#I spent forever on that background lol

[mother-ofthe-universedraws]

Simon meets Fiddleford

[sea-starrzz]

SONIC PRIME S3 SPOILERS

This guy can't catch a break 😭

IM SO EXICTED FOR SEASON THREE

[wyvernity]

wip posting just to get something out there, and it's def a mixed bag!! the only thing more inconsistent than my posting schedule is my art style RIP

[midnightectosnack]

Invisobang 2023

First time ever doing a fandom event and I had a blast! Made an animated cover art @ei-w's fic Green Rose Rebel.

The story is about Dora's tragic tale after a meeting with a certain ghost knight, and how it affects them both (plus there's a quick CW appearance!). I'm a sucker for stories where we see the ghosts' human origins, so it was a perfect match. Also, had so much fun talking with my author about the worldbuilding and all the details she was adding to the story!

(Just a head's up, it's a looping video with fade in and fade out effect, although it's not fast by my standards, thought it was fair to warn about it)

Still versions of the cover art:

And the animated art:

And here's another art I did of Fright Knight for a scene on Chapter 7:

[bonbonly]

very filthy thot: free use with carlos. that’s all im going to say, go crazy with it

bon's thoughts (18+)

ok, i am keeping this in the collegeau!carlos x artstudent!reader timeline i have, but imagine carlos finally convinces his parents to let you stay permanently at his house. his sisters obviously think this is funny asf, but they know better than to bring it up in front of mr. and mrs. sainz. it's a bit weird at first because you spent all your time in a cramped dorm with some of your friends, and now you're in this mansion that has tons of rooms and empty space.

only problem was, carlos would refuse to leave your side. and it just so happens that his family is going on a trip, but you can't be there since you're a bit busy with some work, which mama sainz totally understands. and carlos, being the absolute sweetheart (i say in jest) that he is offers to stay behind and take care of you! he explains that he doesn't want to leave you all alone in this big scary place, and his mother is so honored that her son is such a gentleman!

no sooner does the entire family leave, carlos instantly carries you to the living room, spreading your legs. he LOVES to eat you out, this man is a massive foodie anyway, of course he's feasting on his favorite dessert whenever he can. he's lapping your cunt, ignoring the way your worries flood his ears.

"come on, princesa, there's no one home," he winks, and you sigh, realizing all the possible excuses you had were now useless. he's darting his tongue in your cunt, occasionally nibbling your cunt which has you squealing out loud. added benefit of no one in the house is that carlos makes sure you're being loud for him. he'll do anything and EVERYTHING to push you to your limit, he wants to hear you cry, scream, beg, whimper. any sound you make, he's down for it. that's how he got attracted to you in the first place when you yelled at him in front of his friends! of course he wants to hear what that mouth offers.

you could be painting in the study room, and then you'll feel big arms wrap around you. a hint of a blush will creep on your face, wondering what he's about to do and just like you expected, you're sitting in a reverse cowgirl position, his fingers scissoring your cunt as you're forced to look at the mirror in front of you.

"you see that? you see how well your fingers take my cunt? eres perfecta, mi amor," he whispers into your ear, and all you can do is moan out loud because he's adding a fourth finger. the sounds of your cunt slurping up his fingers overshadows the soft music you have playing in the background. it's downright filth.

he's shoving his cock inside of you when you're at the garden, watching you arch your back and beg for him to give you at least a 30 second break, because the last orgasm was just too much. this man isn't stopping until he sees you squirting around his cock, followed by high pitched screams. he needs to hear it, he's starting to realize that the small quickies he did back in college when you had to be quiet weren't enough. noooo, he's waiting for the day to put a ring on your finger and have you in his house forever so only he could hear you scream, and he wants to hear you every single second of the day. his hands squeeze your tits, and when you turn your head to the side, he slaps your face (gently, he doesn't wanna hurt you that much lol) and growls, "eyes on me, princesa, or else every time you turn away, that's how many times i'm going to make you cum from now on"

that's enough to keep your eyes on him at all times. he's enjoying this a bit too much, but he had an entire two weeks before his family came back. two weeks to make sure he had you up against every corner of the mansion.

[ryker-writes]

Hiiiii thanks for making my day your the best, I give you so many hug (or high fives if you don't want hugs!) If I may ask can you write a broken relationships with malleus pretty please with a cheery on top? ( Also can I be lizard anon please! 🦎)

I would gladly accept any and all hugs! And I will devour that cherry while I write this-

Malleus I feel would be one of the ones that actually would be a good sibling so it's difficult to think about how a broken sibling relationship with him would be lol

Note: I haven't read any of Chapter 7 yet

Request Rules and Masterlists

Broken Sibling relationships

Malleus as a sibling (Broken relationship)

To say that you and Malleus were different would've been an understatement.

Even as kids, you two were very different. He was always treated as the best and the golden child, seen with much love, and he was naturally talented at just about anything. He had no problems with magic, no threats, and no flaws. He was the perfect heir for the throne of Briar Valley

And you? You were his younger sibling.

Compared to Malleus, you were never anyone's priority

Of course, you had servants and knights helping you just like him, but anything Malleus needed always took priority

Your help could be taken away at any moment for the sake of Malleus getting help

In the beginning, it didn't bother you as much because you and Malleus were together a lot of the time! He would spend a lot of time with you, and the two of you had so much fun together

You two would spend hours together in the library, and Malleus would read to you books on magic and history, but he got really passionate when he read about gargoyles. The two of you even ran around the castle once, trying to identify each gargoyle, both of your laughter echoing through the halls for guards and servants to hear

But as the years went by, things changed. Malleus had to become more of the heir he's meant to be. He spent most of his time alone or surrounded by guards

You started to get used to being in Malleus' shadow and not taking priority. Your brother had helped you feel less alone and more equal in the past, but he was too busy for you now

everything only got worse once you two had gone to Night Raven College

Malleus was praised from the moment he got there of course. He was recognized as one of the greatest and best of everyone there. He even had knights in training with him here, and a personal greeting from the headmage. You however...

"Who are you?"

You weren't even recognized or known. Not to the headmage, not to anyone. Why would you be? You aren't the heir of Briar Valley. You aren't the great wizard that Malleus is. And you aren't nearly as important.

Even after explaining who you were, people would just go "Oh." and ask about Malleus

To them, you might as well not even have a name. You were barely noticed. Barely recognized. And even when you were, you were simply known as Malleus' sibling. Nothing more.

And to top it all off: You weren't even invited to things

If people couldn't remember to invite Malleus, there's no way they remembered you. They probably didn't even know you existed. You're just in the background

You saw all the games he played in, all the praise he got, heck one of his knights practically worshiped the ground he walked on, but not when it came to you

People avoided him, they didn't notice or ignored you

Eventually, your birthday came around, and of course, no one noticed. Malleus didn't even see you at all, and didn't say anything

Your own brother didn't remember your birthday...

Are you cursed or something? Cursed to never be seen? Cursed to forever live a life that no one will notice? It's so cruel...

It's not like you wanted anything grand. You didn't need some big fancy party for your birthday

You just wanted to be acknowledged. For one day.

But compared to Malleus, you might as well be insignificant. He shone too brightly for anyone to even see you, hidden in his shadow

Even on a day that should be dedicated to you, he was the one being praised and followed around. He was the one everyone adored. Malleus, the prince of Briar Valley...

You were insignificant, unimportant, ignored

At this point, you can't even help but wonder if even Malleus himself forgot about you completely

you had assumed that was the case

that is, until you opened the your door the next morning. Sitting outside was a neatly wrapped gift box, and inside, a small gargoyle statue

[thisismeracing]

Can I please request a charles dating a Greek girl *like the Korean girl you did*???👉🏻👈🏻🥹🥹🥹🥺🥺

Hi, love!!! of course <3 here you go! sorry for taking forever, I was off for a bit and just got back hihih

Here's the Charles version - I'm so sorry I read Mick idk why, but do not fear for Millie will make justice (even if she was the wrong one in the first place lol).

MICK DATING A GREEK GIRL | MS47

Warnings: mentions of food; tooth-rotting fluff; mentions of family members; not proofread.

A/n: Just a quick reminder that there are many shades, experiences, and backgrounds when it comes to greeks and their culture, what I am writing does not resume everything, but rather brings a piece of it to the table. <3

▸ my masterlist | my taglist | patreon guide ▸ support my writing by reblogging, leaving a comment (don’t  forget to follow me if you like the piece), or buying me a coffee

Mick already knows Greece, but when you two start dating he's in for a whole new adventure aka getting familiar with culture, sayings, and the idiom;

He becomes obsessed with Greek cuisine. To him, everything is better when it's Greek - greek rice, greek break, greek spaghetti, and the latter let it slip during an interview, and you bet Ferrari fans we're mad for a week or so;

He would encourage you guys to visit the less tourist-centered cities and islands, instead suggesting places where you grew up or had stories to tell;

Mick would make sure to always have his camera on him and register random photos of you - he has a 'Greek girl <3' folder that consists mostly of pictures of you;

Randomly learned to introduce himself in Greek, but got his age wrong and it didn't matter how many times you tried to correct him, he would always forget and say it wrong again, so you just accepted that he was one hundred five instead of twenty-five when in Greece;

Though Mick loved the homey cities, he also loved the famous islands and whenever you traveled there at least one weekend would be spent in one of those. Athenas, Santorini, Corfu, Mykonos, Crete, Zakynthos, Ithaca, you name it, he will pack his bags at the speed of light and be ready to tag along;

He would watch movies that were ambient in Greece and ask you if things were accurate. He looved Mamma Mia and Greek Wedding;

Totally hints that he wants to have a greek wedding after you attend one together; The plates breaking? The common cup? the wedding face? He watched it all in awe;

Now when it comes to meeting the family Mick is nervous. He wants to make everything right so he will try to at least introduce himself in Greek -and he'll most likely get nervous again and say he's one hundred-five years lol it becomes a family thing, and he feels at home around your folks;

Same to you and his family that will definitely put Greece on their next vacay destination just to spend some quality family time with everyone.

Overall Mick is just super curious and open to learning about you and your culture, and will go around talking about how cool things are in Greece because he's this type of person. He's obsessed with your country, but he's even more obsessed with you.

────── ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: I hope you guys liked it! Let me know your thoughts, it means a lot to me <3 *mwah*

If you liked this piece and want early access to new ones and exclusive access to others, subscribe to my patreon!💘  ▸ check my main masterlist | patreon guide and my taglist.

©thisismeracing ― do not copy, steal, or translate my work; do not repost on a different media platform.

[thesharktanksdriver]

Determination!: The all blue night (platonic)

Masterlist for the series.

I put in Zeff’s manga reasoning for loosing a leg this one cause it makes more sense and is much more impactful in my opinion. Like I get they didn’t want to put in he ate his own leg to survive because it’s super dark but I digress. Sorry for the slow rate I’m writing stuff school has been taking a big toll on me inspiration wise and kinda mentally too lol

tag list : @peachsuka28 @emptynessinmyworld @badluckinfrench @j-s-l-m @tigerfang-rage @madokamagicaa @rymtea @angstylittleb1tch @badluckinfrench @emmbny @kenkenmaaa @yunho-leeknow @chibiduck @spqce-bun @coca-cola-fiend @Koifishpoond @eyes-ofhell @imaginarydreams @ghostdoodlen

At some point in a long while hunger becomes or less like second nature

You knew the feeling intimately

It starts as a burning pit that consumes your entire stomach

Eating through stomach lining as acid boils over and spills into the rest of you

It travels and burns

Eating you away as hands scrape against the midriff to try and alleviate the ache

The pain

The want

The need

The agony

But eventually the pain becomes background noise

As does all pain after so long

You’d died so many times in so many different ways and yet starvation is one thing that is familiar to you

And like how death is your friend whom you see oh so often

So is hunger

Nights spent alone clutching a completely empty stomach

The pain becoming almost a comforting sensation in its familiarity

At some point you’d just accepted that your stay hungry

That even when dying over and over again and occasionally treating yourself to a meal you’d stay hungry

Because even when you ate it was never enough

Stomach still aching and swirling in its emptiness and collapsing in on itself

At some point a long time ago you used to go to bed with a full stomach and now each night your rocked to sleep by the pain of an empty one

Things used to be different

And you can’t remember what that was like anymore

So you just accepted as it was

And so you accepted you’d be forever hungry

Ending up a cruise ship wasn’t your intention but just as most things that happen to you it quickly becomes a new experience

And as always you go with the flow of things

Ending up on the cruise wasn’t planned

Nor was ending up somehow being found by a young chef boy who helped cover for you

But as always fate seemed to have different plans

And you just rolled with it

The boy’s name was Sanji, he was 10 and helped you hide in the storage area of the cruise

At night he’d sneak you out

With hands much like your own, scarred yet retaining a soft and caring quality he’d guide you through the halls

Past the creaky floorboards he knew by heart after 2 years of apparently living on this ship

Through the elegant dining rooms that housed grand chandeliers and checkerboard floors

Beneath the white table cloths of spotless tables he and you sit

Quietly looking at recipe books together or sharing stories between the two of you

Sanji was apparently from the north blue originally, but found himself on the cruise that now housed him called the orbit

The chefs found him one night

Scared and alone pillaging the kitchen

They took pity on him, partially out of genuine concern and intrigue at seeing the spark of talent in him

And since then he’s been cooking and calling this place “home”

Though that was a vague term

Much like yourself Sanji had ambitions beyond this small boat cruising the sea

He wanted to find something

Wanted to be something beyond an errand boy

Wanted to cook for anyone who’d have his food

To ensure they didn’t go to bed hungry

The way he describes it to you under a table in candlelight resounds something in you

Especially since he then takes your hands, promising he’d ensure you’d be full

That you’ll have the best food he can provide

All for you

Someone who’s still a stranger to him

A stowaway on a cruise meant for upper crust but not quite celestial dragons (yet they both act the same either way)

And he still promises he’d do everything in his power to make you content

He cooks for you as if you were someone important and not a stowaway

You nod along not having the will to tell him he’d never be able to do that

Not when you can’t remember what being full felt like anyways

And so you lie and say your full after you finish a plate even if your still staving

His blinding smile is able to make you feel the pain momentarily go away anyways

Sanji tells you one night of a place called “the all blue”

Supposedly it was the place that connected the north, south, east, and west together

Creating a sea where creatures from all four seas could coexist together

It was a chef and fisherman’s dream

But it was just that

A dream

Unattainable and imaginary

Or…at least that’s what everybody else thought

But not Sanji

And certainly not you

He speaks so hopeful about his dream

Of finding the all blue

Of proving everyone wrong

Of making his dream come true

He has the spark to do it

You can tell by his eyes alone

Sapphire hued just like the waves of the ocean he seeks

Similarly he sees a spark in your eyes as well

Almost seeming to Glow in hazy candlelight

And as you say you believe in him

In his dream

Believed in him when no one else did

Well, who’s to say he couldn’t become more motivated

Especially when your eyes shine like stars above the sea

And when in the candlelight highlighted by luminous stars hidden in irises he asks you about your dream

And in a haze of memory and emotion you tell him a story

One you cannot remember now but he holds dear in his heart

The story of wanting

The story loss

The story of loneliness

The story of a family torn apart

And the story of a devil fruit

By the end of it all you and Sanji sit in a darkened kitchen

Two stowaways on the same ship (though one is welcomed and the other is a mystery)

Both connected through the spark of a dream to sail the seas

One’s purpose clear while the other is hazed

But either which way the two talk in an empty kitchen and eat

Unknowingly both know what it feels like to starve

And both know loss

The two of you make a pinky promise, when he finds the all blue you’ll be the first to have one of his meals and you promise you’ll always be his friend

The raid of the orbit comes out of nowhere and somehow predictable at the same time

You’d come to know that your luck was something that ran out quite fast

And unfortunately you were no stranger to things such as this

But typically when a ship went down you were on the deck

Now instead you were in the storage

Stood atop boxes that were quickly being eaten up by cold unforgiving water

Yelling and screams echoes down quickly flooding halls

Waves crashing so Harshly against the ship that it begins to crack the wood, doesn’t help that the invading ship is bumping into it either

Confusion spreading through you like wildfire as the water continues to raise higher and higher

If you were anyone else you’d be scared of dying to such a fate

But your not

Your more worried about Sanji as you trudge through the wading waves

Feet becoming heavier and heavier with each step you take

Feeling as if concrete was slowly forming shoes over your boots or chains manifesting from the cold water that sucks warmth from you

By now it’s just above your waist and the effects of it really begin to hit you

Soon enough you’d be immobile

Unable to move and frozen like a Statue for the waves that’ll sink you with it

If you didn’t die from the cold first but you doubted that

With how the steadily rising of it your definitely drowning before hypothermia or shock

Though at this point even the pain of choking on salt water, it quickly filling your lungs for the burn of air loss to help fill the liquid

But then you hear sloshing through the blaring of your ears

And your name

It echoes and for a moment you need a moment to realize what was said or who even called out

But then it hits you

Sanji

He came back for you

Came back knowing you’d be in danger

Came back knowing you were in an area with water

Came back knowing you’d be eaten up by the waves if he didn’t

Came back because he knew knew you ate a devil fruit

Shaking cold hands grab your own and he drags you with him

But at the point in which the water gets to the point of immobilizing you he decides to pick you up instead

Placing you on his back as he drags both himself and you through flooding halls

Water splashes

Yelling continues

Sanji’s rapidly thumbing heart echoes through your ribcage as you helplessly lay your head on his shoulder

He should’ve left you there to save himself

You say so to his face

But despite that he yells at you for being an idiot

About how in the hell you expected him to leave you there to die

Not when he promised he’d cook you the first meal he’d make when he found the all blue

Not when you were the only one who enjoyed his cooking

Through the chaos you and him stumble out into the deck

The boat rocking violently as rain and sea water pelts down on you like hail

Your still weak because of this, the water soaking you to the bone

But thoroughly out of being submerged you slink off of Sanji’s back

But he holds your hand

It shakes in your grip

He’s scared and you can’t blame him

Swords clash all around the two of you, and somehow both of you weave through the carnage

For reasons you don’t like to think about he seemed used to fighting just as you were

But unlike you who content in laying down and dying he fights

Sanji will die clawing to survive

It’s why he picks up a sword

Why he points it at a pirate despite the fact he won’t win

Why he pushes you behind him even if your stronger and older than him

Because Sanji cares

And that’s something very rare now in the world

Even when the captain of the crew comes up to the two of you Sanji doesn’t back down

He proudly declares his dream

To find the all blue

And within that captains eyes you see it

That same spark, that same dream, that same determination

Though it’s dying and faded it for a moment lights up once more

You see it before being engulfed by water and grasp for it

You, Sanji and the pirate known as Zeff end up on a barren rock in the middle of the ocean

No grass nor trees

Just a jutting stone too far up from the water to safely jump in from or fish

Stuck after the captain with dimming eyes saved both you and Sanji after a colossal wave swept the two of you off ship

In the water despite your attempts in making Sanji let you go he didn’t

His grip had held stead-strong as he kept trying to pull you up with him

Unable to even as air escaped his lungs

But Zeff intervened

And the three of you were alive for now

But you could hardly call this living

You sit with Sanji looking out towards the sea, hoping for a ship to cross by

The food given by Zeff won’t last long to feed either of you past a few days, you know that

Even if Sanji does his best to ration it between the two of you

You know one of you won’t survive

And you know you won’t let it be him

Starvation is not a new go around for you

It’s probably your most common death besides dehydration, drowning or hypothermia

But it’s not a fun way to go even if the pain of a empty stomach became commonplace for you

You can’t let Sanji die that way

Not before finding the all blue

So when he’s not looking you hid the food he gives you

Hiding each piece and scrap of moldy bread

Keeping it from his sapphire eyes that become more and more sunken like your own

Keeping the fact how much pain your in from him

You distract from it all by telling him more stories

Of singing songs even if your throat feels like sand paper is scraping against it with each word

Each syllable

Each hum

But you don’t care

Not when you see his eyes reignite with hope

Not when his sullen face pulls up into a smile when you tell him of when you learned piano from a crew who befriended a whale

Not when they sparkle with curiosity when hearing of a land atop the clouds with white winged people

Not when you see the slightest bit of ease when you tell him of the constellations

Pointing to the stars and explaining their meaning

Telling him how no one was ever truly alone when the stars hung and watched

That’s what’s you had told yourself after so many weeks alone drifting

That the stars were watching

That you weren’t alone as you clutched Roger’s coat closer

Everyone was made of stardust and in the end that’s where they returned when they died

You weren’t alone, not with the stars watching over you

Not when Roger was watching over you

As you lay awake while Sanji clings to you for warmth you pull the coat closer around the two of you

One night as Sanji slept you snuck to the other side of the island

Zeff doesn’t face you, but the smell of iron lingers in a scent as familiar as the sea to you

Blood

It stains the ground and air in its presence

It’s familiar to you though, even if that’s a sad fact to admit

Sitting down next to the old captain you look to the night sky

Your oldest friend of them all

Bleak and empty with the stars being the only boots of light penetrating the deep darkness

Dead stars continuing to shine even after being extinguished, their light still traveling eons away to hit your eyes in their gentle glow amidst the sorrow and joy of life

His hand trumps your shoulder as you sit next to him, he can probably feel the bone beneath now paper thing flesh

Fat being eaten away by your body to try and survive

Leaving you a shell of yourself even moreso than him or Sanji

He can tell, and despite not looking in his diminishing eyes you can sense the horror in them

His shaking hand is enough to tell you

But despite it all you smile at him, now looking at the weathered man

Your eyes speak volumes that he can’t decipher in such little amount of time

But even with that he sees the understanding and acceptance of your own fate

And it crushes him

Grinds him down to his very spirit

And Zeff is left speechless as you tend to his tourniquet and stump of a leg

Still bloody and raw

You don’t flinch at the sight at all

If anything you gaze at blood and gore as if it were normal

Examining it as if it were a paper cut before assuring him it’s luckily not infected and that he cut off his blood circulation correctly

How you knew this knowledge was beyond him

And yet you knew it all the same

Humming a soft tune to yourself that he hears softly in the daytime across the little barren rock of an island

It’s raspy and quiet

And at the same time hauntingly loud in his ears

It seems to linger there even as you go back to Sanji

As does the fact you know what your fate is

And that there’s nothing him nor the boy could do for you, your body on the cusp of death that nothing could change that

But all the same you smile and sing in the face of it all

As if awaiting death like an old friend at a bar

Drunk on the remaining days of your life as you sung songs awaiting his arrival

You’ve always known when your time was near, you always seemed to sense it before it had come

Maybe death was a sentient entity and you’d just been able to sense it better as time went on

Or maybe you were just so used to your body shutting down that you’d noticed the signs before it happened

But either which was you knew your time was soon

There was no crying about it

Nor shivers of fear

If anything it felt more like a release and a hopeful occasion

Because you’d be released from the hunger if only to feel your stomach become empty again (but for the moment you wake in that void where you clutch a golden star the pain is gone)

If only to be released from this barren prison and find a way to save Sanji and Zeff

Because if you died you could get them help

That was seemingly the only purpose of your powers anyways

Die

Comeback

Rinse and repeat

You were fine with it though

As long as it meant you were able to help others (even at your own expense)

Every moment drags on

Every twitch of your finger takes so much out of you

Your body not having enough to power it

Despite it though you sit beside Sanji one last time

You sing for him and tell him stories

Tell him of the grand line and its wonders

The new world and its mystery

Trailing off occasionally for a break as everything becomes harder to do

The words seeming to slur and slosh around in your mouth

He can tell something is wrong

By the tears gathering in ocean blue eyes he knows

So he savours what you say

What you tell

What you sing

The words being engraved in his mind as paper thin skeletal hands clutch his own

That night he falls asleep much later than he usually did

He sits staring up to the stars you’d told him of

His grip deathly tight on your hand

Thumb lightly grazing your pulse as if to ensure himself your still there

Still breathing

Still alive

Using your pulse to try and keep himself awake even if it’s wasting precious energy

When he eventually drifts off with tears gathered in his eyes (knowing you’d be deathly still in the morning, cold and stiff and forever asleep) you tell him to find it

The all blue

He dreams of that place when you slip from his grasp

He dreams of the fishes mingling together when you take out the scraps hidden away and placing them in his pile

He dreams of preparing when you hobble over to Zeff

He dreams of cooking when the old man begs you to eat, to be selfish and you reply that you are being selfish. That you want him and Sanji to live for your sake and that was as selfish as it came

He dreams of serving you a dish when the old man can do nothing but hold you close and not want to let go and yet eventually you slip away

He dreams of your reaction as you say to Zeff your gonna go get some rest and promise to get them help with a gentle smile

He dreams of sitting beside you with his feet in the water wadding slowly, the sight of a sunset fading quickly into night

Briefly he jostles momentarily awake when you lay back next to him, smiling and telling him to get some rest

Halfway asleep he nods, partially thinking it was his dream because he’s had no one care for him like this except you (and mom and maybe Reiju)

So of course for the moment in which he’s only partially aware he sees it as a happy dream

You hold him close and he goes back to dreaming

He dreams of you sitting by his mom in that hospital bed, a dish for the two of you in her lap while you fade into the nothingness that is night

When he wakes that morning he wakes up alone and cold

He lays there for several minutes sobbing to himself as he notices the food he rationed out for you a few feet away untouched and moldy

Sanji sobs and his all blue eyes spill with tears

Across the island the old man does the same

Your body is not on the island and unknowingly to them faded to stardust

But both later come to the conclusion that in your last moments you’d decided to take the plunge into the water

To not leave them with a rotting corpse on that barren rock (since despite both of their hunger neither would eat your corpse. Zeff could eat his own leg in desperation but that was his leg, not the dead body of a child)

A reminder of both their failures

One in protecting the two young children he sacrificed his leg for

And the other in promising you’d be the first to taste his dream

Unbeknownst to them across the sea a young child reports to a ship of being a survivor of the orbit

Saying that they saw two others shipwrecked on a rocky island jutting out from the ocean

As a ship is sent off to investigate an odd group of crows end up dropping food on the barren island to Sanji and Zeff’s bitter relief

Two loafs of bread and a canteen of water being able to get them a few more days before rescue

The urge to go see them is there within your heart, but for their sake you decide not to

You’d caused them too much pain in the first place

You don’t want to rub salt in the wound

Plus you’d prefer oregano instead to season yourself

Sanji is a troubled child, he’s self aware to know that about himself

It’s perhaps why everyone hated him

But for some reason you didn’t and surprisingly enough so did Zeff

The two of you handed out kindness to him as if he deserved it

As if he weren’t a failure on so many levels both genetically and emotionally

In a sense he could get why you did it, a kid only maybe a year or two older than him

Someone he viewed as his closest friends despite the relativity of time spent together and as a sibling he wishes he had (the now healed bruises and scars you saw but never pushed to ask about as you helped put salves over the old wounds are evident of that)

Someone who sacrificed themselves for him, for some fucking reason saving your food for him even as you withered away before his eyes

If he had been more watchful he would’ve noticed it, but being half there on that island starved and scared left him more like a shell

Made him ignorant until it was too late

He could accept why you care, but he can’t accept why Zeff cares

Can’t accept why this man, a hardened pirate would give a shit about him

Offer him kindness

Take him in

Mentor him

And eat his own leg to ensure Sanji and you wouldn’t go hungry (partially worked in the end)

Sanjis sometimes gets kindness from women, moms warm hugs are evident in his mind as is the tears from a sister who tells him to go and be free

Sanji’s sometimes kindness from those his age, your the shining example but he can also think of a few guests in the orbit who played games with him in its halls

But most of all Sanji has never experienced kindness from a man

So seeing Zeff go out of his way for him

Seeing how Zeff on the rescue ship doesn’t let anyone hound him for invasive answers and ensures he gets food first

The good food the ship goers give in pity that he scrounges up with a snotty noose and runny eyes, Zeff always lets him eat first before having his own fix

How Zeff rubs his back as the both mourn

It means a lot more than words can say

As does the fact that Zeff on a silent night says he’s going to open a restaurant on the sea

And that he needs staff

A silent invitation that is solidified as Sanji quietly takes his hand with tears in his eyes

If the old man is crying Sanji doesn’t comment

Not even if raindrops fall down from a clear night sky and pelt his dirtied kitchen apron

Not when he’s held close in loving arms

Not when they sit in the deck both brokenly humming the song you’d sing like a broken record

Out of tune and off key

It plays when the two of them cook in the kitchen of the baratie

Sanji always looks to the stars when he takes a smoke break, Zerg occasionally accompanying him on the balcony in a somber silence

And even though Sanji hates wasting food he can’t help but make an extra plate sometimes

Can’t help but subconsciously make more than needed to feed someone not there

Zeff doesn’t comment on it and tells the others to lay off if they ask Sanji about it

He can’t judge when he sometimes does the same

Can’t when he sometimes looks out to sea and hears your humming in the waves

The small song sung by a raspy throat that helped ease hours of the days spent on that barren rock

Days in which he worries of his wound being infected

Days in which he worried for the boy who shared his dream and the child who looked as if they accepted death

And it stays with him

Because Zeff can so clearly see your sunken face when he spots a starved begger on the street

Can so clearly see how you curled up at night trying to keep Sanji warm as skeletal hands clung to you

Can clearly see your eyes when he stares out at night, the full shine of stars that looked so bleak

Can so clearly see you valued the two of them more than yourself no matter how either of them tried to save you

And yet they couldn’t do it

You weren’t here anymore, no body to bury or honour either

Nothing but a barren rock and cold salty water to serve as your grave

The chefs at baratie try to question when one night a year they see Zeff and Sanji leave a full plate of food on the deck

But none of them ever get an answer except it was for someone hungry they couldn’t feed

Patty always tries to chase away the crows that peck at the food but each year they return to eat that plate of food until nothing is left

And oddly enough the murder always seems to leave behind a loaf of bread in the plates place

Years later a cannonball crashes through the baratie

Cracking and breaking timber in of what Sanji calls a home

Besides that and a marine asshole with his beautiful date it’s a mostly normal day

Not the worse he’s experienced

Nor the best

Average would be the best way to put it, the baratie often times seeming more like a fight club rather than a proper cooking establishment

If the smirk wasn’t enough I n the douches face then it was the fact he wasted perfectly good food

The thought sickens him

A sunken starved face stares back at him from the wasted soup

Boney and dead

It leaves him sick to his stomach especially when a starved pirate stumbles through the door

And everything seems to come back to him all at one once

Especially the man’s eyes, they look too much like your own on those last few days on the hellish rock

Soulless and empty

When he places a plate in front of the starved man he doesn’t expect anyone from the dinning room to follow in his example

Not with their cheering of the man being beaten down by patty

But stepping through the side door someone follows

He extinguishes his cigarette and turns around just as he hears the clink of another plate being lowered to the wooden deck

And it’s there that Sanji freezes

Your eyes stare back at him in just as much shock

A cigarette long forgotten falls to the deck and is extinguished when he steps on it

His arms wrap around your own as tears drop freely from his eyes

You hold him the same as you did the last

One hand laced in golden hair while the other pats his back

His knees buckle from the weight of it all

This has to be a dream

He only sees you in dreams or in the faces of the truly hungry

Your sunken starry eyes staring out from others

But your here

And your healthy and safe and alive

And despite the fact he’s confused as all hell

He can’t help but thank whatever god there is out there that your here again

Not just a reflection of a memory

Your here

When you pull away he can’t help but want to pull you back just to ensure you don’t go

To not make the same mistake that Zeff did in letting you go that he still regrets every single day of his life

But as you pull away you don’t do so entirely, you hold both his hands as he kneels to match your level

A confused starved pirate watches confused alongside a boy in a straw hat

“I know you probably have a lot of questions” you say, your hands fidgeting in his with nervousness. You expect him to be mad, to blow up at you and yell at you to leave but he doesn’t, instead you feel his thumb rubbing circles comfortingly on your knuckles. “Think you can get the old man? I think I owe it to you to explain….oh and I’ll pay for the food. I grabbed a random plate on the way here”

[roxtron]

YIPEE IT'S FINALLY DONE

spent the past like, month redrawing the sb cover art (original for side-by-side reference)

rambling under the cut

WOOO I'm so happy to finally have this done. I spent forever working on it, I wish I kept track but I'm pretty sure it took a month to fully finish, I've been working on it like every day for the past couple of weeks and I'm really happy to finally have it finished :D

I'm really proud of the rendering/shading on this one, the text was probably difficult which is why it looks the least accurate. I didn't want to just re-render it and re-draw the human characters so I changed the designs a little bit for this, first time I've drawn any of them. I thought it'd be fun to make their desgins fit a bit closer to the cartoony art around the pizzaplex and just smaller details I find fun.

(if monty is allowed to have spikes on his chest cavity i think freddy should be allowed fluff.. he looks so bald, if you count chica's feathers he's literally the only animatronic without hair LMAO)

I accidentally made some colors a bit more pastel or desaturated but overall I tried to replicate the rendering as well as I can, it was really good practice for understanding lighting better and stuff. (Roxy had like, 3 different color light sources I think? Monty had the most though..)

But anyway! I'm really happy I got this done so I can work on other stuff lol. I might use it for background stuff and I kept all the assets so I can edit them for pfps if i or other people want in the future.

Hope you enjoyed :)

[screamlet]

fic authors self rec

thank you for the tag @rcmclachlan!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

i've also been writing a long fucking time, so check out that fandom spread, lol

---

what are your intentions? (9-1-1, bucktommy, 143k)

It's Tommy and Buck—the family they find and the family they make.

Tommy's too old and been in this world too long to be this nervous about a first… third… fifth? Date with this guy. He's twisting the bottle of red wine in the palm of his hand as he takes all of six steps to Evan's front door, where he'd been standing not even a week ago. He had no idea what was behind the door when he showed up that night and now that he kind of knows what to expect, it feels worse. It might feel worse. Whatever. He's a gay firefighter. He's a pilot. He flew into a hurricane once and got a medal for it. He owns a lot of cool jackets. He can handle a date.

-

the arrival of 290287 backstrom 🔒 (hockey rpf [washington capitals rpf], nicklas backstrom/alex ovechkin, 18k)

Nicky has an asteroid named after him; that's just the beginning.

He never held himself back around Nicky, but he was holding back now. “What?” Nicky asked. He could hear his own voice, choked and rasping. Every word was hard to spit out; every breath was hard to swallow. “I’m sorry,” Alex said. “This is all we get.” “What? This fucking room in this nothing city?” “This. Living. This is all we get. That’s it. No big narrative, no hundred banners hanging in the arena. This is it and it’s okay.”

-

the providence falconers are happy to select (check please!, kent parson/alexei mashkov, 5k)

In 2009, Alexei spent his first week in America with his parents.

In 2009, Alexei spent his first week in America with his parents. From Montreal and the draft, the three of them and Lisa from the Falconers flew to Providence and immediately looked at ten apartments downtown before his parents bought him the seventh one on the list. “Seven is a good number,” his father assured him. “Three bedrooms for this price? You can stay here forever,” his mother said. “We get you a new washer/dryer for Christmas. These are just okay.” She looked at Lisa from the Falconers and Nancy the broker, and made sure to raise her eyebrows at them. “Just okay for this price.”

-

Dwarf-Elf Relations at the Close of the Third Age (the hobbit movies, kíli/tauriel [background bagginshield], 7k)

Tauriel had entered his life barely a season ago. She captained the guard that imprisoned them in the last days of autumn as they raced towards Durin’s Day and the beginning of winter. Killing the dragon, readying their armies and allies, the battle itself—a lifetime of action fit into such a short time.  He woke from the longest sleep of his life to her stockinged feet resting on his bed. Her chair was pulled close to his bed, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes lightly closed. If he was dead, he reasoned, this would have been much more transcendent with much more choral singing. He remembers very little of the third or fourth time she saved his life, but he remembers her incantation, that glow, the bag of walnuts someone used to pillow his head.  This was so ordinary. He had to be alive.

-

the five year mission (star trek AOS, kirk/spock, 11k)

15% — the percentage of the original crew roster that will be reported as dead or MIA within the first three years of a deep space mission. * The crew of the Enterprise tries to survive their first five-year mission.

“Seriously,” Jim sighed. “How did we end up the most ethical people in Starfleet? Do I look like a paragon of virtue here?” “Not at the moment, no,” Spock said. “Dr. McCoy did upgrade your status to the crew from processed lunchmeat to fresh death, but even figuratively speaking, you are not the north that anyone should calibrate their moral compasses to follow.” “I thought people were supposed to be nice to you in the hospital,” Jim said.

tagging anyone and everyone!!! come play!!! i wanna see what you got!!! where have you BEEN

[ajfoxships]

kakagai valentines week day 1

prompt : first dates

Me: hmm I think I should add a background, maybe a noodle shop or something. It shouldn’t take too long…

*me two days later covered in blood, pencil shavings, & ink* : I HAVE GRAVELY MISCALCULATED

I am genuinely pretty proud of this work, it took some serious effort but I like how it turned out! (Tho at the end of it kks & gai are barely visible lol, I think it counts tho)

@kkgiweek

if you for whatever reason are interested in hearing me yell about background art it’s below the cut

Can you tell this took forever? Because this took forever, I mean seriously like half this canvas is covered in white-out. I wanted to add a little background but noooo I had to draw an entire frickin’ village and screw up my wrist in the process, good going AJ!

I’m pretty sure that everyone in my general vicinity has now heard me swear about architecture for the 18th time today,.

I mean seriously how do people draw this stuff without tearing out their hair over it, i redrew most of this and the perspective is still jacked up! I didn’t even finish this I just quit!

So yeah… I think I’m done with backgrounds for the rest of the week.

god I spent so much time on this, why did I do this to myself…. i-I think I’m gonna take a nap now…

I’ll be back with more tomorrow, but for now sleep beckons me…

[kirammankisser]

how would adam in eden treat his first wife reader

Was he an asshole before eve and lilith left him?

HOOOOLY CRAP GUYS. i went down the BIGGEST rabbit hole for this (perks of being sick and having free time)… first request!!!! (AND FEEL FREE TO LEAVE MORE :)) tysm!!! and with all the background research, i cooked !!! (proofread + i tried my best to make this accurate)

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

how would adam in eden treat his first wife reader?

was he an asshole before eve and lilith left him?

(no warnings, no pronouns used, but suggested you are his wife ^_^)

— in my opinion, lucifer pretty much messed with his whole love life. i think he would be much more chill than he is now. but to try and match his character, he will be a little egoistic.

you were adam’s first wife, and to him, you meant a lot.

seriously, being the first man on earth he grew to be a bit egotistical. but, you helped tone that down from him. 

you knew he thought higher of himself, but you tried to remind him that humans should all be equal.

life was wonderful in eden. after spending time in eden with him, you both realized you were falling deeply in love with each other.

“hey, i think i’m in love with you.”

adam says with a grin, and you can’t help but reply,

“me too.”

and your relationship bloomed from there. he thought you were the most wonderful woman he would ever meet.

and as a few years passed, you became adam’s wife. 

he could hardly believe it, considering how dumb he was. you were like a goddess to him. beautiful in every way, even if you didn’t think so. he would always tell you how important you are to him.

you spent days upon days with him, and you would plan various things to do.

one of your favorite activities was spending a day in the warm sun, prancing in meadows and playing in creeks.

adam just adored you, sometimes he got a little embarrassed to participate because of his somewhat  ‘manly’ ego, but if you asked him to do anything, no questions, he’d do it right away.

“babe, there’s a bunch of flowers in your hair.”

he says, gently leaning forward to pick some of the succulents out of your hair. you two sat in the meadow, as adam hummed while doing so.

“what happens when we die?”

you say curiously, and adam looks at you wide eyed.

“oh, sweetness, don’t worry ‘bout that, ‘kay?”

you silently nodded, curling close to him. the sun was starting to set.

you two shifted on your backs to look at the stars, and he listened intently as you mumbled about the different constellations.

and soon, he knew when your speech got slower, and your hands stopped pointing up at the sky, you had fallen to slumber. and he follows quickly.

͙͘͡★

and you remained close, in love for years to come.

when it came time for death, you both succumbed.

when you made it to heaven, you were there together.

he was so happy, happy he is able to spend the rest of eternity with you.

extra / if he left you for eve + lillith (angstyyy kinda?)

when you and adam got married, you knew this wouldn’t last forever. you love him, so so much, but you knew he didn’t love you fully.

and that’s just who he was, perhaps. he was always eyeing other women, thinking he was superior to you, and seemed to become a bit short tempered around you.

and that’s when you couldn’t take it anymore. you confronted him, tears in your eyes.

and he left.

left you for eve, left her for lillith.

you knew there was no end to it, but when you became an angel, you saw just how fucked up he was.

he was even worse now, somehow, and you knew it was all his wives fault.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

research/long blabber about adam’s backstory i looked up to understand him further even after rewatching hazbin 4 times…  adam’s first wife lilith married lucifer,, lilith and adam fought (as of religious text) demons =sinners and freedom with a life in heaven =exterminations lilith = left and kinda evil? adam =first man earliest of man and kinda worst of man? (according to lol more religious text blah blah blah) uprise because lilliths singing which adam took advantage of? alastor’s master = lillith..(theory i think) OH GOD IM SO CONFUSED anyways. lilith hates subservience (willingness to obey others unquestionably) that’s why she left adam?? adam =toxic masculinity. eve left to eat the apple from lucifer ADAMS EX-wife set lillith up? or what. first human. after his wife’s? he’s EXTRENELY cocky and arrogant in charge of annual extermination of sinners (because of overpopulation) is mean because he thinks it’s hilarious, who’s gonna stop him? adam thinks no one can change, and thinks heaven and hell is a great system. basically abuses his power..  lucifer had a baby with adam’s ex-wife and is indirectly responsible for adam losing out on paradise. adam didn’t eat the fordbifden fruit which is why he acts the way he does? god complex cuz he’s firsy man. lillith was the first woman in hazbin, lilith left because adam thought higher of himself. EVE ATE THE FRUIT of knowledge! i tried to use my brain to the max to make this so I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!

[shefollowedthestars]

welcome to new york - headcanons for kate bishop showing you around nyc 🗽˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡˚

warnings: none that i can think of atm

notes: this is the first time writing something and posting it in...forever. like i think years atp so pls be mindful of that while reading lol. but i am 100% open to any feedback or constructive critiscm as i want to improve my writing again!! anyways i hope you enjoy bc kate is the literal loml and this came to me in a dream.

you two would definitely start the day at a nice brunch place. brunch instead of breakfast because waking up a bit late when the sun is already shining through the windows sounds like a perfect, warm start to the day

anyways. you would go to her favourite brunch place and share a stack of pancakes with fruit, whipped cream and maple syrup. the ultimate pancake stack, as kate called it

the first thing you’d do in the morning is go on a bike ride through central park

even though cycling isn’t the sport kate’s the best at, she would definitely enjoy leisurely biking with you through the park and seeing the green trees and all the flowers in bloom

plus, she would be making horrible jokes the whole time to try impress you. “how do you know flowers are capable of kissing? they have tulips!” they were stupid, but her attempts made you grin, her rambly and silly nature was adorable 

ALSO when you guys were walking around you would beg her to go into every single photobooth and you eventually used those photos to make a cute scrapbook later on

moving on though, the next activity (and kate’s favourite) was larping ofc

you were a bit skeptical of it at first, as you stared at the costumes - it wasn’t really your thing, but kate insisted that it would be fun

she then went on a rant of which armour you should choose. “okay, so i think you should go with the one to the left of the one grills just took, because it’s a, very easy to put on and b, it is definitely the most comfortable. but, to be honest all of them are comfortable, but like, yeah, i’d say that’s the best.” and you knew then that whether larping was your thing or not, you’d enjoy doing it with her because - well, it was her. god, was she the best.

and it ended up being your thing nonetheless! for dinner, she took you to her mom’s penthouse (eleanor happened to be away on vacation) and made you the most delicious pasta. it was a chicken penne pasta that you both shared along with a slice of cake (that kate 100% did not make, because while she can cook she can not bake). 

and her bad jokes continued over dinner "i developed a pasta addiction. i spent my life savings on pasta, but it was worth every penne." that one you thought was actually great and it made you laugh. and when i say it made you laugh, i mean it made you laugh the most genuine laugh ever and kate was entranced. that girl is so in love with you, it’s actually crazyyy

clint would agree

but. you two ended the night snuggled up on the couch, asleep with a movie in the background and it was literally perfect. 

like picture this - the vague sounds of people talking in an old movie, the hum of the refrigerator, the sounds of you two breathing lightly, the pizza dog’s endearing snores and the sound of rain pattering against the large window glass

doesn’t that sound so amazing?? plus, the faint smell of vanilla cake accompanied with kate’s sandalwood perfume. 

anyways - you had the best day with kate and you can’t believe that this is the life you get to live. you feel like the luckiest person on planet earth. 

oh how i wish this was real. life is not fair kate bishop needs to be my gf. anyways again i hope you liked it and have a wonderful day <3

[chururiii]

Aquarium date with Haruka Sakura ⋅˚₊‧ ଳ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

I can’t stop thinking about how going on cute dates with Sakura would be so here are some of my thoughts <3

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 .

Firstly knowing his background I think it’s safe to say Sakura has never been to a aquarium, so expect him to definitely be amazed at this new place

He wouldn’t fully understand the appeal of it before going with you. “Isnt it just fish” is what he’s definitely thinking.

Any expectations he had before are blown out of the water (lol) when he finally gets there! He is standing like a kid amazed at just how many creatures he sees

In his moment of excitement, he would grab your hand to pull you along to stuff he sees without his usual tsun behavior. But TRUST once he realizes he is holding your hand that blush will be PRESENT !!

If you happen to have knowledge and love talking about sea animals Sakura would definitely do his very best to listen (he might not understand it all but hearing you excitedly talk has him unable to look away)

While he would run around at times trying to look at all the stuff, I think Sakura would also take a moment to just quietly take in everything. Just gazing in amazement at the sharks and fish swimming to beautifully.

And if you so happen to be doing the same He might even try to sneakily take a photo of you 🤭 he is too embarrassed to ask but with how bad he is with technology you would probably catch him (leading to him blushing up a storm)

He favorite animals were probably the penguins (simply my own bias i have decided he loves penguins). Sakura would spent ages looking at them zipping through the water.

Will definitely go full tsun if you buy him a penguin plushie but you can find him gazing at it trying to hide his happiness.

Overall this date is something he will definitely remember forever after all to experience new things with someone he loves makes for such great memories <3

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 .

First time writing something like this in this format but it was fun! So I hope you guys enjoy it too!!!

[pinkcreamypeach]

Valentine's Day 💌 💘 (Mareach)

God spent four hours writing this thinking, rewriting, adding way too much detail, then getting distracted by the idea of drawing. Honestly, I wanted to cram in a ton of characters, but that would've taken forever. I almost wrote a whole Luaisy section, added Toad, Yoshi, and so much more, but my motivation dipped hard. I even planned a full-on Bowser fight scene, but it ended up in the background instead. Next time, I’ll make it way better.

Anyway, cut down on the design details. (Might draw peach dress in the later maybe) Mareach is getting closer to happening, so... lol.

@keylovesstuff @bberetd @peaches2217 @cutejk123

@supergay-64 <-- Sorry if you didn't want to be tagged

@silenzahra <-- forgot to tag you lol.

The soft morning light trickled through the curtains, casting a warm golden hue across Mario and Luigi’s shared bedroom. Mario stirred, stretching his arms wide, his body naturally easing into the motions of someone well-used to a day full of jumping, running, and saving the world. His eyes slowly blinked open, a small, content grin forming on his face as he greeted the morning. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the fresh air, feeling that spark of energy that only the start of a new day could bring.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, the cool wooden floor greeting his bare feet. A quick stretch, his joints popping, and Mario let out a pleased sigh. He wasn’t much for slow mornings, but there was something comforting about this routine. It always set him up for the day ahead, whatever challenges might come.

Glancing at the clock, he shuffled toward the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. “Huh, feelin’ good today,” he muttered to himself. He usually felt like a wreck after a long day of fighting monsters, jumping on Goombas, and dodging fireballs. But today? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was just the sunny weather. Maybe it was... Valentine's Day?

Standing in front of the mirror, Mario squinted at his reflection. In his red mushroom boxers, he scratched his stomach and patted his belly, noticing the familiar scars. Burn marks from his fiery encounters with Bowser, and deep claw marks that... well, he wasn’t sure where they came from. He’d been through so many scrapes, it all blurred together. But at least his signature mustache was still there. He took a whiff of his own breath. “Oof... Definitely need to brush my teeth,” he muttered, frowning.

Mario grabbed his toothbrush, eyes flicking to the empty space where Luigi’s toothbrush should’ve been. He blinked, brain a little slow to wake up. “Oh yeah… he’s off with his girlfriend…” Mario chuckled to himself. He still couldn’t get over the fact that Luigi had found someone. The shy guy who never quite left his comfort zone now had someone who brought him out of his shell. "I thought she’d be trouble," Mario mused with a grin. "But... I guess she’s good for him."

He sighed, thinking about Peach for a moment. Maybe today was the day... the day he’d finally confess his feelings. But... no. How would that even work? He groaned at himself. The last time he tried anything romantic, it ended with him chasing after Toadsworth in a panic. Peach was always sweet and forgiving, but Mario couldn’t help that nervous knot in his stomach. He’d baked her a special dessert for Valentine’s Day, all excited, but was it too cheesy? Probably, but he didn’t mind. He had to at least try.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the soap in his eyes until he was already screaming in pain and slipping in the tub. "Mamma mia!" His feet flew out from under him, and he crashed into the soapy water with a splat. His daydreams about Peach scattered like his balance.

Sitting up in the tub with a groan, Mario rubbed his eyes, wishing for a second he could just pull the curtains around him and disappear into his bed. The dramatic thoughts swirled, but before he could fall into them, he grabbed his toothbrush and tried to shake off the chaos.

Without looking, he grabbed the cream from the counter, squirted it onto the brush, and shoved it into his mouth. The moment he tasted it, his eyes went wide in horror. Wait, that's hair cream! He gagged, spitting it out in disgust.

"PERCHÉ QUESTO CONTINUA A SUCCEDERE!!?" Mario shouted in a dramatic mix of frustration and disbelief.

It wasn’t the start he had planned, but then again, when was it ever?

—----------------------

Princess Peach took a slow, deep breath as she admired her reflection in the mirror, a soft smile curling on her lips. With careful hands, she applied the finishing touch to her look. A heart-shaped accent with her lipstick. Her dress, chosen with care, was the epitome of grace and elegance, a pink Rococo-inspired gown that seemed almost too magnificent to wear.

As Peach twirled in front of the mirror, the soft rustling of her gown.She chuckled softly to herself. Perhaps my family would say this is a bit too extravagant, the most "girly" of all princesses but I wouldn't change a thing. Today is about love, after all. Her heart swelled with excitement as she glanced at the calendar. Yes, today is the day.

With a final glance at herself, she slid her long gloves on and gently gathered the ends of her gown before stepping out of her room. The grand halls of the Mushroom Castle were adorned with decorations in celebration of the day, festive ribbons in shades of pink and red, and cute bows everywhere. The castle’s guards had changed into their new uniforms, fitting the mood with their pastel hues. Each one bowed as she passed, their faces glowing with admiration for their princess, her beauty and grace leaving them in awe.

Toadsworth, ever the reliable elderly, was overseeing the preparations for the grand celebration in town. The festival was to honor love in all its forms, romantic, familial, and platonic. As always, the elder Toad was in his element, helping organize the festivities with great care. He adjusted his golden glasses, a thoughtful gift from the princess herself, and smiled. She had gifted him an exquisite eyeglass holder for Valentine’s Day, simple yet meaningful, and it had brought tears to his eyes.

"Ah, my favorite princess," he said with a warm smile, his voice full of admiration. "You look as beautiful as your mother, my dear."

Peach’s face lit up at the compliment. "Oh, grandpa, you spoil me with your words," she giggled. "But I do appreciate it, thank you."

The two walked side by side, moving toward the front balcony where the event preparations were taking place. As Peach looked out over the gardens, she couldn’t help but smile even wider. The lush, vibrant flowers were tended to with care, and the toads were already buzzing around, handing out early gifts to one another. It was an endearing sight, one that filled her heart with joy. Her people, so full of life and love, celebrating together in this beautiful moment it was all she could have hoped for.

She glanced over at Toadsworth, feeling a surge of gratitude for everything he did to make this day special. "It's truly wonderful to see how much love is in the air today, don’t you think?" she remarked.

Toadsworth smiled fondly at her. "Indeed, Princess. It’s a day for all to share in the joy of love and there’s no one more deserving of such celebration than you."

Peach smiled softly, her heart full of affection for her kingdom and those she held dear. As the festival preparations continued.

—----------------------

Mario stood in front of his mirror, adjusting his collar with the kind of determination usually reserved for stomping Goombas. He wanted to look good not that he had a fashion degree or anything. Luigi wasn’t around to be a backseat stylist, and honestly, the pea-sized Prince Parsley had his own business to attend to. Probably dating someone new. Not Mario’s problem.

He smoothed out his faded red button-up, pulled on his dark red jeans (fancy!), laced up his trusty brown boots, and because he was feeling classy doused his hair in way too much gel. The result? A slicked-back masterpiece that could probably deflect fireballs. He finished it off with an unreasonable amount of cologne. Was it necessary? No. Did he now smell like an entire department store fragrance aisle? Absolutely.

With a deep breath, he placed his iconic red cap atop his gel fortress, stepped outside, and took in the fresh air. The Mushroom Kingdom stretched before him, Peach’s castle standing pretty in the distance. The sun was shining, the clouds were smiling, and most importantly today wasn’t an “adventure” day. No kidnappings, no rogue Chain Chomps, no existential crises brought on by giant turtles. Just peace.

Then he turned around.

Bowser’s airship loomed overhead, casting a dramatic shadow across his front yard. Mario glanced at his watch. Really? Of course, Bowser had to crash that day. Holidays, birthdays, probably even Peach’s hypothetical baby shower if it was important, Bowser was showing up uninvited.With a resigned sigh, Mario popped back inside, grabbed a Cape Feather, and launched himself skyward. He had about five minutes to keep Bowser from ruining the party.

“Alright, Bowser,” he muttered, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s make this quick.”

—----------------------

4 hours later

Princess Peach stood in her royal dressing chambers within Peach’s Castle, preparing for her grand speech. The lavish room, bathed in soft shades of pink and gold, gleamed under the morning light streaming through tall windows adorned with flowing silk curtains. A polished vanity, scattered with delicate beauty essentials, sat against the wall, while a flurry of Toad attendants bustled around her, adjusting the final details of her dress and carefully positioning her crown.

Beyond the chamber doors, the castle courtyard buzzed with excitement. Hundreds of Toad citizens had gathered beneath the grand balcony, their tiny mushroom caps bouncing eagerly as they awaited their princess’s arrival. With a final deep breath, Peach straightened her gloves, offered a warm smile to her loyal attendants, and stepped gracefully onto the stage.

“Beloved citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom!” Peach’s voice rang out like a melody, carrying across the sea of joyful faces. “It is with great joy that I officially declare the beginning of our Grand Festival of Love! Today, we celebrate with laughter, music, and most importantly cake! (I personally made sure Toadsworth didn’t skimp on the extra frosting this time!)

“So, put on your finest festival attire, indulge in all the treats your heart desires, and let the celebrations begin! The Mushroom Kingdom’s Grand Festival of Love is officially underway!”

The kingdom erupted in cheers, a wave of excitement surging through the crowd. Peach watched with a delighted smile as her people spread out, filling the castle halls and the festival grounds beyond. The town square gleamed with festive decorations, games, and merriment, love filling the air in every laughter-filled moment.

As the day passed in a joyful blur, Peach found herself holding onto a special thought: her own Valentine’s gift. A gift for Mario.

Where was he? Was he off on another adventure with Luigi? She hadn’t seen him all day.

The sun dipped beneath the horizon, and soon, the final event of the night began the grand ballroom dance. The castle’s halls glittered with candlelight as the guests swayed to elegant music, glasses raised in celebration. Peach smiled at her people, twirling among them, but something in her heart pulled her away.

Excusing herself, she stepped outside, where the kingdom’s streets lay silent and empty under the moon’s glow. The celebration had drawn everyone inside, leaving the once-bustling town still and peaceful. Holding the ends of her dress, she slowly wandered through the quiet pathways, her thoughts drifting.

Where was he?

She had left her gift at home in the rush of the festival, but that didn’t matter. All she wanted was to see him..

Then the hurried footsteps caught her attention first. She turned, her breath hitching slightly when she saw Mario standing before her, a slightly crushed Valentine’s box clutched in his hands. His red shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his pants bore a few small rips, and faint scorch marks streaked his boots. His hair was a complete mess, bouncing slightly as he tried—unsuccessfully—to smooth it down with one hand. He looked like he’d just run through absolute chaos.

And yet, to her, he was still Mario.

As soon as their eyes met, he stiffened, hands trembling slightly as he swallowed hard. A nervous, lopsided smile tugged at his lips, an attempt at his usual confidence, but it wavered under her gaze.

“Pri— *ahem* Principessa… ciao, Principessa Peach…” He gave a quick, stiff bow, but as he glanced down at the ruined box in his hands, he let out a quiet, sheepish chuckle.

“I, uh… you… you look… wow.” The words tumbled out awkwardly, tripping over themselves as his face turned an adorable shade of red. “I mean… beautiful—no, gorgeous, like… *La donna più popolare di sempre.*”

He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “I should probably stop talking now…”

Peach giggled, warmth flickering in her eyes as she took him in. The slight blush his words had drawn from her softened into something more affectionate as she stepped closer, tilting her head.

“Thank you, chéri,” she murmured, her voice teasing but gentle. Then, with a playful glint, she reached up, her fingers threading lightly through his unruly hair. “I have to say… I quite like the rugged look.” She paused, scrunching her nose slightly. “Though, you do smell a little… smoky.”

Mario exhaled a dramatic sigh, finally putting two and two together.

“Bowser?” she asked, her tone knowing.

“…Yeah,” he admitted, shaking his head. “But don’t worry! I took care of that *bastardo* and his goons.”

Before she could reply, he glanced at the misshapen Valentine’s box in his hands and sighed again. Without a second thought, he tossed it into a nearby trash bin, his expression falling. It wasn’t good enough. Peach deserved something perfect.

She caught on immediately.

“…Wait.” Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at the box. “That was a cake?”

Mario blinked. “How’d you—”

She giggled and tapped his nose with her finger, smiling sweetly.

“Oh, Mario, I have a good sense of smell.” She hummed softly, lacing her hands behind her back. “Even if it was burnt, I would’ve eaten it anyway. Your desserts always make my day better.”

His heart stumbled over itself at that. She always had this way of making him feel like he was enough.

Wordlessly, she took his hand, her fingers slipping effortlessly between his, and led him beyond the castle gates. The soft glow of the festival faded behind them as they wandered into a field of Fire Flowers. Their petals shimmered under the moonlight, casting a warm golden glow across the landscape. At the heart of the field stood a grand tree, its branches stretching toward the stars. Peach stopped beneath it, turning to him with a knowing smile.

“…Remember this place?” she asked softly.

Mario blinked, then his eyes widened as memory washed over him.

“O-oh! Sì!” His face lit up, his voice quieter now, touched by nostalgia. “I remember… the stars, the flowers… and you.”

His voice dropped even softer.

“You made me feel better when Luigi was missing. You always make everything better, Principessa..”

Peach’s smile turned tender as she stepped closer.

The fireflowers bathed the field in a soft, golden glow, their petals flickering like tiny lanterns against the darkened landscape. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, jeweled with stars, casting a dreamy silver light over the scene. A gentle wind rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of flowers and the distant hum of the festival still lingering in the kingdom.

In the middle of it all, Princess Peach and Mario stood beneath a towering tree, its branches stretching toward the heavens. The moment felt like a fairytale, something out of a dream, yet entirely real.

Mario, ever the gentleman despite his usual clumsiness, bowed slightly, extending his hand toward her. “May I have this dance, Principessa?”

Peach, smiling with a playful twinkle in her eyes, placed her gloved hand in his. “I’d be delighted, mon chéri.”

And with that, he swept her into an elegant, old-fashioned waltz, their feet gliding over the grass as if they were dancing atop the stars themselves.Mario held her securely, his grip firm yet gentle, guiding her across the glowing field. His usual roughness was softened, his movements careful but still undeniably him a little hesitant, a little bashful, but full of warmth. Peach followed his lead with practiced grace, letting herself be twirled effortlessly before returning to the safety of his arms.

The moment quickly turned playful. Peach giggled as Mario spun her again, this time pulling her in close, their chests nearly touching. “Getting bold, aren’t we?” she teased.

Mario smirked. “Just tryin’ to keep up with you, *bella.*”

She hummed, arching a brow. “Oh? Then keep up with this.”

With surprising agility, she took the lead for a moment, twirling him instead. Mario stumbled slightly but recovered quickly, his laughter echoing into the night.

“Oh, you’re real cheeky tonight,” he said, grinning.

She giggled and playfully nudged his nose with hers. “I think you like it.”

Before he could respond, she suddenly let go, stepping backward as if to challenge him. Mario blinked, then smirked, accepting the silent invitation. With a dramatic sweep of his arm, he lunged forward, grabbing her waist and spinning her back into his hold, earning a delighted squeal from the princess.

“Still gotcha,” he murmured.

Her breath hitched slightly as she gazed up at him, her hands resting against his chest. The fireflowers flickered around them, their glow reflecting in his eyes. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the dance had become more than just a playful movement.

“…You really are something else, Mario,” Peach finally whispered, her voice softer now, her fingers tracing the edge of his collar.

Mario swallowed, his usual bravado melting just a little. “Yeah? Well… you make it real easy to wanna hold onto somethin’ this good.”

Her cheeks warmed as she tilted her head. “Then don’t let go.”

His hands tightened ever so slightly at her waist, a silent promise as the dance continued slower, gentler, wrapped in moonlight, fireflowers, and the quiet understanding that, in that moment, nothing else mattered.

As Mario dipped Peach for the final flourish of their dance, the momentum carried them both down onto the soft grass. A breathless laugh escaped Peach’s lips as she landed beneath him, her golden hair fanning out around her like a halo. The glow of the fire flowers surrounded them, casting a warm, flickering light over their faces.

Mario hovered above her, his hands still securely wrapped around her waist, his breath slightly unsteady. The playful laughter between them softened into something quieter, something deeper. Peach gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes, her cheeks dusted pink, her smile warm and inviting.

She lifted a delicate hand, brushing a stray strand of hair from his face before leaning in, pressing the gentlest kiss against his cheek. The warmth of her lips lingered against his skin, and Mario’s face turned an unmistakable shade of red. He barely had time to react before she rested her forehead against his, her breath mingling with his in the cool night air.

“…Happy Valentine’s Day, Mario,” she whispered, her voice as soft as the petals around them.

Mario swallowed thickly, his heart pounding in his chest as he stared into her eyes. She looked so radiant, so effortlessly beautiful, bathed in golden firelight and starlit silver. He couldn’t help but lean in closer, his grip on her waist tightening just slightly as if grounding himself in the moment.

“…Happy Valentine’s Day, too, mi Amore” he murmured, his voice barely above a breath.

They stayed like that, lost in each other, the world melting away as the fire flowers swayed gently around them two hearts intertwined beneath the endless starry sky.

[spywhitney]

Spoilers for season 3 of the bear:

The few sydcarmy-esque moments and my thoughts on S3.

☠️ When there's a flashback to a quick kiss between Carmy and Claire (with the word EMERGENCY on an ambulance blurred in the background), it cuts to Carmy saying I'm sorry to Sydney. This stood out to me.

☠️ The flashback to the best meal Syd ever had was red- this reminded me of the "Sydney's donut" made by Marcus. (Someone on Reddit pointed out this connects back to Syd's risotto in S1; in S3 Carmy made the excuse of a fennel allergy to make the dish he wanted to, both instances they went against the grain had big impacts).

☠️ In Legacy Carmy told Syd she looked nice (first compliment on her appearance, so yay?).

☠️ When Carmy invites Syd to the funeral of Ever. Most intense eye contact with them this season imo. He's staring at her a lot and she keeps looking down and clearly wanting to know why he wants her there or whatever.

☠️ Carmy touches the small of Sydney's back in Forever.

S3 thoughts:

"Richie what the fūck is this?" No, but seriously wtf was this season?

-Characterisations less honed in, more dim

-Chemistry was dialled back?!?!

-No, or arguably less development on Claire

-Lack of plot direction or cohesion at times

-Unsophisticated use of flashbacks

-Too much time spent on the Faks

-Comedy was meh

-Not enough time spent on scenes or plot points I felt were pivitol

-Carmy saying Claire is peace and tweaking out because of her despite the severe lack of emotional intimacy written for her or the relationship

-Still no time spent delving deeper into Sydney.

Idk what happened. 😭 (At least in terms of shipping neither side has really won. We've all lost atp lol).