#Movie Verse Daisy

[pianokantzart]

Small Shadows Part 2

Daisy takes Luigi on an outing with the intention of teaching him to fight, but as it turns out their approach to training, their approach to friendships, and their outlook on the world couldn’t be more different. In the process, Daisy accidentally brings to the surface some of Luigi’s deep-seated insecurities. Read part 1 here: X

Also Available on AO3:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/47310646/chapters/119303674

_____________________________

What followed was a blur.

Luigi could only remember scattered moments in a haze of panic, most of which were of him trying to hide from the brawl, ducking out of the way of splintering debris and swinging fists. In one moment of relative peace he had found a hiding spot behind a broken table, leaned up against the wall, and took a moment to try and find an exit amidst the chaos. But before he could discover a single ray of hope he was gripped by the ankles by an unseen assailant, dragged out of his hiding place, and flung like a projectile at an insectoid fighter attempting to come in for a dropkick.

At another point Luigi tried to army crawl behind the bar, but Torque was adamant about keeping that particular hiding place private. When Luigi attempted to climb over the bar entrance and squeeze in next to him, one of Torque’s vines gripped him by the waist and flung him over the counter into the center of the fight, where he was trampled underfoot until he managed to roll out of the way, and tuck himself into a corner amidst a small heap of broken chairs.

That was when he spotted Daisy, grappling the very same serpent that had threatened him earlier. She was laughing like a maniac as she bear-hugged his coils, having the time of her life as she flung him back and forth, slamming him like a wet sock against walls and furniture despite her smaller size. Her upper hand only wavered when the snake began breathing fireballs. While she mostly dodged with the tactful grace befitting her reputation, Princess Daisy steadily began to struggle in combating both the ensnaring scales and the spewed flames, and the fire was growing dangerously close to setting her alight.

“Daisy!” Without thought, Luigi scampered out of his hiding place and raced across the room, the leg of a broken chair in hand as he leapt over bodies and baseball-slid under the thundering feet. Dodging writhing coils, Luigi jammed the chair leg under the serpent's jaw and held it at both ends like a bridle bit, yanking with all his might. The snake let out a yell as its head was forced upward, flaming breath trailing black soot marks across the stone ceiling as he struggled to knock off his attacker.

It was all a blur from there. Luigi was violently thrashed about as he attempted to hold firm to the chair leg, only letting go the third time he was slammed into a wall. He wasn’t sure if that was when he lost consciousness, or some following blow was what finally took him out of the picture, or if he had been knocked out multiple times over the course of the fight and simply could not keep straight when he was awake and when he was not. 

All he knew was that when he opened his eyes, everything had gone relatively still, and his head was laying upon soft fabric in Princess Daisy’s lap.

“Oh! You’re awake!” Daisy cheered, looking down at him with a smile as bright as sunshine, “How’re you doing sweetie?”

Luigi preferred not to say. Everything hurt; his face, head, and back had received the bulk of the beating, though his ribs and shoulders weren’t exactly unscathed either. He checked himself over for broken bones, and was relieved to find little more than bad bruising– though the fact that he had fallen unconscious meant that there was undoubtedly a concussion somewhere in the mix. 

When his vision cleared he pulled himself to a sitting position, and looked around to find he and the princess were sitting on the floor– only because all the seats smashed so badly that there was no other option. He was also surprised to see how many eyes were on him, but the looks of suspicion and condescension from earlier were gone, replaced with sincere smiles. Some onlookers lifted up their drinks in salute… they were all drinking out of bowls now, the mugs laying shattered around the floor alongside the splintered furniture. A few goombas wandered about, some sweeping up the debris while others helped escort the more gravely injured out the door– a familiar snake tied up in a square knot being among them.

Despite the mayhem and destruction that had just ensued, the bar was still packed. Many of those who were beating each other to a pulp moments ago were now sitting on the ground, clacking drinks together, admiring one-another's newly earned bruises. Some were even helping tend each other's wounds, the barplant behind the counter reaching long tendrils across the room to pass around rolls of bandages.

Luigi adjusted his hat, fixed his overall strap, and continued to survey the bar with increased confusion. “What just happened?” he asked at last. At this, the bar filled with good-natured laughter, Daisy loudest among them. “You just survived your first bar fight, big guy. That’s what happened!” She declared. Bracing an arm under Luigi’s shoulder she helped the plumber to his feet, and once she was certain he was stable enough to stand on his own she grabbed his hand and raised it into the air. “Let’s hear it for Luigi!” She announced, “A true warrior of Sarasaland!”

The crowd cheered. Luigi blushed and waved sheepishly. He was unsure of where the adulation was coming from, but the praise seemed genuine, and his heart swelled. “  A true warrior of Sarasaland!  ” He drowsily rolled that title around in his head. Was getting one’s face caved in during a meaningless bar fight all it took to earn that title? And yet, after weeks of disappointment, being rallied on by a room full of fighters twice as experienced as he was felt so good. He only wished that Mario could’ve been there to see it.

Then came the drinks, bought for him by his fellow warriors, pushed into his hands with hearty congratulations. Luigi would’ve said no in any other circumstances– he was punch-drunk enough as it was– but given the newly earned comradery, he was afraid of letting them down. Three drinks in, and Daisy had to start taking the alcohol off his hands to ensure that he was still capable of stumbling back home without blacking out, and once the two were suitably intoxicated they waltzed out of the bar with many a goodbye, arm in arm, a plastered plumber and a tipsy princess. 

Halfway home, Daisy veered off her original route, flitting away from the main streets toward a narrow flight of stairs that led up along the overhanging balconies of the tightly-packed buildings. Luigi, knowing he was hardly able to keep up with Daisy even when he was sober and on solid ground, attempted to protest, but before he could say a thing he found himself lifted up, and carried along bridal style.

“Relax! This is a shortcut!” She assured, adjusting him so that he could wrap his arms around her neck before she took off running across the rooftops, leaping across the building gaps and alleyways with perfect precision despite the fact that Luigi could still smell the alcohol on her breath.

Luigi couldn’t help but laugh as he felt himself flying through the air. Heights did not scare him the way they used to, Peach’s suspended obstacle course and his own repeated use of the super leaf had numbed  that  particular phobia. He didn’t doubt his drunkenness had also taken the edge off his usual sense of self-preservation, but more than that… he somehow felt safe in Daisy’s arms. She was strong, far stronger than she looked, with a firm grip and not an ounce of clumsiness. Her confidence, too, was contagious, despite how foolhardy it was. Eventually, Luigi released his group on the princess and spread his arms out like a bird. He released a loud “Yahooooo!” as the cold air tickled his mustache, his stomach fluttering with every bound as Daisy’s castle rose into view, marble pillars and domed arches glowing beneath the sea of stars. “Woohoooo!” Daisy cheered as she pressed Luigi close, squishing her face up against his as she leapt the final distance. Her large dress fluttered like a sail beneath her, and a gust of wind carried them over the expansive palace garden directly into an open window on the second story. They were both laughing by the time they landed upon the carpeted floor of the castle gallery. Daisy attempted to set Luigi down, but being unsteady on his feet he nearly collapsed before Daisy caught him, which served to only add more fuel to their drunken giggles.

“What a night, huh?” “What a night!” Luigi agreed slurredly, giving Daisy a playful shove the moment he regained his balance, “But, you know what? You know what? I’m actually glad I did it!” “What? Face your fears and take on a bar fight?”

“No. That was the worst!” Luigi chuckled, reaching beneath his crooked hat to give his aching head a rub, “I’m glad I went with you! I had fun!... eventually.”

“Oh?” Daisy shyly twirled one of her locks of auburn hair, returning Luigi’s playful shove with an equally playful bump of her hip, “Well, maybe you can stick around! You can show me how people in The Brook Lands have a good time.”

“Brooklyn.” Luigi corrected, “And I can’t. Team Mario hits the road tomorrow! bright and early! But uh…” Luigi fidgeted a bit, trying to determine through his intoxicated haze how to proceed. Should he invite her to The Mushroom Kingdom? Was that alright? Or was that something only royalty could do? Maybe he could invite her to Brooklyn, or figure out some break in his work schedule where he could travel out to Sarasaland. Before he could form a coherent response, he felt Daisy’s gloved hand gently cup his chin, and turn his head up to look at her.

“Well, if ‘Team Mario’ ever decides they’re too good for you, you’ll always have a place here,” she giggled, one hand gently tapping Luigi’s nose while the other held his chin. “No matter what they think, you’ll always be my number one.”

“… What?” Luigi asked in a whisper, looking perplexed, the mixed feelings incited by her statement dampening his drunken glibness. He stared for a moment of uncomfortable silence, hoping for clarification, when he heard a familiar voice called out his name. “Luigi!”

Luigi pulled away, and looked at the small shadow that had appeared at the entrance of the gallery. It was Mario, dressed in his Pajamas, looking disheveled. The moment they locked eyes his bare feet hit the ground running in a bee-line toward Luigi.

“Mario? I thought you were asleep!” Luigi opened his arms to embrace his brother, but he underestimated how much Mario’s body colliding with his own would hurt, letting out a yelp of pain as his sibling slammed against his bruised ribs, nearly toppling him. Mario gripped Luigi by the shoulders before he fell, looking him over with wide-eyed worry. 

“Where were you!? What happened to you!? Why do you smell like a bunch of roses died in a bottle of amaretto?”

“Training! Did Toad tell you?” Luigi answered, unable to suppress a drunken giggle as he struggled to keep track of Mario’s questions, “I fought a snake!”

“For six hours!?”

“Six hou- no, Mario… no no… it wasn’t that long.” “I dunno, Luigi.” Daisy chimed in, looking amused as she crossed her arms and leaned against the frame of the open window, “You were unconscious for a while there before we started breaking out the drinks.” “Unconscious!? Luigi!” Mario groaned. He gently cupped his brother’s face, turning it toward the light to get a better look at the extent of the bruises and swelling.

Daisy sighed and shook her head. “Yikes. Are all the heroes from The Mushroom Kingdom so soft? Calm down, Tubby. If you don’t let him get hurt, he’s never going to learn anything.”

This comment earned her a spiteful look from Mario. “Really! And what’s he supposed to learn if he’s too drunk to remember anything?” “Uh, duh! It’s about  muscle memory.” Daisy retorted, hands on her hips as she condescendingly bent down to meet Mario’s eye level, “Jeeze, a guy gets called a ‘hero’ for a couple of months and suddenly he thinks he’s an expert!”

“Guys! Come oooon! Don’t fight. We’ve all had a crazy day,” Luigi muttered. Caught in the middle, he roped one arm around Mario’s shoulders and another around Daisy’s, and drowsily pulled them close. “Let’s just hug it out, alright? We’re all sleepy.”

“I agree with that last part,” Mario growled. Still glaring daggers at the princess he held tight to Luigi’s arm, and pulled his brother away. “C’mon Lu, let’s get you to bed.”

Luigi kept his arm slung around his little-big brother for support as he was guided toward the adjacent hall where the guest bedrooms were kept. Raising his free hand, he called out a cheerful “G’night Daisy!” before he found himself being pushed toward the exit a little faster than he liked.

“Good night Sweetie!” Daisy called back as the two brothers disappeared out of view. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, leaning back against the window frame. Her eyes drifted to the stars above and she began quietly humming to herself, a gentle smile forming on her lips while a light blush spread across her face.

[ayaspen]

Series/Movies And Kdrama Masterlist

Series:

The Summer I Turned Pretty (1&2) Review 🐚

The Idol Review 💀

XO, Kitty Review 🍜

Queen Charlotte Review 👑

Daisy Jones And The Six Review 🎸

Shadow And Bone Review (1&2) 🌑

The Queen’s Gambit Review ♟️

Movies:

Spider-man: Across The Spider-verse 🕸️

Culpa Mia Review 🏎️

Kdramas:

I haven’t watched/finished a Kdrama in like 9 month or so, So I don’t have new kdramas to review yet, but I’ll still work to fill the list soon!

🦋

[pickleslice]

star wars visions is like look star wars can be good! and then disneylucasfilmfiloni is like no it can’t.

[greensparty]

Thoughts on Best of 2023 So Far Lists

Anyone who knows me or reads this site knows I am a big consumer of lists and maker of lists. After a year ends, I roll out my Best Of lists for that previous year. A trend I’ve noticed in recent years is critics coming out with “Best of the Year So Far” lists. I get it, at the middle point of the year they want to rattle off the best so far and see what will be making the year-end lists. I personally don’t make these...but if I was to, here’s some contenders (no order, just namechecks):

Movies:

Air, Past Lives, Creed III, Asteroid City, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Documentaries:

Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, and Lynch/Oz.

Albums:

Inhaler’s Cuts and Bruises, U2′s Songs of Surrender, Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Council Skies, and Extreme’s Six.

Television Shows:

Daisy Jones and the Six, The Mandalorian, Lucky Hank, and Beef.

[bberetd]

a little headcanon/short story I came up with as I was working on my little luaisy dump in context to this part:

Daisy tends to grossly overestimate how strong Luigi is, simply because he is (in her totally unbiased opinion) one of, if not THE strongest person she’s ever met.

This drawing takes place when Daisy and Luigi’s relationship is still fresh. In the movie verse, she’s heard so many stories about the Super Mario Brothers and how they defeated Bowser, one of the biggest threats amongst all the kingdoms. What’s a few broken plumbers against some of her army, right?

Sarasaland citizens often pride their empire on having the toughest army. When Daisy and Luigi started hanging out more, she put his strength to the test by putting him against 20 of her troops.

It did not go well in the slightest

Mario quickly decided that Daisy was bad news, and it took a while for Luigi to change his mind by saying that she had her own twisted ways of showing affection and that she’s really pretty

—

@vulpixfairy1985 @itsavee4117 @peaches2217 @kelbreyworshipper @silenzahra (at your own time ♥️) @pepperycar @dragon-fly34 some Luaisy food for ye 🫖

[deadvnstudios]

oh no! i got into a argument with the romanceables and they said something so stupid that upset me! how do they apologize? :3

"H-hey. Can you just... come to my room tonight? I… I have something I want to show you."

Upon entering Tempest's room later that evening, you're immediately struck by its uncharacteristic cleanliness and the candles meticulously arranged along his shelves. They cast a warm glow over Tempest, seated on his bed with legs crossed, cradling a guitar in his lap. He proceeds to serenade you with a song, personally composed for you, by him. The performance is brief, encompassing only a single verse, and as the final note fades, Tempest asks you to forgive him.

"Oopsy-daisy, baby's breath. Iris-pectfully apologize. Please forget-me-not… and uhm… Look. Bad puns aside, what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry for upsetting you."

The morning after your fight, you find Vein lingering outside your room, a vibrant bouquet of your favorite flowers in her hands. Before you can react, the flowers are crumpled against your chest in a crushing embrace as Vein pulls you into a whirlwind hug. The world blurs as she spins you round and round, leaving you with only two choices:

a) vomit from dizziness or

b) accept her sincerest apology

"Fine, I messed up. Happy? Now pick your apology – but you only get one, got it?"

Insisting that you would be unable to sleep until she apologized, Mary storms into your room in the dead of night, jarring you from sleep. Taking advantage of your grogginess, she pins you to your bed and fans out the thin, crumpled slices of paper clutched in her hand. She orders you to select one. On each slip of paper, a different IOU is written:

IOU a full day of doing whatever the hell you want to do

IOU a movie night where we watch all of your favorite trash movies

IOU a letter detailing all of your least annoying traits

IOU a homemade dinner of your choosing (...but cooked by Noel, he owes me)

"Darling dearest, how much longer will you leave me to linger in the hall? My night will be frigid, unbearably bothersome as I shiver on my lonesome without you by my side….could you find it in your heart to forgive a fool? At least one foolishly in love?”

You sigh as Mona continues to dramatically plead at your bedroom door, talons tapping incessantly against the wood as her anxieties begin to emerge. As you finally open the door, she rushes in and nearly tackles you to the ground. Trapped within her hold she noisily smooches over the entirety of your face, cradling you like you’re something precious. Irreplaceable. You two will have a serious talk in the morning, but you’ll spend the rest of the night tangled together, cuddling under the sheets as she whispers into your ear every reason she fell for you to begin with.

“Beloved, the affliction of affection ails me; my world becoming insipid and dull in your absence. In having wounded you, I have wounded myself. I will eagerly bleed my heart dry in repentance if it can’t beat beside yours. I would give you all of myself to see you smile at me once more. Please, return to me tomorrow. I miss you.”

The note Sorin slipped under your door is littered with a stray tear mark here and there. Your heart aches as the the crooked letters, scribbled on hurriedly, bleed across the page from the dampness. When you go to find him the next morning, Sorin eagerly intertwines their fingers with yours, kissing your knuckles as they beg for your pardon and your company. The two of you plan to take a nap in the sunlit garden, but you have to silence Sorin with a kiss as he prattles on, praising your character.

”Wait…I…please. Hear me out.”

Noel heaves against the doorframe, one arm holding open the door you’d planned to shove close. Though his ears burn in shame, he requests that you join him that evening for dinner. In his room. Alone. When you arrive you’re taken aback by the makeshift candlelit dinner set up on a picnic blanket on the floor. Noel sheepishly lights a candle, letting you know that he’s prepared your favorite. He doesn’t want to talk while the two of you are hangry.

[artycomicfangirl]

So back when I wanted to create a comic scenario for a potential Movie-verse Daisy scenario. I had drafts that wanted me to include my own version of her mother, the Sarasaland Queen.

Currently I have a few ideas/head canons, which eventually would switch depending on which direction I would take this!

• First thing I envisioned her, was that purple/mauve/magenta was her theme colour.

• I got the choices between Queen Dahlia, Queen Lavender, Queen Lily Queen Rose or Queen Iris.

• Iris, Rose or Lilly were considered due to the Desert-like theme Daisy is associated with. But that’s just another another idea!

• Her role specializes in either Botany, or Zoology. Possibly to connect as a reference with Daisy’s theme of Archaeology in the 1993 movie. But also, this role might have greatly helped Sarasaland in the past.

• I was looking to use Middle-Eastern or Persian influence for her potential design. Which was why I thought of Lavender. A flower known to be prominent in their perfumes.

• To contrast with her Husbands take-charge and leader role of a warrior. The Queen is one who is calm, level-headed and graceful. She is gentle, but still doesn’t mean her determination should be one to overlook. A Diplomatic type of person?

• In my personal lore, I thought that something happens to the Queen when Daisy was a child. An event that whisked her away, one where she put her life on the line to protect her husband and daughter.

It was this event that resulted in the King to be very protective of the Princess. And possibly, one that might trigger Daisy to grow up into who she is now. She had seen someone that she loved so much lost. So? She pushed herself to be ‘stronger’ to the point of how athletic and brave she is now.

As for this picture? The two spotted a rare green butterfly floating around the balcony. The Queen mentions how this is a unique type of butterfly. One that it doesn’t appear in the day. Only at night.

It is thought that because of this. This butterfly is seen as fragile and weak. But only a few choose to see, that is far from the truth.

The locals believe that if you see one, it brought good luck. Because these butterflies glow brightly during the night.

It has also been used as a metaphor around the kingdom.

“ Do not underestimate the shyness of the rare Sarasaland Green Butterfly.

For when the time is right. Or when push comes to shove. You will see their determination glow brighter than anything you will ever see.”

[charmingradiobelle]

Mario/Daisy friendship headcanons I promised to provide!

A popular headcanon for Luigi/Peach is them baking together and it’s usually a very calm activity for them. For Mario and Daisy, however, it would be the exact opposite. It starts out with a simple idea to bake a cake for Peach and Lu to show their appreciation and they go to the kitchen and get supplies, and as they start they both realize that they don’t have any idea how to bake. “It’s fine! There’s cookbooks all over the place that tell you exactly what to do!” Insists Mario, and so they try that at first but since they’re both stubborn asf at times they end up deciding “screw it we don’t need these useless instructions! This looks too easy!” And then they start messing up with the measuring and how long things stay in the oven and long story short a fire starts and everything slowly descends into madness.

They often tease each other about their crushes on Peach and Luigi. Peach will say something sweet to Mario which makes him blush, and after she walks away Daisy leans over with a mischievous smirk, probably commenting on how his face is blending in with his red hat. He covers his face and tells her to shut up (respectfully)

Or when Daisy gives Luigi a kiss on the cheek, Mario childishly goes “ooooooh!” and she pushes him to the ground.

Video games are a battle to the death for these two. If Daisy is in the movie verse I imagine he would introduce games to her which she quickly gains a lot of skill. But of course they’re both super competitive. So whenever someone sees them with controllers in their hands they know to leave the room cuz it won’t take long for the loud screams of pure rage to fill the air.

They also take that completion outside video games. They often have other types of matches such as arm wrestling, checkers, anything that involves an opponent really. It gets tiring to watch at times.

(This is specifically for Wonder) Mario gets the elephant fruit and transforms. He’s mildly confused at first but snaps out of it when he hears Daisy burst out laughing, bending over and holding her stomach. “You look so dumb!!” She shouts through her cackling. Later on in the adventure she gets the fruit as well and looks at her elephant-appearance. Mario folds his arms with a smirk, suppressing some laughter. “You were saying?”

One day Luigi comes home wiping away tears. Both Mario and Daisy go over to him asking what’s wrong. He tries to shrug it off saying someone pushed him on the street earlier, but insists he’s not upset so he tells them not to worry. They both give each other a look. Later that day, after somehow getting some more information, they ring the doorbell of someone’s house. The person opens the door to be greeted by Mario crackling his knuckles while Daisy wields a bat in her hand.

Classic sibling moments where one of them sees a random animal/creature and will point at it and go “that’s you”

After a long day of their absence, Mario and Daisy return home looking absolutely wrecked and disheveled. Their hair’s a mess, their clothes are dirty and ripped, scratches and burn marks on their arms and faces. Everyone else is concerned, but Luigi and Peach immediately scold them and ask what the hell they’ve been up to. They both smile awkwardly and reply “nothing!” in perfect unison. (*cue loud explosion in the background*)

Feel free to add onto this

[ginsengkitten]

༺ Beautiful Dangerous༻

A slashxreader fanfiction

༺☆༻

Chapter One:

Tower Records

word count: approx.: 2900

Trailer/Moodboard here :)

☆ Authors Notes ☆

ty for reading. This is mostly a world building intro but I hope y’all like it :) - also I will be including photos and music that inspires or I felt matches each chapter, just for fun. This story takes place in some sort of fictional timeframe of 1984-86 ish when GNR had just started developing/finalizing their OG line up. I know not all the pics and timelines necessarily add up but this literally isn’t real so whatever!

Track list:

You really got me - The Kinks

Green Onions - Booker T. & the M.G.s

Foxey Lady - Jimi Hendrix

Your parents had shipped you out to your cousins home in the Hollywood Hills every summer since you were 10. The sprawling green hills sprinkled with Tuscan topped mansions upheld to excite you. Simply because there was so much more to be discovered outside of the ritz. This summer was going to be perhaps the best one yet, because now that you were turning 18, Uncle Rob would finally allow you to go down into the city for the first time.

Uncle Rob and Aunt Shena were the most uptight, stick up the ass, pair of individuals to bethrall the hills. You would think with the unceasing access to every pill, herb, and juice in Hollywood from Robs fancy job would have eased them up over the years; their long time neighbor, Dave, was one of the most sought out coke suppliers in the area - or at least that's what your cousin Daisy has told you- and Daisy liked to dramatize occasionally.... Daisy also says that her parents think too much ibuprofen could spell a trip to the confessional at church. This statement however was proven to be true because of the time Aunt Shena almost refused to give you a 50 mg Tylenol the time you had started your period in their guest bedroom.

Needless to say, it was in agreement with your own parents that you'd not be permitted to go down to the city until you were 18. "The city is where the devil preys on gods most vulnerable and precious spirits" Aunt Shena would recite this at least ten times throughout each summer visit, sure to remind you of the evil that lurked in the streets below. Most summer weeks were spent at the house, but it sure beat Indiana summers back home. Mondays were family nights at home, Tuesdays were beach days, Wednesdays were usually home days too but occasionally sailing on the family boat was allotted. You didn't have a boat back home in Indiana. Daddy's money was steady but not BOAT money steady. Plus it was Indiana- where would the sailing even take place? Lake Michigan?

Thursdays, the cinema would have discount movie matinees. If the film had been pre approved through the other moms in Aunt Shenas crochet circle, then she would take you and Daisy to go see it as a treat. Occasionally, Daisy would ask to use the restroom and you both would sneak into another screen room to peek at the other movies you weren't allowed to see, up until you accidentally snuck into a showing of 'The Evil Dead'. Both you and Daisy had nightmares for weeks and her parents couldn't figure out why, and no shot in hell would either of you admit what happened.

Daisy was fun and secretive like that. You appreciated her ability to lie straight to her parents face. Daisy liked to adventure a little bit more than what her parents would allow. Naturally she became versed in the art of bullshitting her parents.

Daisy was almost like a stranger to her parents. It was sad in a way but mostly just impressive. Daisy would steal cigarettes from her dad and stash them in her pencil case and sell them to the other girls in her church group. She also snuck out regularly, mostly to the local park to meet up with boys from school. She was brave. Real brave. She was cool. Real fucking cool. In fact, she was so cool and so brave, that she got the mastermind plan to steal her fathers Pontiac Firebird while he was away on business and Aunt Shena was knocked unconscious from her qualludes. (But god forbid ibuprofen right?).

"I don't know why I hadn't done this sooner!" Daisy bounced in the drivers seat like a mental patient. The engine cried out aggressively and the whole vehicle roared awake. There’s no way the entire street didn’t hear that. "And you're SURE your mother isn't going to find out? What about your daddy?" You pegged for final assurance from Daisy before becoming an accessory to theft. "Daddy won't ever know. You know why? Cuz' you remember Jeff from my church? He showed me how to roll back the odometer on a car in exchange for...well for never-mind but you don't gotta sweat about a thing Y/N. Now cut the square talk we gotta get to Tower Records before it closes!".

That's another thing Daisy kept secret. Her music. Daisy had a whole stack of vinyl records along with a record player, stashed under her bed. She would purchase raunchy records like Tina Turner and Cheap Trick, and slide them in the back of the more inconspicuous records like Chuck Girard and Bob Dylan. One of Daisy's boyfriends last summer had gifted her an Aerosmith record. Daisy played it for you once and that's how you first learned what rock music was. Some kind of bug bit you then. You itched to hear more, but between the uber cult of Daisy's parents and your own sheltered family back in indiana, who were perpetually trapped in the era of disco music, rock music was hard to come by. Rock music was foreign to you but felt familiar. You'd never felt a craving for sound before hearing it. So when Daisy devised to steal her dads car to go visit Tower Records in the city, you shoved all notion of "evils that lurk below" and the two of you ripped down to the sunset strip.

-

It wasn't that you weren't adventurous too. You could be if you wanted to. You were just too busy to be bothered with mischief like Daisy. While you believed yourself to be an open minded individual, it was clear Aunt Shenas repeated affirmations of danger sat in the back of your mind, welling up further and further to the forefront while the lights of the city glittered closer and closer into view.

"Wow wow wow Y/N...look at it all right? You seein this?" Daisy's eyes glazed over as the neon lights poured over the Pontiac. It was like nothing you had ever seen before. Or her. Daisy had only made it down to the city a handful of times but never at night. Each building had its own neon get up signage. Loads of people strolled the night street. It was busy! Your heart pounded in your chest a little bit. Fear and excitement all in one. You couldn't take your eyes off the passing sceneries. You tried to take it all in. Burger joints you had seen a million commercials for bustled with crews of hot rods parked in the parking lots, engines proudly displayed. Beautiful women leaning into the windows of old rusty cars, hung out on the darker corners in big groups for some reason. Was everyone down here revolting against wearing clothes?

"Tower Records baby!" Daisy sang as she pulled into the parking lot. Huh. It wasn't really a tower like the name had suggested. Rather a dingy stand alone strip mall off the corner of the strip. The disappointing reality shocked you back to your more cautious senses. If anyone finds out we're here we're totally busted.

You stepped out of the car and a wall of hollywoods finest scents burned your nose. The air down here wasn't like the air in the hills. Air can't be so different like that can it? "God I hope they have the new Cyndi Lauper release." Daisy said, pushing into the store door with her back.

The door chirped out a small out of tune "ding!" To notify the staff of the new and completely out of element customers entering. Two scrawny flower fresh girls in inconspicuous uniform-like attire, looking plain and straight as an arrow. The saying "bull in a China shop" but as if curiously reversed "China in a bull shop". Daisy somewhat fit the bill better but you-you did not look hip enough to be in a record store, or the state of California. Even if it was a dingy strip mall. Which made you all the more nervous.

A few other customers sleuthed the aisles, clearly regulars. You tried to stay out of everyone's way while you tried to keep track of Daisy darting into the vinyl labyrinth. You scanned the sea of music. Tracing your fingers along the spines of sleeves. So much rock music! You glanced around to see Daisy already chatting up one of the grungy male employees. Your eyes caught a gorgeous vibrant yellow sleeve and you plucked it out. 'Are you experienced' by Jimi Hendrix.

You'd heard of him you think. Maybe on the news somewhere? He seems like a big rocker name.

You made your way over to the front corner  of the store by the check out where they had open record players where customers could play records and listen to new samples. You held the album in your hands and stared at its dazzling colors. Almost spellbound until;

"Foxey Lady."

The sudden voice snapped you out of your trance and you looked around. Suddenly catching the cashier at the empty register. Did HE say that? To ME? You hesitated to question if he spoke to you. He seemed like the type to cause trouble. Was this a cat call? Is this what cat calling is? One time mother had been cat called in front of a sears and daddy found the man who did it and really gave him a reaming. She warned you about dirty and dangerous men in the streets who call women obscenities for fun. What jerk cat calls a young woman shopping at their own store?

"Excuse me…?" You questioned.

"The record." He pointed to your hands gripping the yellow vinyl.

"Foxey lady. It's the best song on that album." He connected. Your eyes glance back down at the track list and sure enough 'Foxey Lady' was spelled out. Your face suddenly blooms pink in embarrassment as you look back up to him. That's not what you were expecting from this guy.

He leaned his back against the wall behind the counter. It was impossible to tell if he was looking at you because his eyes were protected from a curtain of thick, pretty dark curls and sunglasses….indoors….at night. His arms crossed coolly. He had an aura of mischief about him. He was almost like a ghost. Dressed in all black leather. You'd never seen someone dressed in only black clothes before. Maybe he was a rocker type too.

"Oh..uh….I'll need to give it a listen then." You replied politely and cordially with a nervous smile, averting his face to hide your obvious embarrassment. You became slightly flustered. He didn't drop his attention towards you. You start to fiddle with the record, somehow losing your sense of coordination because you were being watched. Suddenly the record isn't lining up correctly. The lid almost clamps on your hand but something catches it and spares your fingers. You look up again and he's now in front of you, acting like some sort of hero. An intense mixture of tobacco, rubbing alcohol and an almost sweet musk surrounds you. You now see that he is in fact looking at you. You stare at him like a deer in headlights. Stunned, embarrassed and confused at how he managed to sneak his way over to you so quickly. "Here, I'll play it for you." His lips curl up slightly into an almost sickeningly lovely smirk. He places his hand upon yours and kindly removes it out of the way. You step aside and allow him to continue, still stunned and nervous.

Not only had your heart already been on high alert from the firebird thievery, a guy was now in your direct personal space. A potentially dangerous guy. Well no- he wasn't cat calling you after all right? And he just helped you and? He is sort of nicer than you expected. He just seems so...cool?

All up in your personal space. It wasn't like you were a prude! You'd kissed a boy before! Even held hands too. Granted the kiss was on the cheek. But this guy just kind of....took over. His presence was so laid back and yet demanded the attention of the room. It was hard not to want to stare back at him. You wanted to better analyze this predator/prey situation here. If he's so dangerous, why is he being so kind? It took one glance at him up close and you were starting to call bullshit on Aunt Shena's precautions altogether. You'd been in the city for almost an hour and remained entirely unscathed.

Your hand still felt electric from his touch. His eyes only briefly detaching from you to put the record on.

A funky rock ensemble flowed out of the record. The same type of musical pleasure you had heard from the Aerosmith record, revisited your body. A rougher, harder groove than what's on the radio. It was melodic and fierce. The guy redirected himself to you once more. Watching you for your reaction to the song. You nervously nod your head to the beat, meeting his gaze. Once you connect sights, your stomach jumps in a swirl. Butterflies soar in circles inside you. This oddly intimate interaction but you couldn't seem to pull away. Almost spellbound yet again but for an entirely different feeling.

He began mouthing the lyrics, still staring back at you over a sea of tension thick air.

'You know you're a cute little heartbreaker'

Your face is rushing hot. It was almost like he was intentionally singing these words to you.

'And you know you're a sweet little love maker'

He smirked at this one. You turned now what you must have assumed was red with embarrassment. You break your gaze and look down at your shoes and then glance around the shop to locate Daisy. The shop was mainly now empty as the night had grown in. Daisy could still be found giggling away with another boy in the far end of the store. Your heart fluttered rapidly. You suddenly feel the air in front of you grow warmer. Looking back he had stepped closer to you and space between you had shrunk. He continues.

'I wanna take you home-

I won't do you no harm'

He held a smug look on his face as his lips mouthed these totally obscene lyrics to you. Like he knew it was not something you'd ever heard before. Your naïve shock seemed to entertain him.

'You got to be all mine, all mine'

Ooh Foxey Lady.'

"You dig it?" He asked still holding a smirk. "Definitely" You admit all too quickly. He give a slight breathy chuckle. Your sure answer when you had seemed so unsure about everything else til then was cute to him. A gal who was on board for rock n roll was nothing but perfection to him. But you didn't look the part, and that amused him. Your light floral scent drifted sweetly around him, he was unable to ignore you as soon as you had walked in and he had watched your every move. A nervous animal. Timid and clearly not someone he had seen in before. The girls that normally perused Tower Records were hot but they were rough around the edges. You- you were something sweet…something different altogether he thought. You were like a breath of fresh air to him. What's that saying...opposites attract?

"You like it so much you can have it." He said, his voice a lower octave.

"Oh well I was thinking of buying something el-" you started to politely object.

"No. " he laughs at your oblivion. "Just take it. It's yours." He pushes it into your hands. You're a little in shock once more just at the thought of stealing? Twice in one night? You really like the record and you would love to own it...but. You look around nervously.

"Here Foxey, All you." He firmly asserts it into your grasp, lets go and begins to walk back behind his counter.

"Y-you could get into trouble for this you know." You point out with concern for this kind stranger. He waves you off with his hand. "we're closing miss, you'll have to get." busying himself in false cashiering practices he had probably never paid attention to until now. Daisy meets you mid store. She hardly notices the record in your hands or the insane cashier who just let you steal from his store. "I've just met the cutest boy, Y/N! And he’s in his own band! I'll tell you on the way back. “ She giggled. “Let's get sodas maybe too if some where's open." Daisy ushered you to the door, blind in her own personal thrills to notice you looking back over your shoulder to meet the gaze of the cashier once more, who to your delight had removed his sunglasses, already staring back at you, watching you leave. He gave you another sly smile and you returned one of your own, forming some sort of mutual pact of this secret.

Why did he think you would keep this a secret? Why did he trust you like that? You were going to after all, but how did he know?

Doesn’t he care about getting in to trouble?

[dandylovesturtles]

@theplacewhereidumpmyinterests I can't talk about most of them because they're part of an AU verse I want to keep secret until I have the first fic that's part of it written, and idk when that will be (by summer?? HOPEFULLY??), but I guess I can talk about the other one because idk if/when I will write a fic for him (I'd like to but like I am only human)

"more AUs Dandy?" LISTEN all I do is sit around and think about "what if"s, okay?

ok so this started as me being like, hm, we see Lou Jitsu with a rotating door of women, so many he doesn't seem to remember all their names, so it's not totally out there to think he might have gotten one of them pregnant, right?

and thus Marcus (middle name Kyle) was born! literally!

so the story for this is, Lou Jitsu had a fling with a woman in the early 90s, pre-Big Mama. they were both in agreement that the whole thing was casual and it didn't last very long, but oopsie-daisy about six weeks after their last night together she finds out she's pregnant.

she debates what to do for a bit, because, as established, Lou Jitsu is kinda a fuckboi and she doesn't really want a relationship with him. But once she decides she's definitely keeping the baby she feels like she can't just not tell him, right? so she tries!

...unfortunately he's dating Big Mama by that point and she interferes to make sure that Lou Jitsu never meets with the woman and never finds out, because she knows this would get in the way of her plans.

she takes never hearing back from LJ as a sign he just isn't interested in the kid and resolves to single-motherhood. which she is the best at, btw.

she's still considering trying to introduce Marcus to his dad at some point, but unfortunately her kid isn't even 5 before Lou Jitsu suddenly goes missing, with his teary fiancée telling a sob story to the cops. assuming, same as everyone else, that he's dead, she lets the whole thing go, though she does tell Marcus who his dad is once he's old enough to understand everything.

Marcus goes through periods of being obsessed with Lou Jitsu, watching all his movies and consuming every piece of media about him that he can find, and periods where he can't stand to even hear the name. it's up and down. from his perspective, LJ abandoned him and his mom, but he's also dead, so it's not like he can have closure on this ever, right? so it's just a thing he has to deal with on his own.

but he's fine! he's alright. he gets through high school, then college, then accepted into vet school just fine.

then... his mom gets sick and dies.

yeah, that's a hard blow.

but he's alright! he has a few buddies from college he still sees now and then, and he's started his zoo vet residency at the Bronx Zoo (with a particularly special interest in reptiles), so lots of new people to meet that way! he's doing great! he's not lonely at all!

(a few months ago, he was suddenly woken up by a surge of something, like dozens of voices were crying out to him for help, tugging him toward something, saying his family needs him...

yeah, no idea what that was about. he doesn't have any family anymore.)

then the sky opens up and aliens come out.

Marcus is at work, because of course aliens would attack at the beginning of his shift. he spends the day ushering survivors into safe zones within the zoo, using his medical knowledge to handle first aid, and just trying to stay sane as the whole world turns upside down.

and then just as suddenly as it all started... it stops.

in the aftermath, everyone around him is just trying to get home, desperately calling their loved ones and praying for the best. Marcus starts trying to figure out how he's going to get home, because the trains definitely aren't running, and as he looks as his phone for a spark of inspiration, he realizes... no one has tried to call him. his coworkers' phones have been going off all day, whenever they can get signal, as loved ones try to reach them, but... he doesn't have anyone trying to reach him. and as he sits there he realizes he doesn't know who he should be calling, either.

so. that's pretty depressing.

and as he's sitting there, thinking about his life and what led him here, in a now empty vet clinic outside the bronx zoo... he hears a noise. and then, voices.

ah great. looters.

at first, Marcus tries to call 911 - but obviously the call center is swamped. so he decides to take care of the problem himself, going to see who's there and get rid of them...

wait, who is he kidding? he's definitely not paid enough to confront potentially armed looters! he's going to get out of here.

but just as he starts to leave, he hears the voices again - coming from one of the surgery rooms this time. and they're talking about IVs... scalpels... anesthesia...

suddenly he realizes that these aren't looters - they're here to try and treat somebody.

and like hell is he going to let some idiot kill someone trying to do DIY surgery.

so he turns back around and bursts into the room... on two humans, a rat that counts as giant even for New York, and four very big, very injured turtles.

one of whom immediately points a gun in his face. to be fair, that's what he thought would happen.

"Donnie!" yells the biggest one, and, oh, they can talk. huh.

"Relax, it's just a tranquilizer!"

"Donatello!" that's the rat. there's a sound like a whip cracking and the one with the gun makes a startled noise and drops it.

now the rat is in front of him. he's looking up at Marcus imploringly. "Do you work here?" he asks.

"Y-yeah. I'm a vet."

the rat bows very politely. "my sons are seriously hurt, and I don't have the supplies to help them at home. I understand it is a lot to ask, but... we must use your supplies. please, if you could just look the other way."

Marcus looks around at the turtles, especially the one on the table, the one worst off. he looks mangled. he won't live long if he isn't properly treated.

a rat, two humans who look like teenagers, and the turtles. who the rat called "sons". now that he's noticing, they're all pretty short, other than the big one. are they also teenagers?

"...Are any of you doctors?" he asks. the littlest one starts to raise a hand, but the girl grabs it and forces it back down.

everyone else has left by now. he's the only doctor here.

alright. guess he's doing this.

"...okay, everyone make some room. let me get sterilized, and I'll see what we're working with here."

and that's how the son Lou Jitsu didn't know he had becomes primary care doctor to his teenage mutant ninja half-brothers. ^^

(and then a bunch of other stuff happens)

[sadhours]

scumbag blues • new fang

gator tillman x f!oc

previous chapter • masterlist

cw: 18+ minors dni, slightly creepy gator, gator pressuring a girl, violence

🤍🩶🤍🩶🤍

Faye is too much of what Roy wants for Gator. Wife material. A good Christian girl with fluffy natural blonde curls and a modest wardrobe. A shy, submissive demeanor and not a lick of excitement. She wears a simple, delicate cross necklace and tells Gator her bible verse of the day. Hounds him about vaping but not in the way Daisy does. No, Daisy tells him she’d rather he smoked cigarettes while Faye tells him vaping is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. He doesn’t mention he chews on occasion.

He’s backed up, it’s been like two whole fucking weeks of Daisy claiming she’s busy whenever he hits her up. Gator’s hand just isn’t as satisfying as her. He’s getting desperate for pussy. Embarrassingly so. Tells himself in the mirror how weak he is for relying on a woman to satisfy him. So Gator devises a plan. He needs something so he suggests taking Faye to the drive in for their date.

He couldn’t care less about the movie she picks. Figures this is what worked for his high school buddies and would’ve worked for him if Roy hadn’t hammered in the whole pureness of marriage and saving himself for his wife. But Gator became desperate by the age of eighteen and he heard the rumors of what Daisy offered. Couldn’t help himself. Sick and tired of being a virgin while none of his peers were. And hell, he’d been crushing on Daisy since middle school when she sprouted a pair of tits. It’s her fault for making it as easy as $200. Then he became hooked, working extra hard for money just to hand it over to the pretty blonde with the golden prize between her legs. Gator’s ashamed to admit he’s only been with Daisy. Discovering kinks through porn and bringing them up to her with the promise of an extra handful of cash. She never turned him down and it’s in turn, accumulated into this obsession with her. Any sick little thing he could think up, Daisy would just shrug and say to give it a try. Only stopped him a handful of times, admitting it truly was difficult to pretend she wasn’t willing and it got a little too real to a few experiences she’d had in her uh, career.

Faye’s focused on the movie while Gator’s thoughts have his dick suddenly aching. He needs to stop thinking of Daisy but it’s real hard when Faye’s basically just a boring, less pretty version of her. If Daisy were in the truck, she’d already have her hand shoved down his pants. Maybe he’s an asshole because that’s all he’s really after but he’s a man, he has needs and fuck it, he can repent for his sins on his deathbed.

“You ever have a boyfriend?” he asks Faye out of the blue, drawing her eyes to him but they look offended.

“I’ve been courted before,” she answers in that Minnesota accent, sweet but a little annoying on his ears. Gator’s trying to like it. It’s not working well.

He nods, “You look nice tonight.”

“Thank ya,” she blushes, averting her eyes back to the screen as she tucks her hair behind her ear. Gator leans over the center console, pretends he’s offering her some popcorn but really, it’s an excuse to get close to her. Get his lips close to her neck. Presses them to the soft skin and Faye gasps, jerks away.

“Gator,” she warns.

“What? Your suitors never kissed ya there before?” he challenges, raising his brows.

“No,” she shakes her head, clutching her dumb cross necklace, “That’s a sin, Gator.”

Gator tilts his head, smirks something wicked when he says, “No, premarital sex is the sin, darlin’. Bible says nothing about foreplay.”

“It causes temptation,” she breathes, eyes darting everywhere except Gator’s face. “Temptation is sinful.”

“Me kissing your neck caused you temptation?” he bites his lip, “That mean it felt good?”

She doesn’t answer him, looks up at the ceiling and swallows hard. Gator trails his lips against her neck again, kisses the skin gently before drawing his tongue against it. Faye’s eyes close tightly, her thighs squeeze together and Gator recognizes the signs, knows she likes it so he sucks gently and Faye lets out a strangled moan. Her hand flying up to her mouth while she looks at him all wide eyed. He grins at her wolfishly, “That a yes?”

“Take me home,” she breathes out, face flushed wildly.

Gator frowns, pulling himself away from the center console and back in the seat of the truck. Turns the keys in the ignition and peels out of the drive in. The drive to her apartment is silent. Faye turns her body towards the passenger door, gazing out the window with her hand still over her mouth.

“Thank you for taking me out,” Faye whispers, but it sounds like she thinks she has to say it and not that she means it. She hops out, slamming the door behind her and hurries to the front doors.

Gator bites the inside of his lip, meets his own hardened gaze in the rearview mirror. Slams his fists against the steering wheel a couple of times but it don’t do shit to quell the anger in his veins. Weak. So weak for fucking pussy, bro. Pathetic. He’s a pathetic fucking loser. Tells himself that in the mirror and hears his dads voice. Punches the dash and breathes heavily, looks out to the road. The inn is two blocks away.

He grabs his phone, types a quick text to Daisy and tosses his phone on the passenger seat before shifting into drive and flipping a bitch in the middle of the road, heads in the direction of Daisy.

Omw to fuck your throat. Clear ur schedule.

There’s a shitty sedan that doesn’t belong to Earl in front of the Inn. Gator doesn’t care. He parks an inch behind it. Has the inclination to slam into it but his dad would kill him. He stomps up the stairs to the Inn. The doors locked. It’s after hours. Gator knew it would be locked. He rings the bell. Waits a beat and no one answers.

“Fuckin’ bitch,” he seethes, jamming his finger into the bell again. Peers inside, keeping his digit to the button so the bell doesn’t stop ringing.

Then, down the stairs, Daisy. Her hairs a mess, she’s got a satin pink robe wrapped around her and Gator recognizes the swell to her lips. Knows she’s been sucking someone else’s cock. He repeatedly presses the bell, hearing its repetitive chime through the door. Makes eye contact with Daisy through the glass and she looks pissed. Fucking hot but pissed. She swings the door open and Gator pushes his way passed her.

“Did you get my text?”

Daisy looks at him incredulously, scoffs as she looks him up and down and then she smiles, all cocky and condescending as she observes his clothes. Slacks, Patagonia fleece and Converse instead of his combat boots. She knows he was on a date.

“I’m a little preoccupied, Gator. Don’t need to remind you I’m running a business out of here,” she replies.

“A business I could lock ya up for,” he mumbles, grabbing her wrist and tugging it away from where she’s holding the robe shut. It unravels open, exposing Daisy’s naked body to him. His eyes fall to her round breasts, skate down her flat stomach to her pussy and then her full thighs. He tugs her close, faces an inch apart as he gazes down at her.

“And I’d tell the judge how you’re begging for a piece every goddamn day,” she seethes back at him, ripping her wrist away and covering herself back up. “Leave, Gator. Now.”

“No,” he tuts, “I came here for a reason, I’m getting it.”

“Get in fucking line,” she furrows her brows, “You’re not the only wallet with a dick in Stark County and you sure as hell ain’t the only one with power.”

“Daisy,” he laughs, “Cut the bullshit. I know you need it just as bad. Besides, you’re a whore, I’ll give you more money than whatever that chumps paying. And you’d be a bad hooker to turn that down.”

Daisy scowls at him, it’s weird on her face. Not something Gator’s seen before. She opens the door wide, grabs hold of his fleece and shoves him out of it, stronger than she looks. Gator’s face contorts, looking down at her shocked.

“You’re banned. Black listed. You can’t come here anymore, you can’t have me ever again, even if you offered me a million fucking bucks! Get lost, you fucking pathetic loser,” Daisy screams at him, spits on him for good measure before she slams the door in his face. She shuts off the lights so Gator can’t see inside. And he’s a little stunned. Face inches away from the thick wood of the door, winds his fist up and punches against the double paned glass of it. Shatters the outer pane and yells, some insult for Daisy he doesn’t fully think before it’s out of his mouth.

He walks back to the truck, fuming. Opens the back door and pulls out his rifle, rounds back to the beat up sedan belonging to whatever sad sap is getting Daisy’s pussy tonight. Winds up the back of the rifle and smashes each and every fucking window. Kicks the door to try and relieve some anger, it doesn’t fucking work. He’s still boiling with it as he climbs back into the truck, takes his sorry ass to the Esquire Club where he’ll drink himself sick. Can’t go home like this. Doesn’t know what he’ll do, alone with the words Daisy spat at him tainting his mind.

[pianokantzart]

I've discussed this briefly before, but I really do love the idea of Movie Verse Princess Daisy being an arena-fighting royal like Donkey Kong. While Totomesu and the other kings of Sarasaland handle a majority of the political matters, Daisy is on call to fight one-on-one battles in order to settle disputes, her main responsibility being to get as strong as possible and crush any opponent that's put in front of her.

It would definitely set up her character as someone who is spunky, tomboyish, and aggressively competitive compared to someone like Princess Peach. Peach, for most of her life, has had to balance both being the primary diplomat and the sole fighter of the Mushroom Kingdom. As a result she approaches everything cautiously, reserving violence as a last resort in order to keep things as simple and courteous as possible. Daisy, meanwhile, is always .5 seconds away from challenging someone to a fist fight in a Denny's parking lot.

[doodleydoo101]

I was bored so I designed hypothetical Mareach and Luaisy engagement rings on Brilliant Earth. Peach strikes me as a silver girl and gold goes well with Daisy’s color scheme.

The colors of the stones were chosen to not only to complement Peach and Daisy’s earrings/broaches but also because they match Mario and Luigi’s eyes in movie-verse (blue and teal, respectively).

Yes I’m a dork. Credit to @peaches2217 for this image of Mario

[iambic-stan]

Concertina

Writing this story was very therapeutic for me. I hope someone else, cardiophile or otherwise, can get some comfort and reassurance out of it, too.

"I'm not policing what you think and dream," was the lyric I fixated on, though it was only the first verse of the song.  Every explanation of the song "Concertina" I'd read contradicted my own interpretation.  Wasn't it mostly a song about feeling bold enough to be strange, even if it was frightening?  There was applause in the bar when I finished, and made me feel like the risk of a new track selection had paid off.  Tori clapped with the most vigor, as she usually does.

"Girl, who sang that one?" she asked, noting that it was different from my usual selections like Stevie Nicks and Pat Benetar.  I stared at her drink, something with pineapple and gin if I recalled, with this hypnotic red-orange-yellow ombre effect.  Without taking my eyes off of it, I said, "It was a Tori Amos song.  Not a big hit or anything though.  You share a name," I said, lightly touching her shoulder, "You should sing something of hers one night."

"Not if the DJ has anything Taylor," she laughed.  It was fair.  Tori loved to sing Taylor Swift at karaoke, just like how she loved to talk about Gaylor theories, analyze her lyrics, speculate about what her various IG and Tumblr posts might foretell, and scour Stubhub and every other possible site for the least-bankrupting concert tickets.  I was just along for the ride, though I had a couple of her albums at home myself.

"Ok, do something from Lover," I suggested.  

"I don't know.  What if all they have is "YNTCD?" she whined, abbreviating Taylor's divisive LGBTQ anthem from 2019, one that I happened to enjoy despite any criticism.  

"I know you like it, and maybe I'm being a terrible Swiftie, but isn't she just trying to hijack our trauma and claim it as hers?  *Unless* she is gay but didn't want to say so explicitly in the song.  It's great that she gave so many queer people screen time.  I didn't even know who Billy Porter was until I saw the video.  But then again, why did she make it about resolving her beef with Katy Perry?  That was so random.  Anyway, I'll see what I can do...for you, Elena."  She ran her hand down my arm and then squeezed my hand for a second.  She's drunk, I thought, but I appreciated the affection.  Her hand was soft and it felt right--sensual without the suggestion of something more.  I wouldn't want anything more.  

Well, that wasn't entirely true.  I had come to feel at home with Tori over the past year--my first close friend since college who also happened to be queer.  I had lingered longer when hugging her, and since she knew I was asexual, I didn't think she ever took anything the "wrong" way.  At home I had a bright magenta stethoscope that sat on my nightstand, waiting.  But since I'd never told Tori that 1) I loved heart sounds, 2) loved using stethoscopes, and 3) wanted to use one with her, my stethoscope could have been waiting for Godot.  I had strongly considered putting her (the stethoscope--named Alex for my love of Wizards of Waverly Place) in the living room so that Tori could just happen to notice her while we were watching a movie.  But I played the conversation out in my head and felt mortified with every possible script I wrote.  Still, whenever I pictured her wearing the binaurals and listening to my heart, I felt like skipping through a field of daisies.  It just seemed like I was struggling with level one of a video game while ravenously reading walkthroughs of the battle with the final boss I might never meet.  Not that it was a game to me--my love of heart sounds was and always had been one of the most important things in my life.  It kept me sane and grounded, and most of all, it was how I felt close to someone I cared about.

I felt a bit of envy as I watched her throw her arm around the DJ, whose adorable curly head of hair and petite stature brought to mind Jorgeous from one of my favorite shows--Rupaul's Drag Race.  But I wasn't jealous that Not-Jorgeous was enjoying Tori's affection; I wished I could have that sort of magnetism that drew everyone to me and put them immediately at ease.  Trauma had prevented me from being so gregarious.  I watched as four more karaoke singers ran up to Tori, happy to see a familiar face (she was there every week) and get their expected hug.  No, I didn't necessarily want that much attention, I realized--I only wanted the confidence and grace to be completely open with her.

When I heard the first few sharp, synth-laden notes, I knew exactly what song it was.  Tori was deadly serious in her delivery and everyone in the bar turned to gaze at this tall, striking woman who would almost look imposing if her face weren't so soft and kind.  "Combat, I'm ready for combat," she sang, and I was shocked that the DJ would have this track from Taylor's Lover album that we could agree on.  In a moment of accountability that Taylor-haters never acknowledge, the singer tells us she's been "the archer" and "the prey," and feared her propensity for causing hurt as well as her own crippling wounds might make her difficult to live with.  As Tori deftly crescendoed her way into the bridge (I had been given numerous lectures on her distinctive bridges), I felt like my heart beat louder as well.  Suddenly embarrassed, I turned away and stepped onto the bar's patio, my long wrap skirt catching a doorknob in my haste.  I pulled it out and turned to look at the wisteria still bright near sundown and the brick water feature with the goldfish.  There was a couple in the corner deep in conversation, voices so hushed I couldn't make out a single word. That was my last drink, I thought, staring at the crescent moon and the smattering of stars I could see in spite of light pollution.  I felt too much; why didn't alcohol make me numb like it did everyone else?

"Hey, did you like it?" I heard her say behind me.  I turned and saw the sheepish grin on her face.

"Oh, it was beautiful!" I exclaimed.  "I was just out here getting some air is all."  

"I was thinking about what you said last week."  She came closer and put her arms around me as she said it.  My head landed near her chest, and I could almost hear something if it weren't for her thick jacket.  I let myself fall into her embrace.  "I think it would be exciting, actually.  I want to do it.  I've never done that with anyone before," she continued.

I racked my brain and tried to remember what she could be talking about, slowly recalling that I'd had 3 cocktails and 2 shots last week.  There were a few portions of my last karaoke night that I didn't recall at all.  "Wait, what are you talking about?"

She looked at me, her eyes crinkled a little.  Gently, she pushed my hair out of my face.  "You're such a silly drunk and you don't remember any of it," she said, shaking her head.  "You surprised the hell out of me by talking about having a stethoscope and wanting to listen to my heartbeat.  And that you wanted me to listen to your heartbeat.  And I was speechless because that seemed like such a weird, random thing to say.  But then I thought about it and I'm really curious now.  None of my girlfriends ever wanted to do something like that.  Not that you're my girlfriend, but a friend who happens to be a girl, anyway.  I'm down."

I breathed in sharply.  How could I have said all of that without realizing what I was divulging?  My heart was really pounding then, and as if she read my mind, she placed her hand on my chest.  "Oh!" she squeaked, surprised.  "Am I embarrassing you?  Please don't feel that way!  I guess I should've thought you might've forgotten, like that time you went on for like 10 minutes about whether Drag Race All Stars is rigged like you were the only person in the room and had zero recollection of it the next day."  Without really thinking, I quickly placed my hand over hers, holding it fast to my chest.  Her hand so near my heart felt just right somehow.  I closed my eyes and only opened them when she pulled away to check her phone.

"Our Uber is on its way.  I told them to go to your apartment.  Is that ok?  Mine is a mess and Savannah has her boyfriend over, anyway.  He always brings that cheap, stinky weed.  Plus, we could watch more Babylon 5.  I want to see if the praying mantis thing is a 'legitimate businessman' ha."

The N'Grath reference made me smile.  "That sounds great," I almost slur, grinning like an idiot.

Mollie, my dachshund, is almost wider than she is long, so it's a struggle for her to make it up to the couch to properly greet Tori when she comes over.  This night was no different.  "She doesn't even eat that much," I said for probably the twentieth time.  "It's like she just has the worst possible metabolism, poor babe."  I stroked under her chin.

The DVD was loaded, and with the confidence that only alcohol could summon in me, I'd stealthily transferred Alex from my bedroom to the coffee table in the living room while Tori was in the bathroom.  When she emerged, she smiled all big and plopped back down on the couch.  My voice boomed in my head when I picked up the stethoscope and said, "This is Alex.  She was named for Alex Russo, you know, when I was younger.  Well, not that much younger.  But still.  Yes, I know it was a kids' show," I say shyly, wondering why I can't shut up.

Tori laughed and picked her up, turning the chestpiece around over and over again to switch from diaphragm to bell, hearing that satisfying click each time.  "She doubles as a fidget toy, I see," she said.  "Oh what's that?" I had to follow her gaze because I was staring at her chest (not her breasts--give me some credit) rising and falling and could barely think of anything else.  She picked up a pill bottle from the coffee table, one that I usually put away when someone is over out of an overabundance of caution. But I hadn't realized we were both coming back here tonight.  "Spiro?" she asked.  "I used to take that, like in my 20s when my acne was a lot worse.  What do you take it for?" she asked innocently.

I looked up at her, struck dumb and wordless.  We both stared in silence for a few seconds too long, and that was when it dawned on me.  Elena, she doesn't know, you moron.  You're about to ask her to do something intimate and she doesn't know.  Does it matter?  Maybe, maybe not.  I sighed.  This was not the way I wanted her to find out.  What if she changed her mind, decided I'm not one of her girl friends after all?  What if she declared this some kind of "trick"?  What if she got mad, felt betrayed, and blabbed all over social media?  What if it got out at work?  This wasn't something to play with, I realized, and it made me feel like I was suffocating suddenly, imagining all the worst case scenarios. They flicked through my brain rapidly, like someone pressing the lever on one of those retro viewfinders at lightning speed, taking in all of the little thumbnails in a blur.  I gasped and then deliberately began to breathe in and out very slowly and evenly.  I grabbed the arm of the couch as if I was falling.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry.  You don't have to answer that.  It's none of my business," she insisted apologetically.  I could tell she was uncomfortable.  I had made her uncomfortable.  But it didn't feel like there was any escaping it now.  The mood had changed dramatically, all thanks to my reaction to her question, and as much as I yearned for her to listen to my heart and had pictured it many times in the last few months, it was pounding because I was terrified.  She put Alex down on the couch, where Mollie reached over to lick her eartips, and took my hand.  "What's wrong?" she whispered.

I looked up at her and it felt like someone else's voice when I choked out, "I'm trans."  Her brow furrowed.  When she didn't respond right away, I added, in a whispered rush, "I grew up a boy.  I mean I'm not one.  I never was.  I thought you knew.  That's what the prescription is for."  I exhaled loudly, then realized I'd been staring at the floor and not facing Tori.  She let my hand go, almost in slow-motion, and she looked at my body as though she was seeing it for the first time.  Oh god, I winced.  Please don't look for masculine things.  

"I'm such an idiot," she finally said, almost inaudibly.  I stared in horror as she said,  "Why didn't I know?!?"  

I felt my mouth go dry.  My voice was hoarse.  "It's not like I wanted everyone to know," I said.  "It's not like I want to lose my job."

"Oh, Elena!" she exclaimed.  "You weren't thinking it would make a difference, were you?"  When I didn't respond, she wrapped her arms tightly around me, and tears flooded my vision.  "You're one of my best friends.  You're my only friend who will go with me to karaoke, for one," she laughed.  "You're the only person besides my mom who listened to me carry on about my undying devotion to Amari, even after the third time she fucking cheated.  Not my finest moment, but that woman had a hold on me."  I inadvertently let out a snort, remembering her beautiful but treacherous ex. 

She kept one arm around me and reached again for Alex.  "She's probably got Mollie slobber on her now," I pointed out.

"Ha, I'm not worried about it," Tori said.  I watched her insert the ear tips, thinking she had a 50/50 chance of putting them in correctly, and she managed it.  There was something transformative about her wearing the binaurals, and it dried my tears to see it.  She was only about ten years my senior, but in that moment I felt like the child I was always meant to be--one who was free to play how I wanted, with whatever toys I wanted, and just be who I was without being called names I didn't even understand.  She was the older, wiser one who could really see me.  I was safe.  She unfastened just the top button of my shirt and I looked at her face as I could feel the coolness of the metal circle on my skin.

A minute passed, then another, and they were brief but filled with knowing that she could hear me so well.  "That's so cool," she said softly.  "It was fast at first and now it's slow and steady.  I kind of feel like...I know you in a new way," she smiled and looked at my face before looking back down at the instrument.  I felt so happy I thought I could cry again.  She moved the chestpiece around--left and right and center, then between my breasts.  "It sounds different in different areas," she observed.  "Like, the first sound is louder in some places and the second is louder in others."

"You're listening near a different valve each time," I whispered, thrilled that she heard those nuances that most ordinary people don't seem attuned to.  She nodded, the look on her face one of wonder.  I breathed along with her for another few minutes while she listened, and it felt like the sort of connection I only dreamed of feeling, knowing that most people don't "get" this.  I felt almost reborn, and completely satiated. 

When it was my turn to listen, I tried to push past my reservations and self-doubt.  "Is it ok if I put this under your shirt?" I asked tentatively, pointing while holding the chestpiece.  

"Girl, yes!" she practically sputtered.  "After all the poking around I just did?  It's only fair," she laughed.

Mollie jumped up to grab and lick my hand as I moved to place the stethoscope on Tori's chest, and we both had to stop what we were doing to laugh.  When I slipped it underneath her blouse, the sound was clear and strong.  She watched my eyes as I breathed in several systoles and diastoles and it made her smile.  First, I listened for the semilunar valves--aortic and pulmonic, then, gaining confidence in what could have been an uncomfortable endeavor, moved downward to listen properly at the atrioventricular valves--tricuspid and mitral.  Tori leaned forward so I could easily access these different auscultation points.  I stayed at each one for awhile, trying to commit this sound to memory in case we never did this again.  When I was finished, she said, "Wow, that was kind of a vulnerable feeling but not in a bad way."

"You sounded so, so beautiful," I told her softly, and was pleased when that display of raw emotions didn't elicit a raised eyebrow.  This wasn't a night I'd forget anytime soon.

Thanks so much for reading! If you're able and would like to, click here to donate to the Trans Lifeline, a hotline that provides life-saving assistance to trans people, staffed by trans people.

[letters2fiction]

Welcome to Letters2fiction!

The concept here is to send in a question or a letter request, and you’ll get a response from your fictional character of choice, from the list below. Please stick to the list I’ve made, but of course, you can ask if there’s some other characters I write for, I don’t always remember all the shows, movies or books I’ve consumed over the years and I’m sure I’m missing a lot 😅

Status: New Characters added - Thursday March 21st, 2024

TV SERIES

A Discovery of Witches:

Matthew Clairmont

Baldwin Montclair

Gallowglass de Clermont

Marcus Whitmore

Philippe de Clermont

Jack Blackfriars

Sarah Bishop

Emily Mather

Diana Bishop

Ysabeau de Clermont

Miriam Shepard

Phoebe Taylor

Gerbert D’Aurillac

Peter Knox

Father Andrew Hubbard

Benjamin Fuchs

Satu Järvinen

Meridiana

Law and Order:

Rafael Barba

Sonny Carisi

Joe Velasco

Mike Duarte

Terry Bruno

Peter Stone

Hasim Khaldun

Nick Amaro NEW!

Mike Dodds

Grace Muncy

Kat Tamin

Toni Churlish

Amanda Rollins

Olivia Benson

Rita Calhoun

Casey Novak

Melinda Warner

George Huang

Sam Maroun

Nolan Price

Jamie Whelan

Bobby Reyes

Jet Slootmaekers

Ayanna Bell

Jack McCoy

Elliot Stabler

One Chicago:

Jay Halstead (Could also be Will if you want)

Antonio Dawson

Adam Ruzek

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz

Dante Torres

Vanessa Rojas

Kevin Atwater

Sean Roman

Matt Casey

Kelly Severide

Joe Cruz

Sylvie Brett

Blake Gallo

Christopher Hermann

"Mouch"

Otis

Violet Mikami

Evan Hawkins

Mayans MC:

Angel Reyes

Miguel

Bishop

Coco

Nestor

911 verse:

Athena Grant

Bobby Nash

Henrietta "Hen" Wilson

Evan "Buck" Buckley

Eddie Diaz

Howie "Chimney" Han

Ravi Panikkar

T.K. Strand

Owen Strand

Carlos Reyes

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Tommy Vega

Judson "Judd" Ryder

Grace Ryder

Nancy Gillian

Mateo Chavez

The Rookie:

Lucy Chen

Tim Bradford

Celina Juarez

Aaron Thorsen

Nyla Harper

Angela Lopez

Wesley Evers

BBC Sherlock:

Greg Lestrade

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty

Molly

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton

Benedict Bridgerton

Simon Basset

Daphne Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

Kate Sharma

Edwina Sharma

Marina Thompson/Crane

Outlander:

Jamie Fraser

Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser

Frank Randall

Black Jack Randall

Brianna Fraser

Roger MacKenzie

Fergus Fraser

Marsali Fraser

Jenny Fraser Murray

Ian Murray Sr.

Ian Fraser Murray

Murtagh Mackenzie

Call The Midwife:

Shelagh Turner / Sister Bernadette

Dr. Patrick Turner

Nurse Trixie Franklin

Nurse Phyllis Crane

Lucille Anderson

Nurse Barbara Gilbert

Chummy

Sister Hilda

Miss Higgins

PC Peter Noakes

Reverend Tom Hereward NEW!

Narcos:

Horacio Carrillo

Peaky Blinders:

Tommy Shelby

Downton Abbey:

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham

Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham

Lady Mary Crawley

Lady Edith Crawley

Lady Sybil Crawley

Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Isobel Crawley

Matthew Crawley

Lady Rose MacClare

Lady Rosamund Painswick

Henry Talbot

Tom Branson

Mr. Charles Carson

Mrs. Hughes / Elsie May Carson

John Bates

Anna Bates

Daisy Mason

Thomas Barrow

Joseph Molesley

Land Girl:

Connie Carter

Reverend Henry Jameson (Gwilym Lee's version)

Midsomer Murder:

DCI Tom Barnaby

Joyce Barnaby

Dr. George Bullard

DCI John Barnaby

Sarah Barnaby

DS Ben Jones

DS Jamie Winter

Sgt. Gavin Troy

Fleur Perkins

WPC Gail Stephens

Kate Wilding

DS Charlie Nelson

Sergeant Dan Scott

NEW! Once Upon A Time

Regina / The Evil Queen

Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White

David Nolan / Prince Charming

Emma Swan

Killian Jones / Captain Hook

Mr. Gold / Rumplestiltskin

Neal Cassidy / Baelfire

Peter Pan

Sheriff Graham Humbert / The Huntsman

Jefferson / The Mad Hatter

Belle

Robin of Locksley / Robin Hood

Will Scarlet

Zelena / Wicked Witch

Alice (Once in Wonderland)

Cyrus (Once in Wonderland)

Jafar (Once in Wonderland)

Gideon

Tiger Lily

Naveen

Tiana

Granny

Ariel

Prince Eric

Aladdin

Jasmine

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Hercules

Megara

Tinker Bell

Merida

Red Riding Hood

Mulan

Aurora / Sleeping Beauty

Prince Phillip

Cinderella

Prince Thomas

NEW! The Vampire Diaries / The Originals

Stefan Salvatore

Damon Salvatore

Caroline Forbes

Elena Gilbert

Bonnie Bennett

Enzo St. John

Niklaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Rebekah Mikaelson

Freya Mikaelson

Finn Mikaelson

Mikael

Esther

Marcel Gerard

Davina Claire

MOVIES

The Pirates of the Caribbean:

Captain Jack Sparrow

Barbossa

Will Turner

Elizabeth Swann

James Norrington

Kingsman:

Merlin

Harry Hart

Eggsy Unwin

James Spencer / Lancelot

Alastair / Percival

Roxy Morton / Lancelot

Maximillian Morton / The Shepherd

Orlando Oxford

Jack Daniels / Whiskey

Gin

BOOKS

Dreamland Billionaire series - Lauren Asher:

Declan

Callahan

Rowan

Iris

Alana

Zahra

Dirty Air series - Lauren Asher:

Noah

Liam

Jax

Santiago

Maya

Sophie

Elena

Chloe

Ladies in Stem - Ali Hazelwood books:

Olive

Adam

Bee

Levi

Elsie

Jack

Mara

Liam

Sadie

Erik

Hannah

Ian

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros:

Xaden Riorson

Dain Aetos

Jack Barlowe

Rhiannan Matthias

Violet Sorrengail

Mira Sorrengail

Lillith Sorrengail

Bodhi Durran

Liam Mairi

[state-of-grac3]

Don’t mind me I’m just thinking abt the scripture verse on Gatsby’s grave that Nick chose for him in the 1949 movie

Like the fact that out of everything he could’ve had on his grave THATS what Nick chose and it so symbolic of the how Jay lived his life. He was so set on chasing Daisy and the American Dream that he rationalized his unhealthy desire for her and it and completely reshaped his life for that. That was his chosen path and Nick choosing that verse shows how aware he was of Jay’s choices regardless of how much he disapproved of it. And also how those choices led him to his untimely death and not to what he was seeking.