#peaches when I tell you

[bberetd]

So basically… you’d like for me to weep and sob this evening

Have you ever thought about how Mario probably grew up in a loving but financially unstable home, and how he and Luigi likely struggled to eek out a decent life for themselves prior to whatever strange magic brought them to the Mushroom Kingdom? Have you thought about the months where they had to decide which they wanted more: food, or a roof over their heads?

And then have you stopped to think about Peach, a literal monarch with an endless supply of wealth, suddenly giving them a cottage big enough to house a whole family and free access to her castle and inviting them to share meals with her, for no other reason than 1.) she's quite fond of them and 2.) she just can? How she probably views these gestures as meager, the absolute least she can do for her friends, and how she likely has no idea that she's casually giving them a sense of security and belonging they've never had before? How much peace she brings into Mario's life, never having to wonder where his next paycheck or his next meal is coming from, seeing his beloved brother finally having the means to pursue his own hobbies and pastimes, and not even realizing it? Have you ever thought about that?

And have you ever thought about how lonely Peach's life must have been? Even if there were other children her age to play with (never mind that none of them were human like her), she couldn't have played anyway, because every aspect of her upbringing was tailored around making her an effective politician? And how even in adulthood, there's very few people who seek her company just for the sake of it; how she goes into most interactions knowing that she's wanted for her beauty, her power, her influence, and nothing else?

And then have you stopped to think about Mario, a guy with plenty of friends and lots of better things to do, just... seeking her out for no other reason than to talk? How he could have so much more from Peach if only he asked, she would happily gift him any treasure that money could buy, but for some reason she can't decipher, all he wants is her friendship? How he doesn't view her as untouchable or some great means to an end, nor does he just turn a blind eye to their differing social statuses; he acknowledges her position and her power yet expects nothing of her in spite of it, and is happiest simply when he can sit and chat with her about nothing for hours on end? Have you ever thought about that?

Because I think about that, like. A lot.

[ilikeicecoffee-blog]

There's something I love about Peach holding really dangerous weapons like nothing and just being all "Oopsie.." about it🥺🩷

This was partially inspired by that moment in SSBB Subspace where her evil clone was holding that giant weapon used to turn the fighters back into trophies😌

That and I love how she was in her scenes, especially when on Meta Knight's ship! Being all💅 when there's literally a whole explosive battle going on around her💥

[goldensunset]

i am having a great time over here

[pianokantzart]

:)

[thepostofficesketch]

Jump scared by the bulk candy at the co-op

[heloflor]

Ok so for about a good two-three months now I had a post in my drafts about how I realized I ship Powser, and long story short I started comparing Bowser to what I think to be how most villains in media interact with their damsel in distress if they express “love” for them. Issue is, I don’t have nearly enough knowledge/examples on this topic to know how truthful this comparison is, but said comparison is also the main thing tying this post together. So when thinking of ways to remove this element while still having all the same info in this post, I kind of came up short. Plus, I like the way the post is structured as is.

In other words, here’s the post as I originally wrote it, but be aware that the comparison is probably very flawed. Maybe there’s some truth to it, probably not. In any case, just focus on the Powser side of it, the villain comparison is just there for the structure. Enjoy! (long post ahead, a bit over 3k words)

So I recently realized that I really like Powser which I did NOT expect given I’m usually much more of a “friends to lovers” type of person, and trying to understand why I like it led me to think about how villains tend to be presented in their relationship with the “damsel in distress”, and it’s actually very interesting when you compare it to Bowser.

TL;DR: Unlike most villains who showcase sexual attraction (I think?), Bowser is shown to be romantically attracted to Peach. And while his actions are still very much shitty and should be seen as such, man is he adorable sometimes ! Plus, the way his feelings are shown to be genuine makes him look better than most villains, whose “love” for their victim is portrayed as """creepy lust""" by their medias.

(Obviously there is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with sexual attraction. I’m talking in the context of medias that sometimes tend to vilify it, especially when it comes to the antagonists, hence the language used in this post.)

So the first thing that came in mind while thinking of other villains was Dis//ney’s Alad//din (the 90s/animated one) and how Jaf/ar treats Jasm/ine at the end of the movie, more specifically when he wishes for her to fall in love with him and she ends up pretending to be as a distraction.

Thing is, Jasm/ine doesn’t act like she’s in love with Jaf/ar, she acts like she’s thirsting for him, and the way Jaf/ar reacts shows that this is pretty much what he had in mind when saying he wants her to love him. This isn’t love, it’s lust.

Now, I can’t say I’m someone who watches a lot of movies, especially not live-actions ones, so take what I’m about to say with a huge grain of salt. Basically, I kinda feel like what we see in Alad/din is the norm when it comes to villain/victim relationships? Like you have those antagonists who want the damsel in distress to be horny for them, who don’t see those women as people and don’t give a shit about them, only keeping them to get what they want out of them and having no issue discarding them afterwards if they get bored with those poor girls.

Btw that’s not to say that every single villain who kidnaps someone wants to sleep with them. But when it comes to villains who claim to love their victim, there does seem to be at least some sexual tension here, or at least some uncomfortable touches.

And then there’s Bowser. To give a few examples of what he does:

- In that one 1986 anime movie thing, he gets very soft around Peach, gushing about how he’s in love with her and wants to marry her, trying to cheer her up when she’s sad, and let’s not forget that “it’s more of a bracelet, shows that my love is bigger” line with the ring.

- In the mainline “platformers” games, you have “Mario Sunshine” in which Bowser wants his son to have a mother, and “Mario Odyssey” in which he tries to marry Peach, going around the world gathering all the absolute best things for the wedding. There’s also the New Bros U intro with Bowser gently moving Peach’s chair, making sure she doesn’t get hurt by his attack, showing he doesn’t want to hurt her.

- Not sure exactly if this counts as this could be a form of objectification, but you know that cliché of villains getting that all-powerful thing they wanted and immediately betraying/discarding all the people they worked with and/or claimed to love? Well, in the Galaxy games, Bowser gets the power to create a whole new universe, and yet still takes the time to capture Peach, claiming in the first game that he wants her to rule along with him. Again, this could be a form of objectification, especially when looking at his dialogue in the intro of the second game, but it’s still interesting how Bowser doesn’t really fall on that trope, still having his army and Junior on top of Peach (btw the intro of Galaxy 2 is very funny on that front because Bowser literally has enormous powers and yet still makes a detour for Peach, thus causing Mario to be on his tail. Like, let her go dude, she’s not that into you. You got all the powers of the universe, who cares about that one specific woman when you could have literally anybody else?).

- In the first Paper Mario game, Bowser tells Peach that he would fulfill her wishes if she wants (as long as he likes them) and gushes in his diary about how he hopes Peach likes him. And in Thousand Years Doors, he keeps trying to look for her upon hearing she got kidnapped.

- In Super Paper Mario, he gets overjoyed about the wedding but still immediately shows worry for Peach when Nastasia uses her mind control on her, and in general Bowser spends the game clearly loving being able to call Peach his wife, and joins the team again in 7-2 out of concern for her safety. Same with 8-1 where for all he knows he’s about to die and yet his main concern is her safety, to the point where he's willing to ask Mario to protect her for him. His priority is not being with Peach, instead it's Peach being safe.

- In Color Splash, the first thing he does when first getting back to himself during the fight is ask if Mario brought Peach with him.

- In Origami King, he doesn’t want her to see him as a wet floor sign and later asks Olly if Peach is safe and comfortable, which as I’ve seen pointed out implies that him capturing Peach is mostly a forced vacation/sleepover until Mario arrives and she’s put on the spot for show.

(- In general Paper Bowser is a huge hopeless romantic, at least from what I’ve seen of him.)

- In Superstar Saga he helps Mario and Luigi reach the Bean Kingdom for Peach’s sake. Then in Bowser’s Inside Story his most beloved and protected memories are his memories of Peach + he makes saving her his priority towards the end. And in Dream Team, he hears a rumor that Peach might have gotten kidnaped and immediately flies all the way to Pi’illo Island to find her.

- You cannot convince me that his car in Mario 3D World wasn’t an attempt to impress Peach, given this is one of the only two games (three with Wonder) where you play as her and face against him. /hj

- In that one old comic people kept bringing up after the movie came out, Bowser spends a lot of time gushing about marrying Peach. Also despite Peach being very temperamental in this comic, I don’t think Bowser once tries to hurt her? Obviously you have the Magikoopa brainwashing her at the end which is fucked up but outside of that does Bowser ever get angry or menacing when it comes to her?

- In general, outside of the games where Peach is playable and the intro of Inside Story (which comes off as OOC for Bowser tbh, I get him being pissed off but him trying to burn Peach is just really off), do we ever get to see Bowser raise a hand on her and/or try to physically hurt her? Same for his anger, how often do we get to see him raise his voice on her? And no the sports and party games don’t count since everyone is doing the same thing to everyone else in those, and in the party games it'd be unfair if playing that one character led to Bowser going easy on the player.

Now I might be missing some more moments, especially since I’m far from the most knowledgeable on the sport/party games and some RPGs (slowly making my way through them), but there’s one thing that is very obvious: while most villains express sexual attraction for the damsel in distress, Bowser expresses romantic attraction.

Bowser genuinely cares for Peach. She’s one of his most precious memories. In Super Paper, he snaps out of the joy of getting married when Peach is getting brainwashed, showing how much he values her safety. He absolutely adores her and isn’t afraid to express it, especially Paper Bowser.

Those two instances (Inside story and Super Paper) especially really seem to lean into how much Bowser loves Peach. In Inside Story, the fact that she’s his most well-preserved memory shows just how much he values the little time he spends with her and how important she is to him, not as some pretty face but as a person he genuinely wants to create more memories with. And in Super Paper, Bleck is giving him the one thing he’s always wanted, and yet he still shows some reticence when Nastasia uses her mind control, making it look like Peach being safe and sound is more important to him than them being a couple. Idk, those two moments just really get to me when you think about it this way.

(Btw in Super Paper I adore that Peach hesitates to leave him in 8-1 because, while we know Peach is incredibly kind so of course she’d be worried for a teammate, for once it feels like Bowser actually earned it. He spends the whole game being caring towards Peach, and wouldn’t you know, being nice and respectful to someone actually makes them care for you! I swear the Powser potential from this game is unmatched!)

When most villains say “I want this woman to love me”, they usually mean “I want this woman to obey and submit to my every want”. When Bowser says “I want Peach to love me”, he means “I want to be able to wake up everyday by her side, make her smile and laugh and be happy, see her be a mother to my kid(s), learn more about her and spend as much time with her as I can”. Bowser isn’t trying to marry Peach because he wants to “own” her, he wants to marry her because he quite literally wants to spend the rest of his life by her side.

Now that’s not to say that Bowser doesn’t feel any form of sexual attraction. But since Mario is such a kids-friendly franchise, the focus is much more on his romantic feelings. Also, I'll admit, whether Bowser is in love with Peach or with the idea of Peach is up for debate.

I think that’s the main reason why so many people are quick to call Bowser sweet/adorable when seeing the way he talks about Peach. Because the thing is, Bowser is still being a complete asshole here. He’s constantly kidnapping her, putting her in a cage on several occasions, forced her to marry him like 6 different times, very often disregards her body autonomy by grabbing her (+ the kidnappings), terrorizes and sometimes even tortures/kills her people, and his phone pic in the parental controls video + the picture frames in Nintendo World make him look like a creep. Despite his feelings for her, there’s definitely a level of objectification here that should not be ignored.

Hell, I didn’t mention the 2023 movie on the list because I’d argue he was more obsessed rather than in love. Plus the scene where he proposes to her low-key feels like the very first time they meet, making his previous actions creepier (or at the very least they barely know each other, heck Peach didn’t even know Bowser likes her!). And he’s quick to use blackmail and violence against her, especially in the end. The wedding cake toppers also show he cares more about himself than Peach and sees her as an object rather than a person.

(I actually take back what I said in my movie reaction post about Bowser being like the one from Super Paper. He might be goofy when showing his softer side, which was what I was focused on when comparing the two, but he’s also clearly not as genuine and sweet as Paper Bowser. The way he mistreats his army and especially Kamek in the movie is also different from most games, most notably the RPGs since that’s when we see him interact with his people and he’s a relatively good king to them.)

Compare 2023 Movie Bowser to the 1986 movie in which he tries to get Peach involved in the wedding preparations, tries to cheer her up, never gets angry at her despite how much she’s resisting him and never once raises his hand on her. Even when she outsmarts him by making him shapeshift, he’s amused by her attempt. Literally the worse he does in this movie is grab her against her will on many occasions (and obviously the kidnaping and forced marriage, that goes without saying).

Going back on topic, despite Bowser being very much horrible in the way he approaches Peach, since every other villain out there is lusting after the woman they capture, making them appear creepy/predatory, Bowser comes off as an angel in comparison. He’s one of those rare cases of a villain who is truly sincere about his feelings for the woman he captures, and since we see other occasions of him being a sweetheart (with Junior) and a dumbass (the RPG series), he becomes an incredibly endearing character. So his feelings for Peach come off as adorable despite the bad elements because we’re aware he has a soft side so we know he’s truly sincere. Him being sometimes more of an antihero in the RPGs + his inclusion in sports games and the like probably also help seeing him in that good light.

(Also yes I’m very much aware that there’s a huge issue when it comes to how fandoms perceive female characters, and I will absolutely believe you if you tell me this is one of the reasons why you have people who talk shit about Peach so much all while defending Bowser’s actions, especially since his feelings for Peach are so rooted into his character. Oh and obviously you have the people horny for Bowser who love his softer/romantic side and value the moments where he displays this part of himself, that goes without saying.)

I’m especially surprised by the 1986 movie showing such a characterization of him, considering it came out 1-2 years after the very first Super Mario game (aka Bowser’s first appearance, at least I think?). Like imagine making a movie about those characters and going “hey you know the giant turtle monster we fight in this game? What if he was a huge lovable dork who just wanted some love in his life?”. Tbh I adore that choice.

Overall, it’s just interesting to see how Bowser differs from other villains on that front. It’s very interesting to see a villain who does pretty terrible things to a girl all the while being genuine in his feelings for her, idk it’s a very cool contrast. I also like how “true love” tends to be a motivation for the heroes, seen as something good, so it’s fun to see stories where villains have that very same motivation without it being “““twisted””” with lust. And yes I know that last point applies to many more antagonists than just Bowser, and not just for feelings like love.

And a bit off-topic but I also really like how you can easily explain Bowser’s behavior here (not justifying it tho!!!). In the Yoshi Island games, we see he was raised as a spoiled brat who was always given what he wanted, made worse by him being a monarch. We even still see some of that behavior in his adult self, for example when he gets angry and starts stomping his foot like a kid throwing a tantrum.

As a result of his upbringing, Bowser likely just doesn’t know how to take a no. He’s used to always get what he wants, and take it by force if necessary. So when Peach refuses him, he does just that, incapable of understanding why she doesn’t want him.

The 86 movie is actually an excellent example of this. In two scenes (the one with Peach outsmarting him and the ring dialogue) we see Bowser getting worked up when Peach is upset, showing he genuinely wants her to be happy. But at the same time he’s incapable of realizing that he’s the reason why she’s so upset and the one thing he should do is let her go. The ring scene especially shows it very well. When Peach throws the ring and starts crying because she doesn’t want to get married, Bowser thinks she’s upset due to the ring being too big and immediately tries to soothe her by promising to get a better ring. Again, it’s kinda crazy how this movie was made when Bowser only existed for a single year and yet they already made him genuinely in love with Peach.

I’d also add that Bowser seems to have a pretty high opinion of himself, thinking he’s awesome and shit (or maybe he’s overcompensating, that seems like a possibility). As a result, it’s possible that his mentality on the situation is “Well I’m in love with her so surely she must love me! How could she not?”, making it even harder for him to comprehend why she doesn’t love him.

Again, it doesn’t justify his actions in the slightest but it’s still interesting how you can somewhat understand why he’s like this.

And as to why I ship Powser, honestly I still have no idea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think it has to do with the storytelling potential of a unrequited love/it’s complicated/they have history situation in regards to their roles as monarchs, especially in the case of Peach whose character is brimming with untapped potential. I actually like to describe their relationship as “I hate the effect you have on my life but I couldn’t imagine a life without you in it” or “Our kingdoms are enemies for a good reason but if anything happened to you I’d rush in to save you without hesitation”. It's just that idea of them being ex-lovers who had a bad falling out and how Peach still cares about him to an extent and how their lives constantly intertwine with villains trying to take over their kingdoms + Bowser's kidnappings.

And since we’re talking Powser and since wondering whether they know each other or not in the movie got me to question how we can tell they know each other in the games: the best way I could describe their relationship in the games is familiar/”comfortable”, like you have the way Peach tries to convince Bowser to join the group in Super Paper, the way she talks about him in general in the Mario and Luigi games, or stuff like most cutscenes in Odyssey where she never seems afraid of Bowser.

I’ve also seen that Switch Tennis game with the evil racket and how Peach is the one who tries to get through to Bowser when he steals it, straight up saying “listen to me” which makes it seem like she knows she’s the one person who could get him to stop, or you have the first Rabbids game where she comments on how “Junior is sometimes even worse than his father”, plus the way she looks like a mother about to reprimand her child in the cutscene where Jr learns Bowser is coming home (which I find hilarious; lady that’s not your kid, I thought we’d been through this already in Sunshine!). Oh and CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE WAY SHE’S LOOKING AT HIM IN (spoilers in link) THAT CUTSCENE FROM THE NEW RABBIDS 2 DLC!!!

I don’t know how to fully explain but, looking at these kinds of interactions, you can tell that the two of them know each other, and to an extent Peach knows that Bowser won’t hurt her, hence why she’s not afraid to oppose him. It’s pretty funny actually how in the games Peach tends to be exasperated by Bowser more than anything else. Like he’s not a menace, just a weekly annoyance. And again, when you compare it to the movie where there’s only hostility and awkwardness between them, you do get the impression that they’re two complete strangers meeting for the first time. The fact Movie Peach had no idea about his feelings for her doesn’t help either. Then again, about the hostility, Peach in the games is much sweeter so maybe she shows a nicer side to Bowser because that’s just who she is.

[itsamenickname]

Not gonna lie, which I did greatly enjoy the Bowuigi scene from the Mario movie (and the movie as a whole), I kind of want to see a different take on the movie where everything is the same, but the major twist is that Luigi is the one who landed in the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario is the one who landed in the Dark Lands.

[whoopsies-daisies]

Umbrella Academy characters as things my friends and I have texted each other part like 11 or something idk

Viktor: okay I'm actually going to dollar general now so just let me know if there's anything you want

Drunk five: MONSYER

Five: peach

Viktor: what

Viktor: Peach?

Viktor: okay

Five: monter

Five: and uhh

Five: sour patch steraberrys

[peaches2217]

One of my favorite things about my job is that our office is actually a semi-stylized cabin, complete with a covered porch. So on days like today, when business is slow and the rain’s coming down, I can stand outside, take some deep breaths, and just enjoy the view for a while.

Moments like this aren’t particularly special, I guess, but they always leave me feeling at peace and happy to be alive, so I cherish them all the same.

[peachesofteal]

What's the source of your cover picture that you had before? I couldn't find what it is from. I'm already missing it.

One of my favourite thing about your blog was your cover photo. I remember staring at it for minutes lolll

Eve from Only Lovers Left Alive. One of my favorite movies and characters. Don't worry, she'll be back.

[annamariedarkholmes]

watching x-twitter and r*ddit try to stir up ~dissent against brevoort because he isn’t effusive over the same pet characters who’ve been front and center at the expense of everyone else not just all krakoa but since the early 2000s

[clairedaring]

Sai. Get out of my room now. Okay, I will leave. But will you hear what I have to say. No, I'm not listening. Get out now! I'm sorry I didn't mean to do anything to you. I only asked you about that man is because I wanted to know how close you were to him, whether he knew Rangrong, and whether he would tell her if he did. I don't want your life to be like before. If you really mean well to me, then leave. And don't do this to me again. I'm begging you. Okay. I'm leaving.

The Root รากแก้ว (2022) dir. Koo Ekkasit Trakulkasemsuk

[softquietsteadylove]

It’s been a while for the life interrupted one. Would you write more?

Druig being worried about Thena not coming home and it’s being very very late that he rushes to Gil’s and almost breaks the door from his angry knocking?

"Where is she?!"

Half the apartment complex would be woken.

"I know you can hear me you bastard!" Druig raged, not caring who heard him--not caring what time it was. He pounded on the door, "let me the fuck in or I'll-!"

The door whipped open just before Druig was yanked inside.

"Will you calm down?"

Druig looked up at Gilgamesh with wild eyes. "Calm down? My sister disappears and you tell me-"

"She didn't disappear," Gil huffed at him as if he were pitching a fit over nothing.

Druig took in the man who was 'dating' his sister. His t-shirt was rumpled, his hair dishevelled; Druig grabbed the front of his shirt, "you have idea what I am gonna do to you?!"

"Easy," Gil spoke calmly, despite Druig seeming completely ready to let his fists fly. At least Druig wasn't nearly tall or strong enough to actually haul Gil up by the neck of his shirt.

"She's vulnerable," Druig snarled through his teeth, "and you-"

"Thena is asleep, in my room, untouched," Gil defended, holding his hands up to Druig as he backed him up to his couch again. "Fully clothed, you can check on her in you want."

Druig looked at Gil's pointed hand for a second. He let go of his shirt and did just that, stomping the few feet to Gil's bedroom and opening the door none too gently.

Thena didn't even blink, curled up in the middle of Gil's bed, on top of all the covers but with a blanket thrown over her. He had taken her hair out of a ponytail and taken off her shoes, but she was clearly still wearing the stockings she wore under her dress to work.

Druig whirled around; he wasn't done being angry.

Gil huffed as Druig closed the door gently so they could talk man to man. He put his hands on his hips, "we were watching tv on the couch and she dozed off."

"So call me," Druig snapped at him, circling him like a wild animal. He certainly looked wild in the eyes.

"I did, but there was no answer," Gil shrugged. "I left you a text."

Druig's face twitched. He did actually have that text--it was what had made him storm all the way over here.

"But you're not-" Gil cut himself off before he could say something that would only worsen Druig's feelings towards him. He cleared his throat, "Thena doesn't need you to worry about her every minute of the day, is what I mean."

Druig tried not to pounce on him for the simple statement. It was true, T didn't need his worrying and fussing. She more and more often was telling him to leave well enough alone--that she was his older sister and that he did not have to baby her.

He wasn't babying her! He was worried about her! He was worried about the only person in his life on whom he could rely, ever. Thena had always looked out for them their whole lives, and he knew that standing up to their father came at a price. She was more fragile than she let on, even before being committed.

Now he was more worried about her than ever, and this 'boyfriend' of hers wasn't helping things.

"Look, Druig," Gil sighed, holding out a hand for them to talk at the ledge connecting his living room and kitchen. Druig waited for him to move but he rolled his eyes and sat himself down. "I have no intention of hurting Thena."

Druig held back some more biting and acerbic responses. He leaned against the edge of the counter, leaving a stool between them. "Yeah, and our father never 'intended' to backhand 'er 'cross the face."

Gil looked away.

Druig gripped the counter edge. "She's a lot more vulnerable than she lets on to be. She's more vulnerable than she even knows she is, and she's puttin' a lotta trust in you when she comes over 'ere!"

"And I take that seriously, Druig," Gil scowled. "I would never let anything happen to her, whether we're out or back here."

Every time either of them brought up their 'dates' Druig wanted to grind his back teeth flat. "You wanna know why I don't like you?"

Gil sighed, still rubbing at his eyes, "I'm sure you'll tell me."

Druig pointed at him, "you show up like magic during the worst time in T's life? And suddenly I'm hearing about this amazing guy who's a li'l too perfect?"

"I hear about how they're not even wearin' real clothes, just these loaner scrubs that've been fuck knows where?! I hear about how they get woken up on the hour and the showers don't have bloody doors and they're barely allowed to take a piss by 'emselves!"

"You expect to hear about the hell that place was and have a good opinion of ye?" Druig hissed at him. He realised none of those things were Gil's fault, and not even things he would be able to change or influence in his position. "So forgive me if it's a li'l hard to swallow my sister's trauma bond to you with all that goin' on."

Gil sighed after he was done his tirade. "I get it, okay, man? That place is a hellhole, you're right. But a job's a job--obviously they don't exactly pay me in gold."

Druig shrank as Gil held out his hands to display his modestly sized flat.

"And I never thought anything of it before," he shrugged. "But Thena was there for three months. And I saw her every single day, dragging herself around, obviously just wanting five fucking minutes when she wasn't being watched like a rabid animal."

"So yeah, I let her hang out with me and the potatoes, and I made her fresh mac and cheese, and I saved her pieces of cake so she'd have a singular thing to look forward to." Gil tilted his head at Druig, "obviously you wouldn't have preferred I give her up."

No, he didn't want that. And as resistant as he had been, Thena had asked him to pass her contact onto Gil, and he had done it. Because the look in her eyes when she said that she would miss her chivalrous cafeteria cook was too much to bear.

"Gil," Druig said just above a whisper, looking at his hand fidgeting on the back of the stool. "T really likes you, and I'm tryin' to accept that. But...I haven't been able to do much for her in our lives. She's always been older, stronger, tougher--her balls are bigger than both of ours, I'm sure you'll agree."

Gil just nodded.

"This is the one thing I can actually do to keep her safe," Druig professed, shifting as the feelings attached to his words became too much to bear. "After it was me who landed her there in the first place."

Gilgamesh smiled, though, "y'know she doesn't think of it that way."

"Maybe she should," Druig grumbled.

"Well, she's not going to," the older man chuckled and ruffled his hair again. The size of them arms... "So you can forget it."

Druig sighed as Gil slipped off the stool. He resisted the urge to ask Gil if he had been excused.

"Here," Gil set down a glass of water for him, smiling like Druig hadn't barged into his home and harassed him.

Dammit, he was just a nice bloke, huh? Druig snatched the water and chugged it aggressively. "I should go."

"You don't have to," Gil shrugged, leaving it up to Druig what he would prefer.

He shook his head, "T'll lose it if she knows I came o'er here."

"Druig?"

"Fuck," he bit his tongue as Thena emerged from the other room.

"Hey."

Druig watched Gil get up and go right over to her, speaking softly and reaching for her hand. She was drowsy, blinking a lot against even the living room lamp's dim glow. Gil brushed some hair out of her face with a smile. He must have asked if she was okay, because she nodded with a smile Druig had never seen before. Gil kissed her forehead, and Thena blissfully leaned into it.

"Sorry, I was just-"

"Druig, what are you doing here?" Thena asked, knowing the last thing her brother would do was ignore her.

Druig's shoulders drew up and inward, "I, uh, was just comin' to see if you wanted a drive home. But-"

Thena looked at Gil, who shrugged. "I texted him when you fell asleep. He just got here."

Traitor; Druig glared at him again.

"Oh." Thena just shrugged, no hands on her hips, no lecture about how her baby brother didn't have to come barging into her love life, please and thank you. She smiled, "I see."

Shit, was this guy really such a miracle drug for her? Druig tried not to be even more suspicious of his temperamental sister's serenity. He sighed, "yeah, but, clearly I had nothin' to worry about. I'll head out. You two...whatever."

"Really?" Gil raised an eyebrow.

"Druig," Thena spoke up a little more firmly, making him freeze partway to the door.

He sighed as she came over to him, but rather than jab him with her bony little finger, she tugged at his rumbled jacket affectionately.

"I know you were worried. But thank you," she gave him the eyes, "for trusting me--and Gil?"

Druig made a face and looked away from the woman who was as good as his own mother in many ways. "Fine, fine, I'm goin'. I'll see you when I see'y."

Thena nodded, pressing her hand over his heart for just a second before pushing him gently, "I do hope you didn't make a scene when you arrived."

A chill ran through him; how did she know that? "'Course not."

Gil chuckled, "not at all."

Okay, maybe he wasn't so bad.

[goldensunset]

i cannot stand those quirky overly-friendly-to-the-point-of-crossing-boundaries teachers and professors who make you do icebreakers or fun facts about yourself at the beginning of the semester bc their questions are always the exact sort of stuff that you never wanna answer. but they just keep asking bc they think you’re just being shy and cute. ‘what are your hobbies? what kind of music do you like? what’s a topic very personal and important to you?’ MAN i am not subjecting myself to public humiliation like that for being very far removed from the norm nor am i opening up about my deep-seated personal problems. i don’t know you i don’t respect you you are not entitled to anything outside of my graded work. i’m just trying to prevent everybody in the room including you and i from becoming incredibly uncomfortable. just take the hint when i deflect your questions and pretend to be boring

[heloflor]

Found a glitch while playing Princess Peach Showtime. The game registered that I did the spin but didn't play the animation, thus allowing me to keep the Theets for the second half of the performance minigame.

Btw it didn't reduce the number of Theets supposed to show up at the end (since you need to grab them for a sparkle), leading to twelve being there rather than eight.

Look at all those girlies

Will put in another post the video of the minigame's second half with the Theets following Peach; I didn't expect it to happen so pressed the capture button early to save the animation glitch.

EDIT: Here's the second half with the Theets and here's the finale with all twelve.

[mo-mode]

do you think the peach scene (cmbyn) or the bathtub scene (saltburn) is worse? on a personal level ofc

I think worse can mean a lot of things, but if you mean worse as in like how gross the scene was then 100% the bathtub scene.

Because that’s what it was supposed to be. The bathtub scene was supposed to be disgusting and make you feel grossed out. Oliver was violating Felix’s boundaries and trust, which is what grossed me out the most, but the physical act is what a lot more people hated, and that’s probably why the writers included it. It crossed a line no normal run-of-the-mill person would cross.

The peach scene wasn’t supposed to gross people out as much. That’s why the lighting was all soft and gentle when he did it. In my opinion, it was supposed to showcase how weird coming of age is sometimes and what discovering yourself actually looks like: it’s weird, and no one wants to admit it. But when Oliver finds Elio out, instead of calling him weird and being grossed out, Oliver makes a joke of it, and when Elio starts crying, he consoles him.

If you mean worse as in like evoking the intended reaction, they were both perfect scenes for me because they did exactly what they were supposed to do for me, but I think the peach scene was a bit less successful to a general audience.

The bathtub scene evoked the feeling of gross obsession. It made me believe that Oliver was so infatuated with Felix and that he was willing to do things that are considered reprehensible and disgusting to get closer to him. He was blinded by that obsession, and he had no moral inhibitions to stop himself from doing these things despite knowing they were wrong. That’s why he waited until Felix left the room. The general audience agrees with this.

Meanwhile, the peach scene showed me Elio’s curiosity and desire to explore himself, and I think that’s exactly what they intended. However, a lot of people don’t want to admit the weird things they’ve done out of curiosity and a desire to explore themselves (whether they’re admitting it to themself or to others or both) so most people’s reactions to the scene are “ewww gross” when I’m sure a majority of people can remember a time when they either did something similar or came quite close to it. I can’t prove that, but I think it contributes to the overall reaction. Either way, I think the peach scene was less successful in translating that message because most people talk about its weirdness like an outsider rather than someone who can relate.

So in conclusion: the bathtub scene was the grosser kind of “worse” which is exactly what it wanted to be so props to that, and the peach scene was the storytelling kind of “worse” because a lot of people couldn’t quite get past the weirdness enough to consider the intended meaning of it. But they were both amazing. I only prefer the peach scene because ✨ pretty colors ✨ and I’ve decided that CMBYN is absolutely my favorite movie of all time now.

So yeah! Thanks for asking :)