Melody is surrounded by chibis.
Chibis: When’s it OUR turn? (Relena, Duo and Quatre bouncing up and down.)
Melody: Just as soon as I’m finished. Go sit down.
Disappointed, the chibis find their chairs, fold their hands and wait. Duo twiddles his thumbs.
Melody makes sure they are all settled before she starts again.
Because Gundam Wing has been marketed to both young children (Y7) and teens/adults (uncut version), we have chosen to have a family-friendly site format that teens/adults can enjoy, as well as a site that children can visit with or without the supervision of a parent.
In accordance with the principle of Freedom of Speech, we believe in site format choice: non-yaoi, yaoi or both on one site (dual format). Whatever the website operator chooses. This doesn't mean that we like or approve of everything on the Internet--and we don't have to because of the right to free speech--but we support the right to freedom of thought. Because we have chosen to have a family-friendly site...
Chibis: Yay!
...we choose not to include yaoi material or other pictures that are not child-friendly.
In praise of most Gundam Wing yaoi and other "adult-material" sites—I am pleased that most of the ones I've seen are well marked, which is the responsible thing to do. Sites that include both yaoi and/or "adult material" and non-yaoi material usually separate the formats and mark them clearly so people can see only the things they want to see. I really admire the website operators that identify material that is not suitable for children.
Chibis: So our little eyes won’t see anythin' they're not s'posed t' see.
Melody: Exactly.
Once in a while there are “surprises” at an unmarked site, but not very often.
Chibis: We don’t like THAT.
Melody: I know. Now shush.
Kudos to the responsible website operators!
Duo: (whispers to Heero) What’s a “kudo”?
Heero glares at Duo and pokes him in the ribs.
Duo: What?
Heero: (quietly) She said, “shush”.
Melody makes sure they are quiet before she continues.
Many site operators get flamed by disgruntled fans...
Duo: (whispers to the group) What’s “misgruntled” mean?”
Heero gives Duo an “I'd-threaten-to-kill-you-if-Melody-would-only-let-me” look. Duo looks at his hands and goes back to twiddling his thumbs.
...for choosing a single format—either yaoi or non-yaoi. I have seen many apologies by site operators trying to smooth down the feathers of these disgruntled fans.
Duo: (whispers) Misgruntled fans have feathers?
Heero: (shakes his fist at him and whispers harshly) BE QUIET!
It is sad that they feel they must justify their choice of format. Each website operator should make a format choice that suits their interests—they don’t have to please everybody. As the saying goes: “To each his own.” No apologies necessary. ~See Banners~
Please don’t send us “evidence” pro-yaoi because we’ve already seen it and are not interested in using it on this site. And if for any reason you don’t like our family-friendly policy or anything else on our site, please don’t waste your time sending us flames. If you do send flames and if they are funny enough for us to post we may post them for public reaction.
Chibis: Yeah!!
Now, what can you do? You can support format choice by visiting the sites that interest you and not visiting the sites that don’t. Without sending flames. It’s that simple.
Any questions? You can e-mail us at webmommie@gmail.com or write your questions in the guestbook. Sincere questions will be answered--to the best of our ability, of course.
Chibis: Remember WE’LL be seein' your questions too, so be nice, okay?
This statement prepared by
Melody: Yes.
Chibis: Is it our turn now?
Melody: Yes. Go ahead--knock yourselves out.
Duo: What did she mean by—
Heero: (under his breath) Stop askin' questions, or I WILL knock you out!
Relena and Quatre: (holding hands, jumping up and down) Yay! It’s OUR turn now!
Melody
Webmistress and Webmommie of the
Chibi Board of Directors
(Someone has to keep them in line!)
Chibis: Are ya done yet?
Duo: Hey, wait a minute! How come we only get to say ONE word?
Heero: (elbows on the table, head in his hands, shakes his head and mutters) He’s imposs'ble! Abs'lutely imposs'ble!
Melody: You don’t.
Duo: Then how come you said we can only say ONE word?
Heero lays his head on the table and groans.
Melody: I didn’t.
Duo: Yes you did!
Milliardo: (to Melody) I think I can help you explain. (to Duo) She means that we can say what we want to. “A word” means “a message”.
Melody: Thank you, Milliardo.
Duo: (exasperated, to Melody) Then why didn’t you just SAY “message”?
Poor Heero--his patience is worn to a frazzle. He starts banging his head on the table. Relena puts her arm around him and comfortingly pats his shoulder. Heero brushes her arm away impatiently.
Heero: (through clenched teeth) Stop that! It's not like we're MARRIED or somethin'!
Relena: (clasps her hands hopefully, smiles slyly and whispers so only Heero can hear) Not YET. (giggles)
Heero looks at her wildly. He turns away and ignores her. He has had alot of practice doing this, so he does it very well.
Melody: Well, Duo, how about this:
Melody:Is that better?
Duo: (grumpy, crosses arms, turns away, eyes closed, nose in the air) You shoulda said that in the first place.
Relena: (shakes her finger at Duo) Duo! Don’t sass! You're s'posed to 'spect your elders!
Duo: Shut up! You’re not the boss a me!
Relena looks hurt. She puts her thumb in her mouth. A tear rolls down her cheek.
Melody: But I am. That’s enough, Duo. Behave yourself.
Duo: (arms still crossed, grumbles) I AM being haved.
Duo pouts.
Melody ignores him.
Heero: (mutters) If only she would give me back my beam saber—just for FIVE minutes!
Trowa sighs. Milliardo and Treize exchange impatient glances.
Quatre: (looks at everyone, worried) Pweeze, ev'rybody, let’s not fight.
Wufei: (arms crossed, declares) You’re such a bunch of weaklings. You can’t even shut him up. (looks at Melody) I know I could, IF you would let me.
Melody: You’re not helping, Wufei.
Wufei: Can I help it if that’s the truth?
Trowa: (to Quatre) He’s got a point.
Quatre: (distressed) Trowa...
Melody gives Wufei The Look.
Wufei closes his eyes and turns away.
Melody: Wufei, you should apologize.
Wufei: I’m sorry that you’re all a bunch of weaklings.
Melody: Wufei, you know that’s not what I meant.
Wufei doesn’t budge.
Melody: I’m waiting... (crosses her arms and taps her foot)
Wufei: (mumbles, almost inaudibly) Sorry. (but he doesn’t LOOK sorry)
Melody: (addresses all) Well, do you still want to say something to our guests?
The chibis brighten.
All: Yeah!
Melody: Then say it.
Treize: Right. Places everyone. Now, everybody look dignified.
They all straighten up.
Duo reaches past Heero, pats Relena’s hand and whispers “I’m sorry.” Relena takes her thumb out of her mouth and smiles.
Duo: (looks at Melody with those irresistible big blue eyes) I’m sorry. Can I have a hug?
Melody melts. She hugs him.
Duo: (looks up at Melody with sincere big blue eyes)Are you mad at me?
Melody: Not now. (squeezes him tighter) Will you be good?
Duo nods.
Melody brushes the hair out of his eyes but it doesn’t stay. She knows it won’t—it never does--but she does it anyway, from habit.
All is forgiven. There is peace among the chibis once again...for the time being....
Melody: Right, Duo?
Duo: Right!
Melody: Okay, Duo?
Duo: (grins) O-KAY!
|
The Chibi Board of Directors
'Fishul Portrait 
By: Dubird |
Treize: (looks at Duo, mortified) Ahem. (loud whisper) Duo, stop that. You are NOT looking dignified.
Duo: (grins) So? (shrugs) That don’t bother me. (winks at Relena)
Relena giggles.
Milliardo: (to Relena) Don’t encourage him.
Relena puts her hand over her mouth, but you can tell she’s still smiling.
Treize: No one will take us seriously if you behave in that manner.
Duo: (looks up at Treize and stretches) Treize, you really gotta learn to RELAX.
Treize sighs and gives up. He realizes that Duo will always be...well, Duo--and it’s no use trying to change him.
Hello. We are the members of the Chibi Board of Directors at the Shooting Stars Collection: A Gundam Wing Image Archive.
Duo waves. Treize rolls his eyes, exasperated. Heero kicks Duo under the table. Duo grabs his shin and looks bewildered at Heero.
Duo: Hey, whad’ya do that for?
Heero: You DON’T hafta WAVE.
Duo: What’s wrong with THAT? I was just bein' friendly.
Heero ignores him. Relena looks to see if Milliardo is watching her—he IS--and suppresses a giggle. Trowa watches everything out of the corner of his exposed eye. Wufei behaves as if nothing unusual is happening—and it isn’t.
Treize: (magnanimously) Now, everyone, I see that we have lost sight of our objective. Let us return to the task at hand.
All of the chibis but Milliardo look at Treize, confused. He is used to the way Treize speaks.
Duo: What’s he talkin’ abou-
Heero stops the word in Duo’s mouth with a steely glare, even though he doesn’t understand Treize any better than the rest of the confused chibis. Duo wisely discerns from the look in Heero’s eyes that it would be too dangerous for him to try to ask his question again.
Milliardo: (translates) He means, let’s keep going.
We have a Very 'Portant Job. We, as Treize says, “function in an advis'ry capacity”. He says that’s fancy words that means that we give Melody, our webmommie, our Very Best Advice. She really needs it too. Honestly, she couldn’t manage this site without us! But, 'cause we've been told (all look significantly toward Melody) that we are too young to make Final 'Cisions 'bout which pictures are used in the Archive, we rely on Melody to make up our minds for us. She calls this “Using Her Best Judgmint”. She tells us that grown-ups know what is best for chibis, an' when we don’t like that she tells us to be thankful we’re not turtles ‘cause turtles’ moms 'bandon them 'fore they hatch and they hafta “fend for themselfs”. An' that doesn’t sound too good—'specially when it's time to eat, Duo says. Anyway, we have to trust Melody’s Judgmint an' let her have the Final Say without fussin'. Even if we don't like it. 'Cause she says so. That’s one of The Rules. SEE how grown up we’re gettin'?! Since WE trust her, please don’t write to her if you don’t 'gree with her idea of what is “family-friendly”. Even chibis know that it’s a free Gundam Universe, so ev'ryone might not 'gree 'bout what “family-friendly” is. Unless it says any differnt, you can be sure that everythin' here is Chibi-tested AN' Webmommie-'proved!
Signed,
The Chibi Board of Directors
Chibis: How was that?
Melody: You did a good job, but you forgot to thank Dubird.
Chibis:Oh, yeah! Sorry.
Lots an' lotsa thanks to Dubird of the GWG for capturing all of our charm an' 'dorableness in this delightful portrait! Aren’t we just too cute for words?
Chibis: Okay?
Melody: And...?
Oh--AN' for all of her helpin' us. Without all her hard work, talent, incouragement, inthusiasm—and her e-mailed hugs--this site probly would NEVER have gotten on the Web. And it DEF'NITELY wouldn’t look as cool as it does. Thanks, Dubird!
They all wave. Even Treize.
Chibis: Did we 'member ev'rything?
Melody: You sure did. Thanks Dubird! Can’t thank you enough. Really. Couldn’t have done it without you! (group hug)
Dubird: You guys are more then welcome! *great big hugs all around*
Melody: (brightly, to chibis) Good timing, chibis! You finished just in time for your naps.
Duo, Heero, Milliardo, Quatre, Relena, Treize, Trowa and Wufei
(She makes us sign alph'betically so we won’t fight, but Treize still thinks HE should be first 'cause he’s oldest an' Relena thinks SHE should sign next to Heero an' Heero don't wanna sign it at all an' Milliardo wants us to sign in order of 'Portance an' Trowa & Wufei think it’s Totally Unfair an' Duo just gloats. Quatre wishes ev'ryone would just get 'long, okay? Pweeze?)
