#party time pauline

[miss-psyson]

Pauline in Jamboree! ⭐️❤️

I'm late I know, but I wanted to finish this sketch lol

But anyways, you guys think this team will get along better compared to the last?

[envolvenuances]

This one gives a general summary of the importance of women in the fight for the idependence of Mozambique

And for a more present context

[marioparty]

THIS DIVA

[whats-in-a-sentence]

He told about the midnight dances and how the Nymphs who lived in the wells and the Dryads who lived in the trees came out to dance with the Fauns; about long hunting parties after the milk-white stag who could give you wishes if you caught him; about feasting and treasure-seeking with the wild Red Dwarfs in deep mines and caverns beneath the forest floor; and then about summer when the woods were green and old Silenus on his fat donkey would come to visit them, and sometimes Bacchus himself, and then the streams would run with wine instead of water and the whole forest would give itself up to jollification for weeks on end.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - C. S. Lewis

[puppys-rhythm-heaven]

hyperfixations are funny cuz sometimes i remember that most people probably can't like. name every rhythm heaven game in order. i can just casually do it. actually most rhythm heaven fans probably could do that we're all kind of unhinged about funni moosic gayme-

[xinxiaogato]

— you're dating who!?

summary. no one believes that you’re dating the esteemed duke of the fortress of meropide. that man is only ever seen locking lips with the orifice of a teacup. however, all of that changes when you and your alleged “boyfriend” are invited to a coworker’s dinner party.

love interest. gn!reader x wriothesley.

warnings. unedited, cursing, bullying, attempted homewrecking, mentions of blood, murder, and assault (nothing crazy), slight angst, lack of communication, a bit suggestive (mentions of light bdsm).

word count. 2,187

note. happy late birthday to wriothesley! this shortfic was inspired by a scene from spy x family (iykyk). you are referred to as “reader” by the way!

while loading up your plate with chips and french fontainian onion dip, you could sense the smugness of your colleagues from all the way across the dining room.

“i mean, we all saw this coming, didn’t we?” one of them piped up with a snarky laugh.

another obnoxiously chortled in return. “i won't forget the day reader told us who could have possibly given them those flowers.”

“right!? and i’m lady furina!”

that joke rocked their worlds to the point that one person started choking on their garlic baguette. your eyes flitted over to your friend, pauline, who was shaking with rage beside you and on the verge of strangling someone.

“why i oughta give them a piece of my mind!” caterwauled pauline, but you perched a hand on her shoulder so that she wouldn’t go ballistic—even if it was on your behalf.

“can’t really blame them,” you conceded. “if you told me you were in a relationship with the iudex of fontaine, i would need a minute.”

“are you saying it’s impossible?”

“i’m saying it’s highly unlikely.”

“hmph! a girl can dream.” pauline haughtily raised her nose into the air and crossed her arms with indignation, which tugged your lips into a small smile. you knew she had your best interests in mind. since day dot, your coworkers were constantly unleashing a tirade of vitriol against you. “anyway, where’s your boyfriend? did he get caught up with something?”

“probably,” you ascertained, taking a sip of red wine. you looked for a seat to settle at; you couldn’t let your chips go cold. “he warned me that he might not make it in time for the party. a new batch of inmates was processed for registration today, and allegedly, they’re unruly.”

her eyes widened after connecting the dots. “are they related to the famous case of the missing paintings? they finally caught the culprits!?”

you raised an eyebrow. “you didn’t know? it’s all over the steambird.”

as you and pauline were sitting down, the hostess of the party, anaïs, and her entourage strode over with purpose. one of anaïs’s minions was the first to start yapping, “well, if it isn’t reader, the person dating the wolf!”

“more like the person who cried wolf!” followed anaïs, which made the group howl like hyenas.

rolling your eyes at their sneers, you replied, “where is your husband, anaïs? don’t tell me he’s at the office ‘working overtime’ with his assistant again.”

all of anaïs’s friends practically broke their necks to look at her.

“h-how did you know about that…!?” anaïs spluttered, her cheeks flared red. “that’s… that’s my personal affairs you’re airing to everyone!”

a follower of anaïs cupped a hand to her ear and hissed, “don’t you remember? reader is friends with charlotte, a journalist for the steambird. she’s notorious for her intel gathering so that she can compete with others for the juiciest scoops!”

“hey, hey, does charlotte know anything about monsieur neuvillette’s type?” pauline whispered to which you were about to answer—only for anaïs to grab your glass of wine.

“you think you’re so high and mighty all the time…!” anaïs said in a shrill voice, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “at least i don’t pretend i’m the bitch of the lord of the fortress of meropide to get attention!”

“i think it would be better for you to channel your energy into divorcing that shitty excuse of a husband,” you corrected her, unfazed by the fact she was threateningly holding the drink above your head. “it’s not your fault that he’s a scumbag, so don’t stick around to see if he’ll change.”

something in anaïs seemed to falter at your words, but it was only for a moment. resentment got the best of her, and in the blink of an eye, red liquid was splashed onto your chest and dripping down your top, making bystanders gasp at the scene before them.

it kind of looked like you just got murdered.

“what is wrong with you!?” pauline furiously yelled after jumping up to shield you, who was still reeling from what happened. “how old are you to be acting like an immature brat!?”

as pauline and one of anaïs’s flunkies began to pull at each other’s hair, a different one pointed a finger into your face while cackling. “ha, serves you right! that outfit must have been dirt cheap anyway, so it couldn’t have been a total loss!”

“oh, you wouldn’t want your shoes ruined, right?” a second cooed, snatching them right off your feet and looking for the nearest window to chuck them out of. “don’t worry, i’ll dry them off for you!”

you got up to take them right back, but anaïs blocked your path, eyes narrowed into slits. “just admit it, reader,” she snarled. “you’re nothing but an attention-seeking whore for the fortress of meropide’s administrator, a goody two-shoes for our boss, and a laughing stock for all of fontaine. you’re nothing!”

“monsieur wriothesley!” a voice resounded from down the hallway, causing everyone in the dining room to freeze. “we’re so honored to have you join us! did lady anaïs invite you?”

before you knew it, a strong arm wrapped around your shoulders from behind to give you a tight squeeze, and a pair of lips kissed the top of your head.

“so sorry i’m late, my love,” a deep voice purred by your ear. “my hands were tied…”

his voice trailed off. wriothesley, whose sudden appearance had dropped every partygoer’s jaw, noticed that your top felt weirdly damp. when he craned his neck to investigate, his heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. 

he immediately questioned if it was your blood or not.

“reader!” your boyfriend shouted, turning you around and holding you by the shoulders. a fear he had only felt as a teenager flooded rapidly into his system, and it was taking everything in him to not explode. “what happened to you? are you hurt!?”

you were still stunned in the aftermath, but you quickly collected yourself and placed your hands atop his. “no, no, i’m fine, wrio. i’m not hurt. it’s just red wine.”

“red… red wine?”

recovering from his initial shock, wriothesley twisted around, his jacket fluttering swiftly in tandem. his eyes took in the sight of an awestruck anaïs holding something behind her back and a petrified person clutching onto a pair of shoes (which explained why your dogs were out).

in a calm tone more terrifying than him speaking out of anger, wriothesley said to the hostess, “i apologize for souring the mood. however…” quickly, he engulfed your body with his jacket and swept you off your feet, hitching the air in your throat as he held you close to his chest. “my partner is not feeling well, so we’ll be taking our leave. we humbly thank you for the invitation.”

“b-but you just got here!” anaïs fretted.

her first mistake was revealing the wine glass she was desperately trying to hide earlier. in wriothesley’s realm, we call this a foul.

“reader was just a little tipsy and spilled a drink on themselves!” she crooned, tilting her head up at the duke and innocently batting her eyelashes. “why don’t you stay and become acquainted with your partner’s coworkers?”

her second foul: coveting a man in a relationship.

“i mean, they can’t be unwell to the point of needing to go home!”

her third: messing with reader. and three fouls meant a disqualification.

“heavens, no,” wriothesley insisted. “my partner’s health is my main priority, and time is of the essence. besides, the longer i remain, the less time i have to file a detailed report on an assault and battery that took place here.”

it became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

“a…assault…?” even through the makeup caked on anaïs’s face, you could see the color drain from it entirely. “what… what assault…!? no assault happened here, your grace!” when his frown spoke volumes, she cried out, “y-you don’t have any proof!”

“oh, i would suggest otherwise. and i believe there are many eyewitnesses to testify.”

you peered around at the guests who had gathered to view the spectacle, and they were nodding in support of wriothesley’s claim, including pauline. even anaïs’s goons were vehemently bobbing their heads up and down, still in disbelief that the man, the myth, the legend himself had graced them with his presence.

“now if you’ll excuse me…” with you firmly in his grasp, wriothesley approached the woman still clinging to your footwear, who immediately began to quiver. “i would like for you to return my partner’s shoes,” he ordered with a look as cold as ice.

“o-of course!” she stammered, extending the shoes toward him. “it was all in good fun, your grace!”

“oh, those aren’t mine,” he said with a cock of his head at your bare toes. “like i said, those belong to my partner.”

finally picking up what was he putting down, the lady shakily slipped your shoes back on your feet for which you glanced up at wriothesley with furrowed eyebrows. he only reacted with a smile that thawed the rigid expression on his face.

“i-i can’t possibly rot in jail!” anaïs was still making a fuss nearby. “i’m so young and beautiful! can’t you look past this, monsieur wriothesley…!? i’ll do anything!”

“well, it’s not something you’ll go to prison for, ma’am,” he said, not even sparing anaïs a glance as he headed for the front door, “but this misdemeanor will forever stain your official records and reputation… just as you stained my partner’s clothes.” (mic drop.)

and that was that. with a quick kiss on both cheeks from pauline, you exited the dead-quiet house in your boyfriend’s arms.

“wrio…” you murmured as he started walking in the direction of your home. “i’m really sorry for inconveniencing you.”

wriothesley momentarily stopped in his tracks to gaze down at you, his lips pursed before sighing. “no… don’t apologize, my love. i’m sorry for not arriving sooner.”

“but that isn’t your fault,” you pointed out.

a chuckle resonated from deep within his chest. “touché.”

however, his lightheartedness faded out with that chuckle when his hands gripped onto you tighter, as if you were about to dissolve into water at any moment.

“what happened, reader?” he croaked, displaying a side of him reserved for your eyes alone. “how long have they been treating you like this? and for you to not even give them a taste of the boxing skills i taught you for these kinds of situations…”

you clutched his jacket tighter to your body. “you already have so much on your plate. i could not dare to tell you something that may weigh on your conscience.”

“please,” he whispered. “i want you to weigh on my conscience.”

after a moment’s worth of hesitation, you finally gave in, explaining that the fresh bouquet of rainbow roses he sent to your office one morning sent your colleagues into a frenzy that turned your life into a nightmare. as you spoke, wriothesley’s expression became grimmer and grimmer. he couldn’t even fathom how much of a shitshow your company was for permitting the kind of behavior he merely glimpsed this evening.

and he couldn't bear the thought that you had been suffering alone for months.

“they didn’t believe me for a second, even when i had pictures of you and me framed on my desk. ‘oh, those must have been edited’.”

realizing wriothesley's muscles were so taut, you attempted to alleviate the atmosphere. “i guess no one can accept an ordinary office worker dating the administrator of the fortress of meropide. like, picture the tianquan of the liyue qixing with an npc.”

in any other situation, your boyfriend would be laughing, but certainly not this one. “no one can determine our relationship,” wriothesley stated with a clear veracity. “you are the light in my bleak world, reader, and nothing is allowed to take you away from me. if so, i will travel to the ends of teyvat to bring you back.”

he then grinned, showing off his cute canines. “and you bet i'll put my handcuffs to use.”

you slapped a hand to your forehead. “way to ruin the mood. i was just about to kiss you.”

in response, he grinded his knuckles into the top of your head, which made you yodel out in pain. “what was that for!?” you exclaimed.

“for not kissing me, but more importantly: for keeping a secret from me,” he clarified, his pale gray eyes twinkling under the moonlight. “no more of that, okay?”

you warmly smiled up at him and rested your head against his broad shoulder, completely wiped out from the party-turned-fiasco. “okay.”

as the two of you reached your abode, a question popped up in your mind. “were you serious about the handcuff thing?”

he smirked. “yes, and you’ll find out just how serious i am after we take a shower together. you reek of wine.”

a pink blush dusted your cheeks. “what? together!?”

“together. you and me.”

“ahhh! put me down!”

“nope. not a chance.”

© xinxiaogato. please do not translate my work without permission or attempt to plagiarize it.

[iamespecter]

Whats your tadc au? :3

Uh- that's too vague of a question, so I'll just list all five- ~~~~~~~~~~~

'The Suspenseful Digital Mystery' AU Status: hiatus

plot:

There are rumors amongst the less fortunate about a mysterious mansion inviting wealthy people, and urging them to bring a plus one for a sophisticated social gathering. There's a lot of weird rules: 1) DON'T say your real name. 2) wear the mask and outfit provided to you. 3) What happens in the mansion, STAYS in the mansion. They even say that by the time midnight strikes and you didn't venture outside the grounds by then, you disappear to god knows where. Thankfully, 6 people thought it's all just a dumb rumor.... right?

'An Unexpected "Reunion"!' AU Status: ongoing (I just have writer's block for Chapter 7-)

plot:

Pom- no. That's not her name anymore. Pauline Agbayani manages to find a way out of the tormenting existence known as 'The Amazing Digital Circus'. Attempting to return to normalcy in her life while figuring out how to find her circus friends, and bringing down the company that brought about her worst experiences in life, she meets an unexpected man with red hair, mismatched eyes, and that grating showman voice she knows all too well... Working a 9 to 5 job in a retail store? What the hell is happening??

'The Marvelous Mechanical Harlequin' AU Status: VERY active

plot:

After the attempt of taking the infamous Puppetmaster's life goes awry due to a stalemate, Pomni, the Last Harlequin, finds herself in a strange position of helping him out a year later on his even stranger mission: Gathering the hearts of crazed Puppets. Things start to change between them when she suffers her first of many deaths, which unbeknownst to her, sets up a domino effect that leads to her discovering something about herself, the man she allies with, and a third party who seems hellbent on capturing her.

'Digital Nightmares' AU Status: semi-active

plot:

Picture this. You find a strange headset that compels you to wear it. Next thing you know, you're in an another world full of monsters, and now you're just as small as you feel. You run, you jump, you duck out of reach, and hide. Repeat. Thankfully, you're no longer alone, for you meet another fellow about the same size as you. Find a way out. Avoid traps and foes. And most of all... Don't give in to the call.

'Circustaker' AU status: under progress lmao

plot:

Pomni wants a harem of hot circus demon girls, so Pomni gets a harem of hot circus demon girls. This is a Helltaker x TADC AU born out of spite, due to the hate against Jesterdoll on ep 3. What better way to fight homophobia with, than making a big wlw polyamory group? :)

I genuinely had no idea what you meant by that question, so here's all five of my current TADC AUs, even the underdeveloped Circustaker one lmao

[bonesandchalamet]

slumber party - t.chalamet

masterlist

requested: y - “Hii, could you make one about Timothée and reader having a toddler,and just pure fluff please 🫶🏻”

pairings: dad!timothee chalamet x mom!reader

warnings: fluff + child has been given a name + established relationship

a/n: this is short I’m sorry love!

silence never fills the walls of your New York apartment anymore— at least not since aurora, your daughter, was born.

her presence has been a blessing, there’s no doubt to that, but when the silence exists it’s deafening. which is why you’re concerned at six am when the pitter-patter of little feet against the hardwood floor is nonexistent. she’s only four, you think to yourself, there’s no way she’s learned to sleep in yet.

Timothee, your husband, is dead asleep beside you. he couldn’t of heard a tornado hit with the way he sleeps, and you don’t blame him. work and production of the upcoming films he was in were beginning to start, and sleep was lacking with not only a toddler, but work.

so yes, he had his reasons to sleep in, but aurora didn’t.

you heave out a worried sigh, throwing the blankets off your body, exposing you to the cool air of the room. you slip on your slippers and trudge down the hall towards her bedroom. the homemade sign of her name Timothee made hangs loose on the door, the stickers her and Pauline stuck to the wood were fading, but stuck like glue. you push open the door carefully, to see her blinds are pushed open already, and she’s dressed herself.

“aurora,” your groggy voice jolts her head from the book in her lap, it’s timothees copy of dune that she stole because it reminder her of him. he spent months in the desert thinking of you two, and she spent months pretending the fat book in her lap was readable.

“mommy, is daddy awake?” she slips off the bed, book falling open onto the ground, she brushes past you headed straight for your bedroom door that’s closed. she doesn’t give you a second to reply, the man in the cozy bedroom is all she cares about and you don’t blame her. his presence was absent due to filming, any chance she got cozying up with him was a win in her book

you don’t have in your heart to warn her that he’s sleep. she’s already pushed open the door and by the time you slip into the dark room, she’s made herself comfortable in his arms. he’s barely awake, but when he felt her finger poke his chest, he unconsciously lifted his arms up.

you slip back under the sheets, turning in bed to look at the two. their mouths part the same way, their strains of curly brown hair fall over their faces in the exact same way.

you watch his eyes flutter open for a brief minute, he takes a look down at her, and then at you. your eyes are shut once again, forehead touching auroras, the two of you are sound asleep, and he doesn’t hesitate to sink further into the mattress and let sleep wash over him.

[postpunkindustrial]

Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound by Tara Rodgers

Get it from my Google Drive HERE

Pink Noises brings together twenty-four interviews with women in electronic music and sound cultures, including club and radio DJs, remixers, composers, improvisers, instrument builders, and installation and performance artists. The collection is an extension of Pinknoises.com, the critically-acclaimed website founded by musician and scholar Tara Rodgers in 2000 to promote women in electronic music and make information about music production more accessible to women and girls. That site featured interviews that Rodgers conducted with women artists, exploring their personal histories, their creative methods, and the roles of gender in their work. This book offers new and lengthier interviews, a critical introduction, and resources for further research and technological engagement.

Contemporary electronic music practices are illuminated through the stories of women artists of different generations and cultural backgrounds. They include the creators of ambient soundscapes, “performance novels,” sound sculptures, and custom software, as well as the developer of the Deep Listening philosophy and the founders of the Liquid Sound Lounge radio show and the monthly Basement Bhangra parties in New York. These and many other artists open up about topics such as their conflicted relationships to formal music training and mainstream media representations of women in electronic music. They discuss using sound to work creatively with structures of time and space, and voice and language; challenge distinctions of nature and culture; question norms of technological practice; and balance their needs for productive solitude with collaboration and community. Whether designing and building modular synthesizers with analog circuits or performing with a wearable apparatus that translates muscle movements into electronic sound, these artists expand notions of who and what counts in matters of invention, production, and noisemaking. Pink Noises is a powerful testimony to the presence and vitality of women in electronic music cultures, and to the relevance of sound to feminist concerns.

Interviewees: Maria Chavez, Beth Coleman (M. Singe), Antye Greie (AGF), Jeannie Hopper, Bevin Kelley (Blevin Blectum), Christina Kubisch, Le Tigre, Annea Lockwood, Giulia Loli (DJ Mutamassik), Rekha Malhotra (DJ Rekha), Riz Maslen (Neotropic), Kaffe Matthews, Susan Morabito, Ikue Mori, Pauline Oliveros, Pamela Z, Chantal Passamonte (Mira Calix), Maggi Payne, Eliane Radigue, Jessica Rylan, Carla Scaletti, Laetitia Sonami, Bev Stanton (Arthur Loves Plastic), Keiko Uenishi (o.blaat)

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

I determined this by a roll. Caden is the lucky Sim and gets a knitting basket, in his favourite colour. Maybe he’ll be joining Agnes in the village square as she cross-stitches?

We add an easel to the lot which turns out to be less popular than the Watcher anticipated.

Another day, another pixel that despises cooking. And what’s this occurring in Moojito’s shed? Spencer! You’re supposed to be an IRRESPONSIBLE Sim - not that we’re complaining.

Piper rejects Avery’s cooking in favour of some grilled eggplant (and seems to be having a better time), while Caden receives a hug from our main girlie.

For some reason in spite of the general bonhomie of everyone else, she’s in a bit of a funk today so we leave it to GOOD traited Spencer to lend reassurances while Pauline looks on encouragingly.

Then she refuses an embrace from him. Yikes. 

Even though Lilac’s in a strange mood, she’s bringing all the attraction alerts to the yard.

In spite of last night’s party pooper Patchy in the background - not to mention Piper’s hand going through the back of Avery’s head - I think that everyone’s outside for some fresh country air and wholesome bonding time. But Lilac evidently had another kind of bondage in mind, and makes Avery an offer that they can’t refuse.

Evidently it was just ‘hugs’ that she wasn’t in the mood for today.

We’re going off-site today so with our bachelorette occupied, chore montage hour kicks off early. Spencer and Pauline were our gardeners, Aubrey fished, and Lilac eventually took care of Moojito with her job much easier thanks to Spencer.

The second to have his embrace spurned is Caden, who is so embarrassed that he goes upstairs to cry in the closet. I make him play chess for a skill building activity, while Piper swims.

No Aubrey, you cannot 'attempt to swipe' from your own residence. Just hang in there a few more minutes.

For this household’s mini competition to see who gets a solo date with the bachelorette, we are putting our singing pipes to use! Doubtless anticipating the humiliation that awaits, our pixels are very reluctant to go inside. 

Even the promise of nectar isn’t sufficient to lure them, so the Watcher temporarily sacrifices her screencaps and activates the social club.

Oh hey, it’s Lilac’s old buddy Jacques. Who takes the opportunity to steal Avery's drink.

Caden and Lilac are looking like a couple on date night until they’re joined by Lilac’s crush Avery - then Aubrey disrupts the mood as only a KLEPTOMANIAC sim can, attempting to swipe the… wall graffiti.

Surprisingly enough, it doesn’t work. I love Klepto sims.

When’s a better time to sing in public then after some failed theft embarrassment? Everyone is at such a low level of singing that we can only do that one country ballad. Pauline and Piper take it outside, while Caden discovers what many femme sims have known for decades and that the bathroom is the perfect place to make a new friend.

Caden must have received some encouragement from the toilet bot, as he becomes inspired and is the first sim to reach Level 2.

(part ii coming soon! when canva is back up)

@plasmafruittree @x-digitaldollhouse-x @mdshh

@invisiblequeen @sleepyselkiesims @akitasimblr

[nectar-cellar]

hank and pauline threw a party at the beach with the usual suspects!!

limbo mod is by mspoodle1. watching them do the limbo sparked much joy in me.

this time it was pauline's turn to make everyone some burnt hotdogs for lunch <33 it was horrifying quality bc she never cooks at home

[daydreamtofiction]

Thou Shalt Not Covet // 18: Ghost

Contents | Part 17 | First Person Version [AO3]

Summary: (Priest!Benedict x Female Reader) After the disappearance of Father Benedict, Ellis finds herself struggling to move on.

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Strong language, irreverence, dark humour, adult & sexual themes. Alcohol consumption, descriptions of weight loss/body insecurity and low mood. Discussions of TTC and pregnancy (not MC), death and grief. Readers must be 18+

To anyone else, the scene around you would have been a happy one. Beautiful, even. Family and friends gathered on the rooftop garden of a pub; flowers and greenery swaying in the mild October breeze, glittering fairy lights and pastel coloured bunting hanging against the backdrop of a blushing evening sky. 

Music played softly in the background, melding with pleasant chitchat, clinking glasses and laughter. A large chalkboard stood near the bar, listing cocktails named after your cousin and her new fiancé; Bex on the Beach, Gregroni, Wedding Bellini, Mai Tie-the-knot. You liked Negronis, but you'd have sooner drank dishwater than asked the bartender for a Gregroni. 

You sat at a table on the edge of the room as the couple floated around the party together. Your cousin Rebecca showing off her engagement ring to anyone who asked, while Greg gave firm handshakes and fiddled with his hair every two minutes. You hadn't said much since you arrived. Partly because you didn't like parties, the bustle and chaos giving you headaches that took days to pass. But mostly because you simply had nothing to say. You hadn't had much to say for a while now. 

The sun and moon shared the sky, passing each other like two ships in the night, their time together so fleeting yet undeniably beautiful. You wondered how long they had left together, if the moon would feel lonely once the sun dipped below the horizon. 

Your makeup was irritating your eyes, your hair itching the back of your neck. For weeks you'd fallen into a cycle of nothing but work and sleep, forgetting what it felt like to dress up, to sit in the company of other people. Happy people. You felt like a ghost, observing the world from another plane where you could see them but they couldn't see you. 

You were sitting at a table with your back to a brick wall, turning a glass of rum and coke with your fingers as you stared up at the sky. Your mother was sat beside you, deep in conversation with your grandmother across the table. Mara had gone to the bar for another drink, her empty chair quickly filled by your aunt Pauline the moment she got up. 

 "Ellis." your mother's voice faded into focus. "Ellis...?" 

You blinked a few times, the glare from the sun creating spots in your vision. "Hm?" 

"Your aunt was talking to you..." 

"Oh, sorry, what did you say?"

"I said it's your turn next," said Pauline with grin.

You stared at her blankly. 

"To get married," she specified. "Now my Becca's engaged, that makes you the last cousin left." 

"But Alexander isn't married," you said, looking at the three women as you spoke. "Neither's Dionne." 

"Oh Alexander's off travelling the world so he doesn't count," said your grandmother. "And well, Dionne's a lesbian." She whispered the last word, as though she'd be struck by lightning if she said it out loud. 

You narrowed your eyes in confusion.

"I'm calling it now," said Pauline. "I give it two years and we'll be watching you walk down the aisle." 

"I'm failing to see what I've done to give you that idea," you replied. 

Mara approached the table with a drink in her hand. You noticed her face fall when she realised her seat had been taken, rolling her eyes and grabbing one from nearby and dragging it across the floor to squeeze in between your aunt and grandmother. 

You felt your eyes glaze over as they continued talking; wondering how many times they'd had this exact conversation with you, how it was yet to dawn on them that you didn't want to hear it.

"And the quicker you have kids, the better," said your grandmother. "Luckily for you, Mara waited until she was older to start a family." 

Mara pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek. 

"Which means you've still got a chance of having children close in age." 

"Why would that matter?" you asked. 

"So they can be friends!" said your mother. "Think of how boring your childhood would've been if you didn't have your cousins to play with." 

"They never let me play with them..." 

"Soleil's, what, ten months old?" said your grandmother, ignoring your comment. "So Mara's going to want to have another in the next year or two-"

"Am I?" Mara raised her hands in confusion. 

"Which gives you time, Ellis, to meet someone and settle down." 

You tried to ignore the pang in your chest, the Father-Benedict-shaped knife in your gut. You cleared your throat and forced a nod. "Well, now that I know my entire future is contingent on my sister's reproductive system, I'll be sure to get right on it." 

Rebecca appeared at your table, placing a hand on the back of her mother's chair as she smiled down at you all. 

"Thanks so much for coming," she said excitedly. 

"Congratulations, love," said the women in uncanny unison. 

"Congratulations," Mara added.

You couldn't bring yourself to say anything, even a smile felt painful. 

She held out her hand, proudly showing off the large diamond on her finger. You stood up as they all began to coo and gush over the ring, quietly excusing yourself and meandering across the crowded rooftop. 

You ordered another drink, resting your elbow on the bar and massaging your temple with your fingers. The sun was dropping lower, and you wondered how much longer you would have to stay; how many more times you would bite your tongue or force a smile.

You felt someone brush against your arm, turning to see Mara standing beside you, leaning forward and resting her forehead on the bar as she groaned quietly to herself. 

"I'm sorry about that," she said. 

"About what?" 

"About mum and nan and aunt Pauline. You know they wouldn't have gone on like that if they knew what happened with the priest-"

"They've been reminding me of my ticking body clock since I was about twenty," you said plainly. "There's nothing you could've said to stop it." 

The bartender placed your fresh rum and coke in front of you. You thanked him and took a sip as Mara lifted her head, letting out a long, aggravated huff. 

"Why is it so hard for them to comprehend that a woman can be perfectly fulfilled without kids?" she said, turning to look at you. "D'you know I was completely content without children? Totally fine. I mean, I always assumed I'd have them eventually, but I didn't feel like I needed them to be happy."

You stayed quiet, watching her as the words began to spill, stumbling out of her mouth as though she couldn't form them quick enough. 

"We decided after we got married that what will be, will be, y'know? So we stopped using protection - if it was going to happen then it'd happen. But then... it didn't happen. And a few months turned into years, and suddenly it was like this... dark cloud looming over me. I became obsessed with just getting pregnant. With being capable of the very thing my body was made for. I completely lost sight of the baby that comes after, the literal human being we'd be bringing into the world and raising for the rest of our lives. I just wanted to prove I could get pregnant. I lived my life in 28 day cycles for seven years, making myself sick with stress, crying on the toilet when I got my period every fucking month. And it had nothing to do with wanting to be a mother. I just didn't want to be a failure." 

She glanced over her shoulder to the table where your mother, aunt and grandmother still sat. 

"And the whole time, I had to sit and listen to them droning on and on and on about how old I was getting, how strange it was that we hadn't started having babies as soon as we got married." She rolled her eyes. "Then I finally got pregnant with Soleil, and I was so... relieved. Not happy. Not excited. Relieved. Now she's here, and you know what, I adore her. She's amazing, I'm so lucky to be her mum. But god, I miss my life before her. I miss doing whatever the fuck I want, when I want; sleeping until midday, going out for a drink and not having to worry about being hungover with a baby to look after the next day, taking a shit with the door closed."

You laughed. 

"I'm not more fulfilled now that I have a child. I'm grateful, sure. But all that bullshit they keep hammering you with, Ellis, the clock ticking and the guilt tripping and the 'don't wait like Mara did'. Don't listen to it. They're not asking when you're going to settle down because they think you'll be a great wife or mother. It's because for some reason they can't fathom the idea that you might just be perfectly fucking content on your own." 

You paused, mulling over her words. "I just... I feel like they don't know how to talk to me. So instead they talk at me; tell me all the things they think a woman my age should be doing, without actually caring if any of that would be right for me." You took another sip of your drink. "Like, Jesus, why does it always have to be about men and kids and marriage? I just want to be asked about my favourite fucking cheese or something, y'know." 

Mara laughed and gestured to the bartender. "Two shots of sambuca, please." 

You grimaced. 

He placed them in front of her soon after. She slid a shot glass over to you before raising her own. You reluctantly raised yours, clinking them together before throwing it back in one gulp, gagging as the strong liquor burned your throat. 

Mara put her empty glass on the bar and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "What is your favourite cheese?" 

"Mozzarella." 

"What a boring fucking answer." 

You arrived home with the scent of alcohol on your clothes, a pounding in your head and ringing in your ears. There was a buzz in your bones, liquor warming your veins as you plodded barefoot up the stairs, carrying your heels in your hand. 

You unlocked the front door and stepped into your flat, darkness swaddling you like a blanket; closed curtains and filtered moonlight, mess you'd learned to navigate without sight. Your home had become a time capsule of the day he left; books still waiting to be shelved, the sacred heart propped on the table, two glasses unused on the draining board. 

You didn't bother to switch on a light, dropping your shoes and bag as you walked through the living room. You wondered what he was doing right now, if he was wandering through the dark somewhere, seeking solace in the shadows. 

Your new bed sat in pieces, still packed inside a large unopened box with the delivery label stuck to its side. You walked into the bedroom and stepped around it, as though it wasn't even there, turning your back to the floor-length mirror propped against the wall as you began to undress. 

You couldn't bear to look at yourself anymore; the things he'd loved about your body slowly wilting, fading away with each day that passed. Your breasts no longer filled the cups of your bra, and the elastic of your briefs no longer left indents in your hips. You were a husk, with protruding collarbones and a rutted spine, sunken cheeks and spindly wrists. A version of yourself you struggled to recognise, so you'd stopped trying.

You stripped down to your underwear and crawled onto the mattress in the middle of the floor, pulling the duvet up to your chin and closing your eyes, letting the alcohol slowly lull you to sleep. 

Autumn had crept in slow, turning the trees a muster of yellows and golds, rich reds and deep browns. They lined the streets like a tunnel, rusty leaves arching over the roads like a vaulted chapel ceiling. 

The bus rattled as it drove through puddles and potholes, the windows shuddering, passengers swaying. You clung to a small bag of groceries on your lap, the church coming into view as you rounded the next corner. You couldn't help but peer out at it, as though checking to see if it was all still there, if it had somehow changed in your month-long absence.

Your eyes narrowed when you noticed a car parked near the parish hall. It looked just like his, with faded paint and a crooked wing mirror, tyres in desperate need of air. You pressed the bell before you could talk yourself out of it, rushing down the aisle as the bus came to a halt at the next stop. You stepped down and hurried quickly across the church grounds, groceries in hand and a heartbeat in your throat. 

You pushed through the doors of the hall, the heels of your shoes squeaking against the shiny laminate floor as you marched inside. There was a group of people sitting in a circle, their heads turning in unison as you approached. You recognised most of them; Sandra and John and Marion and Louise, the same look of sadness on their faces that followed them to every grief support meeting. 

You stopped, eyes falling on the man in the white collar; greying hair and round cheeks, long eyelashes that fluttered as he blinked at you in confusion. He was a priest, but he wasn't your priest. 

"S-sorry..." you said quietly, taking a tentative step back. 

"That's okay," he replied. "Are you here for the session?" 

"Erm..." you glanced around at the people you knew, then down at the bag in your hand, the milk you needed to put in the fridge and loaf of bread that was probably squashed beyond repair. 

"Come sit down, Ellis," said Louise, patting an empty chair beside her. 

"Oh, you've been before?" the priest asked, shoulders relaxing slightly. 

You hesitated before finally joining them, sitting down without removing your coat and averting your eyes to the floor. 

"What was your name, sorry? Ellie?" 

"Ellis," you replied quietly.

"Ellis, got it. I'm Father Richard, I'm new to St Augustine's." 

Something inside you crumbled. You'd heard Father Benedict say that so many times, it felt like there was an imposter in his place, someone sitting in his chair, wearing his clothes. You were so stupid, so pathetic to think you'd walk in and see him there, smiling up at you as if the last month hadn't happened. 

You settled into your seat as he picked up where he'd left off, asking people questions and plucking bible verses from the top of his head. There was a woman on the other side of the circle you'd never seen at a meeting before. But you recognised her from mass, always in the back pews with her brood of children and handsome husband. You wondered who she'd lost, how she still managed to look so pretty in the throes of mourning.  

"I suppose I'm just struggling," she said. "The guilt is eating me alive. Every time I so much as laugh or smile I think how awful it is of me. My sister is dead, how dare I feel happy." 

The priest nodded, humming in understanding as he mulled over her words. "It's a completely normal feeling to experience after losing a loved one. Can anyone else relate to Colette's struggles with guilt?" 

There was a murmur of agreement, nods and shuffles around the circle. But you remained quiet, still, sinking into the coat that was too big for you now. 

"You know, you've actually reminded me of something that happened a few years ago," he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. "There was a lady at my old parish who lost her husband to a very sudden, short illness. She was... understandably devastated, they'd been married forty-odd years and within the space of a couple of weeks, he was gone. I did his funeral service, and two days later there was a village fête; some of us from the church went to try and raise some money for repairs."

You noticed an empty table across the room, and you couldn't help but think of Father Benedict; how he would have had water there for everyone, how he always chose to hold these meetings in the pub because it was smaller, comfier, less daunting and echoey. 

"Anyway, we've got our stands set up," he continued. "Some carnival type games and a stall selling cakes and what not. I look up and I see this woman coming towards us carrying these big handmade gift baskets for our raffle. Of course, I pulled her aside and I told her she didn't have to be there. She was grieving, buried her husband two days earlier, no one would expect her to spend the day at a busy fête. Then... She said something that stuck with me."

You tore your eyes from the table, forcing yourself to focus on the priest as he spoke.

"She said: 'would me not being here bring my husband back? If I sat at home, shutting myself off from things that bring me joy, would that change the fact that he's gone?' Then she smiled and said: 'Father, my life did not end when his did. But if I spend the years I have left moping around and missing out on things I enjoy, it might as well have. The love you have for someone is not measured in the misery you feel in their absence. It's in the joy you feel that you got to love them at all.' Then she walked off, got herself a bag of candy floss and won a teddy on a game of hook-a-duck." 

There was a murmur of sniffles and quiet chuckles around the circle. You watched Colette wipe a tear from her eye, smiling appreciatively and taking a deep, cleansing breath. And without a pause, the meeting continued. But you found yourself stuck on his words, playing them over in your mind like a broken cassette. 

*Tags: @evelynrosestuff @thealleydog @lexlexigogh @allie131313 @simpingbestie @ironstrange1991 @witchoftheages @hiddendiary @swds @jyessaminereads @withalittlehoney @hunterofshadows04 @slytherindoctorsat221b @diabaroxa @phoebe221 @hai-kbai @downtownshabby @dara-of-qui-zi @unfilteredmoonchild @classicrebound @bigratbitchsworld @aphroditesdilemma @bloodyxsaint @ployavengersog1 @spectaclebitch @paola-carter @gordorio @shjl15 @thedaredevilsgirl @howardtonypotts @ceccille @wllsfer @thelostsmiles @vi0letdaze @stanfanfiction @king-kongbebe-blog @sof38 @doctorscarletwitch @rmoonstoner @intrappolatatrairicordi @ehuether @dragonqueen89 @estheticwh0re @Lfp10836 @kanyewestest @star-girl-05 @theothersideofthescreen @battledress @chaosdorito @vlqueen @erratica47 @happybunnyclumsyduck @bloggerbatch @bimrwolf @chaand-sitara

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[yeah-thats-probably-it]

So I had Right Ho, Jeeves playing in the background just now and I noticed something I’d missed before:

“Of course, I’m right. I’ve got engaged three times at Brinkley. No business resulted, but the fact remains. And I went there without the foggiest idea of indulging in the tender pash. I hadn’t the slightest intention of proposing to anybody. Yet no sooner had I entered those romantic grounds than I found myself reaching out for the nearest girl in sight and slapping my soul down in front of her. It’s something in the air.”

What are these three engagements? To the best of my memory, and correct me if I’m wrong, but the only women Bertie has actually been engaged to that we know of at this point are Florence, Honoria, and Pauline. His first engagement to Madeline doesn’t happen until later in this book. He got engaged to Florence at a house party in Easeby, Honoria at her house, and Pauline in New York. Plus Honoria couldn’t have been one of them anyway because these sound like they were willing (if unplanned) engagements.

Doylist explanation is probably that Wodehouse bunged the line in because he needed Bertie to say something convincing at that moment and just didn’t give it much thought. What do we think the Watsonian explanation is? Is Bertie lying to Gussie to give him confidence? Is he, as I’ve recently decided to headcanon, presenting himself as unluckier in love than he really is to avoid raising suspicion about his refusal to marry? If he really got engaged three times at Brinkley, was this pre-Jeeves (in which case I assume the girls themselves broke the engagements without much fanfare)? Are those three ex-fiancées still, in that case, lurking menaces who remain unaccounted for to this day? If they were Jeeves-era engagements, you’d think we’d have heard about them, because Jeeves obviously isn’t going to take that sitting down. Are there lost in-universe Jeeves manuscripts floating around somewhere? Why didn’t Bertie publish them?

Dozens of exciting possibilities

[ijustwannaseecoolart]

Smiling Critter Office AU

This idea has been pestering me. Basically, the Critters work at a regional office of a conglomerate company called Daylight, Inc. Here are the critters:

Dawson "DogDay" Dayton

Regional Manager.

Nepo baby (his dad is the CEO).

His friends/employees sometimes make fun of him for this.

Doesn't like flaunting his family's wealth. (At least not explicitly; just look at the three-piece suits he always wears).

Throws the best office parties.

Weighed down by his family's lofty expectations.

Felix "CatNap" Nightly

Assistant Regional Manager. NOT Assistant to the Regional Manager. He gets hissy if you get that wrong.

Sleeps on the job constantly, but he somehow manages to get all his work done. Therefore, DogDay sees no reason to fire him.

Cat of few words.

Comes from a poor family.

NEVER ask him to do any public speaking. He'll just run away.

Holds a grudge against Daylight. What for? That's a story for another time.

Christine "CraftyCorn" DaVinci

Receptionist/DogDay's secretary.

Has a huge crush on him, but is scared of being seen as a gold digger.

Ultimately dreams of being an artist, but got stuck with this job, which she views as a dead-end one.

Surprisingly enough, she can drink anyone under the table.

Doodles in her spare time, but immediately destroys them.

Her sleep schedule is ABYSMAL.

Roberta "Bearhug" Grylls

Head of HR and is ACTUALLY good at it.

One of the office's two chain smokers.

Abandonment issues and separation anxiety due to her parents dying. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Huge crush on CatNap.

Tried her hand at being a sales rep, but somehow ended up getting an innocent person's house raided. DogDay had to beg his dad not to fire her.

Henrietta "Hoppy" Hopscotch

Sales rep

Office menace

Ongoing prank war with Kickin

Keeps weapons around the office

Makes a contest out of everything

Kyle "KickinChicken" Gallifore

Sales rep

Best-dressed one here after DogDay

Skateboards to work or takes a dirt bike

Ongoing prank war with Hoppy

From a family of entertainers

He's only here because he needs to do something before he gets his big break. Or at least that's what he says.

Pauline "PickyPiggy" Berkshire

Accountant

Helps with the food aspect of DogDay's office parties

Sassy and headstrong when she wants to be

From a family of farmers

Steals any unattended food

Surprisingly scary when she gets angry

William "Bubbaphant" Mammuthus

Head of Accounting Department

The office's other chain smoker

Most likely to take up overtime

Photographic memory. He remembers everything his friends have ever done since they met. Good luck winning an argument against him.

Sick of his everyone's crap

(If anyone could draw this, that would be nice)

[kinopeachy]

half of my heart is in havana 🧡❤️

daisy & pauline singing a duet of havana at a new year’s party ♪

i made this for an art trade on twitter! my last art of 2023, and my first time drawing pauline! looking forward to drawing more mario girls in 2024!

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Mario Movie Is Not Canon To The Games P2

Part 1

Now for other things that are extra details that separate the movies from the games.

Toad a close friend of Peach and member of the Mushroom Council in the games has not meet Peach in the movies. Toad is also dressed more like Captain Toad which is a separate character in the games.

Super Star is treated as a rare object that must be heavily guarded in the movie. While in the games they are extremely abundant even used without a care in Party events or part of a special move in SMRPG. In addition their more Power counterparts which Bowser usually goes after are also still pretty abundant. With Power Moons which are Power Stars in another shape being extremely common. Honestly the way the Super Star is treated in the movie is more like the Star Rod.

Fire Flowers are merely touched in the movie while they are established to be eaten in games.

Mario hates mushrooms in the movie while in the games has loved them since he was little.

Mario uses a Cat Suit in the movie while he didn't get this Power-Up until the events of Super Mario 3D World.

Pauline is the mayor of New Donk City. While in the games Mario was dating Pauline and it's implied she hadn't become Mayor yet.

Kamek acts more like a yesman with Bowser never questioning him. In Bowser has been shown to question others to insure his plan goes off right, and Kamek is acting more like Kammy Koopa in the movie. Kamke isn't really a yesman and often advises Bowser, which has even lead to arguments between the 2.

Foreman Spike end sup on good terms and cheering for Mario and Luigi by the end of the movie. However, in the games Spike doesn't see Mario in a better light until after Wrecking Crew 98.

Karts in the movie are the modern karts while in the games at this point they only had pipe frame karts. The anti gravity can also go atop water in the movie unlike the games.

Rainbow Road breaks due to a Blue Shell in the movie, which never happens in game.

Speaking Blue shells. The Blue Spiked Shelled Paratroopa in the movie is not a thing in the games. In games Blue Koopa Troopas aren't the highest rank and if anything it Gold Shells would be a rank above. But regardless it's actually the Koopatrol that are the elite Koopa Troopas. Adding on to that, the Blue Shell is not a Koopa Troopa Shell in the games but rather a Spiny Shell. They also didn't look this at this point in the timeline.

Fire Donkey Kong in the movie doesn't look like his game version.

Super Bell Trees don't show up in the Mushroom Kingdom but rather the Sprixie Kingdom. The same goes for the Clear Pipes.

Peach's Castle already has a stain glass window, while in the games it's established this was added due to Bowser's constant invasions.

Toad Guards in the movies are far more effective than they are in the games.

King Boo and his Boos were probably not working for Bowser at this time and it would be until future entries would they work together. The same goes for King Bob-omb and his Bob-ombs, who also doesn't have a fuse in the games.

Dry Bones and Chain Chomps were not part of Bowser's Army in SMB and wouldn't join until SMB3.

Koopa Troopas unlike in the movie were not wielding spears and wearing armor in the early games. The majority of them were also quadrupled in the games until Super Mario World when they finally went bipedal. While in the movie they are all bipedal. The same goes for Paratroopas. Peach also mentions all turtles being evil in the movie, while this is far from the case in the games. As evident by Koopa Village which is part of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The majority of Hammer Bros. in the early games didn't have shoes early on while in the movie they do have shoes

While Shy Guys were part of Bowser's Army at this point, they were not part of the events of SMB.

Bramballs are in the Grasslands instead of Jungle Biomes.

Lakitus which are major members of Bowser's army which show up in SMB are absent from the movie. Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps some more major minions of Bowser are also absent from Bowser's army in the movie. Both of the enemies show up in SMB as well.

The Adult Penguins in the movie are closer to the size of Baby Penguins in the games. They are also inhabiting the Snow Kingdom in movie which should actually be inhabited by the Shiverians. In the games the Penguins are primarily found in around places like Cool Cool Mountain which is part of the Mushroom Kingdom and not too far away from the Grasslands.

Speaking of locations, the map from the movie looks nothing like the one from games. The continent the Mushroom Kingdom is on seems to only have Grasslands and not the Eastern or Western side of this Kingdom, places like the Beanbean Kingdom, and more on it. Which includes the Koopa Kingdom as well. It also has a different shape from the Mushroom Continent. Mario, Peach, and Toad also go to Yoshi's Island which the Bros. and Peach did not go to until the events of Super Mario World in the games. Yoshi's also seems to lack the surrounding area of Dinosaur Land, let alone isn't in the Cheep Cheep Sea which located in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Also, we see a Yoshi egg in the sewers of New York in the end credits and is implied to be Mario Buddy Yoshi. However, Mario's buddy Yoshi is the Star Child Yoshi and hatched on Yoshi's Island probably during the events of Yoshi Story. They also first met during the events of Super Mario World when Bowser trapped Yoshi and his friends in eggs probably because of an previous encounter.

So yeah, I think with all that being said it should be clear now the Movie cannot be canon to the Canon of Mario Tales.