#dr peach

[ask-rosalina-and-her-family]

Three little princesses working in the medical field !!

I'm proud to admit that this new art style is going to be my official art style. I also had this idea in my head for months now, and it feels so good to finally draw and post.

BONUS : Mario and Nurse Peach

One of my favorite couples ever !

I love how Peach is worried about her little hero getting hurt on his way to visit her after her shift as a nurse, this was also an idea I had in mind and was originally going to be Luigi and Daisy, but I figured Daisy would be the perfect surgeon since she does not fear anything.

And since I've started dedicating my artwork, I'm going to dedicate these both to @silenzahra and @ask-the-doors-entities . You both deserve something special after all those hard times you both went through. Feel better you guys !! I also want to dedicate this artpost to @starrosalina and @vulpixfairy1985 . Thank you so much for supporting my many (and I mean many) of my Luaisy artwork. I really appreciate it !!

Art is mine !! Don't copy/repost

Please ask before using

[retrogamingblog2]

[peachesofteal]

dr. riley has me in a chokehold

(anon is talking about this and my previous ramblings about Simon as a shrink but they were too long ago so now they're lost to the ether, thanks Tumblr search)

He's in the pub.

The bar is a safe space. A spot where you can slink into the darkness and allow alcohol to nurse your wounds, the scars scratched into your mind so deep they'll never fade.

You can't do it yourself, so you let the drinks do it instead.

You've had enough tonight that you can't read the screen on your phone without going cross eyed, and the edges of your vision blur a bit.

You should stop.

But you won't.

The raw saw of the blades have finally stopped ringing between your ears. The buzzing hums at a low, tolerable whine.

You're ordering another one, when you spot him. Turned on your barstool, you catch a glimpse of his shoulders, the ones so wide, so thick he's more sequoia than man, his profile complete with the crooked nose, glasses resting on the bridge. He's shaking his head at another man, but when he shifts, you see her.

There's a beautiful woman at his side. Her hip rests against his thigh, beer cradled in her hand as she leans into him. All smiles. Beaming smiles, radiant like the sun.

Not broken, like yours. Scarred and misshapen, like yours.

You came back. But you came back wrong.

You're not stupid enough to see you're falling victim to the Florence Nightingale effect. Dr. Riley is kind, and patient, and he knows what you've been through. It almost feels like he understands you, knows you. He doesn't get angry when you struggle or fail, he lets you try again. He encourages you.

It's been a really long time since you've felt like anyone understands you.

And, the way he touches you has to be professional, but to you, it's starting to turn to something else. Something dark. Craven. His wide palm resting between your shoulder blades, a firm squeeze of your hand when he holds it, a soft rub of your shoulders. Practiced, therapeutic reassurance on one end, and the other: fire roaring through your body until you're slick with flames.

You're too distracted by your wandering thoughts, zoned out staring at the trio across the bar that the other man sees you, and cocks his head. Fuck. Like a slow motion car crash, you watch the man say something to Dr. Riley, the bulk of his body turning, searching through a sea of faces until his gaze lands on yours.

Double fuck.

Black tar wraps around your heart in vines, and your vision melts to double. You throw notes, too many, onto the bar top and nearly sprint for the exit, heavy wooden door squeaking on its hinges as you plunge into the cool air.

The world is spinning. The alley is dark, the asphalt is firm beneath your feet and still, everything turns on its side.

"Clover?" You turn, exerting too much energy to keep yourself upright, stable.

"Hi, Dr. Riley." He traces you from head to toe. Slowly. No doubt tabulating the state you're in, the way your eyes have trouble focusing, how your balance is blatantly askew.

"It's... good to see you, out and about."

"Oh. Yeah, well, I'm just here for the alcohol, ya know." It escapes from your mouth before you can shove it back down, and he frowns.

You've seen that frown before. It's the 'I'm worried about you, clover" frown, or the "I need to see more progress clover, you know that" or, your personal favorite, the "I understand you're upset, but I'm not going to compromise on making sure you have the care you need."

"Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah. I'm grand." You hold your arms out, palms up, babbling still, "I'm great, Dr. Riley, just peachy," and then try to spin for added effect. See? I'm fine. Totally fine. Normal, even.

It's embarrassing how fast you lose control and careen towards the pavement, your forearms coming up just in time to shield your face, alcohol burning in the back of your throat, warring with your control, attempting to come back up.

He lunges, heavy arm catching you around your middle. He's warm, scorching even, and you grip his forearm to try to get your legs beneath you. Once you're right side up, one of his hands settles at your shoulder and the other... your waist.

"S-sorry."

"It's okay." He's looking down at you, the glow from the street light catching in the umber flicker of his eyes, and you think you see something different in them, something deeper, something more. Your mouth is dry, and you lick your lips, his gaze dropping. You shudder, skin crawling with goosebumps and electric shock, confusing thoughts and feeling cycling through you like a storm. A storm destined to destroy everything in its path.

Stupidity blooms in your blood. You're close enough to smell the peat and sting of bourbon on his tongue, track the back and forth of his eyes as you rise to your toes.

A bold swell rises, a tide so strong it sweeps you to see, drags your toes across the sand like small weightless anchors, until you can no longer touch, until you can no longer see the horizon past the curve of the waves.

You let it drag you under. Fill your lungs. You let it push you further, faster, harder, and before you're even aware of it, your lips are pressed to his.

There's a beat. A single heartbeat, where you're fused as one and then-

He jerks backward, eyes wide. His hands envelope your shoulders and create as much distance between your body and his. He looks... surprised. Shocked even.

Not at all what you wanted.

What did you want?

He's still holding you by the shoulders. At first, it's confusing, because why would he do that? But when you listlessly tilt to the side, you understand. He's just keeping you upright.

The full scale veil of shame comes quickly. Horror coats your tongue. You fucking fool. You bleeding idiot. What have you done? He's inside with a woman, for fucks sake. The shock at yourself, at the loss of control, makes your chest tight, eyes darting around wildly, in a panic.

"Clover." You've never heard this tone before. It's serious, and very heavy. There's a hint of lecture in it, a shade of disappointment. "You're very drunk. Let me get you an uber so you can get h-"

"No." You jerk away, marveling at your ability to stay steady. "No, no. I... I'm sorry. I'm actually already waiting on one." Lie. How will you get out of that? "It'll be here... be here soon, 'round the corner." You pull every piece of your still functioning brain forward to get it all out without slurring too much, and melting into the ground from embarrassment. He gives you a stern look. It's awful.

"I'm jus' gonna go inside and grab my phone, okay? Stay put." He's still using that voice, the serious one without a hint of softness, the one that sounds nothing like the one you hear in therapy, when you're on his couch with your eyes closed, slowly walking through your thoughts with your eyes closed.

"Okay, sure." You try a reassuring smile, but he only scrutinizes you closer, before heading inside. He's moving fast, faster than you expected, but it won't matter. The block is short. You'll be a few away by the time he reappears.

You swallow your nausea, shake your limbs loose, and then...

you run.

[thenadnerb02]

The existence of the WarioWare games within the greater Mario universe is so fascinating to me because it means Wario is constantly going back and forth between two different friend groups, one of which seemingly doesn’t know the other exists at all.

I guess I have to admire his dedication to keeping his work and downtime activities completely separate from each other.

[elitadream]

Hey, I love your art! Anyways, do you headcanon any time where Peach or Mario have been sick and what the other partner does to make them feel better?

Thanks! :)

Even though I've never drawn a Mareach piece directly related to it, I must say the "sick" concept is one that I've always been very fond of (in any fandom!), and I did gather a few notes about it for this pairing in particular.^^

What's especially interesting here is that Mario and Peach are from two very different worlds, with different foods and climates and medications, so to me it seems rather inevitable that either one of the two (or both) would eventually become slightly ill after being exposed to the other's homeland for a time; their immune system having not yet built proper resistence to its germs and bacteria.

In my AU, the bros never see Brooklyn again, so the most likely avenue would be for Mario to fall sick (developping a fever due to an infected injury, for example, or reacting badly to a certain substance however deemed benign for the Mushroom Kingdom citizens...) and Peach to be the one to look after him. 🤒❤️‍🩹

Depending on how severe the symptoms would be, the treatments would range from a simple spoon of health syrup to full medical assistance with lots of rest, and the Princess would scarcely leave his side until he's fully healed. She would use her magic to soothe the pain and help him relax, and Mario would later claim that it did more good for him than any medicine ever could have. 💗

I had also imagined a short scene where, while laying in bed in his groggiest state, Mario would smile at her tiredly and mumble half-coherently that she would have made a wonderful nurse, to which Peach would respond by reaching forward and boldly touching his face in a gentle caress. Though it wouldn't quite register, he would close his eyes with bliss regardless, sighing as sleep would finally overtake him. He wouldn't be sure whether he dreamed it or not upon waking up later, but he would feel incredibly invigorated regardless. 😊✨️

[blamemma]

✨🍑big, broad, and bountiful🍑✨

- daniel ricciardo struggles to slide into his seat ahead of the red bull show run at the goodwood festival of speed 2024

[zerogura]

Header for ask community (vk.com)

I hope I won't die tagging all the cookies here (there's also 2 mascot fan cookies - VK Cookie and Deadline Cookie)

[charlie-the-ghost64]

I love Dr.Mario. He’s great. But, I had an idea for another au- details for it are below the cut :]

Main story

Mario and Luigi live together in a separate apartment from their family. They’d originally been working together at the wrecking company when Mario had finally been convinced by Luigi to go to school for his dream job- being a doctor.

Luigi stayed on at the wrecking company, insisting at least one of the two needed a full time job. Mario, not wanting his little brother to miss out on the chance of getting his own dream job, promised Luigi they’d get him into college after he started working. Luigi never got to take him up on that offer, though he wasn’t too sure what he’d chose to study in the first place.

The first year of med school, Mario kept trying to work part time with Luigi. But, this turned out to be a very rough decision. He was struggling to balance work with his classes, not to mention how much he needed to study. It didn’t take long for Luigi to notice his brother struggling, so, Luigi had him quit. Luigi promised his big brother he’d handle the money, he’d just take an extra shift every now and then (almost four times a week).

Luigi takes a lot of night shifts on-top of his already heavy workload in the day. Due to this, he wears a knee brace (bad knees) while at work. Spike is absolutely awful to him. He’d been bad before, but without Mario to give him confidence, he’s quickly become the laughing stock of the team. He’s forced to do any job no one else wants. He’d have quit by now if he could find a job that wouldn’t be a pay cut.

Mario would often use Luigi as a practice dummy or study partner. Study groups are nice, but Mario always got too distracted by wanting to get to know everyone and didn’t have enough time to actually work. Luigi meanwhile is more than happy to help, spite both of them being partially asleep during it. Luigi usually is the one to fall asleep first.

One night the two had been together in the car when Luigi got called in to go check out some strange house. Mario was partially convinced it was a prank, but agreed to stay in the car and wait for his little brother. He ended up going down into the basement himself after the thirty minute mark.

This is where the two (Luigi first, then Mario) had found the warp pipe. He went in, Mushroom Kingdom, scary dragon-turtle-koopa thing, talking mushrooms, ect ect. Since he was fascinated by the world, and cost of living was so much better, the two soon move there.

They do occasionally visit their family, though they try to avoid the subject of their new place. Neither was sure how their parents would react to it. Mario did end up graduating to be a doctor, just for the species they thought. He works in a hospital in the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi’s content being a plumber, but, he did like working with his and his big brother’s karts. Maybe he would look into it someday.

Princess Peach

Both brothers know and care for the princess. Mario’s primary interactions with her include..well, being her primary care doctor.

They’ll do a small bit of catching up during those appointments. And by that, I mean Peach takes complete advantage of being in the presence of someone who isn’t in her court and she can trust not to spread to all corners of The Mushroom Kingdom. Mario mainly just nods his head as he handled the routine things, but he did give his opinions when asked. She liked having his outside perspective. Sometimes she’d have him come to the palace just to talk, spite Mario having told her before that he had sick patients to tend to while on the clock. So instead, he got invited over during his off days. He’d given up on being professional awhile ago.

You could imagine her shock when she discovered her favorite doctor had a brother. She’d insisted the two join her for dinner, having been very curious to know what the brother of what a quiet and calming man would be like. During the dinner, the two hit it off very well after discovering they’d been reading the same books.

Dinners quickly became a weekly event, Mario primarily just enjoying listening to the two discuss random books he’d never read.

Random

Luigi and Mario had met Daisy after living in the Mushroom Kingdom for about a year. Luigi and Daisy’s first conversation had been about sports. More specifically tennis. Luigi had been very nervous when she’d practically demanded to play him so she could give him a challenge. One accidental tennis ball to the face later, the two became good friends.

Both Mario and Luigi are fluent in Italian and often speak it when just talking to the other person. Occasionally one will forget to switch back to English for the rest of the group.

Mario likes to cook breakfast for himself and Luigi when he has a morning shift. He considered it a relaxing way to start the day. Luigi will usually jokingly ask if his start has to involve a full load of dishes.

Luigi continues to wear a knee brace even after he finally quit working for Spike. His knees just never recovered from all the pressure they’d been under. Luckily, he had a good pain tolerance.

Mario tends to be more quiet than others off the clock. He’ll speak if he has to, but he prefers to just sit and listen instead of being the one to talk someone’s head off. If someone (primarily Peach and Luigi) wants to ramble or rant for hours on end? He’ll more than happily be sitting across from them with a soft smile, nodding along as he sipped on some coffee.

Mario has absolutely no fashion sense. Mixing and matching patterns that have no right being together is his favorite. Not exactly because of how he looked, he didn’t really care about that, but because of the way his little brother and Peach would cringe at the sight of him. Peach has amazing fashion sense, of course. Primarily wearing gorgeous dresses that were occasionally her own ideas.

Luigi’s a good middle ground for the two. Sometimes his outfits are questionable, sometimes they’re more fashionable like Peach. He’s fully aware of the fact that sometimes his outfits just aren’t great. He tends to ask Peach for help in that regard once the two had gotten comfortable enough with each other. Surely if she can make her own dresses she can tell him not to overlap patterns.

Mario tends to hang out with Toad when Peach didn’t need him to vent to. The two like going on hikes in the woods together. Mario thought it was refreshing to get outside and exercise, Toad found it fun to adventure into the wilderness.

That’s all! Thank you for reading down to this point! I hope you enjoyed! If you have any suggestions for how to improve my writing or formatting I’d greatly appreciate it!!

[numbuh24insane]

Bowser vs Eggman: The Aftermath, Sage's Lament

“Father.”

A morose whisper echoed across the wind. A small white haired girl clad in black hovered above the ground, her body flickering with lines of code. Her shoulders were slumped downward, a notably human expression by an AI creation. A frown had marred her visage as she stared up into the sky, observing the massive and spent Question Mark Block that floated there where the Death Egg once had been.

That was where she had lost her father.

Where Bowser had sent him soaring into, followed by a massive explosion that left no traces of him.

This whole conquest had been one big failure.

She had lost her brother, Metal Sonic and her father, Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

And all she could do was blame herself.

It was her that pushed for Eggman to go after other conquests. She had thought she was helping protect Sonic, a being that she was fond of. But now she realized that she pushed her father towards his doom. Not only that she had agreed that the Koopa Kingdom was the perfect place for a newfound conquest, their technology was pitiful in the face of the Eggman Empire.

Her calculations had shown them winning the battle.

Her calculations . . .

The very battle plans that her father trusted. They were doomed to fail from the very beginning. She should have known that she didn’t have the data for accurate simulations, she should have stopped her father and pushed for further research . . . But she didn’t.

She was too caught up in the fun and excitement of it all. Seeing the proud look on her father’s face when she presented him with a plan. It made her non-existent heart flutter and made her not even consider any possibilities of failure.

But they failed.

And her family died as a result.

It was her fault.

All she could do was blame herself.

Before she had any more time to blame herself, a piece of paper was pushed into her hand by one of the two survivors of that epic battle. It was her brother, Orbot who looked at her with a gentle smile.

She glanced down at the paper, reading it over. It was a recruitment drive from the Koopa Kingdom to recoup their losses from Eggman’s sudden invasion.

“Sister, with the Doctor gone it is best that we join up with a new overlord.” Orbot told her.

“It’ll be better under Bowser as well. No more threats of him decommissioning me! And he provides dental!” Cubot supplied.

“You are . . . You are abandoning father?” Her voice broke as she stared at them. The last vestiges of her family, breaking away to join the man that murdered their father. It was betrayal of the highest order and she simply could not forgive it.

“I wouldn’t consider it as abandoning him, after all the Doctor is no longer with us. We have served our function to the best of our ability, now it is time to move on.” Orbot explained, hoping that their sister would join them.

“And we’ll be safer with the Koopa Kingdom, I mean did you see the magic they have!” Cubot shot his arms up, grinning.

“That too. He even used magic to bring himself back to life.” Orbot nodded.

Magic.

Bring himself back to life.

Eggman never believed in magic, nor did she. There was always a rational and scientific explanation for everything . . . But if Magic could bring back her father, then she would believe in it with every fiber of her coding.

She was a child, clutching a blanket for safety in the dark.

“I must go.”

She sped off into the sky as her brothers called out her name. But she wanted nothing to do with them. They had betrayed the Empire, betrayed Father and betrayed her. 

She soared among the clouds, calculations already being put into place. She could not rely on simulations, not anymore. Not until she had all the data.

So instead she was trusting hunches and whims, making calculated guesses.

And those thoughts were pushing her towards the Mushroom Kingdom. After all, she completely and utterly refused to learn this magic from the Koopa Kingdom. She wanted nothing to do with those murderers!

It only made sense to go to the enemy of the Koopa Kingdom and plead her case to them. Surely, they would support someone who had fought Bowser!

“No! Absolutely not!” An aged, mustached Toad stated. This was Toadsworth, the Royal Advisor to Princess Peach. He stared down Sage with an utter look of displeasure,”We will never aid warmongers, I say!”

“I do not understand.” Sage tilted her head to the side,”Bowser is a threat to the Mushroom Kingdom, is he not? I have first seen his strength, your meager military would be destroyed if he mounted an offensive against you. So, why not assist in bringing back the man that has proven to be able to challenge Bowser in his home territory?”

The Toad was taken back by her blunt and practically emotionless response. “You dare disgrace our military with your words! What has this Eggman ever achieved but humiliation at the hands of the Koopa King! We need no help from villains nor do we require help from someone with so little worth as he!”

In an instant Sage’s black clothing turned red. She had raised up her hand pointing it at the Toad,”Father is not as you call worthless! He is a visionary! A genius! One of the greatest minds in the Multiverse! Just because you cannot comprehend genius, does not give you the right to dismiss my Father and insult him! Take it back!” A red beam exploded from her hand, firing out at Toadworth.

There was a red blur as a plumber suddenly appeared in front of the Toad. A hammer connected with the beam, sending it flying safely into a nearby wall. The Plumber landed back onto the ground, tilting his hat over his eyes as he gave a satisfied smile.

“I say! I say!” Toadsworth shouted out once he had regained his senses,”The Mushroom Kingdom will not associate with bullies like y-” He stopped in an instant as the Princess lifted up her hand, silencing him. She stood up from her throne and stepped off of it.

“Thank you for saving Toadsworth, Mario.” She spoke as she stood next to her hero. She leaned down and gave him a kiss on his cheek, resulting in the Plumber looking away and blushing. A lovestruck smile was clear on his face. She then turned her gaze onto Sage, ”I apologize for my advisor . . . we have had bad dealings with others in the past.”

Sage’s rage dissipated in an instant and she came falling back onto the ground, no longer hovering. The presence of the Princess was pure and almost heavenly. She was awestruck.

“Stand up.” Peach smiled, ”I will help you, after all what kind of Princess would I be if I abandoned a child who needs help.”

“Y-you will?” Sage stuttered out, wondering if she just experienced a glitch. She was going to have to run a diagnostic check on herself once she got home. 

“Of course.” Peach promised, ”Unfortunately, we are not as well versed with magic as the Koopa Kingdom, though we do keep the Royal Library well stocked with plenty of knowledge on the subject. You’re free to study to your heart's content!”

Sage let out a great big smile, flying forward to grab Peach’s hands. 

“Thank you! This means so much! I promise when Father conquers this world that he will leave your Kingdom alone!” Sage thanked the Princess while Peach let out a giggle at the child's words. 

It was all too adorable in her eyes.

With that over, Sage zoomed through the halls and bursted through the doors to the Royal Library. She raised up her arm, books began to levitate off their shelves and spun around her. They opened up, flicking from page to page with extreme speed. She only needed a simple glance to gather all the information that they provided.

“Amazing, to think that this world contains so much.” She stated out in awe, momentarily forgetting her grief. “The 1-UP Mushrooms provide these people with extra lives, unfortunately they are required to be ingested before death. I will ensure that these mushrooms are part of Father’s diet once I bring him back. This incident will not repeat again. I’ll make sure of it.”

The book flew back to its shelf as she focused on another one.

“The Life Shroom can bring someone back after the brink, but it requires a vessel for it to be put in . . . Bowser left no traces of my father after his attack. This one will not do.”

It was time for another book.

“This one is a newspaper clipping? I see, the Dream Stone? It is capable of granting the user any wish that they so desire. It is reported that Bowser had stolen it only for Mario to shatter it and return the dream stone to its rightful place.” She stared over at the photograph in the paper. A triumphant Mario standing next to the reformed Dreamstone whilst Bowser was tied up and rolling his eyes. She noted that there was an indent alongside the stone and that a similar sized shape bulged against Bowser’s cheek.

He was hiding a shard of the dream stone in his mouth.

“Bowser could still summon life out of nothing with just the shards of the Dream Stone. If it has as much power as this says, then this will be how I bring back Father!”

She needed to go back to the Koopa Kingdom!

A moat of lava, a castle of black stone with the face of its King carved out on top of the castle. It was so ego indulgent that it disgusted Sage. She had no problem with her own father’s vanity projects, she found his Death Egg Robot designed after his own face to be adorable.

But something like this?

It was far too much, not to mention that it was a reminder of the man that killed her Father and the power he still possessed. How she wanted to glass this entire Empire, if only the Eggman Fleet still existed, if only they still had the Death Egg. 

Then she would have made them all pay.

She shook her head, pushing her thoughts of hatred to the side. She had to focus on what mattered! She had to focus on bringing back Father! Revenge could wait until another day.

With that in mind she flew through a massive pipe towards the bottom of the gargantuan structure. Hovering just above the lava as she navigated the labyrinthian system. She spotted a door and pushed through it, finding herself in some sort of dungeon. She floated along, moving further and moving silently.

“Sage? Is that you?”

She froze as she heard her name uttered. She turned her head towards one of the Cells and saw Infinite, laying against the wall. She almost didn’t recognize the Jackal without his ever famous mask. 

“Infinite! You survived!” The Eggman Empire had already lost and suffered so much, she was quite thankful that Infinite was here. 

“I had thought I casted aside my ‘weak’ self when the Doctor had rebuilt my body, when he fused that ruby to my very being.” He glanced down at his hand,”Power without peer, that is what I held . . . and still I lost. I am as weak as I ever have been.”

“No! You’re not weak Infinite! You were simply caught by surprise! The fault is mine, I should have realized that an immaterial being such as Boo would be able to do more than just haunt. It was my plan that was used and it is my fault that we lost.” 

A chuckle emerged from Infinite, the back of his head resting against the cold stone of his cell. “It seems that we are both to blame. Our arrogance has truly blinded us, to think that we can rise above our place within this cold world. If you are not born with power, then you can never make it.”

“That’s not true! Father is just a human, but he has made machines capable of contending with what others would call gods! He is proof that you can become stronger . . . Infinite, you’re not weak. Please, don’t beat yourself up like this! It doesn’t matter what you believe or what others believe. The facts are that you are strong, it was your power that defeated Sonic, it was your power that took over the world and what’s more is that you survived when the Empire fell.”

Infinite stared at Sage. Her words lifted him up out of his despair, just enough to give him that small bit of hope to latch onto.

“Where is the Doctor anyway?”

Sage looked away, ”Father is . . . gone.” Her AI voice croaked with pain and grief, “This castle contains a shard of the Dream Stone, I can use its power and wish Father back to life.”

The Jackal nodded as he processed the information,”I’m still under the Doctor’s payroll, so I’ll do my job and help you get that shard.” He smirked, noting the utter joy in Sage’s reaction.

“Of course! Let me free you right away!” She stated as she lifted up her hand and blasted the lock into smithereens. 

Infinite stepped out of his prison,”Do you know where the shard is located?”

“I have a rough layout of the castle downloaded into my memory. It is incomplete and based off of Mario’s invasion into the castle to free Princess Peach. The layout I know is mostly from the entrance and through the traps and halls to the Throne Room. I can navigate us through the traps without any worry of triggering them.”

“Bring on the traps, I will not be bested a second time by this enemy.” 

The duo clambered up the stairs at the end of the dungeon, pushing through a door and finding themselves in a massive hallway. It was completely littered with paintings. Each painting was a sad looking figure, their fists pressed against the canvas as if they were trying to escape.

“Our enemy has no taste in decor.” Sage supplied, making conversation with Infinite. The Jackal merely grunted in acknowledgement not at all liking the decor himself. They continued down the path and Infinite started to feel like he was being watched. He glanced from side to side, ensuring that no one was creeping up on them.

But he should have been looking up instead of looking around.

King Boo had pushed his head through the ceiling and let out a great big sadistic grin as he saw the two. They were within his hallway of horrors, all of his trophies were laid out for the world to see his victories. He took such delight in the horrified faces, permanently etched into the paintings that they were trapped in.

He let out a silent giggle as he saw Infinite, recalling how he had bested the Jackal before. 

How cruel would it be if he did it a second time.

With that in mind he pointed his nub forward and created a thwomp right above the Jackal, sending it straight down. He heard the little girl scream in surprise and finally let out a great big laugh.

The ghost shot forward straight at Sage.

The AI turned around in an instant and shot at the ghost, her laser dissipating the being for a fraction of a second, but she realized that it ultimately did no damage.

“Halt!” She shouted at King Boo, fear creeping up within her AI Voice. King Boo’s smile grew more twisted and sadistic as he enjoyed the fear. His crown shined with power as a canvas appeared, a swirling effect upon the front of it.

“Wait . . . are those all real people? Trapped in paintings!?” Her voice became more horrified as she connected the dots. She flew backwards away from the ghost, her movements fueled by panic.

King Boo grinned and used his own magic to construct a wall, halting Sage’s escape. She felt as her hard light back pressed against the cold stone, her eyes wide with fear as the canvas came closer and closer.

Then without warning a Thwomp flew forward, hitting the King’s Crown and sending it flying off the Ghost's head. Boo twisted himself around and saw the utterly pissed off form of Infinite.

“Did you think that paltry trick would work twice!” Infinite growled out,”Your battle is with me, disgusting white creature.”

Boo glared as he moved to attack Infinite, only for Sage to grip the canvas and threw it onto Boo, trapping the Ghost inside his own painting. A painting which Infinite caught and broke over his knee, tossing it to the side.

“Who's the fraud now?” He muttered out as he continued forward, picking up the crown. He frowned as he realized that he couldn’t access its power, and wondered if it was because of what manner of creature that Boo was or if it was simply magic. In any case, he destroyed the crystal. “Let’s continue, Sage.”

“R-right.” She nodded, a bit shaken up by the encounter. She lifted up her arm and blasted at the wall that King Boo made until it gave way. 

As the wall collapsed they could hear the frantic marching of the foot soldiers. The sound of their battle and the laser blasts had alerted the castle to the intrusion. Infinite let out a curse as he stepped towards the massive oak door.

“Where do you need to go from here?” He asked Sage.

“Once we exit this hall we will need to head left towards the Throne Room.” 

“ . . . No, you’ll head left towards the throne room.” Infinite retorted,”I’ll exit first and head right and create a distraction. You wait a minute before leaving.” With that he pushed through the door before Sage could argue against his plan.

Once outside the Hall, he was met with a group of guards. 

“Is that all you can muster to deal with intruders? How pathetic.” He cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward,”Let me show you why I’m called the ULTIMATE MERCENARY” He leapt forward, his fist collided with the skull of a koopa troopa, causing it to retreat into its shell.

He then kicked the shell, sending it flying straight into a gaggle of goombas. Infinite sprinted forward, his hands came in front of him catching two hammers that were thrown his way by a hammer bro. 

“You fools!” He laughed, swinging down the weapon at a Chargin’ Chuck and cracking that football helmet, knocking it out with a single blow. He leapt up into the air, kicking off the wall to get greater height as he tossed his hammer down at a bo-bomb below, exploding it and those around it.

“I will teach you fear! I will teach you pain!”

He relished in this carnage, monologuing and ensuring all the focus was on him. The more damage he caused, the more troops he defeated, the more attention that he’ll garner. 

The safer that Sage will be.

“Infinite.”

Sage whispered as she zoomed through the now empty halls. The sound of battle far in the distance. She felt a shred of guilt, knowing that Infinite had put himself into harms way for her sake. 

But it was worth it.

It had to be.

She will get her father back!

The AI had no more plans as she bursted into the throne room, her gaze moving across the room as she desperately searched for the Dream Stone Shard. But all that she saw was Cubot and Orbot sweeping the floor.

“You traitors.”

Sage growled out as she lifted her arm at them. Cubot jumped up and hid behind Orbot, who looked at her with a frown upon his face. Sage’s eyes widened slightly and she bit her lip as she suppressed her rage.

They were still family.

Even if they betrayed Father.

“What are you doing here, Sister?” Orbot questioned, rolling closer to his brethren. Cubot instead opted to stay a safe distance away from her. “I hope that you’re not trying to enact vengeance.”

“Yeah! You’d get scrapped! Thankfully Bowser is on vacation with his family!” Cubot spoke up, truly thankful that Bowser wasn’t here. If he was, then there sister would stand no chance.

“What does it matter to you two. You turned your backs on Father!” Her voice then became softer,” . . . You turned your backs on me.”

Orbot and Cubot glanced over at one another, guilt soaked their circuits. 

“We would never turn our backs on you, sister.” Orbot promised. 

“Yeah! No matter what, you’re family! That’ll never change!” Cubot continued.

“And we would love to help you anyway we can.”

“What? I mean of course we do!”

Sage stood there floating above them. A soft smile blossomed upon her lips. She descended down to their level. Her small arms pulled them into a hug.

“I had thought I lost you as well . . . I feared that I was alone.” Her voice wavered. After a moment she spoke again,”There is a way to bring back Father. Bowser is in possession of a Dream Stone Shard. Do you know where it would be held?” 

She asked them.

Orbot scratched his head whilst Cubot rubbed his chin in thought. Then they both raised up a finger, coming to the conclusion at the same time.

“Items of such power are held in Kameks study. It’s to protect them from the prying grasp of the koopalings.”

“Yeah, those kids are nothing but trouble makers! They’re not nearly as well behaved as you are.”

Sage nodded, processing this information. Her mouth formed a frown, realizing that Kamek had survived their encounter. She questioned how little damage their invasion force had caused, truly she led her father to doom with her strategy.

But she can fix this.

“Where is his study?” Sage demanded and was led straight there by the two robots. They talked and joked amongst themselves and Sage felt for a moment that everything had returned to normal.

Reality of course came crashing back to her once they were in front of the door.

“Let us take care of it, sister.” Orbot told her.

“Yeah, you’ve already done so much!” Cubot supplied.

Sage nodded and took a couple step back, letting the duo take lead in this. Orbot raised up his fist and knocked on the door.

“Lord Kamek! It is time for your room to be cleaned.”

“Yeah, y’don’t want to get it all dusty! It’s bad for your health!”

From behind the door a grumbling could be heard. It opened and there stood a tired Kamek, clad in silk pajamas. “What is the meaning of this? The weekly cleaning of my study is to happen tomo-” 

The Wizard was cut off as both Bots shot their fists forward, punching him in the face and knocking him out. Sage thanked her brothers and zoomed into the room, she was frantic as she searched throughout the room. She forced every chest open until she came upon the multi-colored shard.

“It’s here.” 

She felt like crying as she clutched it close to her chest. 

But she couldn’t cry, not yet. 

She still needed to escape with her prize. She once again thanked her brothers before bursting out of the room. She calculated the quickest route out of the castle and it was through the trapped hall.

That was the one she chose.

Past the thwomps, over the lava geysers, avoiding the chain chomps, shooting down the Bullet Bills and straight to the door. The guards left in this hall were minimal, most of them were still engaged in battle with Infinite. And those that were left could not hope to keep up with Sage. 

She made it to the outside.

Freedom.

She could taste it.

She could feel the cold air.

All she needed to do now was get a safe distance away from the castle and then she can wish her father back! She could envision him now, his proud smile as he pat her head!

That dream was soon dashed as she felt something hard collide with her back, sending her down and into the grass. She gasped, turning over to see the Elite Trio. A Goomba, A Koopa and a Shy Guy. The Koopa smirked as he pressed his foot down against her chest, preventing her from escaping.

“Look who we caught.”

“Isn’t she the girl that was helping that mad scientist? She shot that beam that threatened to destroy the whole Koopa Kingdom, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, and we’ll be promoted when we turn her into Bowser.”

Sage shivered in fear, tears of frustration streaming down her face. “Please! Let me go!” She was so close, so close to getting back her family!

“Nuh-huh, no way!”

“You already got away once, do you think we’ll actually let you get away a second time? Especially after invading the Kings castle!?”

“Besides, if we get promoted we might become Kamek’s boss!”

The Shy Guy leaned down, his arms coming out to grab Sage as she let out a scream, desperate to escape their grasp.

“FATHER!”

She cried out.

“No one’s going to save you.”

“You’re all alone.”

“So just make it eas-” The Koopa was interrupted as a hand gripped the back of his neck. He felt himself get lifted up into the air before being slammed into the ground. The Shy Guy and Goomba turned in alarm and saw Dr. Ivo Robotnik looming over them, his eyes narrowed in complete and utter rage. 

“Get your grubby mitts off my daughter!” He roared out, his foot launching into the mask of the Shy Guy. The Goomba jumped up with fear and turned around, looking to escape the Father’s wrath . . . but he was far too slow. Eggman had grabbed him by the head, bashing him into a tree. 

Sage blinked as she stared up, surprise in her eyes. “F-father?” She uttered out with disbelief.

The man kneeled down in front of her, gifting her with a gentle smile,”Yes, Sage, I am here.” He assured her. The little girl shot forward into her fathers arms. Her form shuddered as she sobbed against his chest.

“I thought . . . I thought I would never see you again!” She cried,”You were dead and it was all my fault.”

His hand came down on top of her head, fingers running through her digitized hair. “It was never your fault, Sage. How could it ever be your fault, you’re still but a child.” He told her, “You are a genius, but you still need to experience and grow. I on the other hand am the ruler of the Eggman Empire, all failures fall onto my shoulder. The blame lies solely with me.”

She sniffled slightly as she stared up at her Father, clutching onto him as if her life depended on it.

“There is one thing I don’t understand.” Eggman muttered out,”How am I back alive and how am I here?” He asked, giving Sage something new to focus on.

“I stole this Dream Stone Shard from Bowser and used it to wish you back, Father.” She said as she held out said shard. Eggman gripped it and looked it over. It was no longer the vibrant multi-colored shard it once was. It was now a lifeless grey color, devoid of all power.

“Seems that it’s out of juice, but it might still be useful to have if we ever find a way to refill it.” Eggman smiled and ruffled Sage’s hair.

“It’s out of power?” Sage pouted,”I wanted to wish for Brother to be back as well.”

Eggman hummed out in thought. He glanced around the area as his glasses flared to life. He let out a smirk,

“There’ll be no need for that, daughter. Metal is still functional, I can detect his S.O.S signal. He’s most likely too injured to move, but his AI seems to be fully operational. We’ll be able to repair him.”

Sage beamed as she took in this information. She didn’t have the ability that Eggman’s glasses had, after all this world had no Eggnet connected to it. She felt a bit lost without the Eggnet.

“I see, you completed your mission.” 

The father and daughter duo jumped in surprise. They turned around to see a limping Infinite head their way, Orbot and Cubot were on either side of him, helping to support his body.

“What are you looking at?” Infinite muttered out,”We need to go. I jammed their door shut, but it won’t hold them forever.” 

Eggman nodded. 

He offered his hand over to Sage.

“Let’s go grab Metal and head home, dear daughter.”

Sage smiled and accepted his hand.

“Home. I like the sound of that.”

[zoethehead]

Well, i just came up with my own cookie run cookie wishlist, because why not?

[king-magppi]

🧸💋Misc horror stuff from the past week or so... I missed drawing huggy wuggy and also peach peach. Speaking of, when is that plush supposed to come out??🔨🍑

A bunch of stinky monsters...

[creatively-cosmic]

sonic y mario designs

[retrogamingblog2]

[peachesofteal]

Sometimes I think about Dr. Riley sitting in his office, fidgeting with a pen staring out of the window, waiting for something... someone. There's a storm coming.

I still think about Dr Riley.

I think about him having a very inappropriate relationship with his patient, Clover. Clover who got her nickname because her special ops team thought she was sooo lucky… until she wasn’t. Until she made a mistake, miscalculated, and got two of her teammates killed. Clover, who had to look Captain Garrick in the eyes as he told her to take indefinite leave until she got her head on straight.

Clover can’t think or eat or sleep without hear the high pitch whine of a drone in her ear. Public places make her skin crawl. She can hardly function. Manages to feed herself and slink down to her building’s gym in the middle of the night, when no one else is there. She runs herself ragged, to the point of exhaustion, and only then can she manage sleep.

The train is late.

The tardiness makes everyone on the platform uneasy. They shift and grimace, fingers fidgeting, eyes roaming.

It’s grey down here. Grey up there, too. A city blanketed in rain, thick cottony fog obscuring streets and buildings, rolling through day, washing it into night without giving the sun it’s singular chance.

It’s grey everywhere. Grey in your bones, in your head. Grey cotton stuffed between your ears to stop the bleeding.

You try to let the anxieties of the delay drift past you, like a warm breeze, but it feels like a winter’s wind instead. Icy. Vicious. Cutting to the bone.

You’re a dog at the end of a chain. Ready. Waiting for the signal. Captain’s orders.

Relax. You’re at home. Waiting for the call. Going to finish therapy, so you can finally get out of here.

The yellow line of the boundary lays straight in front of you. You count the cracks in the concrete and wonder what would happen if you took a step off the edge.

Just one.

A single step.

Would these people try to save you? Would they scream and run? Would they watch you die, body exploded into bits by a train that couldn’t stop? How long would it take you ID you? Who would they call?

It’s not that you want to die. You’re more… curious about it now. Morbidly so. Wondering when it will happen, if death is following you around, waiting to collect his due.

You steady with a long breath, attention focused on the wall across the tracks, counting each tile. Your eyes are still sharp, as sharp as ever, and you focus in on each one individually, judging the distance, imagining a scope in your line of sight, smooth trigger under your finger.

There’s a collective sigh across the platform when the train squeaks to a halt, and you intentionally board last, watching the backs and profiles of everyone else. Back packs, long jackets, anxious faces are all catalogued and sorted, filtered and stacked into neat little piles.

You tug at a piece of skin around your nail, trying to tear it down to the cuticle. The delay has made you uneasy, nervous. Not at all like you used to be. Not at all like your old self.

This will be it this time, you coach, train car pulling away and rocketing into darkness. You’ll get it this time. It’s almost over.

“Hi, sorry I have an appointment at ten, with…” you check your calendar. “Dr. Riley? I know I’m late…” the woman at the desk smiles. It’s clinical, just like every other time. You don’t think she likes you much, you’re not like her. Not like any of them.

“That’s alright, it’s just this way.” She leads you through a maze of hallways, coming to a stop at one dark, wooden door. “Dr. Riley? Your ten o’clock is here.”

It opens to the biggest man you’ve ever seen, clad in jeans and a black hoodie. Is this… is this the shrink?

He says your name. When you don’t answer, he says it again, a little louder. His Manchester accent is full of grit, a mouth full of rocks, but there’s something warm in it too, something spinning you in a soft cocoon of yarn.

“H-hi.” He extends his hand, a massive palm, dwarfing yours.

“I’m Dr. Riley, come in. Thanks, Laura.” He bids the receptionist goodbye, and clicks the door shut behind her, turning with a motion to the couch. “Take a seat. I was just about to call you.”

“I’m sorry, the train was delayed and-“ He holds up his hand, a motion to stop.

“You made it, that’s what matters.” Your hands shake, and you clutch them in your lap. It’s a side effect, they tell you. It’s supposed to go away, but you’ve stopped counting the days.

He’s not what you expected. Your last doctor in this building was an old man who wore a dress shirt and slacks. Dr. Riley looks like he’s in his forties. He’s built out like a solider, broad shoulders and broad chest filling out his casual clothes, glasses reflecting his focused gaze. There are scars on his face, faded white streaks on his upper lip, cheek and jaw. His nose has been broken and repaired, and there’s a patch of his eyebrow missing, like it’s been burned away. He’s part shadow, part marble, full lips, sandy brown hair, chiseled jaw, ocean eyes.

“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?” He begins, glancing at the laptop screen.

“I need to pass my psych eval, sir.” You focus on the question, and not the lone drone rattle rolling through your skull.

“There’s no rank in this office.” Oh, duh. “Why do you need to pass an eval?”

“I’m ready to return to my job. Just need to pass this last step.” Sir. You bite the honorific off just in time.

“If you can’t pass a psych eval, I’d say the conclusion is you’re not ready.” Your spine straightens at the authority in his voice. “And you’re not here for an eval.” Wait, what?

“I’m sorry?”

“You’re not here for an evaluation, you’re here for therapy.”

“N-no, sir- ah, Dr. Riley,” his lips tilt, a fraction, and your knees press together involuntarily. “I’ve already had therapy.” He ignores your protest.

“You’ve failed three evaluations in the last two months. You can’t just keep throwing it all the wall, hoping it will stick. You need care.” The room pitches, and you’re trapped on a tilt-a-whirl, locked into a too loud, too bright carnival ride, sirens and screams screeching in the distance.

He says your name again.

“Sorry.” The tablet folds into a laptop, balanced on a broad knee.

“Tell me about them.”

“About…”

“The psych evals. Failing three in such a short time window is a feat.” You blanche. You hate that word, fail. It stings. It’s an affront to you, you who doesn’t fail. You who was the top of her class, first selected, first pick. Your captain depends on you, your team counts on you, to not fail. At anything. Ever.

“I… I struggled with them.” There are photos on the wall, framed medals and degrees. A picture of a German shepherd, and a hanging house plant of some kind, spritely and green, leaves and vines twisting from its perch.

“Let’s start today talking about why you’re struggling with them, then.”

“I don’t know why. If I did, I wouldn’t be here.” You’re peevish, and he raises an eyebrow. “Sorry, I’m just… stressed. My team-“

“is operating in the field without you.”

“Yes.”

“And it’s causing you stress.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why?” What is this?

“Why is it causing you stress? Do you not trust them to operate successfully without you?”

“No… I do.”

“What about your captain? Do you not trust him to lead them?”

“Of course I do.” Your fingers tighten on the chair. “I do. But they’re down a man, and they can’t be down for too long.”

“I’m sure your team cares more about you getting the care need, over rushing back into engagement too soon.”

“I know, but I’m ready.”

“You’re not. And I know your captain, Garrick? He wouldn’t want you to jeopardize your wellbeing.” How does he know cap?

“You know captain Garrick?” Dr. Riley smiles.

“I do. And like I said, he wouldn’t want you passed through if you weren’t ready.” He’s got you pinned, metaphorically. Back against the mat, shoulders immobilized. You can’t crawl your way free, can’t fight or twist out of his grip. “Do you want to talk about why you’re on leave?”

“No! No, I… don’t need to.” You complain. “I’ve had eight counseling sessions in the last two months.”

“They’ve clearly helped.” He drawls, glancing at you over the laptop. The eye contact rakes a shiver down your spine, and you find your feet.

“I don’t want to talk about it again, sir.” You whisper it to the ground, silently begging he won’t make you.

“There’s no rank here.” He reminds, voice soft and understanding. “But I’m your clinician now, and I won’t sign off on you taking another psychological evaluation until I’m confident you’re healthy enough to return to work.”

“Can I ask…” you taper off, but he nods to encourage you. “Can I ask why I’ve suddenly been switched to a new doctor?”

“You failed an eval three times. The practice decided you needed a different approach to care.” There’s a pause, and the laptop shuts. His hands settle across his thighs. “Let’s talk about what they call you.”

“Sir?” His lips press together but deigns to remind you a third time about rank.

“Clover.” Oh.

“Yeah, that’s what my team calls me. Only my mum uses my real name anymore.” You joke, and he smiles in a small way, gaze unreadable, bearing down onto you from above.

“Is there meaning behind it?”

“I used to be considered good luck.”

“Used to be?” You blink. Used to be. Like you used to be someone else.

“I guess… my luck ran out.” He nods thoughtfully.

“Why do you think that?” Because you fucked up? You got your friends killed? Because you got into a jam you couldn’t get out of? Because you were tortured into an unrecognizable piece of human pulp?

“I… I don’t know.”

“You do.” He states matter of fact, leveling you easily. You gape.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You mutter, looking towards your knees.

“How about mirrors?”

“What?”

“How do you feel about mirrors?” The question sets you aback. It’s never been asked, not in your previous sessions, not by anyone. No one knows about the mirrors in your flat, covered by shirts and sheets and dish towels. Turned away, forced into corners. The bathroom vanity obscured by a long white bedsheet; your reflection hidden at every turn.

“I… I don’t like them.” The honesty on your tongue tastes good, but it burns.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I don’t like to look at myself, now.” The laptop reopens, and he types in silence for a long moment. The quiet settles around the two of you, ticking of a second hand clicking away in your ear.

“I’m going to give you some homework.” Homework?

“What kind of homework?”

“I want you to look in a mirror.” You draw a sharp breath. “When you’re at home, and you’re alone, I want you to really look at yourself, see yourself, for as long as you can. If it’s only a few seconds, it’s only a few seconds. There’s no time requirement. The only thing you have to do… is look.”

“Dr. Riley…” you laugh nervously, and he meets your eyes with a serious expression.

“Only for a few seconds. Can you do that?” No.

“I can… I can try.” You can do whatever he wants, if it will get him to pass you on the eval. If it will get you out of here.

“Good.” The watch on his wrist glints in the afternoon sun. “I’ll give you my number. Text me when your homework is done.”

“Okay.” That’s it? He stands, and you look away, unable to focus on anything but the edge of the table, brown wood slatted together and worn with age.

“You can run away now.” He murmurs, standing between you and the door. “This was good, Clover. I know it’s not easy. You did well today.” Words catch in your throat, caustic and rough. Still, you try to get them out.

“T-thanks.”

You try to do your homework that night.

You stand in front of the bathroom mirror in your pajamas, one hand on a hem, waiting to pull free and reveal your reflection.

You can do this. You can. Just do it.

The tug never comes.

You stare at the white sheet until your eyes start to cross.

Better luck tomorrow.

You hold steady in your routines. Eating. Walking. Stretching. Strength. You do yoga in the evenings, weights in the mornings. You spend too much time in your building’s gym, mindlessly pounding out miles on the treadmill, headphones blaring at full volume. You do it all robotically.

You’re outside of your body. Out of your mind.

But you could still pull a trigger.

Sometimes, when you can stand it, you take your walks outside, bypassing those who linger on sidewalks, cutting through parks and alleys. Fresh air and sunlight are supposed to help, but you don’t think it does any good. The rot is still there, curled up in your bones, blackened and sticky, festering like an infection. It’s a monster inside your body, a monster you now share your life with, cutting away pieces, long after being freed from the cell.

You eat. You walk. You try to look in the mirror.

With three days before your next session with Dr. Riley, you still haven’t managed to complete your homework. You try, in the hall, in your bedroom, again and again in the bathroom, but it never happens, you can’t quite get yourself to cross the bridge.

Failure.

Dr. Riley is waiting for you in the lobby on the day of your next appointment.

“Hi Clover.” He smiles, and it’s genuine, warm, almost wrapping around your shoulders.

“Hi, Dr. Riley.”

“How was your week?” You lag him, letting him guide you to the office, where the yellow lights are dim and darkened, casting shadow across the brown couch where you take your seat.

“It was fine.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, really. I’ve been at the gym a lot, trying to keep myself in shape for when I go back.”

“Exercise is good as long as you’re not overdoing it. Do you do anything else?”

“Um, I take walks outside.” His leg shifts, ankle on knee, and then his hand folds over his thigh. Something akin to interest brightens in your heart but is desperately snuffed out. He’s your therapist. “I walk in the park a lot.”

“Oh yeah? Which?”

“The one off of eighth.”

“I walk there too, nice park. Lots of trails.” You try to imagine him in joggers, taking a stroll. “I’m going to guess; you didn’t do your homework?” Heat unfurls across your face.

“I tried, but…”

“That’s okay. I thought we could try today, if you feel up to it.” Here? Now? Your eyes go wide. You look around.

“I don’t see a mirror.”

“There’s one on wheels down the hall, the occupational therapists use it all the time. Can I bring it in?” Your stomach twists up, nausea tossing your lunch from side to side.

“I uh… I don’t know.”

“You can do it. I know you can.” You hedge, unsure. Can you? Will you?

You can try.

“Okay.”

“Alright, close your eyes. I’ll be right back.” The door opens and shuts, and then opens again, wheels rolling close. You clench your eyes closed so tight it nearly hurts.

Warm fingers grab yours.

“It’s over here.” He murmurs, leading your blind steps away from the couch, coming to a stop… somewhere. “Whenever you’re ready.” You can’t feel him anymore, but you know he’s there, at your back. There’s a faint ruffle of air through your hair, against your neck. “Take a deep breath.”

You focus on the pace of your lungs, the expansion, the give and take of your ribcage.

“I can’t.” You whisper. You’re floating in space, unable to pull the trigger.

A kind hand on your shoulder brings you back.

“You can do it. Try.” The encouragement, the belief is a vine in your heart. Alive and green, it sows roots as deep as it can manage, clinging to fibrous flesh and hollowing you out. It catches on valves and ventricles, spiraling forward in a complicated web like an anchor.

You see him first, in the mirror. Stare straight back at him, falling into his gaze, vibrating in his hold like a child’s wind-up toy.

“Not me. You.” He says gently, and when you can, you bear it.

You almost gasp. It’s been two months since you’ve seen your own face, your complexion, your nose and your eyes and your chin. You’re long healed, bones set perfectly, everything right as rain. You look normal. You look fine. It’s the most shocking thing, to see yourself looking healthy, pieced back together, nearly whole. Your lower lip trembles with effort to hold yourself at bay, to keep yourself from breaking apart, drifting back towards the moon.

“That’s it. Great job, Clover.” His hand still rests on your shoulder, but you shake with a violence now, a torrent of emotion, threatening to cut you off at the knees. “It’s okay.” He whispers.

When you can’t stand it any longer, you close your eyes.

“How did you know?” You’re resettled on the couch, hands tucked under your thighs.

“Know what?”

“That I hadn’t looked in a mirror… since…”

“I know a thing or two, about coming back different. I know how it feels when you don’t want to see yourself.” You glance at the medals on the wall, primly tacked to a plush pillow, encased in glass, and wonder.

“Did you work with captain Garrick?”

“We were in a task force together, before I retired early to do this.” He smiles, easy and light, but there’s something guarded in it, something sharp, shark’s teeth aiming for docile flesh. It purrs, and makes you want to pull back more layers. Gives you something else to focus on, something else to fall into, but it’s gone before you can really study him.

“Oh.” It’s all you can say as he types something on the laptop, and then puts it away.

“That’s all for today. I’ll see you next week then?”

[robbieeeeeeeee3]

Tnmn Head Canons

(Mainly about Nightmare Mode, specifically Teutates)

-Chester Listens to Gorillaz -Abducius sleeps ON A NASTY AND JUST DISGUSTING MATTRESS -Abducius is covered in scars -The unlikely Clown Sounds like Beetle Juice -Teutates is Surprisingly Chill -Anastacha likes Twilight(no suprise there) -Yog Looks as if he’s in his 20-30s but is WAY OLDER -Peach Peach is a very friendly Doppler, he isn’t deadly at all unless you provoke him -Abducius LOVES to annoy/Torment the fuck outa Barbatos(Abducius is also dating Zoth) Orcus/Afton both really like cats -Teutates Will wear/Really likes any dark aesthetic,(idk how to describe it but I mean aesthetics like Scene, Punk, Goth, etc) -Teutates is GenderFluid -Ishtars Tongue is a Centipede -Mclooy + Steven both can easily Fucking Fist fight a doppel and WIN (Are ya winning son) -Yog Is DISGUSTED with his human counter part, he doesn’t like Francis very much -Henry is Autistic -Angus will scam you. (no suprise there -Angus has a tooth gap -Teutates listens to KISS -Yog Listens to My Chemical Romance

-Zoth is Surprisingly A Cinnamon Roll, silly worm boi

[woodenplankstudios]

Super smashed sisters (Everyone is Home)