Reviews For tiny kisses


Name: blackballet (Signed) · Date: 19 Mar 2022 09:23 PM · For: gourami

Hello again, here for a review for the galazy!

 

Hahah I had to read the end note first to give myself some context. Kiss-fighting fish?? Amazing for this series, lol

 

I love the fish's thoughts, that the other fish is somehow souped up in pink and is not just...pink because it's pink. I'm dying at that. Also just funny to think of kissing as fighting, because (as humans) that's like the last thing you associate with fighting. (I mean, for the most part)

 

I have to wonder if this is a real thing, and will be looking up a youtube video later to figure it out. Either way, I really loved you personification of the fish thinking about the other fish. As always, you make animals sound so real to me :)

 

thank you!!

catherine



Name: RogueSlytherin (Signed) · Date: 19 Mar 2022 09:17 PM · For: gourami

SS Voyager :D :D :D 

 

This collection is such a wild ride and I love every second of it. I am learning about so many things and animals that I didn't know about and who would have thought that it'd be because of a theme like tiny kisses. So fucking great. I have never in my life heard of these fish, but I am now going to google and probably spend more time finding a youtube clip XD 

 

What's even better is that way that you set this up like an ESPN segment - that's so funny and witty. That it's like this gladiator battle or a commentary happening during the olympics. XD I love it. I love it so much. This whole collection has me feeling so light and happy and just laughing and smiling. 

 

- Jacquelin



Name: BookDinosaur (Signed) · Date: 10 Dec 2021 04:43 AM · For: gourami

Asgjhdsgdsj Eva your formats continue to surprise and delight. ESPN providing commentary on kiss-fighting fish.... What a masterstroke, I wish they did this IRL perhaps I would watch more frequently. I would definitely want to be watching this sport, anyway :P You've described it so well -- the hyping-up and enmity between the two fish is such good value, ahaha. "He puckers and unpuckers his lips as he swims laps around the dimly lit aquarium, warming up both his fins and his labium," Yes this is a Very Serious Moment, Very Serious Warm-Up, he's getting into the Zone --  "They stare each other down—not an easy task, as their eyes are plastered directly onto the sides of their two-dimensional bodies" XD

Obviously the phrase "aggressively kissing Gourami Two to assert dominance" really killed me aghsgjsd. And then ending on an ad break was so good haha, very true to the sports commentary spirit -- I hope Gourami Two comes from behind to win after the break, I love a good underdog story :P



Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 16 Feb 2021 09:10 PM · For: gourami

Hi, Eva.

 

This is a great subject for tiny kisses.  You must have loked hard to find all these obscure examples of kissers (or pseudo-kissers).  I looked up these fish online also, and they sure do look as though they are all puckered up for kissing. although the online article says they tend to be territorial and aggressive, as in your true-to-life story.

 

I loved your line "They stare each other down--not an easy task, as their eyes are plastered directly onto the sides of their two-dimensional bodies!"  Yep, that's what they look like in the pictures, but since they do fight with one another and attack other fish, those sideways-directed eyes must give them some sort of forward vision.

 

I love how you present the confrontation between the two fish as a broadcast sporting event.  That's so clever.  I'm betting on Gourami One.

 

Vicki

Snow Foxes



Name: magemadi (Signed) · Date: 14 Feb 2021 11:25 PM · For: gourami

I don’t know how you keep leveling up the cuteness and hilarity in these drabbles, but you sure are doing it! The ESPN narrator pretending like these gourami fighting fish are like, pro wrestlers or something like that is the funniest thing ever. The side comments after the sportscaster has said some generic staredown type thing is great and really emphasizes that they probably don’t really know how to call this “fight” at all :joy: The fact you had the narrator say the gourami are aggressively kissing each other to assert dominance is definitely peak humor, sorry I don’t make the rules here!! LOL I love that we get to peak action time in this fight and then it’s going to be a cut to commercial break. Classic sports TV right there :joy:

~Madi
Fairy foxy review event



Name: mydearfoxy (Signed) · Date: 04 Feb 2021 04:12 PM · For: gourami

#snowfoxes

 

oh my god. 

 

ok, this one is not adorable... but it is hilarious! I love that ESPN is reporting on this sport. It seems very high stakes and intense, so I can see the appeal for the viewing public :P 

 

It's interesting to imagine fish finding the color of another fish "effeninate" and I think it adds to fabulism at play here. Of course, on the other hand, people DO use intimacy and kisses as weapons, of a sort. I mean, not usually, but sometimes. So you have introduced a novel type of kiss via these fish but also hinted at the more nefarious purposes human kisses may serve without making the story lass magic. So that's fun! 

 

ending with "after the break" is hilarious, too. hahaha

 

xoxo Renee



Name: prideofprewett (Signed) · Date: 30 Jan 2021 06:58 PM · For: gourami

I love that you chose to write this is a commentator style. I honestly felt like I was watching the discovery channel or something LOL. Your descriptions of the fish were just so lovely. The way you use technical terms regarding their lips and mouth along with poetic ones, just really sold me that this was like a "sports event." Again, you truly have a knack for just choosing the best words to fit themes and ideas within these little drabbles. And I love that this is an aggressive form of kissing, where one will come out the winner. I feel like sometimes kissing and other intimate things are as a result of a power struggle. So I thought it was a nice, new way to apply this prompt. 

 

<3 Courtney 

 

* team ice otter * 



Name: grumpy cat (Signed) · Date: 30 Jan 2021 06:08 PM · For: gourami

gouramies are such beautiful fishies, i really like them! AND OMG I LAUGHED SO HARD AT THIS ONE! i can't believe how you described the two gouramies (kissing) fighting, as if it was the most exciting thing in the universe, like a match between muhammad ali and someone else equally important, the narrator really brought their most exciting voice to this battle and gone all in into the description of how these two little fishies are battling for dominance (hah!). i loved your descriptions of the fishies, their little bodies and how they're preparing to attacck each other and then finally, the dominant kissing! this was amazing.

(for foxy glory!)



Name: Unwritten Curse (Signed) · Date: 24 Jan 2021 10:49 PM · For: gourami

WHAT. KISS-FIGHTING FISH?! This collection never ceases to amaze me. Like... the range of topics, the diversity of your approaches and how your tone shifts from piece to piece. This is magic.

 

I can just imagine this on ESPN. OMG. Ngl, I would watch it over most other sports. XD

 

KISS-FIGHTING FISH?! Okay, I just can't get over this fact and how preposterous it sounds (which makes it HILARIOUS) and I love that you went all out describing the intensity of their fight. Again, there's this sense of awkwardness with how clumsy this fighting must be because of a) their eyes that look in two different direction and b) THE FACT THAT THEY ARE KISS-FIGHTING, but it's a completely different awkwardness to some of the other drabbles and again, I just love your imaginative approach to this series.

 

xx Gina



Name: Renacera (Signed) · Date: 09 Dec 2020 11:11 PM · For: gourami

Omg. This is possibly one of the cutest, most absurd things I've ever read. :D :D :D  I'd never heard of these fish before, so obviously I had to look them up. They're so cute and funny! I'm sure their kiss-fighting serves a purpose I haven't yet read about, but I like to believe it's just as innocent and harmless as this drabble makes it to be. Also, I'd be much more likely to watch ESPN if it broadcast things about animals: e.g., the tumbling races pandas have, the giraffe sparring where they smack each other's necks, the salmon who swim upstream to spawn, etc.



Name: hotel california (Signed) · Date: 06 Sep 2020 12:10 PM · For: gourami

i’m crying……. this is so funny. i love how you used sports commentary here. the jump from gourami one preparing for battle to him preparing for battle by puckering his lips, because they’re kiss-fighting fish, is truly iconic. also skfsljks the taunting thoughts. ‘you’re just this scrawny, translucent thing decked out in effeminate pink-grey, and i will end you’ - bro. pls. why are you narrating his (not-)outfit. this isn’t what not to wear, i’m -

 

just, the image of all this is. fantastic. in most of your other drabbles here, it was your use of ~poetic imagery~ that carried things home. in a couple, it was the emotion. but in this one, i’m taken just by the thought of two ‘hot-blooded’ fish duking it out for kiss-glory. gourami one is especially goals: he knows what he wants and he’s ready to get to the point. gourami two is chilling out right in the middle of the match and it’s unacceptable.

 

me @ espn: give us the winner.

 

<3 ariie

 

(battleship: hogwarts)



Name: tangents (Signed) · Date: 26 Jul 2020 04:41 AM · For: gourami

HELLO AGAIN. fancy seeing you here.

 

i LOVE the format of this so much. i love the way that you’ve made it ESPN commentary (and not just because i now have the voice of a prominent tennis commentator in my head) because it’s just so unique?? something that’s really really awesome about your drabble series is the narrator is so different in each one. it provides a different perspective and they’re all just written in such cool ways! like — the way that you describe the fish is written in such an action packed way. it’s all about the fighting; again, not a single word of yours is wasted. 

 

each word is LOADED with tension. i can really feel the entire atmosphere of the piece, and you’ve done so in less than 200 words?? such talent?? i love the way that these fish also contrast with the last one — in the prior drabble, everything was shy and open; here, it’s aggressive and emotional. 

 

love this so freaking much! i will DEFINITELY be coming back once you’ve updated (and will be checking out your other drabbles soon :) )

 

rikki 



Name: Felpata_Lupin (Signed) · Date: 24 Jul 2020 02:36 PM · For: gourami

Okay, this one was kind of funny? :P

Somehow, I found it amusing, in a sort of endearing way, how the first fish got ready for battle. The staring, the turning around each other, almost as if they actually were about to start a duel. And then the young-ish energy and... hot-headedness, I guess? as he attacks first. I don't know, it just felt so cute? :P

I'm still wondering where you got the ideas for this collection, it's brilliant! And I'm super curious to see what you'll come up with for the other drabbles, so maybe I'll come back to this collection again when you add new bits? ;)

Lovely work so far! And thank you for swapping! (And sorry again if my reviews were kind of pointless... :P)

Snowball hug,

Chiara



Name: VaguelyCreativeName (Signed) · Date: 18 Jul 2020 10:52 PM · For: gourami

OMG Eva, I adore what you did with this!

 

The whole sports commentary angle (at least I think that’s what ESPN is? something something sports network?) is so hilarious! And I think there probably are people who bet on fish fights, which makes it even funnier and more on the nose!

And I absolutely love how you’ve contrasted this epic fight commentary with those ridiculous fish and their even more ridiculous mating habits! I love how the first fish mentally trash talks the second, making fun of his “translucent, effeminate pink-grey” skin (which is such a brilliantly accurate description, skgfghjkgf) all the while being completely unaware that THAT’S WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE TOO, MR. FISH!

 

And “the hot-blooded fighters have begun puckering their lips” is such a brilliant line! I really just want to quote this entire thing back at you, but that kind of defeats the point – but I’m just picturing a pair of boxers in opposing corners, getting ready for their fight, making kissy faces at each other, and I’m SO TICKLED by that image, Eva, I love it!

 

And of course, because it’s a TV programme, they cut away before we ever see our winne crowned!

 

I just really love what you made of the silly fish prompt, Eva, I’m howling! God luck with this challenge!

 

xx Julia



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