone is probably worth money. So I did back this one on kickstarter as well so this is my other pick up.

Unlike other games on this list I am fairly confident this is a 2025 game and not a 2024 game but I want to talk about it now because people on the Patreon will be getting to play updated versions of the game over the course of the year akin to early access. I think the game is for sure worth a look.

Izrand Allure

After playing the previous game in the series I am totally sold on wanting to experience Izrand Allure. Luxaren Allure was a really special experience I had this year finally checking out the game after I think years of putting it off and beating it I really want to play this follow up. This game seems far more in depth and far more artistically masterful then Luxaren as well so I really want to see everything this game has to offer. I love a good job system and this game boasts one. I really want to see this lesbian RPG and I hope I get a chance to play it very soon but obviously Unity the dev should take her time to make it. Regardless, I am just gushing every time I see the game and I think this has potential to be a massive game of the year type hit for me.

If you enjoyed this post, I got a lot more end of the year lists coming up when it's actually next year so I can tell people what I enjoyed in December. You can also support me in making cool queer art by checking out my Patreon and Ko-fi.

[hauntedwoman]

tagged by @youngestdaughtersyndrome and @glassangels (thank you <3333)

are you named after anyone ? yes i'm named after my nana !! (my full name is margaret hehe)

2. when was the last time you cried? a couple of weeks ago when i was saying goodbye to my cousin who moved out of state w her boyfriend so he can complete his residency for med school................. partly bc i miss her a lot but also bc i genuinely feel like i am never going to experience healthy romantic love i feel like it wasn't made for me HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

3. do you have kids? does my cat count bc i raised her from a little baby kitten she was so tiny she fit in the palm of my hand :3

4. what sports do you play/have played? i was on a swim team all throughout junior high and high school and sometimes i miss just mindlessly swimming laps and getting lost in the pure muscle memory of it but then i remember getting up at 5am on saturdays to go to meets and i realize i can live without it 5. do you use sarcasm? my favorite show is daria u tell me

6. what's the first thing you notice about someone? usually eyes or clothing. living in a place where it's rare to find other ppl my age that dress "alt" i'm always looking for ppl that have interesting personal style.

7. eye color? not to be some annoying white girl on main but they change depending on what i'm wearing. they're usually either blue or gray or a teal color.

8. scary movies or happy endings? considering nothing in my life has ever worked out the way i want it to i can't relate to happy endings. almost all of my favorite films have heavy horror or psychological thriller aspects

9. any talents? i'm a pretty decent singer. i was trained classically and sang in choirs for like seven years, so i also know how to read music. other than that i think i'm really good at interior decorating or just being able to make things "aesthetically pleasing". i also think i'm a pretty good writer and that i manipulate language in a really unique form that gives way to a really clear voice in my work.

10. where were you born? simferopol, ukraine

11. hobbies? journalling, staring into the void, photographing/exploring abandoned buildings, grieving, making playlists for every emotion i've ever felt, clinging onto a past that everyone else has forgotten about except me, reading books that make me feel like i need a lobotomy, antique shopping, blackberry picking, sunbathing, being a heinous bitch

12. any pets? i have two cats (phantasma and smokey), and then my mom and sister have four dogs between the both of them so i am constantly living in autistic hell (they never stop barking and chewing up my stuff)

13. height? 5'4" (162.5cm) i'm so sorry to expose myself as Tiny i know i give off Tall Energy

14. favorite school subject? overall i'd say english but i've also thoroughly enjoyed a bunch of different courses i've taken in college like stage makeup, medieval and modern theatre, and all of my creative writing courses

15. dream job? i simply do not dream of labor but since i can only get a serotonin rush from buying clothes i don't need it would be pretty swaggy if i could be a published author or if i could work in the music industry somehow, perhaps at a radio station with my own radio show or even making my own music. i also deeply miss my job at the used bookstore i had during the worst summer of my life. something about being surrounded by books all day is so comforting.

tagging: @arunima @symptomofloves @discoidal @diabolicjoy @severrance and anyone else that wants to do this <33

[lulushults]

wrote something like this about natsu, now for my best girl lucy💖

i could honestly write on and on about lucy and how i think her past really was and how it truly affected her, so i’ll try to keep this short!

lucy’s childhood starting normal for her, she had 2 loving parents that did everything to ensure her happiness. then her mum died, and her life kinda went to shit.

lucy didn’t just lose one parent the day layla died, she lost both. jude started being neglectful and from the handful of short scenes we see in the anime slightly mentally abusive towards lucy.

i believe this was because of multiple reasons. number 1 because of lucy’s similar resemblance to layla. from what we’re shown it seems like layla and jude were incredibly in love even before they had lucy, to me it seems like after layla died he couldnt bare to look, or be around lucy due to how similar they looked. it caused him too much pain to be constantly reminded that layla was gone and she was never coming back.

number 2 pretty much links into the previous one, i think because of how much pain laylas death caused him he isolated himself to throw himself into his work to avoid facing the reality that was layla’s death.

however, for lucy to be 10 years old after just losing her mother, and then for her father to start acting like he doesnt give a shit about her, that must have been so confusing for her. to have your life completely flipped on its head within a couple of days probably led lucy to be so confused as to why jude wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

lucy was pretty much isolated from the outside world entirely, she had no friends her age, wasn’t allowed to attend school and therefore had to spend all day every day entertaining herself because she had no one to play with. not only this but she also had no one to talk to about how she was feeling at such a young age, she had no one to confide in and ask why her dad didn’t love her anymore, no shoulders to cry on, nothing.

this may be a personal headcannon of mine, but i believe lucys mental health as a young child was incredibly bad. to spend 6 long years almost entirely alone with no friends can for sure have long lasting effects. the reason why lucy was probably so sure about running away and living on her own was probably because she had already been raising herself for so many years beforehand, so whats the difference if she actually left.

lucy could have also blamed herself for judes behaviour, thinking that she had done something wrong to make him so mad at her all the time.

lucy, also, so obviously has intense abandonment issues. the way i see it, she’s been alone for so long that now she finally has friends and a family that care about her again, she never wants to let them ago. that would also explain why she was so heartbroken about natsu leaving her for a year, and if i remember correctly im pretty sure in the dub she literally says ‘i will be lonely’ when shes running after him.

i think her abandonment issues are more closesly related to natsu and happy than the entire guild however. natsu and happy were her first real friends her age, natsu helped her too reach her dream after knowing her for about a day without a second thought, she owes everything to him. i think the idea of her first real friend leaving her to be alone again absolutely breaks her heart.

my poor girl probably has so much going on in her head that she doesn’t want to remember. i can’t begin to imagine how horrible it must be for a 10 year old girl to be completely abandoned by her father after losing her mother. i really see myself in lucy, ive spent alot of my life with no friends so its easy for me to identify how horrific it makes you feel.

lucy may even struggle with her mental health outside of her past, for her to join the strongest team in fairy tail after every other member had been training since they were kids. for her to be surrounded by people who can so easily defend themselves in a fight when she could hardly hold her own and depended so much on her spirits thats sure to cause other issues. to feel like your the weak one in the group holding everyone back can cause so much guilt without even realising. (before anyone thinks it, im a lucy stan and im proud of her growth as a mage, im only talking about how she was when she first joined the guild)

lucy also, atleast around the beginning of the show, hated being connected to the heartfilia family. she point blank refused to let anyone outside of the guild know who she really was. theres a large possibility that if people were to find out her full name, some people around the world would resent lucy for joining a guild, thinking that shes selfish for taking jobs to earn even more money. lets not forget the time the guild belitted her behind her back for pretty much this exact thing, calling her a brat.

the way i see it, one of the reasons lucy was so infatuated with fairy tail growing up was probably because of their obvious connection with one another. she craved for a home, for people to love and care for her just like how her mother did before she passed. she craved love from other people after being shunned from her own father for so long.

before i shut my mouth, i’ll touch on something that i think pretty much every lucy fan is aware of and thats the reason behind why she dresses the way she does. her entire life lucy was forced into stuffy dresses she very clearly did not enjoy wearing and was told she wasn’t allowed to show any skin as its not ‘lady like’. lucy dresses she way she does to show her recent independence and escape from such a strictly ruled environment. to go from showing no skin at all, to wearing shorts skirts and little crop tops, shows that it’s her way of trying to re-discover herself after being bossed anound and told what to do and wear for so long.

[stripedwolf88]

15 Questions for 15 Mutuals

Yay! More tag games! Thank you for tagging me @bettysgarden12.

1.Are you named after anyone? I am not! But I am named after a bird. The quetzal to be specific.

2. When was the last time I cried? Um. I honestly don't remember. Maybe a few weeks ago?

3. Do you have kids? Nope. I am way too young. I would like to be a parent one day though.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yeah I think so. Mostly when I am really comfortable with who I am speaking to or when someone is pissing me off.

5. What sports do you play/have you played? It has been YEARS but I used to play soccer. Nothing now.

6. What is the first thing you notice about people? Uuuuum. I guess their voice and energy? I can kind of tell whether someone is annoying or not by their voice and their energy and for some reason those things are intertwined for me.

7. Scary movies or happy endings? Oh happy endings all the way, my dudes. I cannot handle scary movies unless they have a good ending amd even then I sometimes can't do it. I'm a sucker for happy ending and they never bore me. ☺

8. Any special talents? I can touch my tongue to my nose? And I can snap my fingers pretty loudly without hurting them? I don't really have any other than that.

9. Where were you born? Phoenix, Arizona. Born and raised. I've also never lived anywhere else.

10. What are your hobbies? I like to read, write, draw, watch youtube, and occasionally dabble with my instruments. I can play the viola and piano. I currently have a ukulele and a guitar I'm trying to learn how to play on my own.

11. Do you have any pets? Yes. They are the family pets which makes them just as much mine as they are to the other people in my house. I have a cat and a dog. My cats is striped with a brownish grayish sandy and black color pallet. He also has slightly longer fur. My dog is some kind of blue heeler/German shepard mix. She's very vocal. Their names are Piccolo and Gigi respectively.

12. All time favorite pieces of media? I absolutely love Definitely, Maybe as I have mentioned before. I also love Pride and Prejudice the movie from 2005. My favorite books are (once again) Ask The Passengers by A.S. King and The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes.

13. Fave subject in school? Science for middle school and my first year of high school but then English for the rest of the time.

14. Dream job? I'm not sure I have one. I think I'd like to be a therapist maybe one day or a social worker. But I'm kind of open in this deoartment.

15. Eye color? Brown. Dark brown that many people tell me they look almost black. Haha.

No pressure tags: @thearcher1003 @detective-jane-rizzoli @lyricstoojesus @dirtyrobber70 @downy-roses @missy832001 @antitheticaldreamgirl-13 @wonderrwoman00 @lovesazutara @r1ghtwhereyouleftme @speaknowmaybe @verdantsecretgardens @obliviouskara @monscrow @furby-customs

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

15 questions about me!

@esme-viridian thank you for the tag my love!!

1- are you named after anyone?

kind of 😅 when my mom was pregnant with me she was listening to Love Line (idk if anyone will remember what that is) and there was a guy that called in that had my name and she liked it so much she just decided on it

2- when was the last time you cried?

about two days ago 😂 i don’t cry often, but i was so overwhelmed with being sick for the first time in 2 years and i was in so much pain and i didn’t really know what to do

3- do you have kids?

NO absolutely not. i don’t want to have kids of my own but when i’m older i’d like to adopt older kids out of the system as soon as i have the means to. even when i was younger i never really liked kids, i only liked babies because at least they slept most of the time 😅

4- do you use sarcasm a lot?

not really :p i never really have a use for it

5- what’s the first thing you notice about people?

their attitude. i can always tell when someone wants to come into a situation with a bad attitude and i do my best to avoid them because you’re not about to ruin my good time

6- what’s your eye color?

i guess it’s like a grey blue 🤷‍♀️

7- scary movies or happy endings?

both i guess :p i love scary movies, it’s been my forever special interest so i can’t really remember a time when i didn’t like scary movies, but i do enjoy a happy ending every now and then

8- any special talents?

i’m AMAZING at trivia, and i love going out to trivia nights :p we actually played a trivia game at home a few weeks ago and i’ve been given the title of ✨Smartest Person in the House✨ don’t ever underestimate the amount of useless facts i know

9- what are your hobbies?

writing obviously :p but i also love reading, thrifting, and i’ve just recently picked up cross stitching again :)

10- where were you born?

Midwest born and raised 😍 my family takes pride on being white trash

11- do you have any pets?

i’m not much of an animal person but at home i’ve got three chihuahuas, all of them are old and really needy so they’re super snuggly :p i still live at home so they’re technically my parents dogs but i guess they’re also mine

12- what sports do you play/have played?

when i was younger my mom tried to get me into tons of sports but i’ve never been a sports kid. she put me in soccer, swimming, horseback riding, tennis, badminton. i think it’s been about 5 years since i’ve played an actual sport 😅

13- how tall are you?

i think around 5ft4 last i checked but i’m about 5ft8 in my favorite platforms 🥰

14- favorite subject in school?

i always loves english, writing has always been a passion of mine wether it was fanfics or short stories or essays. my parents would always say it was math but just because i’m good at it doesn’t mean i like it 😂

15- dream job?

i mean my DREAM JOB dream job would probably be to open up a halloween themed candy store but i know i’m never going to be able to get there 😂 i’ve never really liked considering writing a job, as much as i would like it to be, but if i had to pick a second one i would probably say my dream job is to be a horror screenwriter

i’m going to tag @imagine-all-the-imagines @aidansloth @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @manyfandomsfanvergent and anyone else who would like to do this 🥰 no pressure of course!

[anthraxplus]

the cultural phenomenon of barbenheimer has taken over my mind

i did barbenheimer with a friend yesterday and it really got me thinking.

first off - it was so weird having my local theatre be so busy. it's usually the theatre you can bet on being able to sneak anything into, and while we still definitely did sneak in a buttload of snacks, they had people actively waiting in the wings as ticket checkers. so it kinda sucked that we couldn't just do the whole thing for free. but that's a bit beside the point. the theatre was the busiest ive seen it in nearly 10 years. and i'm not gonna lie, seeing a "cultural event" happen in front of me was more jarring for that reason. and as the day went on, that image in my head stuck with me. the image that all these people showed up to watch barbie and oppenheimer.

we saw oppenheimer first, in a nearly empty theatre. we sorta did this by design - we started at 10am and picked oppenheimer first because less people would choose to be that insane. i was high and trying to get myself into an impartial mindset (even though i didn't think i would end up liking it). and i think all i should really say about oppenheimer is that it's 3 nearly endless hours that doesnt give anyone any time to breathe and ends up saying a bunch of confusing, disappointing, and outright false things. seriously, the amount of times the movie brushes off the fucking truth of the situation is absolutely disgusting. obligatory linking of shaun's video on hiroshima and nagasaki. i think everyone in the movie should be forced to answer why theyre proud of making 3 hour bland ass shit boring nuclear bomb apologia. this isn't even getting into how the famous oppenheimer quote is introduced by a manic pixie dream girl (who in reality was a stanford graduate and psychiatrist, neither of which i believe are ever touched on or expanded in the film) who hops off his dick mid-fuck, walks over to a bookshelf, picks the bhagavad gita off the shelf, opens it to the exact page and verse of the famous quote, asks him to read, and slides back on his dick between "now i am become death" and "destroyer of worlds." this movie released to critical acclaim. some are calling it a masterpiece.

after some burritos for lunch, my friend and i went to barbie. this was a packed theatre and mostly everyone was wearing pink. the red in my hair has faded to a pink, so i felt like i was part of something. kinda. anyway. some little kids were loud in the front but it wasnt much of an issue. i kept thinking of them whenever the movie would say something about the struggle to find identity in a world that hates you no matter what you do. did those little children listen to margot robbie say that she doesnt have a vagina? did they parse that? it was a great movie, if a bit scattershot. it shouldve been longer, if only to fully flesh out a couple ideas and help the movie feel a little less cramped. but they would never make a 2.5 (let alone 3) hour barbie movie that talks about not just what it means to be a woman, but what it means to be human in a world that is so often contradictory hostile and praising of you. what happens when the Other we defined ourselves by isn't static? do we become different as well in relation to them? do we stay the same? do we do both? what are women supposed to do in the world when everything they do is wrong but they're never allowed to stop doing anything? how do men develop their own identity when they are so often raised into mindsets where their individuality is replaced by similarly contradictory standards and a definition that only exists in relation to women? what did ken mean when he said he had "all the genitals?" barbie is far from perfect, but it manages to ask more honest and thought provoking questions (and offers its own interesting answers) about the nature of reality than oppenheimer does.

i'm struck by the dichotomy on display here. barbie may be the more financially successful of the two films, but it is not treated the same critically. for all barbie says, it seems to get overlooked for its (still impressive) design and acting. its metacommentary is mentioned but never discussed. its "witty meta humor" is listed as a huge selling point. oppenheimer, in contrast, is a vain and shallow film that says nothing and looks somewhat cool doing it. i wonder if there are any parallels here.

i worry for what this means for movies. a nearly empty theatre for a self-important movie that lists itself as its reason for existing is treated as if it says anything at all, and a packed theatre for a movie with a script similarly packed with commentary on our very state of being gets boiled down to "cute sets and witty banter." what did the audience members take from their barbenheimer experience? my area is not very progressive, and in my experience not very invested in growth of any kind. when america ferrera delivers one of the many theses of barbie in a tear-inducing frustrated monologue on how she's never seen as good enough no matter what she does, did the audience members feel seen? did they feel understood? or did they want her to stop talking so they could go back to looking at the cool barbie dream houses? when oppenheimer breezes through the discussion of which innocent cities to burn in an unholy fire with all the tact and deliberation a group of friends has when deciding where to have lunch, did the audience feel slighted? disgusted? or did they just want to see einstein on screen again like he's an iron man cameo?

i dont know where we go from here. it feels like a tipping point for what we want from movies, and i'm not sure audiences learned anything from the past 10 to 15 years of set-ups, tie-ins, and spin-offs. i want to believe something will come of the fact that so many people are seeing barbie. maybe, hopefully, something in it sticks with people and inspires some sort of change. just the smallest amount of evolution. right now i too feel like barbie when she sits in a park and looks around at everything the human experience has to offer, and starts crying from both joy and sorrow. a woman who is so often seen as disposable and empty understands the human condition in a way she cant express, and is overwhelmed by the crushing beauty and fragility it all rests upon. she is a human before she knows she is. she doesnt know who she is, but she knows she still Is. existence is confusing and no one knows what to do about it, and the least we could do is support each other as we figure out who we've always been. i hope this is what sticks with people instead of some half-audible dialogue about how hiroshima and nagasaki were justified. time will tell, though.

[otogariado]

15 questions!

supposed to be 15 mutuals too but i'm still too shy to tag people on this blog BUT if you don't mind getting tagged in posts like this then feel free to like this post & i'll tag you in the future. teehee

i was tagged by @stripesysheaven 💖💖 thank you

1. are you named after anyone?

my deadname is probably inspired by some french royalty. i did nickname myself after a videogame protagonist though, even though i don't use that nickname much any more

wait actually i'm vaguely remembering smth abt my mom supposedly naming myself after a local actress. that works too if that's true

2. when was the last time you cried?

very recently because i was very sad. but also it's easy for me to cry bc of stuff i watch. i teared up during three different moments while watching the new puss in boots movie

3. do you have kids?

no. probably never. it's a very big responsibility

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

not a lot, just sometimes. usually just to be funny or when i'm ranting to someone abt an anecdote in private. i like making it apparent when i do though. "i DONT use sarcasm at all NOT using it right now. what makes you say that"

5. what sports do you play/have you played?

recently competed in badminton doubles!! with strangers i met like minutes before the matches started haha. we were short on people. i'm not Very Good at any particular sport but i'll play most things for fun. i miss doing frisbee class

6. what's the first thing you notice about other people?

i'm always So Scareds of people so it's hard to answer this question... probably the way they speak? i don't have to be looking at people to notice that

7. what's your eye colour?

almost black, deep brown thangs

8. scary movies or happy endings?

schmaltz forever

9. any special talents?

i can follow sheet music on the spot (just give me the pitch and i'm good) and i'm good at bullshitting melodies i've never sang before

10. where were you born?

born and raised and still here in the philippines

11. what are your hobbies?

watching shows and movies and getting incredibly emotionally attached to fictional characters and thinking about them too hard is my #1 hobby. aside from that i like listening to video essays/podcasts, drawing, writing... i also like walking. once i learn how to ride a bike i'd like to do that regularly too

i need more physical crafty hobbies, i just don't have the space/space management skills to do them rn... i used to do a lot of paper crafting as a kid

12. do you have any pets?

toothless is a... tuxedo cat? he's technically my grandpa's but i consider him my little guy too

they're my cousins' but i also live with two dogs :) toffee (middle) who is a very bitey puppy. he's aspin but he probably has some fancy breed in his blood or smn bc his fur is very soft. and betsy (right, jailed for crimes. she doesn't mind) is a shih tzu and they've had her for a few years now C:

13. how tall are you?

i hate checking my height cz i might shrink again. probably around 5'6"

14. favorite subject in school?

i loved math and science in grade school. in high school i enjoyed lit a lot more. pending answer for college lol

15. dream job?

my cousin once brought up the idea of us owning a bar/cafe/resto thing together. it would be nice!

[themomsandthecity]

How That "Childless Cat Ladies" Discourse Stings For Blended Families

Practically every day, it seems as though vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance finds a new way to disparage and shame people who choose to be child-free. The discourse began back in 2021. During an appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Vance, who was at the time an Ohio Senate candidate, said, "We are effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too." Vance went on to list Vice President Kamala Harris as an example. More recently, when President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 election and subsequently endorsed Harris, the 2021 clip began to circulate, sparking much conversation and backlash. At press time, however, Vance has not backed down from the now infamous remarks. If anything, he's doubled down, saying the "Democratic Party is becoming anti-family and anti-child." First and foremost, whether a woman chooses to be a mother or not does not affect her worth in any way, especially her ability to do a job. That being said, Vance also blatantly ignored Harris's role as a stepmother to her husband Doug's two children, Ella and Cole Emhoff. Omitting this information to push a certain narrative onto Harris simultaneously devalues and undermines the role that she plays in her stepchildren's lives. Maybe it's because we've all become so accustomed to the "wicked stepmother" stereotype. From Cinderella's evil stepmother to Meredith Blake from "The Parent Trap," most depictions of blended families have a negative undertone. But this narrative couldn't be further from the truth in this case, with Emhoff's ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff telling CNN, "These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I. She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it." Harris and other stepparents alike deserve their flowers because the way that they show up for their stepkids leaves a long-lasting impact. My stepdad definitely did. When I was 12 years old, my mom remarried. I gained a stepdad and a couple of adult stepbrothers in the process. Despite having kids of his own, my stepdad never made me feel like I was an afterthought or just his wife's kid. He was always kind, considerate, and a great example for my sisters and me. During my most formative years, he was there. He was the person who bravely took me out driving for the first time and taught me how to parallel park. He disciplined me when needed and always had my mom's back. He kept his judgments to himself as I obsessively watched "Glee" as a teenager. And most importantly, he made my mom happy while they were together. They amicably parted ways years later, but I still see him as my stepdad. When I think of the men who have truly shaped me, I will always point to him and my grandpa. Even though he was in my life for a short time, I'm so grateful for everything he did and taught me. From getting us all Valentine's Day gifts each year to picking me up from camp to help my mom out even after their split, he was always someone we could rely on. My stepdad may not have created me, but his presence in my life shaped me. Outside of his parental duties, he always just supported me being me. When I wanted to pursue fashion design, for example, he bought me a sewing machine. Even now, as I continue to write and pursue my dreams, he always hypes up my accomplishments. He may not have created me, but his presence in my life shaped me. The bond between a stepparent and stepchild is unique in every way shape and form, but one thing it isn't? Insignificant. Choosing a partner to take on life with is one thing, but choosing a partner who can help guide, care for, and raise your children is another entirely.… https://www.popsugar.com/family/jd-vance-childless-comment-stepdaughter-opinion-49384069?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[bulgariansumo]

Welcome to the second part of my Mario Movie Retrospective. Here's the first part if you're interested.

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

This movie can be fun at times, and if nothing else, a testament that no matter how many things go wrong, you can still wind up with a piece of art that is charming in its own way to some people. 

But like the tagline says, this ain’t no game. It has enough to make it bizarre on its own, but it gets even weirder when considering it in the context of the franchise’s history.

I first saw this movie in the early 2000’s, not 10 years after its release, and I remember being so confused. Why is Mario so gruff? Why doesn’t Luigi have a mustache? Why does everything look so dark? 

Why are Mario and Luigi from the real world?

In the late 80’s/early 90’s, the franchise cemented that Mario and Luigi were plumbers from Brooklyn before stumbling into the Mushroom Kingdom. This is especially true in US-produced media like the DiC cartoons, the Mario Ice Capades, and Hotel Mario. I think this movie is the last thing to reference that before the 2023 one. 

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island got released in 1995, which has it so that the brothers are born in the Mushroom Kingdom, and that’s the story many games afterward go with. Charles Martinet’s portrayal of the Mario Bros. forewent a Brooklyn accent entirely starting from 1996, becoming iconic soon after. 

Mario’s image and premise changed drastically in a short window of time. If you’re like me and got into the series during Super Mario 64 or after, there’s a lot in previous portrayals of Mario and Luigi that feel foreign. People my age and younger can be a little unfair to this movie for that reason. It’s something I always found grating.

Besides, there’s enough to criticize as it is. I can still see the cartoons as Mario-related. Even if I was a kid who grew up on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, I’d still be deeply confused if I went into “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and got hit with a loredump about evolution and parallel universes.

As you might recall from last time, each Mario Movie faces a dilemma: How to stretch such a simple premise to movie length without adding so much that it feels divorced from the source material? How to balance making it a movie and making it Mario?

The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach focused more on the Mario. Sure, it had Mario and Luigi go on a mandatory treasure hunt for power ups, but even then, that movie had to throw in walking montages to make it to an hour.

The live action movie focused more on the movie. And its relationship with the source material? They see each other from time to time, but, well… someone’s paying alimony. The movie wasn’t always meant to stray so far, judging by the earlier scripts, but it changed so many hands on the way to completion that things got lost, rewritten, or outright ignored.

There’s a lot to cover when talking about this movie. It’s a little more character-focused than the previous one, so let’s start with the cast.

Mario - This Mario has no time to dream or think about what-ifs. He’s a plumber; he’s got work to do and bills to pay. A cautious man, getting thrust into adventure is not his idea of a good time. Though he calls Luigi his brother, he found him as a baby and raised him, so he’s more like Luigi’s father (-figure.) I find it interesting that though Mario had no official personality at this point, both The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach and the cartoons went with more optimistic, determined portrayals that share a lot with how he’s depicted now. This may be the only version to deviate from that. 

Luigi - He’s a young, starry-eyed dreamer who wants to believe there’s something more to the world than meets the eye, like parallel dimensions, aliens, and so on. He’s endearingly awkward at times and becomes lovestruck with Daisy at first sight. Extremely impulsive, he’s neither the brightest nor the strongest, but he has heart. Also, he is a gamer. This Luigi just so happens to be the protagonist. …Is anyone else getting deja vu? 

Daisy - Not yet known as Peach in the US, the writers must’ve felt Toadstool wasn’t the most charming name for a love interest, nor realistic. This version is raised in the real world, after all. Luckily for them, someone along the way discovered that a Princess Daisy existed, which was kind of a deep cut at the time; she wasn’t really an established character yet. In this movie, Daisy is a passionate archeologist, feeling a connection to dinosaur bones. The kind of girl who takes her date to a dig site. While she does spend a chunk of the movie in peril, she’s shown to be willing to stand up for herself and resourceful enough to eventually escape capture. Fun Fact(?): Allegedly, she has a character arc that was completely cut from the theatrical release. The extended cut is available, but I’m only focusing on the theatrical version because it’s what most people have seen. 

Koopa - This human version of Koopa/Bowser lacks the brute force of others and is instead more conniving. He reigns over the perpetually exploding Dinohattan. He’s also very concerned with germs. His motivation is closely tied with the movie’s plot, so bear with me. When the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs hit, it did not kill the dinosaurs, it just threw them and some fungus into an alternate dimension where they evolved into humanoids. Stay with me. A kingdom developed in this dimension before being taken over by Koopa around the time of Daisy’s birth. He used a machine to de-evolve her father into fungus. Daisy’s mother flees through the dimensional portal into New York, leaving her with some nuns before going back, only to be killed by Koopa. She left a necklace with Daisy containing a meteor shard, which will merge both dimensions back into one when placed back into the meteor. Koopa wants to merge both dimensions because the dino dimension has much less natural resources than the real world, and they’re not doing well. Also, he wants to turn humans into monkeys and rule both worlds. He sends some henchmen to kidnap Daisy in order to get the necklace back, but also because she’s the only one who can insert it into the rest of the meteor. Mario and Luigi end up taking the necklace, which is why he hates them.

Toad - A musician protesting Koopa’s reign, spreading rumors that the fungus infesting the city is the true king. He’s arrested along with Mario and Luigi before being forcefully devolved into a Goomba and placed into servitude. Despite this, he retains his morals (and harmonica) and helps the protagonists.

Iggy and Spike - Koopa’s bumbling henchmen. He gets so fed up with them that he reverses the settings on his de-evolution machine to evolve them into smarter beings. This only results in them saying big words. They switch alliances off screen since the scene that shows them doing so got cut. All of their lines go on for too long, leaving their comedic bits falling flat.

Yoshi - Koopa’s pet who ends up helping Daisy after she shows him kindness. The practical effects make him look like a tinier version of the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. He’s kinda cute in an ugly way.

Lena - Koopa’s girlfriend/wife/main henchwoman? Her jealousy of Daisy makes her go to the extreme in order to win back Koopa’s attention. At least I think that’s what her motivation is? She keeps talking about “what I deserve,” but never elaborates on what that means.

Big Bertha - Not a fish. Instead, she’s a club bouncer who steals the meteor necklace from Mario and Luigi with the help of her jumping boots. Mario woos her in order to steal the necklace, then ditches her in the middle of their dance. She ends up helping the brothers afterwards. Why? Good question. 

Daniella - Mario’s girlfriend. She and a few other women get kidnapped by Iggy and Spike, being mistaken for Daisy. Her actress looks a little like how Nintendo would later redesign Pauline from Donkey Kong, which I think is interesting.

As hinted at in Luigi’s description, he’s a lot like the previous movie’s Mario in his determination. The same is true with this Mario and the previous Luigi being the more practical ones. These traits are amped up in the live action movie characters. But while Luigi is the protagonist, Mario’s worldview sets the tone. The alternate dimension Luigi dreamed of–the main setting–is just a worse version of where they already live: a crowded city rife with crime and corruption.

Now, I originally wrote some stuff about Luigi’s idealism and Mario’s world weariness butting heads and how it represents the older characters vs. the younger characters in this movie. Something-something about fighting the power and believing in yourself. That didn’t quite hold up after a rewatch. 

Mario’s willing to stick up for himself and anyone who he feels needs it (meanwhile, Luigi tries to sell him out to the cops.) His and Luigi’s conflict comes from Mario not believing hard enough. Nothing is impossible; that’s Luigi’s motto and the movie’s. He believes fungus is telling him to use bombs, he’ll jump off a cliff so long as he believes it’ll be okay, and he’s right every time.

Undermining this conflict is the fact that Mario will also do things at random. What’s his plan for sneaking back into Koopa’s tower? Turn off the heating system, steal some clothes, ???, profit!

This is an overarching issue in the writing: Everyone just kinda does stuff for no reason, conveniently moving the plot to where it needs to be. Characters’ alliances change between scenes. Important items appear and disappear at whim. Some of this is due to scenes that were cut, but others are unexplained. It leaves the movie feeling like it’s falling apart after the first hour.

Another writing issue is that the movie treats lines that make no sense like the hardest one-liners ever dropped. “You know what I love about mud? It’s clean and it’s dirty at the same time.” –Koopa, 1993. Cool, what does that mean?

There’s bright spots in the writing, though. It can have fun with itself, leading to jokes I enjoy, like the reveal of Mario and Luigi’s last name, the elevator scene, and some visual gags. 

Everyone in charge of the visuals–the practical effects, CGI, costume, and makeup artists–did a fantastic job bringing the settings to life, even if they’re not what anyone would expect from the title. 

The music score is surprisingly full of wonder, but something I noticed when listening to this soundtrack vs. The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach’s is that the latter was filled with arrangements of songs from the game. The live action movie plays the Super Mario Bros. theme for exactly 20 seconds, and that’s it. That sums up the difference between these two movies better than I can.

The only things in this movie that feel vaguely Mario-esque in vibes are the lighthearted elements that feel necessary to make it suitable for a child audience. Otherwise, it’s too dark, gungy, and horny to match the series. Toad is lobotomized and enslaved. Daisy’s dad is a diseased-looking mass of fungus and slime. Mario dives into Big Bertha's chest like he’s bobbing for apples.

When the movie does want to reference the games, easter eggs are prioritized over recognizability. Enemy names are in the background if you squint, yet Luigi wears red more often than green. There’s no powerups, but Miyamoto’s in a crowd shot, so I’ve heard. It feels like missing the forest for a blade of grass. Though focusing on recognizability won’t fix much, at least viewers will know they’re watching the right movie. 

As it stands, we’re left with a Mario movie where the main characters don’t wear overalls and the villain is only a monster in the figurative sense. Nowhere are the blue skies and rolling hills of the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead, we go from New York City to… dystopian New York City. Toad’s some guy with a guitar.

This movie might be received better if it scrubbed the references and called itself “Directionless in Dinohattan” or something. I can see how people would get a kick out of it, even if it’s held together by duct tape and dreams. The thing that holds it back most is its disinterest in being Mario-related while shambling around in Mario’s skin. Like the Ice Capades costumes.

People with skill worked on this movie. There’s heart somewhere, regardless of whether it’s in the right place or not. The choices it makes are so baffling it makes sense to be a little fascinated. For those who want to enjoy the chaos, pick it apart, or just gawk at the weirdness, there’s something for different types of people. All of this gives it the makings of a cult classic.

Also, heads up if you do end up checking it out, Koopa is a real creep to Daisy. He tries to force a kiss on her and implies that he’s going to do something way worse later on. So if you’re sensitive to attempted/implied SA, skip a few minutes ahead after Yoshi’s first appearance. Didn’t think I’d have to warn for that in a Mario movie, but this one is committed to proving that nothing is impossible.

Here's some other stuff I have to say about the movie that I couldn't fit here or in the tags.

Next are my thoughts on Super Mario Bros. (2023).