#Even if Mario and her aren’t married yet

[skulls-soul]

I have seen princess peach being really supportive about the bowuigi relationship or princess peach being really against the relationship

I’ve seen Princess peach, be heartbroken and field, betrayed by Bowser and Luigi getting into a relationship and I’ve seen Princess peach be severely relieved

Do you know what I haven’t seen Princess peach being as worried as Mario like she loves Luigi and wants him to be happy but she’s not sure if Bowser is the one who can give him that happiness

Just imagine her and Mario sitting on the couch in the brothers cottage waiting for weegee to come home from his date. she’s in overalls just in case if he doesn’t come home so that way both her and Mario can very quickly go and rescue Luigi 

When Luigi finally does come back both her and Mario tackle him, asking him a bunch of questions while simultaneously checking if he’s ok

They love lu and will fight anyone who dares to hurt him emotionally or physically that person will have a funeral

[suntoru]

─ ✰ COUNTDOWN TO YOUR LOVE!!

✧˚ · . 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 most definitely does not have a crush on his best friend. so what’s this feeling when somebody else is planning on confessing to you?

— warnings: oblivious gojo af, fluff, mild violence, might be ooc, please be nice i have only watched like the first episode of jjk, idk what else

— author’s note: is it shittily written? yes. but is it finished? also yes. HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVES <;33

“guys, guys, brace yourself for the tea i have!! nanamin is gonna confess to y/n tonight at the new years party!!”

“huh?! seriously?” nobara gasps theatrically, her eyes widening in interest. she springs up from the couch, tail -imaginary or not-wagging in anticipation as she eagerly leans in for the juicy gossip.

*chokes* "...what?" gojo gags on his tea, coughing violently. he's surely joking. there's no way. "y/n, as in like, my best friend, y/n?"

“i know, right? i was surprised too!! after all, i was sure mister nanami was more interested in marrying his paperwork than finding real love, but that’s what i heard!” yuji spills, enthusiasm radiating from every word.

"that's... great." gojo manages to mutter, and for once, he has nothing ese to say.

“it’s about time, he’s pushing thirty, and he’s still single… as the youngsters say, he has… L rizz.” nobara laughs boisterously with her hands on her hips, thoroughly entertained by her own joke. meanwhile, yuji cocks his head in confusion at his friend's delusions. …is she going senile?

“well, aren’t you also single…?”

'hush, yuji! the point is, there's gonna be some spicy drama!" nobara squeals, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "we're talking romance unraveling like a well-scripted k-drama!! get ready for some flashy love confessions, and hopefully, a heart-fluttering kiss scene!!"

11: 56 PM

fuck, why can't i focus? gojo groans as he loses yet another round of mario kart to nobara. the image of you lingers in his mind from earlier that day, engaged in conversation with the blonde. he can't ignore the subtle indications; your flustered demeanor, a slight tint of pink on your cheeks, your refusal to make eye contact. clear signs of a crush. you surely like him back, there's no denying it.

and he should be happy for his friend— should be, but all he can feel is an unexplainable tightness that grips his chest, like a weight he can't shake off. he can't quite put a pin on it, it's an unknown emotion, but it all feels ugly nonetheless. it must have been something he ate earlier. ...yeah, that's it.

as he tries to ignore the overwhemling feeling of dispair, his attention flickers to the lively scene, and there you are, donning one of those goofy 2024 glasses that make your whole demeanor even more endearing. a lopsided smile graces your face as you engage in cheerful banter with megumi, and just like that, a fuzzy feeling envelops him, coaxing a smile to creep up on his face involuntarily. but before he can revel in the moment, a sudden flick on his forehead disrupts his thoughts.

"hey— ow, what was that for?" he whines, rubbing his forehead and directing a puzzled gaze towards utahime.

"you're so dense." she huffs in annoyance, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at his apparent obliviousness. he looks up at her, confusion etched across his features.

"i- huh? whaddya mean by that?" he stares at her in confusion. utahime sighs in exasperation, irritation visible. "how stupid are you? do i have to spell it out for you? you. like. y/n." the words hang in the air. ...i ... like... y/n...?

and then it hits him like a brick wall. the reason behind stinging feeling in his chest. you being with nanami meant no more midnight snack runs, no more drunken gossip sessions, no more attempts to fluster you. those simple pleasures, the serotonin rush sparked by your mere smile, threaten to slip away.

the thought of losing you; his best friend, his one and only, shakes him to the bottom of his core. his heart, like a drum, pounds in his chest, a resounding beat of denial and awakening. ...no way... he couldn't... does he...?

could he truly say that the way he always seems to gravitate towards you in group gatherings, the way his eyes subconsciously find their way towards yours, the sudden surge of warmth he gets when you praise him was all truly platonic? perhaps he didn't acknowledge it before, but his heart has long declared what he only now comprehends: he loves you. he loves you.

he's loved you ever since you were five and he was seven, when you announced proudly to everyone that you were now his best friend for life. he's loved you when you were eleven and he was thirteen, when you sought refuge in his arms, tears streaming down your face because of a bully. he's loved you when you were eighteen and he was twenty, hung up on some random jerk who didn't even treat you right.

his eyes dart over to where nanami is, pacing closer towards you— he's going to lose everything if he doesn't move.

he can't lose you.

so he runs across the large room, dashing towards you, heaving and huffing. "FIVE!" everybody begins to chant. "gojo?" you good? need something?" "FOUR!" your voice is soft and sweet, like a honeyed daydream, etched with concern. how could he not have realized, it was you all along? it was always going to be you. "THREE!" "hey." he says breathlessly. "yeah?" you mumble, curious as to what he was about to say next. "TWO!" "slap me if you hate it." "hate what?" "ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!"

he pulls you towards him, using both hands to grab your face, planting a passionate on your plush lips, your eyes widening as everybody else cheers knowingly.

bonus!! earlier:

"you like him. gojo."

nanami simply states, a ghost of a smile on his lips. you feel your face heat up. how did he know? was it that obvious? that's so embarrassing... oh my god. you can't look him in the eye, you just want to shrivel up and disappear in the ground... "you're both so stupidly oblivious." he mutters under his breath.

©kaeffeinee 2023. do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works on any platform.

[smbrearranged]

Head Cannons!

So, I wanted to put out some general head cannons about the character’s personalities because why not? Luigi -He’s a soft boi but knows what he wants when he wants it and is willing to do what it takes to get it. -He’s the prince of the mushroom kingdom because Mario and his adoptive parents didn’t want him to have to stress about having too much work since he was frail as a kid. He no longer is, but it’s just how things turned out. -Luigi has a little bit of trauma from his time with Daisy. Of course things turned out okay and it was only temporary, but he won’t even look at her for things that she said and did to him over that day they were together. -Luigi sort of already knew that Bowser was hiding a big part of him. He’s not an oracle, but he occasionally has these dreams where he sees a small bit of the future and one of the things he saw was Bowser changing forms with Luigi in his arms. -He’s transgender, but genderfluid more than anything. His pronouns are He/him and he is comfortable being addressed as a prince, but he adores wearing dresses and skirts. He’s also generally more feminine in nature because of his kindness. No one judges him though, since he is the best ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and if anyone did try to say something, they’d be facing war from Mario’s Empire.

Mario -Mario is the best older brother. Absolutely the best, he loves his little brother more than anything and when Luigi came out to him as young teens, he helped Luigi get more comfortable in his skin and helped when Luigi needed help picking a more masculine name. -Mario is not an emperor, yet! His father before him also wasn’t an emperor until after he married, so, potentially, if Mario chose to never marry but still have offspring, he’d never be emperor. Not that he minded, he was pretty content by himself. -Mario is Polyamorous! He is okay with just one partner, but he knows he needs more to be satisfied. That being said, he wants a closed relationship, he doesn’t want to have to worry about his partners getting sick because of a bad time or anything like that. -Mario is totally okay with Bowser and Luigi’s relationship and actually finds it cute! Interspecies relationships aren’t a problem for him since his and Luigi’s parents were one such couple. Their parents were a Toadette and a Bogmire by the names of Timpani and Blumiere respectively.

Peach -She’s a great girl :) the best girl and a great friend to Bowser. She never let his intimidating true appearance change her opinion of Bowser, even when he would get angry. She loves Bowser as a brother and has always cared for him and always will support him. -She becomes an ambassador for the Koopa Kingdom since she is really good at public speaking and negotiations. She doesn’t actually become a princess since she isn’t related to Bowser, but she is perfectly content with her position and is allowed to travel as she pleases between business meetings. -She isn’t exactly Poly, but she eventually ends up in a closed relationship with two people. She’s not the most active partner, but is a good compromise between their personalities and issues. She’s soft and kind, but knows when to put her foot down. She also appreciates aspects from both since one is responsible and doting while the other is strong and diligent. Peach loves both of them because they allow her to explore and be herself while still welcoming her back almost as if nothing has changed. -Peach can’t ever see her parents again, sadly, as the pipe never returns during their lifetime and her parents are left knowing that her and Bowser are either dead or lost somewhere. She regrets not calling them more often, but knows that she is much happier in this new world full of magic and beautiful scenery.

Bowser -Bowser has anger issues, but he does everything he can to keep from being violent or angry with anyone. He even commissioned a special room so that he could rage and not damage anything important in the castle. it’s full of easily made china, bats, punching bags, breakable boards, etc. He enjoys the relief it brings when he feel like he can’t control his emotions well enough. Luigi and Peach are also senses of calm for him, being able to ground him when he was starting to get mad. -He’s very uncertain with his and Luigi’s relationship at first, worried that their rushing it, but Luigi is quick to reassure him that he wouldn’t be there if he didn’t want Bowser. Luigi is also the first to initiate a kiss between them because he knows Bowser is too much of a worry wart. -Bowser adores Luigi as much as Luigi adores Bowser. He’s the first person to truly accept him and appreciate him in his true form besides Peach, and Luigi is the first person to actually like that form more than his human form. (Bowser wasn’t sure why until Luigi explained about his preferences later on in the relationship, but he was more than happy to oblige) -For whatever reason, even in Bowser’s human form, he and Luigi are never able to have a biological child. -Bowser is a righteous king and a good ruler and lover. He’s kind and knows when to step away while still being able to command respect and, when needed, fear, but he’s always looking to solve things peacefully.

Extras -Daisy is eventually tried and sent to an island that no one can reach once she’s there with only the basics to survive. She does eventually escape, but she no longer has any power and it took time for her to build herself back up to attack. -Waluigi and Wario become Bowser’s servants since they showed remorse for what happened. However, they aren’t allowed anywhere near Luigi because of his trauma. -Queen Rosalina, Queen of the Boos, does not like Bowser and thinks he is unfit to rule. -Donkey Kong, king of the Kongs, is a recluse and hides his people, however, when word reached him of a new, kinder Koopa King, he attended the coronation which introduced him to a new world of people. -Prince Boo, celestial being of the cosmos, is well known in the world and is both revered and feared. He was known to be chaotic, but only took real action when the galaxy is in danger. He enjoys teasing Luigi and eventually becomes a good friend to the human. Prince Boo does have a crush on Luigi, but for multiple reasons, he doesn’t pursue the human prince. -Koopalings for hire! They take the place of Wario and Waluigi and are basically hitmen or thugs for hire. Kamek recommends them for a simple retrieval mission and Luigi and Bowser both find the struggling kids cute and feel bad that they’ve had to live that way for so many years. They take the kids in a week after they get a very special present. Ludwig is the oldest at 17 and Larry and Lemmy are the youngest at 10. -The BeanBean Kingdom is ruled by Queen Cackletta and Prince Fawful, Their ambassadors, Bean and Peasley tried to steal Luigi’s voice to empower the Beanstar, but Prince Fawful heard of the plan and warned Luigi. Basically, the Super Star Saga plot takes place, but with altered characters and such. Mario becomes Rookie, Peach and Bowser are like Mario and Luigi, and Luigi is Peach ofc. That’s just how it goes lol. Things turn out great and Bowser, Luigi, and Mario are all able to acquire treaties with the BeanBean Kingdom. -Yoshi’s are more intelligent and have a kingdom and a super star of their own. Their king is literally named King Yoshi and is a rare Green Yoshi. -Penguins are sweet little babies that allow you to slide on them when traveling through their icy dessert hills. They are significantly larger than the ones we see in games and movies, since they are ridden, they have to be large enough to hold others. They love fish.

I have some other head cannons, but they will be answered in the fics I write for this. If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer!

[mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune]

Mario & Luigi’s Baby Sister: Katarina Mario (Mario-OC)

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[Note: Don’t Reblog Without Permission, and I want to use this as a type of Cover for a future story over at Quotev when I am able to, so only I can use it on both here and over there...]  

Credit for Super Mario Bros goes to Nintendo

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I did this drawing on November 13, 2022....

and just now on May 1, 2023....I finally made some finishing touches to it.

like putting a letter on her hat and finally giving her a name...

I was going to go with a name that starts with a “N”, but I decided to go with “K” instead, and I think the name Katarina Mario works.

not only is it Italian, but it is also the same name of a character from My Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!

Katarina Mario, has overalls on, a sleeveless shirt on, long fingerlings gloves,

black tights and brown boots in the two versions of her with and without the hat.

the Princess dress & crown, could be seen as a costume for a costume party.

if Katarina did have a best friend, it would be Mario’s Ex-Girlfriend, Daniella Verducci. (which the name Daniella Verducci, is really Mario’s Girlfriend and Possible Wife at the end of the Super Mario Bros. 1993 Film...I’m pretty sure I had just notice while watching a DVD of it....I think I saw a ring on her finger when she was cooking for herself, Mario and Luigi....I think Mario and Daniella, could be married at the end of the movie, maybe....but it just seems that way.)

it could turn out that back when Katarina was really little, Daniella use to babysit her and they grew close like sisters, even if they aren’t related.

besides being friends with Daniella, and having a Big Sister & Little Sister bond with each other...

it might be possible she could be a “Daddy’s Girl”...

also I got to say that even though I might need to wait to see the new Super Mario Bros Movie...and it will be worth the wait.

I love how Mario & Luigi’s Parents look in the movie, I hope they appear in a future game and are fully canon. :) 

I mean even if I haven’t saw the movie yet, doesn’t mean I can’t still find out what they look like, like finding them on a Bio on some Mario Fandom place.

Katarina Mario, exist in a Fanon Timeline, where the Mario Brothers Have a younger sister and who they view as their baby sister.

it be funny if when she was little, she made her brothers play save the damsel-in-distress from the dungeon (which would be the closet...), and each time, Luigi would be the one in the closet and had to wear a princess dress, long wig and makeup that Katarina put on him...and she could of ended up put a little too much on his face.

Katarina would play the Knight, and Mario had to be the bad guy who had captured the Princess and put her in the dungeon (which is still the closet),

she could of tried to get Mario wear the dress, but Katarina may have decided it had looked much better on Luigi.

it would also be funny if during her terrible twos, Mario and Luigi were scared because she was a little terror during those times...

she could of kept calling Luigi “Hello, Clarice...”

which could of both confused and frighten him.

the one who had it worse, could of been Mario...

he couldn’t sleep unless he knew she was sleeping, which on certain days during the long months somewhere after she turned 2 years old and onward...

she could of been creepy, like going into Mario and Luigi’s room...

and going right over to Mario and climbing onto his bed and standing next to him and just looking at him before poking him on the nose, waking him up...

and he would be startled at seeing her do this for the first time,

but not even more so when she whispers in a creepy way...

“sleep with one eye open, because as soon as you fall asleep....I’m going to shave your hair in the middle, and color your hair pink and throw sparkles and glitter on it.....and that wont be the worse part...”

and each night after that, since she was 2 years old...

Mario had sleep with one eye open. XD

compared to facing Bowser, he is nothing compared to the times when Mario & Luigi feared for their lives when their baby sister turned 2 years old, and they had to hope and pray that her third birthday came soon....                                 

it be funny if they made video proof of those moments.

during when she was still having her terrible twos, she could of proclaimed herself “Empress Of The Turtles”, because she somehow brought turtles home after her Luigi took her to the park, and she had Luigi carry a big box and said it was full of her “new friends” and as soon as they got inside, she let them out of the box and she ended up wearing a paper crown, a towel as a royal cape.

I think that any time her family brings that up, she might get really embarrassed. that idea does seem interesting, I know it did make me laugh just typing it.

anyway once again Katarina Mario is suppose to be Mario & Luigi’s Sister...

but she isn’t canon and is a fanon only character.

hope some like this idea, and sometime I will write a short story about her.            

[regina-del-cielo]

I’m going to write some Nile/Lykon bonding headcanons that are so self-indulgent

Obviously, this is a ‘Lykon didn’t die’ situation (and I’m assuming Quynh is there too because All is Good and Nothing Hurts ok?)

He goes by Luke these days, mostly because he really liked Star Wars – all his aliases start with an L, because like Nicky he has a chronic inability to respond to any name that doesn’t sound like his own

He and Joe are prank kings and constantly competing over who has the best one-liner

When they take breaks Lykon takes Booker under his arm with a quip of ‘let the Married Couples go have their Honeymoons, we Free Men are going to have So Much Fun’ and they travel the world together. Shenanigans Ensue

Per my previous headcanon, Lykon is left-handed and Nicky is ambidextrous (most likely left-handed forced to use the right hand), so they share an entire set of ‘specifically built for lefties’ supplies in their most used safe houses. Like Nicky, Lykon also double wields when he uses guns (which is more often than he’d like to, spears have become quite cumbersome in modern warfare)

When Nile is introduced to the Guard, she has a bit of a hard time with Lykon because he reminds her so much of her little brother that it hurts even looking at him for too long

Lykon, on the other hand, is ready to go Full Golden Retriever on her, and while he’s waiting for Nile to adjust he’s basically vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass

(but he’s a considerate man and is perfectly willing to give her space, and ‘seriously Andromache did you have to shoot her?!’)

Nicky, Joe and Booker tease Lykon to death because ‘even the new kid has less of a baby face than you man’

Lykon absolutely adores her name and is so ready to infodump her on all the little cool facts he knows about the Nile River. Which are. A Lot.

Nile responds to this by trading Star Wars Trivia from the new movies Lykon didn’t have the time to see yet and OH BOY THEY’RE TOTALLY SETTING UP TEAM MOVIE NIGHTS

(nothing drives home the fact that Nile is A Kid like Lykon saying that the ‘recent movie’ he’s obsessed with is The Lion King and Nile, completely deadpan, telling him that she was born the year it came out in theaters)

(Quynh and Andy laugh hysterically for two hours while Lykon goes to Dramatically Lie Down and Bemoan the Weight of his Years. Booker asks if this means he’ll stop blasting The Circle of Life in the car every time he takes shotgun. Nicky and Joe protest, because they actually like that soundtrack, stop complaining)

Now that turbans have fallen out of style for men in most countries (much to Lykon’s complete displeasure), he either keeps his hair shorn (with cheeky shaved designs if he’s feeling it) or lets it grow into an afro

But when Nile is looking up some new hairstyle she’d wanted to try but couldn’t because of Marine regulations, he offers for her to try it on him first so she can exercise the movements before making it on herself

He also offers to help her braid her hair where she can’t reach or simply when her arms grow tired

Nile sees a drawing from Joe of Lykon with a turban on and asks him to teach her how to make one

Lykon almost starts crying and runs to get his scarves. They make a fashion show out of it; Quynh helps with the matching outfits, ‘if you have to show off, then do it in style!’

Joe and Lykon are Very Particular™ about having the Proper Hair Products in every safe house, and liberally share them with Nile the first time she has to redo her hair. Lykon also shares his Secret Tricks from when conditioner was Not A Thing, because you never know what could happen

When it takes Lykon’s turn to train Nile in combat, instead of handing her a weapon he gets out a Wii console and sets up Dance Dance Revolution. “You’d be surprised how much battle footwork resembles this game”

(He’s the best of them at dance games, but she destroys them all at Mario Kart)

Nile and Lykon are at the perfect opposite of the temperature tolerance spectrum: while Nile can deal with the cold much better than most of the Guard excluding Andy, Lykon can function without too much fuss even when temperatures go higher than 40°C, as long as humidity isn’t too heavy. He’s the true desert boy, even more than Joe. The only person who can deal with heat better than him is Quynh, because she doesn’t flinch at high humidity percentages

It happens sometimes that undercover ops require the Guard to play couples that aren’t actually paired up in real life. Lykon and Nile, however, can only play siblings. The first time they tried to kiss ‘for show’ they started laughing and cringing so hard that it was clearly impossible for them to look romantically entangled

(Nile is great at playing Andy or Quynh’s wife, though. Lykon’s best ‘romantic performances’ are, not so surprisingly, with Joe, because they both take it like it’s a Theatre Production and somehow make it work)

When Nile gets to her inevitable ‘immortal adrenaline junkie’ phase, her worst enabler is Lykon. Him, Nile and Joe become the Squad’s Professional Yeeters™

Nile sets up an encrypted Spotify team account and creates a playlist for each of them. Lykon’s contains Beyoncé’s entire discography, and their duet of ‘All The Single Ladies’ is still one of the best karaoke performances in the history of the Guard

[watevermelon]

Patience is a Virtue | Shinsuke Kita x Reader

✧ Summary: You lost track of the days that you were in love with Kita. He was so much more than just the team mom that many outsiders dubbed him as. He was the wielder of cold-logic and held the bluntest of words at times, but he showed his own special brand of care for each member of the team. What you hadn’t expected was for him to especially care about you.  ➳ Warnings: Language because twins lmao ➳ Tags: Childhood friends to lovers; mostly fluff and humor; Atsumu being a little shit; friends trying to be match-makers; mild jealousy on Kita’s part; introspection and some character development

✧  Masterlist

---xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx---

As the manager of the Inarizaki volleyball club, you were no stranger to the antics of your generally loud team. And while this was usually elicited by the twins, with most of the team ahem especially Suna being no help (since many would rather film then break-up the fight), you were almost a pro at keeping them calm to the public eye.

You grew up alongside most of the members of the team, a strange connection between all of the players. From advanced classes in junior high to being literal neighbors to some of them, you were long-term classmates with many of the members - including the captain himself.

Kita was much more than the doting team mom than people gave him credit for. Yes, he was often the face of the team, the voice of reason that handled the interviews and other press coverage, but this all came from a place of stone-cold reason. He had strict routines and never cared about doing things without practical rationale. Kita had a mature way of thinking, often compartmentalizing both people and emotions, to the point that it made people his own age not relate to him.

Even the quiet Suna, the analytical little shit who loved to poke fun at said captain, had honestly admitted that he thought Kita to be on the robot-side of the emotional spectrum. 

And, despite all this, Kita was the long-term object of your affections.

It was all the little things that made your crush on him grow. From his proper speech, the blunt words no matter to whom he was speaking to, or his unusual brand of care he extended toward his teammates, Kita was the foundation of Inarizaki that you fell for. And when he was named captain of the volleyball team? You almost cried alongside him, reveling in the rare fit of pure happiness that he was gracing your eyes with.

You remembered the last time you walked home together, for once not being called away on separate duties as captain and leading manager. He treated you to ice-cream and walked along you side-by-side.

“Mint chocolate-chip with two cherries.” He told the street-cart vendor confidently, knowing your favorite flavors by heart at this point.

You ordered for him in kind, receiving the treat from the vendor as Kita paid for both of your orders. Anyone else would be contesting it, but you knew that Kita would not take no for an answer. He did stuff like this all the time with you, you were better off not fighting it. This was not the hill you wanted to die on.

But you were surprised when Kita licked at your ice cream, smiling as he tasted it and maintaining your gaze head-on. The shock on your face must have been evident since the smirk on his widened. You reached for the cone in his hand, only for him to lightly slap it away.

“Should I be asking with a pretty please or something?” You asked with a playful pout.

“No.” Kita replied, before lowering it to your eye-level.

Did he want you to lick it? While he was holding it????

Wordlessly, you followed his silent command and felt the minty taste of your afternoon snack on your tongue. Kita watched the action, eyes following your tongue as he shot you a friendly smile. He pulled away before you could get that much more, before licking your ice cream again.

Was that an indirect kiss???

“My, you two make quite the couple.” The vendor commented, clasping her hands together as she watched your interaction.

“We’re not dating.” Kita answered, squashing any hope you had from that interaction.

He was just?? So confusing??

You had so many little moments like this over the years. So many that had you often questioning deep into the night what truly was your relationship with the blunt captain of Inarizaki. You fell for him so many years ago, it made you wonder when was the last time you really thought of him as just a friend. Did he truly not know about your feelings?

But Kita was smart and on just as many occasions, you wondered if he knew the truth but simply did nothing about them. If he could read the twins with little effort, there was no doubt he understood your feelings long-ago, but decided not to act.

At least, that was your reason behind not openly admitting it to him:

That Kita knew you had a crush on him. And since he did not feel the same, it was better off if he did not address them.

And so you never brought it up, stewing in silence for years. 

Eight years was a long time to be in love alone.

“You should just give up on him.” Jisoo, your fellow Inarizaki manager commented one day. She was in the same class as the twins, a year your junior.

The both of you were lounging outside in the courtyard for lunch, a humidly hot day that made the two of you especially lazy this particular school-day. Only a few more hours more and you would be free of classes, liberated of any schoolwork and finally enjoying the weekend.

You were mindlessly scrolling through your phone, looking at the different posts on social media from your various friends. Atsumu had posted of his serve practice the day before, his comment section flooded with various hearts by his fan-club of all things. Osamu’s private Instabook was of food while Aran’s had posted one of the day’s blue skies.

“Why would I do that?” You asked with a sigh, already used to her trying to guide you away from him. You understood why, it was hardly a smart decision to hold onto your feelings, not that you really cared.

“Aren’t you tired of it by now?”

But was that a good enough reason at this point? You were a third-year and about to graduate. If there was one thing that was constant throughout your entire life in the farming prefecture you called a home, it was that you had feelings for the captain.

The sky was blue. Summer was hot. You liked Kita.

It was that simple sometimes. And while there were moments that hurt your heart, it was not like you had any head-space to even try to stop.

“Maybe.” You answered candidly, “Honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to. But I don’t want to either.”

“I worry about you, senpai.”

“What can I say?” You tried to joke, even with your sad smile. “Kita has my heart on lock-down.”

“We’re all going to the twins’ party this weekend, why don’t you try talking to some of the guys there?”

“Not this again.” You complained as you put your phone down on the table.

“Come on!” Jisoo pushed, “I’m sure there’ll be someone there that peaks your interest.”

You raised a brow in response, doubt evident on your face.

She teased, “It could also be on a purely physical level.”

Laughing at her statement, you said. “Like that’s any better.”

“A little smooches here and there never hurt anyone.”

“Now I’m worrying about you.”

She giggled, before continuing. “Just think about it. First guy tonight who hits on you, give him a chance.”

While you would have dismissed the thought immediately, there was something rather playful happening in the pit of your stomach. As if, for once in a long-time, you wanted to feel the puppy love of just casually flirting. Of grinning and laughing along with someone's advances and actually enjoying one these parties; rather than just sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart waiting for Kita to hopefully show.

“I don’t know, maybe.”

She sighed loudly, happy to have cracked you a little. Jisoo continued with a teasing grin on her face. “Oh right, I forgot. You’re a masochist.”

“I could’ve told ya that.” Another voice broke out, the familiar setter of two-tone hair taking the seat next to you. He picked at one of your french-fries, eating it with no preamble as Suna took the seat diagonal from you, next to Jisoo at the picnic table outside. 

For someone who spoke a lot of game about not being caught up with the twins, Suna tended to hang around Atsumu quite a bit.

“I am not a masochist.” You defended from Atsumu’s words, earning an eye-roll from the other female manager.

“Why else would you agree to manage a team with the twins?” Suna quipped before taking out his phone, probably scrolling through social media as well. Atsumu shrugged in agreement, a smirk on his face.

“Also, tell that to your love life.” Jisoo countered, playfully moving her lunch out of Atsumu’s reach before the setter could commandeer some of hers.

You quietly pushed the rest of your fries in his direction, appetite long gone on this overly humid day. Doing this sort of thing was actually quite natural with the twin, sharing food and hugs were a normal thing with your friend.

“It’s not that bad.” You argued.

“Wait, have ya ever dated before?” Atsumu asked.

“Have you?” You countered back, the setter was infamous for his many… romantic encounters. But the young man had yet to ever put a serious label on any of those instances, at least not to your knowledge.

He rolled his eyes in response, turning to Jisoo instead to continue.

“Come on senpai, not even a smooch?” She pushed.

You felt your face flush at having been called out, “Well....”

Atsumu turned his body toward you in his seat, his insufferably confident smirk back on, “I could help ya with that.”

You pushed away at his shoulder, “You say it like it’s a problem.”

“Ya savin’ it till ya get married or somethin’?” He asked, genuinely curious. Even Suna turned to you, looking up from his phone in interest.

You turned to Jisoo, the conversation taking a dangerous turn. If you said yes, their curiosity would definitely be spiked. And it was not like you could lie to them and say it was some random person in your class - you knew these boys for years, but they also knew you in kind. 

Yes or no?

The other manager did not even try to bail you out and your silence was already tantamount to an answer.

“Aww. How cute of ya, (L/N).” Atsumu chuckled, reaching to pat your head. You slapped it away before he got too close. For someone younger than you, he was quite the brat. Years of being friends long stripped away any formalities apparently.

“Looks like our heart-breaker manager is actually very sentimental.” Suna commented, a brow raised in your direction.

“Heart-breaker?” You questioned in genuine confusion.

“Come on, (L/N)-san.” Jisoo answered this time, “She’s had her heart set for so long, she hasn’t even seen the other boys she’s curved.”

“How is that possible when no one’s confessed to me?”

Jisoo laughed while Atsumu absently tapped his finger on the table, “Even I know that ain’t true, (L/N).”

“Whatever.” There was no reasoning with your underclassmen when they were this dead-set. No one had confessed to you before, right? At least none to your memory, they were just being instigators as usual?

“That doesn’t answer the question why ya sittin’ here single.” Atsumu stated.

“He obviously has feelings for you, but she’s too much of a wuss to confess.” Jisoo stated it plainly for you, then turned to look at Atsumu with an expectant face. “So it’s either because he hasn’t noticed, which I doubt, or he’s not looking for commitment.”

“Ah. And it’s someone we’ve known for years, huh?” Suna deduced, words come out slowly.

You straightened your back in surprise and shot warning looks toward both boys. This was getting too close, they were starting to put together pieces of a puzzle you hadn’t even willingly handed to them. And knowing these little shits, they were not going to let this go until they found out.

Atsumu inclined his head for you to continue while Suna’s eyes never left your own. Suna was smart all the time, but with being associated with the twins constantly, it was easy to forget that fact. And since the trio acted like idiots so often, you tended to forgo how truly analytical even the Atsumu was. 

This was not good - so not good. It probably would not take them long to deduce the person at this rate.

“I swear to the highest volleyball gods out there,” You spit out as your turned to the other manager, “I will fucking smite you off this planet if you say another word.”

Jisoo burst out laughing immediately, almost choking on her lunch as Atsumu grinned at your warning, the exact opposite response you wanted.

“Strong words ya got there.” He commented, body still angled toward yours in interest. “Looks like we hittin’ a lil too close to home?”

“Don’t even try it.” You responded back, turning away from his inquisitive eyes and back to your phone.

Needless to say, they didn’t listen.

Suna backed up in his seat, eyes glancing between you and the setter. “No commitment, huh?”

Meanwhile, Atsumu was rapid-firing questions. “Is it a second-year? Third-year? Is he on the volleyball team? Do we know ‘em personally?”

You smiled at his now peaked curiosity, the setter almost looking like a small puppy waiting for a treat. But you refused to answer, no doubt sure that they would tell the captain the moment they found out the truth. You turned to Jisoo, who was smiling away at Atsumu, but otherwise sat thankfully quiet.

Atsumu was firing off specific names now, hoping to get any response from you.

“The bastard’s gotta be on the team.”

“Bastard?” Jisoo laughed at the nickname.

“Shut up, Atsumu.” You countered, attempting to poke harshly at his forehead to stop. But he just grabbed the hand in one of his own, holding it in his lap as he continued to spit out names.

“Is it Aran?”

“Will you stop?”

“‘Samu?”

“I will murder you in cold blood.”

“... Is it me?”

You tried your best to pull your hand away, now realizing his tightening hold on against the skin of your hand. How long had you been sitting there holding hands? You felt a natural rosiness rise to your cheeks, not really because of the recipient, but because you were doing so in public with some guy.

Instead, you poked the setter’s side roughly, earning a deep groan, but freeing your hand in the process. Packing up your belongings, you stepped out of the picnic table and stated, “Lunch is almost over, we should get to class.”

You walked away with a small wave, the boys turning to the now only female occupant of the lunch-table.

“So…”

“Nu-uh.” Jisoo cut off Atsumu, moving to leave the table before she accidentally said anything.

“Throw a man a bone here! Or at least help him bone.” Atsumu murmured that last part under his breath, “Ya don’t even have to verbally confirm it - is it me?”

Jisoo paused as she stood, books in hand already. The look she threw him was mischievous, but otherwise she left in silence.

Unfortunately for you, all you were thinking about during class was that conversation you just had. Kita sat on your right in your next few classes, the mild Ōmimi behind the both of you. The last thing you needed was to linger on their teasing words of smooches and marriage. You couldn’t confess your feelings, imagining anything else?? You could only imagine the bright blush at the simple thought of it.

And apparently, you hadn’t hidden it well.

“Something wrong?”

There were still a couple more minutes until the teacher would return. And so you were sitting in the classroom with Kita alongside you, other students milling around the room. He was so damn good at reading people and you cursed that he was using it against you now.

“Just thinking about some stuff Jisoo said at lunch.” You tried to wave off.

“You’re blushing.” Kita stated bluntly, putting his book down as he spoke to you. 

He was never one to sugar-coat his words.

“Am I?” You put your palms to your cheeks, as if to feel the heat. There was no point in trying to lie to him. “She was teasing me about boys.”

“Oh. Are you dating anyone?” Kita asked.

God, this was awful. 

There was nothing worse than your crush asking about your crush.

“No, not yet.” You shook your head negatively, turning towards the window on your left, at least trying to hide your expression.

“Yet? Are you looking to date soon?”

You wanted to scream.

“Um, not in the near future.” You tried to deflect, “But it could happen!”

“Of course.” He smiled, “I packed extra onigiri for lunch, but I couldn’t find you. I’m not sure if you still want it.”

“Ah, I would love to! If I’m not imposing, then yes.”

Kita shook his head, “I packed it for you.”

“You’re so sweet sometimes.” You said honestly, taking it and munching down.

“You usually either forget your lunch or eat junk.” He stated plainly, making you suddenly blanch at his cold-words. I mean, he wasn’t exactly wrong either. You thought back to the lunch you had today, literally just water and french fries that you ended up giving to Atsumu.

“Ha, well.” You trailed off before settling on, “Thanks for always taking care of me.”

Kita’s small grin widened as he looked you in the eyes, “It’s my pleasure.”

When he said things like that, it easily set your heart aflame. It was so simple, such small interactions that you would have to squint hard to find anything underlying in his words. But you wanted to. You wanted to feel needed and also give to the captain as well.

The blush you had earlier was probably nothing in comparison to how you looked now, you were sure. And, with Kita being the ever smart cookie he was, there was no doubt that he spied your inflamed reaction.

Was that conversation over? Was he expecting a response?

Maybe the volleyball god’s did have mercy on your poor soul, since your teacher walked in then and thankfully brought your conversation to a halt. You tried not to outwardly seem relieved, turning to the front and taking out your notebooks.

Your mind wandered in and out of the lecture. There were moments that your gaze just happened to meander over to the captain to your right. It was one thing to suddenly notice you were staring at him, but another thing entirely to be caught in the action. Kita would usually just smile at you kindly, before nudging his chin toward the front of the room toward the teacher.

Even later during volleyball practice, your eyes would casually dawdle over to where the captain was standing. Whether he was watching the team with careful eyes or participating himself in practicing spikes, your eyes usually just found him.

But today was not the day to let down your guard.

Atsumu and Suna were paying careful attention to you. And now it was no secret where your gaze was pointed to. Suna smirked when he realized, but Atsumu clicked his tongue and mentally filed it away for later. Jisoo once snapped playful fingers in front of your face, grabbing your attention to flip the scoreboard.

When it was finally time to clean, Kita helped you collect the left-over volleyballs and roll the hammock into the proper storage room. You did so carefully, making sure not to accidentally touch his skin lest he back off from the motion. But the kind, neutral expression he shot you went straight to your heart.

“Let’s get the scoreboard next.” He instructed, the both of you moving to opposite sides of the wheeled board.

And you would have, if Atsumu had not thrown a casual arm across the captain’s shoulders.

“Hey, do ya mind helpin’ ‘Samu over there?” He motioned with his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to his twin who was not looking at all.

Slightly suspicious, Kita did as asked anyway and went with the grey-headed twin to mop the floors.

“What was that about?” You asked as Atsumu pushed the scoreboard along with you.

It was only when you entered the storage room alone that he replied, “So Mister No Gaps Kita Shinsuke, huh?”

“What?!” You fought the inward need to slap yourself, high voice and exclamation enough to show that he was right on the money. “You asshole, how do you know that?”

“I didn’t need anyone to tell me that.” He emphasized, gesturing at your eyes with two fingers. “Ya kept starin’ at ‘em the entire practice.”

You huffed frowning, “That obvious, huh?”

“Yea, he probably knows too - especially if Suna and I figured this shit out.”

That didn’t help at all.

“Great.” You leaned against the nearby wall and put a palm to your forehead.

Atsumu crossed his arms, “So why haven’t ya confessed to ‘em yet?”

You scoffed and shot him a flat-expression, “Because he doesn’t like me back?”

“What? He said that to ya?”

“Well, no.” You hesitated, but explained. “I mean, he definitely knows I have feelings. And Shinsuke has never been one to beat around the bush. If he hasn’t addressed it, it’s probably because he doesn’t want to make it awkward…  since he doesn't feel the same.”

“I think you’re a dumbass.” Atsumu stated back, sighing heavily. “Kita don’t think like that and we both know it.”

“Why else would he be waiting it out?” You asked, “This is the same Kita that told us he doesn’t understand how people feel nervous.”

“Jesus, (F/N). He was talkin’ about volleyball.” Atsumu groaned, raking one of his hands through his piss-blonde hair. “Kita’s human too. Maybe he’s not sure how ya would respond for the same reasons.”

“I don’t know if love advice from the school’s resident fuck-boy is a good idea.” You jabbed instead, a playful smile on your face.

Atsumu put a mock-offended hand on his chest, a smirk finding a way on his face before he squashed it down seriously. He took a step toward you until you were less than an arms’ length-apart, “Fine, have it your way. Stew in silence until he finds someone else.”

That struck a silent chord in you.

“Honestly, that was kind of the plan these past few years.” You admitted, turning your head toward the ground. “If he could find his true happiness with someone else, then I would be happy for him.”

Atsumu must have detected your seriousness, since he hesitated to say his next few words. “Don’ be like that. Stop bein’ an idiot - he likes you.”

“Shut up.”

“Come on, (L/N).” Atsumu levelled with you, “Ya standin’ here like ya ain’t the only girl he’s ever withstood.”

“Wow, what a feat.” You muttered as you sighed.

“Fine, if ya don’t believe that. Aren’t ya’ll best friends anyway?” Atsumu asked, “I’m sure he’d do anythin’ to keep you close.”

You hesitated, but agreed. Your relationship, no matter if he reciprocated your feelings or not, you were best friends. But if he didn’t feel the same and you said something? Would there ever be recovering from something like that?

Atsumu drew you out of your thoughts before he lost you further to your over-thinking, “You’re a real catch. Anybody would be lucky to have ya.”

“Oh?” You shot a withered smile at him.

“And I’m not just sayin’ that to put the moves on ya.” Atsumu joked, earning a light punch to his shoulder as you walked past him to leave.

“Yeah, yeah.” You said before turning back towards him, remembering to say. “None of this leaves this room. You hear that?”

“Yes ma’am.” He mock-saluted, a second later a loud ahem ringing through the room.

You tensed up and turned toward the door, seeing a blank-faced Shinsuke standing in the open doorway. Atsumu was always surprised, albeit much less worried than you were. Was your secret finally out?

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked, before you pushed shouted a loud No! and brushed past him back into the gymnasium.

Atsumu tried to casually exit the room as well, before his captain’s voice rang-out again, “Care to explain what that was about?” 

The setter had two options here: either brush it off or fan the flames that he knew for a fact was there. You were the obvious party, openly staring at the captain like your eyes belonged on him. But Atsumu knew that those feelings were not as unrequited as you thought. 

He remembered some club-room talk not that long ago. It was normal for the guys to discuss their preferences, something that Atsumu was rather vocal about on multiple occasions. Aran was just looking for someone he could cook while Ōmimi stated he liked girls who were generally very kind. Osamu preferred someone who was a bit meeker while Atsumu loved ‘em vocal, even bratty to the point of talking back.

“Of course, you would.” Suna commented as he dressed.

“What the fuck do ya mean by that?” The setter bit out.

“As in the fuckboy thinks he’s a girl tamer.” Suna snarkily replied.

“Well, when a girl has a mouth on her. I want to put it to good use.” Atsumu said with a smirk, earning a loose towel to the head, one that Osamu had just launched from across the room. Aran sighed and grabbed it before Atsumu could whip it back. Kita nodded toward his counterpart in quiet thanks.

Many of the others were still dressing after practice this day, it would be annoying to have to break up another fight between the twins then.

“Can ya be less of an asshole?” The grey-headed twin asked.

“Wha? I’m speakin’ the truth!” Atsumu defended, “Not every girl is like that anyway.”

“And who would the infamous Ratsumu have his eyes on?” Suna asked, genuinely curious but not missing the chance to poke at the setter.

Atsumu frowned, but continued anyway. “No one, right now. But I still got eyes, ya know. Ya can’t tell me our manager ain’t a cutie.”

“She would rather hand you a new asshole than ever date you.” Suna said, to which Akagi laughed.

“Careful, ‘Tsamu.” Osamu playfully warned, “People might think ya like (L/N)-san.”

“What can I say, she’s single and hot as fuck.” Atsumu replied off-handedly. 

It was a plain statement, but you could almost physically feel the temperature change in the club-room. Aran was glancing between the captain while the rest wondered why it was suddenly dead silent.

Osamu wondered if his prayers had been heard and he would soon be an only child.

“I suggest not saying that again.” Kita stated over his shoulder as he buttoned up the rest of his shirt.

That was a clear enough warning to everyone in the room that you were off limits. Suna had remembered this instance as well, in the present day reminding Atsumu after lunch not to push any buttons. It was clear then that Kita had no tolerance to any shit he was going to pull and now the pining was mutual on both your ends. Suna reminded him again and again during class to just let you and Kita sort your feelings naturally.

Pfft.

Was Atsumu going to be a little shit and try to sew some discord?

Hell yes.

“What can I say?” Atsumu feigned being casual, even shrugging as he exited the quiet storage room. “A pretty girl and a young guy enter a closet alone together, you know the rest.”

The glare he felt on his neck could have been enough to snap it with this much pressure. But, Atsumu digressed. He was doing the both of you a favor anyway, pushing you together when you both already had feelings for one another (albeit with some mind games interspersed).

Atsumu almost laughed when Kita grabbed your hand when the two of you walked home together. 

Kita knew what the setter was doing. What buttons he was trying to push, what he was trying to imply with you. The captain knew it all and he was still getting pissed off.

True to everyone’s assumptions, Kita knew about your feelings for him. The extent and duration, that he was not sure of. But he knew that you have thought about him in a romantic light for quite some time. Lingered looks and purposeful touches, on both your ends, was not something he could easily ignore.

What made Kita wonder was why you hadn’t said anything at all?

You were often pretty straight-forward as well. Not exactly in terms of romance, but you when were interested in something you tended to speak your mind. Whether it be a new show, some shounen anime you were following along with, you always shared it with him.

And for that fact he was always grateful.

Many of the others your age tended to be warded off by his way of thinking, branding him too mature or even too cold at times. To think that even the sarcastic Suna had nicknamed him as a robot, it was interesting to see that was how most people saw him.

But you didn’t.

Or at least, you saw passed his cold exterior and were just a freely-spoken with your mind. Kita’s blunt way of speaking had casualties sometimes, but you usually voiced if his blunt speech was too much. There were times that, if you were inadvertently hurt by his words, you would say it out-loud.

He remembered the last time this happened, not even a month ago. The two of you were hanging out under the shade of a tree, about to go out to a team hangout when you exited your back porch wearing a blue sundress. It flirted high above your knees and showed off the creamy legs of yours that he loved to trail his eyes over.

You looked breath-taking.

And so he said:

“Is there an occasion I’m missing today? I thought we were just going out with the team.”

The disappointed look on your face was immediate and it did not take a genius to figure those were the wrong words to say. But what he was not sure is where it went wrong. Logically, it made sense. You were going to walk at least two miles to the train and then from there a mile to the arcade. And most of that time you would all be standing. Would you even be comfortable doing all this walking in sandals?

But you didn’t get offended or draw away from him from these smaller misunderstandings.

You were always ready to knock some sense into him if need be.

“Not even a compliment on how I look? How mean.” You said with a frown, “I tried a bit more because I don’t usually get the chance to.”

“I know, but I want you to be comfortable considering the walks today.” Kita lightly grabbed your elbow as he stepped closer, “Besides, you always look beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”

Your blush was palpable, Kita was almost sure he could fry an egg on your forehead, if the redness was any indication of temperature. 

“Let’s save this dress for another occasion. Preferably where only I see these.” He glanced down to indicate your legs, to which you sputtered and allowed him to guide you back inside the house.

And instead, he picked a pair of light-colored shorts and a loose summer-blouse. Kita knew you had a pair of black-and-white sneakers that would go with it anyway. You commented how it was almost scary that Kita knew your wardrobe, but he stated it simply:

I like what you wear. And I think it looks very agreeable on you.

It was simple and he stated it thusly. And from your reaction, it seemed as if it had made your day. From the beaming smile on your face to the new skip in your step, it was clear to him that he had amended the situation properly with your guidance.

But he still had the same issue: Kita thought he was being clear as day.

There was no one else he was spending time with like this. No one else whom Kita was expressing interest in like he was with you. From sharing ice-cream to hangouts alone with just the two of you, he thought his way of flirting with you was obvious? His actions alone should have been clear that he was showing his own interest in you.

And so if Kita was being clear with his feelings, why hadn’t you said anything?

This was not something he could just say and retract, either. The last thing he wanted to do was put your entire friendship on the line just to lose you. What if you actually did not feel the same way? But from your constant blushing and obvious gaze on him, you liked him too? But why hadn’t you said anything? Were you expecting him too?

He almost groaned aloud at this line of thinking.

Nothing had him flustered quite like you. Kita was confident both in school and on the court, a sure faith that no matter where it was. It was not a baseless arrogance, but more like a calm trust that he knew what he was doing was right.

And yet…

When it came to you, that brand of confidence simply withered away. Not always a bad thing, you often caught him off-guard with your own kindness and rarely did you ever truly fight. But there were times that he sorely wished he knew what was going on in that head of yours.

Like why hadn’t you said anything to him regarding this tension?

Or better yet, why the hell were you whispering with Atsumu in the gym closet?

The setter knew all about your being off-limits. Kita made it very clear that day and it seemed even then, the message did not totally receive in the asshole's mind. Or rather, it probably did, Atsumu just decided to ignore it.

And so on your shared walk home after practice, Kita gently grabbed your hand and did not let go. You almost jumped in surprise alongside him. Not that you hadn’t held hands before, but it was usually called for in the context. Navigating one of the twin’s parties, through a crowded group, or just to guide you somewhere.

But never had he held your hand for no reason.

Kita just smiled, hoping this would send a clear enough message to both you and the meddlesome boys behind you.

Meanwhile, Atsumu had to stop himself from cackling aloud. Osamu was ready to question his brother over what the hell was that about, but Suna assured him that it was best not to get involved at this rate. Aran simply sighed, but waved goodbye and goodnight to the rest of the team.

Your smile was a mask to your inward screaming, only to be silenced to a blank void. Your mind was comparable to that picture of spilled milk - the only thing inside as if the very act was an enigma. You had no idea what to say, what to do in this situation as you both continued to walk along.

For someone who was an athlete, the skin of his hand was surprisingly soft as it encased your own. You felt your hand unconsciously squeeze his and feared that the act would have him pulling away, as if waking him up from his act. But Kita squeezed back, a fond expression reflected back at you.

The two of you walked home together whenever you had the chance, unless called for by other duties. So this was usually normal for the two of you. Conversation was just easy, ranging from school or recent events, and even if one-sided you had no issues with simply speaking to the captain. And yet today…

Kita and you were both completely silent.

You couldn’t even tell if something else was on his mind, a neutral look on his face as he looked ahead. Was this action to show that he was reciprocating your feelings? You hated being unsure like this, but there was too much vulnerability to simply lay-out what you wanted to say.

Even on the train, Kita sat next to you quietly but still held your hand over his knee. You watched the action, before trying to level your breathing as to not freak out. But Kita kept going about his day, even taking out his phone to check a few texts with the other hand.

It was meant to show this was entirely on purpose.

Only when your house popped into view during something conspiratory popped into your mind - Did one of the boys tell him?

You felt the small seed of hope grow further. Was it just a coincidence that the day Suna and Atsumu found out about your secret was the same day, after literal years, that Kita found out as well? And that maybe if he knew now, was he reciprocating in some way?

You moved to glance at him in the corner of your eye, but he was already looking at you.

The both of you stopped short of the gate, but you hesitated for a second to say anything. There was so much on your mind and stewing in silence was the exact opposite thing you wanted to do. Before you could even think of words to say, your captain made the first move again.

Kita tenderly reached for your other hand, holding both in his much larger ones. He brought them up together and shot you a gentle smile, “(F/N), your hands are so soft.”

It came out like word vomit.

“I like you, Kita!”

SHIT.

Maybe you read him wrong?? If he was going to make a move, why was he looking at you so surprised??

“And here I was, wanting to say something first.” Kita said as he chuckled lightly, his hands gliding the rest of the way up your arms. “I like you, too.”

You didn’t even have time to overthink, Kita wasting no time and pulling you towards him. Quickly raising your hands to his chest, you steadied yourself against him as he held you in the close embrace. His smile was almost blinding - not from the size, but rather the genuine feel behind it.

Your hands slid upwards, folding behind his neck as your faces drew closer together. One of his hands gently carded in your hair, lightly guiding you to him. You closed your eyes in silent anticipation, long awaited joining finally happening with only stars as your audience.

The skin of his lips slotted gently against yours and you silently relished the feel of the prolonged peck. You pulled him closer, silently nudging him to go the step further. Kita smiled in response, making you beam right back at him. It was honestly hard to deepen the kiss further, expressions pulled from your shared grins. You were two idiots smiling at one another, foreheads pressed together as you struggled to deepen your impassioned kiss.

“I’ve waited so long to hold you like this.” Kita whispered against your lips, one of his hands resting around your waist.

“Me too.” You replied in a low vice, eyes still closed as you just felt him.

He watched your cute expression, from your rosy appearance to the way you deliciously leaned your body into him. Kita felt his eyes shutter closed, savoring the feeling of you two finally joined. You moved together in tandem, softly at first, and then with a swift intensity that made you cling to him even further - as if Kita was the only solid thing in this suddenly swaying world.

The world was constantly moving, either too fast or too slow or too much at times. Until finally, in Kita’s arms, it finally felt right.

“I’ve liked you for a really long time.” You confessed.

“I know.” Kita responded simply, “Me too.”

You almost wanted to laugh, but withheld it from possibly breaking the atmosphere. “Is it really that simple?”

“Yes.” Kita said as he smiled, moving to place a light kiss on your forehead. “I was honestly… afraid to say anything in fear of your response. But now we are both aware, right?”

You grinned back and stretched on your tippy-toes to kiss his cheek, “Yes.”

“That’s it then.” Kita stated as he leaned his forehead back against yours, “You’re mine. And I’m yours.”

You whispered back, “Sounds like a deal.”

His insistent mouth parted your eager lips, sending wild tremors crawling up your spine, evoking sensations you had never known you were even capable of feeling. And as the swimming giddiness spun you round and round, you steadied yourself to kiss him back just as passionately. With a swipe of his tongue against the crease of your lips, you parted your mouth eagerly.

There was no battle, no insistent fight between your two appendages. There was only Kita, eagerly roaming around your mouth as you sensually rubbed tongues. You openly moaned at the feeling, not even noticing the noise until Kita was smiling in response.

You blushed at the realization, but Kita only complimented the sound. “Make that noise again for me.”

Your smile dropped to a more sultry smirk.

“You’ll have to earn it.”

Kita felt his eyes comically widen before dropping to a half-lid, “Oh?”

“My parents aren’t home…”

“Oh.”

Kita placed a kiss on your forehead just to lean away, one of his hands dropping to grab your own. You hurried along with his pace, suddenly breaking out into a faster walk in the direction of your home.

“Let’s make up for lost time, shall we?”

BONUS:

“No way.” Jisoo commented on the sight before her, nudging Atsumu standing next to her. The twin’s party was ravaging around them, but there was an unlikely and yet very likely couple that had just walked through the door. And while it was normal to see the two of them together, it was the first official time as an exclusive couple.

Walking in was Kita and you, hands clasped together like this was oh so natural.

Akagi greeted the both of you with a smile while Aran waved you guys over to the living, where many of the other team members were playing a game. Kita guided you through the party, joined hands proudly on display for all party goers.

Atsumu held out a hand in Jisoo direction’s, causing her to frown but nonetheless place some lost yen in his open palm.

But seeing you smile and share a kiss openly with the captain, Jisoo didn’t exactly mind losing this bet.

---xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx---

[earthnashes]

God I just found your blog and I'm in love you au is everything I've ever wanted in a Mario au! Gods I'm obsessed seriously! I hope you don't mind but I do have some questions! If you don't mind of course :^) 1) Regarding the Mario bros being Mushlings are they Italian ones? Does Italy even exist in this au? 2) What are your Gender and sexuality head cannons for them? ( I saw Luigi in that wedding dress and I screamed non-binary Luigi) 3) On the subject of Luigi when he and Bowser marry do they manage to turn his Kingdom into a utopia fuelled by bread? and finally 4) Do the storks exist here or did bowser jr have a mum? Again love your whole blog sorry if any of this makes your uncomfy!

1. Italy doesn’t exist, no. In fact none of the IRL continents nor countries exist in this world since how it operates overall is vastly different, so there’s no such thing as things like America, or Europe, Antarctica, so on. They have their own countries though a lot of them would be coded after our existing ones, so an Italy-like country/cities/place exists I’m sure. So with that said, Luigi and Mario are not Italian Mushlings, but their place of upbringing could be based on Italy.

2. I don’t really do gender nor sexuality headcanons for fandoms, but that’s primarily because it’s never fully a thought in my head to do it. Hell I don’t even really consider myself a entirely specific sexuality or gender, I’m me more than anything, so that might be why. For the sake of mentioning, this world probably doesn’t fall align with what we’d consider normal, so there aren’t really any expectations or negativity regarding what they identify as, gender or sexuality. TL;DR, I don’t focus too much on it myself so feel free to interpret how I draw the characters however you want

3. Unfortunately, no. Koopa Kingdom is still Koopa Kingdom after they get married, they’ll just have one hell of a baker as their King-consort. That said I’m sure it’ll probably become a highlight of the kingdom though, maybe even spur another competition amongst the kingdoms after Bowser declares his husband the best baker who ever lived and every other leader basically goin “WAT WAT? A CHALLENGE I HEAR??”

4. Storks do in fact exist, however they do not deliver biological babies to their parents, no. The Storks in this world acts as a international adoption organization, ran by Mr. Stork himself, who’s number 1 mission in life is to bring orphaned and family-less children to loving families at any time, any point, anywhere. If you wanna read the full idea behind it, HERE is the link.

Anyhow, to answer your question: Jr. was born to Bowser and the Koopa Queen (don’t have a name for her yet), but she passed on due to birth complications. Almost immediately after her passing the Mario gang offered to help Bowser raise the boy so he wouldn’t have to do it alone, so Jr sees them all as family. He sees Peach in particular as his mama, even though he knows full well that a) there’s no romance goin’ on between her and his dad and b) she isn’t his birth mother. Not that that matters much to him, ‘cuz Peach loves ‘em like he’s her own, so as far as he’s concerned she is his mother.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there ya go! Hope that answers your questions and thank you so much for enjoying the AU so far! owo

[youwontlikethisblog]

Aura Maria and Freddy/ Betty and Armando An Introduction.

From the start Aura Maria is pretty cold towards Freddy, constantly annoyed at his advances and flirtatious nature and only returns it when she wants or needs something from him.

This parallels with Armando and the way he is with Betty. Betty doesn't flirt or make any advances towards him but Armando dismisses her fidelity and loyalty from the start. He gets annoyed, yells at her over anything, constantly mocks her, treats her pretty crappy.

As they both have to spend more time with each other Aura Maria begins to show some affection to Freddy, enough to feed his crush on her and she knows that.

When things start to change for them is the day after Freddy went to pick them up at the tavern where they all got drunk. Aura Maria calls Freddy her work husband.

Freddy takes on the role of Betty in the parallel.

While Freddy always prioritizes Aura Maria and tells her that he is serious about her, wants to be responsible of her son and take care of her he doesn't have anybody else to flirt with as often the models, who some do seem to like Freddy's nature, ignore him and don't pay him mind and his biggest drawback is that Freddy isn't rich and he might as well be an ugly woman if he doesn't have money.

See socially women are always told that what matters isn't the physical of a person but who they are as a person. We're told this as children so much that we don't really care about what a person looks like when we're interested in them. What we really care about is the substance of the person so though to some degree the physical attractiveness of a man is important it's not the most important thing.

The yang to this is that traditionally in most cultures women are taught that men are meant to be the breadwinner, therefore marry a man who is financially stable and makes good money.

Due to this Freddy doesn't have much luck with the models who are known to go to cocktails to pick up a rich boyfriend(Hugo said so in one of the first episodes) therefore Aura Maria has no competition.

Much like Betty Freddy shows loyalty and unconditionality to Aura Maria like she does to Armando.

Betty's biggest flaw is that she's ugly. Freddy's that he's broke. They are both kind, sweet, unconditional, supportive, and loving people. Aside from Betty, Freddy is one of my favorite characters.

Freddy is a good and supportive friend to all the girls in the cuartel and often does things for them, even if he can get in trouble for it.

When things start to change between Freddy and Aura Maria in a more noticeable way is when Jasmine starts working in Eco Moda. Freddy tells Aura Maria that if she won't love him that he can't miss out on the opportunity for somebody else to love him so he will play part in Sofia's plan but that he will use it as an excuse to get close to her because he does like Jasmine.

Aura Maria has to face the reality that she no longer is Freddy's center of the universe, that she has competition and that somebody else can take Freddy away from her.

She often throws fits because of this, gets mad at him, throws in his face all of the things he had told her.

The same way Armando behaves this way, before he found out about Betty's love life.

He questions her fidelity and unconditionality because he takes it as a person attack if Betty doesn't help him because he himself blurs the lines of work related qualities to personal related qualities. When things for them started to change was when Betty was offered the 10% commission.

However Aura Maria has had days or weeks of facing the reality that Freddy cares for someone so she has time to understand her feelings and understand why she feels like that, no longer denying it, to weight out the pros and cons. Armando doesn't get that. He gets a day in a half of being forced to face these feelings. A day in a half to digest it all.

While we get to see the parallel of Aura Maria and Freddy front and center of how their work relationship dynamic changes, we get a very subtle parallel of Armando and Betty's work related relationship dynamic change and while we get a long period of Aura Maria digesting her feelings, we don't get that for Armando. One is forced, rushed to face them while the other is given their sweet time to face it.

Yet both of these couples are forced to face the cold truth the day of the launch.

Aura Maria sees that Freddy is a man of word, a man of substance who for the woman he is with will do anything to make them happy and their dreams come true as Freddy, despite the fact that his friends we upset with him(when he crashed Armando's car for checking Jasmine out) he got Jasmine to walk the runway for the new fashion collection. She has to face that if something does happen between Jasmine and Freddy that she's lost him for good.

Armando in the same lane now has to face that if he doesn't do anything that he'll lose Betty, the woman who has been so special to him and when Nicolas goes to pick her up and openly calls himself her boyfriend, Mario tells him that a man that eager to be with a woman as ugly as Betty and openly talk about it, had to mean the attraction was mutual and that Nicolas did care about Betty.

Now these two are forced to face this "reality", while Aura Maria makes a move on Freddy, Armando agrees that in order to secure Betty he must make her fall in love, in turn Nicolas won't take her and the company.

Aura Maria makes Freddy choose between her and Jasmine and he chooses her. He tells her that though he was attracted to Jasmine that Aura Maria was more to him "Con ella lego al abismo pero contigo al cielo." While in one he touches rock bottom with the other he experiences heaven.

Aura Maria melts and they spend their first night together.

In the same vain, the next day Armando finalizes that he will make Betty fall in love and that exact night he is forced to face some of his feelings(Locura Mia post).

Obviously these two have different behaviors and their story is told at different paces but they still have the same core behavior and their relationships intertwin with conflict and resolution.

Aura Maria is cold towards love, desperate for physical affection, only focuses on men who have money, and doesn't care about the consequences they bring later on.

Armando is cold towards love, desperate for physical affection, only focuses on women who are the standard of beauty and doesn't care about the consequences they bring later on.

Freddy is unconditional, loving, faithful, and kind. He is ignored and dispatched as a potential love interested because he is broke.

Betty is unconditional, loving, faithful, and kind. She is ignored and dispatched as a potential love interest because she is ugly.

I will make separate post about them.

As both of these relationships grow I will be making post about them both, separately so that the post aren't so long. Sorry of this one isn't so in depth, I haven't had the chance to watch YSBLF so this is all by memory but I wanted to make an introduction to the parallel posts :)

[365days365movies]

31 (Films to Life): The Godfather (1970) - Review: Part II

Even halfway through this movie, I gotta say...I get it.

I already get it. This movie is iconic, and for good reason. Great shots, intriguing narrative, excellent acting, yaddayaddayadda. It’s fantastic so far, that’s for sure. I mean, there’s gotta be a reason it was one of the most referenced movies in pop culture, then-and-now. Hell, I even kinda get why Coppola’s down on superhero movies.

Well...OK, that’s a lie. Like, sure, I understand that he thinks popular film has gone in a more cookie-cutter direction with the superhero film, and he isn’t wrong. I mean, early MCU films have really similar stories all around, that’s for sure. But at the same time, I disapprove of decrying an entire segment of art (and it is art, like all film is), just because you aren’t personally interested and excited by it. Doesn’t mean the art is inferior, it just means it isn’t your thing. And honestly, you could easily argue that superhero films are as iconic and referenced today as The Godfather was then. I mean, come on, Coppola.

Yeah, I realize I’m bringing one of the greatest superhero movies ever made to the table here, but hey. Who else is gonna compete against The Godfather, am I right? And even then, I can’t say that I think The Dark Knight is as good as this movie, it’s just...not. I love The Dark Knight, don’t get me wrong, but it’s simply not as good as this is so far. Even then, the fact that it’s a superhero movie doesn’t inherently make it less than Coppola’s opus. But I have to admit, seeing superhero films take more narrative leaps and bounds would be nice. I mean, look at Spider-Man: No Way Home!

Genuinely one of the best superhero films I’ve ever seen, and it doesn’t even stray that far from the MCU formula! Still, the story takes some massive-ass risks, and drastically changes the status quo of Peter Parker’s world in ways we’ve never seen before. And again, it’s not that far of a leap! God, I wish I could write a superhero film, lemme tell you. I have ideas. Ideas and thoughts.

And there are far better and more nuanced arguments to be made for the merit of the superhero film, for sure. It just sucks for me that I think of this every time Coppola or Scorsese come up in conversation. I also sucks that superhero films are only starting to take some of these comments into consideration. And yet, not all superhero films that try to do something different...work. Looking at you, Eternals. Happy you were made...but holy fucking GOD, were you poorly paced and boring as hell. Looked amazing, though.

Anyway, enough of this! We’ve got a movie to continue! Check out Part One of this Review for more!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Plot - Part II (by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola)

Three months of war. The deaths of Sollozzo and McCluskey sparked pressure from both the cops and the Five Families, and drove Mike into temporary exile. Meanwhile, Vito is back at home and bedridden, but bereaved to hear that Mike committed the murders and is currently in hiding. Tensions in the family are also building up, especially between Sonny and Tom, as well as with Carlo (Gianni Russo), belligerent husband to their sister Connie (Talia Shire) that they don’t want to be a part of the business.

Meanwhile, Mike is in hiding in Sicily, hidden away by an allied Don in the area. While there, he meets a woman named Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli), whom he immediately falls in love with. Which, yeah, poor Kay in the states. Then again, I guess that he kinda had to leave her behind, so their relationship is over at this point. It’s especially over once Mike and Apollonia get straight-up married! They consummate the marriage, and at the exact same time, Kay visits the Corleones in the States, because he...never...told her where he went. Jesus, Michael, don’t be a dick.

Also back in the States, Sonny finds out that Carlo has been beating Connie. So, in response, he beats the EVER-LOVING FUCK out of him. Doesn’t kill him, but he beats the SHIT out of him. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty gratifying. Connie’s also pregnant at the time, and Carlo is pretty clearly cheating on her as well. Carlo’s absolutely gonna be killed. This culminates in a massive fight, in which Carlo BEATS HIS PREGNANT WIFE. Sonny’s gonna fuck him up, and I can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.

Sure enough, Connie calls him, and Sonny tries to make his way there, only to get ambushed at a toll booth and murdered! Jesus, Christ, this fucking movie is BRUTAL AS HELL. Vito is now doing well enough to hear the news from Tom, which understandably devastates him. Tired of the war, Vito tells Hagen to call the Five Families in order to end it, with no retaliation and no response. He also has Hagen call the coroner who asked a favor of him in the beginning, in order to ask him to make Sonny look good. And as he goes to view the body, shot and destroyed, he says another iconic line: “Look how they massacred my boy.”

Mike also hears that Sonny’s dead, and prepares to take Apollonia to America. But then, he’s unexpectedly betrayed by his friend, Fabrizio, and she’s BLOWN THE FUCK UP JESUS CHRIST MOVIE GODDAMN

The Corleones barter peace with the Five Families, and agree that some of the drug trade can be allowed in the city. Vito also realizes that Branzini is actually the one behind the assaults on his family, and behind the burgeoning drug trade. And that means that there’s more trouble ahead than anybody thought.

Fast-forward by over a year! Yeah, seriously! While Barzini starts to chip away at the Corleone’s territory, Vito’s taken ill as of late. Additionally, Mike is back and HAS been back for a year, and now leads the family as a whole. He plans to move the family to Vegas, and has officially brought in...Carlo. Disgusting. In turn, he’s also pushed Tom out of the family, having him serve only as their lawyer and nothing else. He also goes to see Kay, telling her that he misses her, and wants to be together again. Dude was kind of a MASSIVE dick to her, but whatever.

In Vegas, where Fredo’s been for the past year or so, Michael meets with him and Johnny Fontane. His plan is to push casino owner and mobster Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) out of the business, which completely enrages him. What’s worse is the fact that Fredo seems to side with Greene, moreso than his family as a whole.

Back in New York, we find out that Kay and Mike are now married with children, meaning that we’ve fast-forwarded by several years. Vito, meanwhile, is clearly suffering from old age, but also has kept his business savvy. While he’s clearly no longer the man he was, he is still Vito Corleone. In a meeting, he tells Michael that he saw bigger things for him then this, especially in politics. He also warns that Mike will likely be assasinated at a meeting between him and the Five Families, especially if the meeting is organized by Barzini.

And then, shortly afterwards, while playing with his grandson in the garden...Vito Corleone dies of a massive heart attack. It’s a beautiful final moment for this man, and his death is...genuinely saddening to me. His funeral is massive, and it really is genuinely very sad. RIP Vito Corleone.

At said funeral, Michael is watching the interactions between the attending Barzini and the members of the Corleone family, watching for the person who will betray him and present the idea of meeting with Barzini, just as Vito had foretold. And who’s the traitor? Tessio. Fuckin’ Tessio is the traitor. Knowing this, Mike tells Tom that he’ll take care of things, and that he’s decided to become the godfather to Connie’s child. And that...that’s when the baptism scene happens.

This scene. This fucking scene. I had only seen one full scene from this movie before now, and it was this famous-ass scene. As Connie’s son is baptized, Michael is baptized as the Godfather. And intercut with the baby’s baptism is Michael’s true baptism...in the blood of his enemies. Corleone’s men massacre the Dons of the Five Families, just as Michael renounces Satan. It’s a bloodbath.

Tessio, too, is taken away to be executed, and immediately knows what’s about to happen. Meanwhile, Michael figures out that Sonny’s death was not executed only by Barzini all those years ago. Instead, he was working with Barzini to set Sonny up. He executed the fight with Connie in order to get her to call Sonny, drawing him to the tolls where he was executed by Barzini’s men. Which, to be fair, is a BRILLIANT plan.

Mike’s figured it out at this point, though, and he urges Carlo to confess, threatening him only with exile from the family and to Vegas, and not with murder. Carlo, the piece of shit, admits that Barzini got him to do it, and is let free by Michael...only to be killed by Clemenza in the car.

Connie finds out, and angrily goes to Michael about the situation, blaming him for Carlo’s death. He tries to deny it, and sends a “hysterical” Connie upstairs. Kay, present for the whole thing, asks if Michael actually did have Carlo killed. And Michael agrees to let Kay find out this one thing about his affairs. And he lies right to her goddamn face. AND SHE BELIEVES HIM. I mean, fuck Carlo, to be clear, but Michael is extremely cold-hearted for these actions.

Kay leaves the room, as his soldiers enter, referring to him as Don Corleone. She stares into the room, and one of the new Don’s men closes the door.

...

...

...

...100%. No fucking doubts about it.

I’m serious. No review, no in-depth commentary, no flaws, just praise. This movie is essentially perfect, and it’s a classic for a reason. And I know, I KNOW, praising this movie is literally something everybody has done, and it’s boring, and it’s dull, and I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK, BECAUSE THIS MOVIE IS AMAZING.

...Look...the real fact is, I genuinely can’t find anything wrong with this movie, and giving it praise is just rehashing things. But if I must specifically give praise, then I will. Here’s my really fast review.

Cast and Acting - 10/10: Brando and Pacino are the stars, and literally everybody else performs their roles perfectly, even down to the fucking bit parts. Not even kidding, and the two main characters are fucking stellar. Genuinely some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Plot and Writing - 10/10: Based on Mario Puzo’s novel and Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation, this is also amazingly well-done. Unexpected twists, constant tension, and some fascinatingly-written and developed characters. It’s genuinely amazing. 

Direction and Cinematography - 10/10: Some of the most iconic scenes and shots in cinema, and for a goddamn good reason. Take the shooting in the wheat fields with the Statue of Liberty in the background, almost screaming an iconic view of American hope and prosperity contrasted with its barbarous outcomes; and that interpretation is from ONE FUCKING SHOT OF THIS MOVIE, GOD I LOVE THIS SHIT

Production and Art Design - 10/10: Envelops me in the world of the movie flawlessly. In truth, the movie is so good that this category doesn’t feel like it matters, but it also enhances the rest of the movie so well that I still notice how good it looks.

Music and Editing - 10/10: Iconic. I mean, it’s Nino Rota’s score for The Godfather. It’s the most iconic film score in history, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM MEEEEEEEEEEAlso...the editing by William Reynolds and Peter Zinner is great, all throughout this movie. Where was I? Oh, rightEEEEEEEEEE 

Do you want to know why I praise this movie so much? Then watch this movie. Is it three hours? Yes. Is it worth that three hours? Absolutely. Should I have watched this movie a long time ago? Fuckin’ very much so, yes. God. 

So...now what? What the hell do I watch next? Because, one, I’m not watching the second part yet. I was going to, don’t bet me wrong, but...it’s like a nice cake; I gotta savor this shit and save it for another day. So what the hell could come after this? Because it won’t be as good. This is now my bar for a great crime movie! Nothing is topping this! I feel like I just got a punch in the face.

Next: Chinatown (1974), dir. Roman Polanski

[skulls-soul]

More of peach being the best sister-in-law

(even if technically Mario and her aren’t married yet)

Luigi, Go’s to Peach, asking her if she can help him get ready for his first date and peach is torn apart because on one hand, she doesn’t want to help Luigi to go on a date with a villain but on the other hand  she wants to be there for him.

•Peach lecturing Luigi’s partner about being careful with his heart, and how to have a healthy and consensual relationship all in her princess voice, until at the very end of the lecture, she gives Luigis partner, a cold stare, saying that “if you were to ever break his heart, I will break you”

(Both Mario and peach are ready to fight bowser on site if luigi asked)

 After peach is done, worrying and fretting over Luigi, she asks about how the date went

Luigi would give her the play-by-play, while Mario goes to the kitchen to make some tea

Also, imagine peach first, finding out about Luigi’s crush on Bowser

He’s over here, apologizing saying how he doesn’t know how it happened one moment Bowser is just Bowser, and the next Bowser is giving him butterflies in his stomach that he wishes that he could kill, but no matter what type of pesticide he uses, it just won’t go away.

And peach is just like, “don’t stop yourself from finding love just because him and I don’t have the best of history.

He’s not the most morally sound person, but he’s never once hurt me and I seen the better sides of him before.

he has potential to have compassion and empathy.

Someone just needs to help him bring it out, and who knows?

that someone might be you” 

Luigi totally didn’t cry after this, and peach definitely didn’t give him a hug of comfort 

Peach also totally didn’t say why it’s a bad idea And, even though she won’t stop him from testing out the waters with Bowser. She will definitely at least try and convince him…totally didn’t say any of that

She loves Luigi (platonically) and wants him to be happy and if that so happens to be Bowser then by all means let it be, but also…it’s Bowser. what if he hurts Luigi? one of her favorite people in this entire world!!!

That’s not ok!! and she couldn’t live with herself if she just blatantly allowed it without some sort of hesitation 

[beevean]

SEGA and the eternal issue of “Sonic’s girlfriend”

[Translator’s note: here is the original article written by @latin-dr-robotnik​​, originally written on the 18th of May 2020]

Today we’re going to talk about one of the aspects SEGA is more secretive about: Sonic’s relationships.

[Translator’s note: this article was written to celebrate Seaside Hill Paradise’s 200th entry. If you’re fluent in Spanish, I highly recommend you to check it out! And if you aren’t, go follow Latin’s Tumblr blog if you haven’t already and you’re into Sonamy, analyses, gushing about music and shitposts.]

This article concludes my Sonamy trilogy, and I recommend you to read the previous two articles: “SEGA and the eternal issue of the Sonamy dynamic” and “’I love you’ – forbidden words in Sonic”. This means this is a shipping article – if you’re not interested into another essay about the love life of a blue hedgehog, I can redirect you to other articles such as “Sonic and speed: are we misunderstanding them?” and “What went wrong with Classic Sonic’s music in Sonic Forces?”.

Everybody else, welcome to today’s article!

It should be noted that this article focuses more on the semi-official and strictly official aspects, since there is really not much to say about the fandom. Nowadays the fandom has a relatively peaceful coexistence, creating art, fanfics and more, for all kind of ships; sometimes there’s an occasional fight between ships or a ship that clearly is not appropriate… but besides that, everything seems relatively calm, at least in my experience and compared to other fandoms.

Too cool for relationships...

Few things are as mentioned and yet silenced by the official SEGA media as the fateful words “girlfriend” and “Sonic” put together. In official terms, Sonic has always been this young, cool hedgehog, with a pure love for nature and never too worried about life, but with a moral code that makes him fight against injustices. During his first years, Sonic was almost impatient and a little emotionally distant, although as it was the ‘90s and things were not so clear for the young SEGA star, different interpretations would take the character through different paths - some more radical than others. As the years went by, and going through many redesigns, certain aspects of his personality would be perfected, exaggerated, or even flanderized. His position on relationships, on the other hand, would remain relatively constant over the decades, with a few particular exceptions.

The this is that Sonic, in the words of his own creator Naoto Ohshima, has always been considered “a young man with a child's heart”, which has helped to substantiate and understand why the character would remain relatively distant from his feelings, and much closer to his own interests associated with the life of adventure.

... or is he?

Despite everything I just said, they tried in many occasions, if not succeeded, to give Sonic a girlfriend, with various results.

As carefree as Sonic is, and as much as SEGA tried to clarify this point over and over again, the people behind his character have always tried to introduce one or more relationships into his life. Even Naoto Ohshima himself has made his own suggestion as to who might be a hypothetical partner for his character. The different interpretations I’ve mentioned have tweaked Sonic’s character to make it more apt to certain types of dynamics, and the cultural gap between the East and the West (which I analyzed a few years ago with the first article of this “trilogy”) also has a considerable impact on the type of relationships that would be established for Sonic from very early in his history until today.

Author’s note: the concept of “Sonic + human woman” of 1990 wasn’t completely forgotten, no no, it was brought back 16 years later, in… well… the worst way possible.

Let’s see an example. Going back to his very origins, in his pre-Sonic 1 sketches Sonic was often depicted with a stereotypical damsel in distress, Madonna, his own “Princess Peach” that ended up being scrapped for many reasons, including the similarities with Super Mario. As the years have gone by, this concept has not disappeared, but rather the writers and directors of the series have taken it down different paths over time. While Madonna was too cliché, other candidates for the role of “Sonic’s girlfriend” would quickly appear to try different dynamics, directly or indirectly endorsed by SEGA.

Sally Acorn

For many years, Princess Sally was for Western fans the first person who came to mind when they thought of “Sonic’s girlfriend”. Since 1993, and for 2 more decades, her relationship with Sonic has gone in many directions, but fundamentally the most amazing thing about this whole situation was that she was Sonic’s official girlfriend (at least in the Archie Comics canon). It was also one of the many headaches for SEGA in the last decade.

Originally a fellow fighter against the macabre Robotnik from the 1993 animated series Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic and Sally’s relationship was always marked by their opposite personalities; while Sally tends to plan ahead and is much more focused on the seriousness of the task, Sonic was the type to destroy robots first and think later. “Opposites attract,” they say, and by the (premature, I might add) end of that series both were already more than friends. They had already kissed a couple of times.

At the most critical moment in their relationship, Sonic, after a year of being missing in space and presumed dead by everyone, returns to Mobius only to end up back in potential danger, decides to ignore the wishes and warnings of Sally, who’s clearly emotionally traumatized and stressed by both the general situation and the responsibilities she had to carry out for her kingdom in the absence of her parents. The result of this explosive cocktail was one of the most infamous scenes in all of Archie Sonic, "the Slap", where Sally finally reacts violently to Sonic's selfish statements. The hedgehog's response? Well, a long exposure to the screams about her experience - also traumatic - up to that point. In the end, both end up screaming and crying in front of virtually everyone.

What followed in the next decades was an expansion of that original SatAM canon in the Archie Comics, in which its various writers introduced varying degrees of drama and increasing conflict to demonstrate the strong bond between them, destabilizing or even stabilizing it again, multiple times. They would be together for some time, then they would be apart, eventually rekindling the flame of love passionately, until a final sacrifice on their part and the eventual resetting of the entire Archie Sonic canon.

In their last years, after the Super Genesis Wave, Sonic and Sally’s relationship went back to being platonic. a good friendship with the advantages and disadvantages of their personalities - Sally’s leadership and Sonic’s extreme confidence - while the focus was put on the flourishing relationship between Sally and her best friend (and old computer!) Nicole.

Regardless of the way their relationship ended, it's undeniable that Sally has left a huge mark. Being a product of the West, her existence was never really accepted by the Sonic’s Japanese creators, but because the bulk of the fandom is here in the West, Sally's presence has been strongly associated with Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, the comics... and also the ship wars between her and the character we’re going to talk about next. Her very existence was a living contradiction to the Japanese central canon, an official girlfriend who broke all the ideas that existed for Sonic in terms of his conception of relationships and lead him through unique paths. Whether for better or worse, Sally broke the mold.

Eimi. Rosy. Amy Rose.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there’s Amy, a character that was originally conceived as the Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey, but with her own dynamic.

Despite Amy’s existence being strongly tied to Sonic’s, once again Sonic Team tried to avoid the classic cliché (in this case to copy Mickey and Minnie), opting then to establish Amy as the one interested in a relationship, while Sonic runs away from this idea. For this dynamic to keep working, Sonic’s feelings have to be kept hidden, with excuses like his “shyness”, which leads to ambiguity, or because, as said before, of his “child’s heart”.

The most interesting thing is that Amy kept her canonical status of “self-proclaimed girlfriend” since 1993, which makes her “official” and “not official” at the same time, but there are some traces left from the Sonic manga of 1992 (which in turn influenced Amy’s original design), where a prototype version of Amy (or, as it was spelled there, Emi/Eimi) played the role of Sonic’s girlfriend (or Nicki’s, to be more precise). With this detail in mind, Amy can be considered, at least in the East, the very first “Sonic’s girlfriend”, even before Sally – but her situation is much more complex.

Sonic Mega Drive (top) and Sonic Boom (bottom), representing some differences in different Sonic continuities.

In any case, the manga would be the first and only time Amy was officially considered “Sonic’s girlfriend”, because in the following decades and in several continuities the core of their dynamic shifted to Amy chasing Sonic. Both would get closer or further away depending on each case (in Fleetway, for example, Amy ends up marrying another character, while in Archie Sonic there would be only a few instances of potential interest, quickly overshadowed by convenience or other things directly or indirectly related to Sally), but generally no continuity would establish an official relationship. In some cases, such as Japan, it wouldn’t even be necessary to clarify the state of the relationship, since their cultures accept more easily the dynamic that Sonic Team proposed as an “official relationship”. Just looking at the artwork highlighted on Sonic Channel (run by SEGA of Japan) shows how much more accepted the relationship is, even though Sonic Team’s official artwork still avoids any kind of public confirmation. (Author’s note: I’ve written more about Amy according to the East and the West in the first article of this trilogy)

Unlike Sally, there is no “opposites attract” situation between Amy and Sonic, and, at first, there is no prior friendship from which a potential relationship could flourish. We witnessed their dynamics from the first moment they met, and it would not be until years later that there would be a minimal basis for interaction from which various official continuities would bring both characters closer together.

Technically Amy already knew that her destiny was tied to Sonic and the events of Sonic CD on Little Planet, thanks to her tarot cards (an element that has disappeared since then), but for Sonic it was just another day of adventure, and although we’ve seen how Amy's feelings have progressed, mostly in Adventure 1 and 2, Sonic has never reflected on his personal feelings; it’s an aspect of the hedgehog that to this day remains a mystery to the audiences.

Also unlike Sally, Amy has appeared in multiple continuities of all kinds and because of that her relationship with Sonic has been affected in various ways. The main videogames canon has remained ambiguous and unchanged for 25 years: Amy would stay close to Sonic and offer some good moments to reflect on her feelings about him (some of which I mentioned in my post about Sonic Unleashed and Amy’s emotional support), while Sonic would remain distant, uncomfortable, shy, and, more recently, potentially affected by her apparent loss.

Sonic X is the first official attempt (by Sonic Team no less) to offer an expanded view of our characters. There’s a lot of discussion about how Sonic is slowly opening up to Amy’s advances, and these developments follow a line that we discussed in previous articles of this trilogy, and how, during the 2000s, the Japanese writers of the series kept slowly deepening the interactions between the two, reaching very important symbolic moments like Sonic X Ep. 9, 52 and 76, among several others. I am purposely leaving out specific details to direct your attention to this fantastic thread by Yvanix Rose that highlights some key details about how this continuity worked the Sonic-Amy dynamic. [Translator’s note: the thread is in Spanish]

Sonic X, episode 76.

Another essential continuity for the development of this dynamic was Sonic Boom, since, despite having been a separate continuity with its own interpretation of the characters, its existence managed to influence the main canon in some way in the years that followed its original release in 2014.

Sonic Boom made two important changes in the dynamic: Amy did no longer externalize her feelings with the same frequency or intensity (speeding up a process that already started in the main canon in 2008), and Sonic was noticeably more nervous and insecure of his feelings for her, even being jealous in several occasions. These changes got the dynamic closer to the “friends who have secret feelings to each other but they’re too shy to admit it” trope, and in the second season it could even be said that there are signals of the “secretly dating” trope. Nothing was officially confirmed yet, but the changes to the dynamic offered a fresh perspective to work from: winks and inferences about a relationship that was not talked about but seemed to happen behind the scenes.

Sonic Boom S1E16.

Sonic Boom’s approach also opened the door to working a little more on the characters’ new personalities. Taking a little inspiration from the original foundations of Sally and Sonic’s relationship, Boom now presented situations where Sonic and Amy’s perspectives actively clashed with each other, leading to discussions and moments that showed a little more of the mundane details of the friendship they had, rather than appealing to more classic behaviors of the main canon, like Sonic leaving the scene in a hurry. Considering the way things turned out the last time we saw this kind of dynamic on screen, it was pretty safe to assume that their new opposites were now attracted; the implied secret dating and so on only helped to give it more sustenance - which the fandom would eventually take to the extreme.

And lastly there’s IDW Sonic, the comic series that replaced Archie Sonic after its cancellation in 2017, and the most recent arc that offers an interesting perspective. Starting its continuity from the end of the events of Sonic Forces (which at the same time took on certain characteristics from the post-Boom era, particularly as far as Amy is concerned), IDW Sonic didn’t waste any time in presenting the way in which it would carry out its dynamic between Sonic and Amy.

Amy makes her feelings for Sonic very clear, and he is surprised but unable to match them. However, Sonic doesn’t want to outright reject her, and suggests that she come with him; she refuses, claiming that she has duties to the Resistance, setting the tone for the rest of the series. (IDW Sonic #2)

“Sonic’s girlfriend” today

As I mentioned earlier, after the reboot Sally was no longer considered Sonic’s girlfriend, and her disappearance after the cancellation of Archie Sonic in general is a sign that we may not see her ever again, even as a friend. As of today, in 2020, only Amy has been left in her “unofficial, but…” state, with various minor events taking place both in the main canon and in IDW Sonic:

In 2018 the official SEGA shop wrote a description for a piece of Amy Rose merchandise that said “celebrate 25 years of Sonic’s girlfriend”; the mistake wasn’t immediately corrected, despite the fandom pointing it out immediately.

The video game canon has remained dormant, with Team Sonic Racing in 2019 featuring more of a regular friendship between Sonic and Amy, sharing rivalries and quiet moments alike.

On the other hand, since IDW Sonic and Sonic Boom laid their foundations, we've begun to see a certain shift in the way the two characters are presented. While we’ve talked about IDW Sonic already, Sonic’s social medias have done multiple “Twitter Takeovers” where Sonic characters answer questions from fans, and Sonic has always answered more like his version of Boom to the inevitable question about Amy and his “feelings”.

Recent official animations like Sonic Mania Adventures and Team Sonic Racing Overdrive have shown Amy flirting with Sonic in a more casual way.

The current dynamic seems to be pointing towards “Sonic’s hidden feelings”, and I think we are at a perfect point to change the approach. SEGA in general seems more open to the idea of bringing these characters closer, probably as a marketing strategy, but without yet separating themselves from the central ideas that defined the dynamic for the last two and a half decades.

Conclusion

The idea of “Sonic’s girlfriend” has been one of the most experimental and controversial in the almost three decades that this series has been around for. SEGA has opened the door to all kinds of ambiguities, developments and interpretations, all with their pros and cons, instead of settling on a definitive position. As iconic as these characters, conceived as Sonic’s “romantic interests”, have become, they have also had their share of criticism and controversy, especially in the fandom.

The presence of Amy as the only “official but self-proclaimed girlfriend” today says a lot about the control SEGA (specifically SEGA of Japan) regained over the characters, after decades of interpretations that offered different alternatives with various degrees of success. At her best, Sally represented an ideal relationship with Sonic, much more complete and profound than the back-and-forth game between Amy and Sonic. But at her worst, this same relationship represented everything wrong that could happen by associating Sonic with the emotional spiderweb of a romantic relationship. SEGA hardening its control over the characters seems to have put an end of this type of situation where Sonic ends up being involved in a romantic telenovela, but at the same time it has revitalized the flirting game and the implicit associations that give fuel to the fandom fire.

From my humble interpretation, I think we’ve reached a point where Sonic and Amy have shared enough stories and moments to solidify the core aspects of their personalities and their friendship, allowing them to take the next step, which is to play around with the idea of “something else”. 25 years ago it was hard to see how these two characters could work together beyond “it’s SEGA’s word”; today there’s enough of a story to find a rhythm and chemistry for them, and the series of situations they've put themselves in (e.g. IDW Sonic’s plot arcs) are increasingly helping this case. The topic of “Sonic's girlfriend” may be a controversial one for SEGA and the fandom in general, but the doors have slowly been opened for this debate to develop and be investigated with interesting results, and I think that, in this new decade of 2020, there’s a unique potential to explore this kind of discussion, without sacrificing in any way the central principles of Sonic as a character. Thank you for joining me in these 200 entries, and hopefully we’ll see each other for many more.

[sambergscott]

i'll promise that i'll love you for the rest of my life

one giving the other flowers, as requested by @rosalitadiazz AGES ago, also dedicated to @397bartonstreet for the initial idea of amy sleeping in/just being the best and @nine-niall for helping with the marriage highlight reel.... and for making me listen to heartbreak weather on repeat for the last few days and coming up with this title

happy anniversary to jake and amy!!! (also since the ep aired 2 years ago today i'm not *technically* late thank u very much)

One million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes after marrying Amy Santiago (or, two years), every moment is as wonderful as day one. He still feels the same rush of excitement when he sees her waiting by their car at the end of a shift, the same swell of pride when she introduces him to someone as her husband, the same “oh my god we’re actually married” moment when he catches her rings glinting in the sunlight. It’s been the best one million, fifty one thousand and two hundred minutes of his life. And while he appreciates every single second they have together, knowing how in their line of work things can change all too easy, their second anniversary presents the perfect opportunity to remind her that everyday he gets to be with someone as amazing as her is crazy to him.

He has flowers, a handmade card, he even hoovered and she’s still asleep.

She never sleeps this late.

Everyone knows she’s the morning person in their relationship and he’s the Get Out Of Bed After Snoozing The Alarm Seventeen Times person. They live together, share a car, and yet most mornings he ends up riding the Subway, squashed between an old woman and a nerdy looking guy who smells like he hasn’t showered in a week, Amy rolling her eyes when he gets to work mid-briefing. The rare days she can get him out of bed early usually involve some kind of bribery using food and/or sex.

The point is, he’s supposed to be the one sleeping in past 11 AM, but ever since their doctor prescribed Clomid to help stimulate ovulation and boost their chances of making a baby, their roles have been totally reversed like Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday.

Pregnant Amy falls asleep anywhere and everywhere. The couch, the car, the cleaning cupboard at work when she was trying to find some Nuclear-strength cleaner to remove the stench of Charles’ lunch from the air before she hurled again.

She could sleep all day if he let her and he quite easily could. She looks so peaceful and cute and free from the stresses of her family asking why they waited so long (well, long for Santiago standards) to start a family. Plus, the messy hair and tiny bit of drool on her chin are impossibly endearing in the way only she can be.

He smiles and wraps his arms around her, resting his head on his shoulder, his hands - like his thoughts - drifting to her growing bump as they inevitably always do.

This time next year they’ll be celebrating with their little boy or girl, telling them all about the insane, magical day that was May 15th 2018. Of course, it might be some time before they can fully grasp the TV-worthy drama of the creepy phone call, the bomb in the vent, the ex-boyfriend proposing - twice! - and the wall of Amy photos, but they will sure as dammit know how beautiful their mom looked in her dress and how happy their dad was when Grandpa Holt finally announced them as husband and wife.

“Can’t breathe,” his wife squeaks, finally awake. “Arms too tight.”

“Oops. Sorry, babe.” He kisses her by way of apology; sometimes when he gets to thinking about that day, about seeing her walk down the shredded paper aisle under the glow of fairy lights, surrounded by the very people who watched them fall in love, he kind of forgets where he is and what he’s doing.

She’s always had that intoxicating effect on him. That’s never gonna change.

“Time is it?” She yawns, stretching her arms above her head.

“Twenty five to,” he pauses to brace himself for her reaction, “...twelve.”

“Twelve?” Horrified, she moves to get out of bed and yeah, he knows her so well. “Let me go,” she huffs in frustration when he forms a barrier to keep her from leaving.

“No can do, Santiago,” he says authoritatively. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone and you’re pregnant. You need to rest. We’ve both got the day off, our dinner reservations aren’t until 8. Just let your husband take care of you for a couple of hours.”

She chews on her lower lip, making her contemplative face that he recognises from sitting opposite her for so many years, preferring watching her piece together the leads in a case rather than work on his own. “Fine,” she eventually concedes. “Happy anniversary, by the way.”

“Happy anniversary,” he returns the sentiment, kissing her again because, well, he can, one of the perks of marrying Amy Santiago (alongside a perfectly organised sock drawer and getting to hang out with the best person in the world 24 sevs). “I got you these,” he adds, procuring the daffodil bouquet he found online.

“Jake,” she sighs dreamily, placing the flowers on her nightstand. “They’re beautiful. And my favourites.”

“I know,” he smirks. He may not be Santiago level smart, but he’s smart when it comes to all things Santiago. “Also made you this.” He hands over the card.

She opens it, instantly tearing up at his sweet message inside, the dam bursting when she notices the scrawled message written with his wrong hand from their unborn baby. “Mine sucks in comparison,” she laments, passing him his card before locking her eyes back on the words ‘happy anniversary to the world’s best mama’.

“It does not suck,” he reassures her, clutching it to his chest. “I’m going to savour it for all times. I want to be buried with it.”

She rolls her eyes, drying her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I thought you wanted to be buried with your original copy of Die Hard.”

“OK, Die Hard and your card. Rhymes for a reason, Ames.”

“You’re such a dork,” she responds, stifling her laughter. “Can’t believe I’ve been married to you for two full years.”

“I know.” He grins. “What was your favourite part?”

Her eyes glimmer with excitement and love and memories of their first anniversary before things turned upside down. “Are you suggesting we do a marriage highlight reel à la NBA inside stuff?”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. I’ll go first. NUMBER FIVE,” he yells in his spot on Ahmad Rashad impression, earning a giggle from his wife. “Number five is that dress you wore on my birthday. Your butt looked the bomb in it.”

“Thanks, babe.” Two years in, she’s used to the constant “your butt is the bomb” comments, often uttered at the most inappropriate of times like when she stands up to brief the squad or play soccer with her brothers, much to her chagrin and their delight.

“Number four,” she quickly moves on. “The time you taught me to play Mario Party and I beat Wario on the first try.”

“That was my worst moment,” he groans.

“And that’s why it’s my best.”

He sighs, considers debating it, engaging in the classic back-and-forth that is the very foundation of their relationship, but it’s moot. She was way better than him. Santiago’s learn fast. It’s in their genes or something. And despite the crushing disappointment when she beat Wario with ease and dork danced her way to the kitchen to grab them both an orange soda, it was still a very fun night and a worthy moment in the highlight reel.

“Number Three. The York murder.”

Immediate understanding spreads across Amy’s face, but he explains anyway.

“I spent three days working that case and you just came in, saw the board and solved it right away.”

“I’m very smart,” she jokes lightheartedly.

“You are,” he agrees, his voice coming out softer and sincerer than even he imagined. “I love that about you. I love your brain. I love how good you are at your job, at figuring out puzzles. I love that you listen to NPR and know so much about the font Helvetica and have read, like, a million books. I love that you do a crossword every night and I love how proud you look when you give me a sports clue and I actually get it right. I love cheering you on at Trivia Nights even when Kylie can’t stop glaring at me. How lucky am I to have the smartest wife in the world?”

Touched, she can barely compile her thoughts to reveal her Number Two.

“The night at Shaw’s, at Hitchcock’s second divorce party, your speech, the way you kissed me, the way you were so gentle when we got home,” she sniffles. “It was special and made me feel so loved and if I say anymore I’m going to cry again, so you go.”

He chuckles knowingly. The pregnancy hormones have been making her extra emotional lately, they can’t even watch commercials anymore without her fully weeping. And while last year Pam and her twisted bowels interrupted before they could get to Number One, this year Number One is obvious. Clear as day. And there’s no one to interrupt.

He pretends to think about it for a minute (because he will always love teasing her, married or not). Only when she grabs his arm and digs her nails into his skin does he put both their hands on her bump and smiles. “Obviously this little guy or gal is Number One.”

She smiles back at him, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

His own face falls. “Ames?”

“It’s been a hard year, hasn’t it?” She sighs, thinking back to calendars and fertility appointments and the strict no nacho policy.

“Yeah,” he says, “it has. But this next year is gonna be the best one yet.”

“I mean... We’re probably not going to sleep a lot.”

“You might not sleep a lot but I sure will,” he teases, his words falling flat. “Just kidding, babe. Obviously I’m going to get up for all the feeds and diaper changes and whatever else this kid throws at us. Gonna be there for you both. No matter what.”

The pregnancy hormones strike again and she starts crying and, honestly, he can’t wait for this baby to get out, for more reasons than one.

“BRB, I’ll go make your favourite breakfast to make you feel better, don’t grow anymore body parts while I’m gone.”

He returns seven minutes later with pancakes, a ton of fruit, decaf coffee and another kiss. He climbs back into bed, devours his own Nutella pancakes and posts his favourite blurry, drunk on Champagne and love selfie from their makeshift wedding reception at Shaw’s, on Insta with a caption about how he promises he’s gonna love her for the rest of his life.

And he keeps that promise.

[rllymilerlly]

Suki and sokka!!!! For the ship thing

1. How do much do I ship it?: Never heard of it/ Notp / Dislike / used to ship / maybe / ship it / aww / otp / IS IT CANON YET

Listen they are the Epitome of healthy relationships. They are goals. This is like one of the canon ships that I 10000000% adore.

2. What non sexual activities do they like to do together?

They love to cuddle. They also love to go out around town on nice dates. They’ll go to everything. they’ll go to orchestras, plays, restaurants. Their dates are an all day affair and they 100% end up dancing at some point.

3. Who does chores around the house

Suki makes them a chore chart where she makes sure Sokka does his fair share. Though Sokka doesn’t mind at all helping out Suki. (But he does forget to do the laundry every now and again)

4. Who’s the better cook?

Suki and Sokka conquer the kitchen together. They team up when making a lot of big meals. So it is an even trade with a lot of things. But Suki is better at grilling out the meat.

5. Who’s the funniest drunk?

Sokka. Sokka is a lot more extra when he’s drunk and Suki is only encouraging his shenanigans.

6. Do they have kids?

Yes I like to think they have a daughter and she is the greatest warrior to ever exist.

7. Do they have any traditions?

On the anniversary Yue sacrificed herself, Sokka and Suki both pay a tribute to her.

8. What do they fight about?

They don’t fight often but their biggest fight was where to settle down after they got married, Kyoshi Island or South Pole. They both have lives at their homes they aren’t willing to uproot just quite yet.

9. What would they do if they found their paring tag on tumblr? (If they have one)

They would be glad people agree they are awesome together but also be like “we been knew”

10. Who cried at the end of Marley and me

Sokka did and Suki held him and told him it’d be alright.

11. Who always wins at Mario kart?

Suki kicks his ass. Every. Single. Time.

12. One thing I like about this ship?

I love Sokka’s doting on Suki and vice versa. They truly love each other and it’s very obvious. Also Suki is a big part of Sokka’s growth. She helped him blossom into the strong warrior he became in the show.

13. One thing I don’t like about the ship?

Oh god I don’t even think there is one?????? They needed more screen time I GUESS

14. The song I would say fits them?

Wouldn’t it be Nice or Kokomo by The Beach Boys

15. Another headcanon about the paring? (Free space)

Sokka writes Suki poems and art for her all time to express his love. And Suki keeps all of them in a special box. And whenever he’s gone for a while she’ll take out the poems and reread them to make her feel better.

[mysmashplaythroughs]

Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story Playthrough

Fighter: King Bowser Koopa.

Game: Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story, Nintendo DS. First Released on February 11th 2009.

Fighter Bio.

King Bowser Koopa, the King of the Koopas is the most common threat to the safety of the Mushroom Kingdom and many places beyond. Bowser is most commonly the antagonist of the Super Mario series and a few of the spinoff series in various forms too. When Bowser is not the main antagonist, he will often either be a threat running alongside the main conflict, appearing to cause problems and derailing the heroes and other villain if one is involved, or he will begrudgingly team up with the heroes to take on a larger threat, although often under the guise he’s allowing the heroes to help him rather than helping them. Despite his constant antagonism, Bowser is prepared to put aside his evil ambitions to take part in various sports and competitions such as Go-Karting, Golf, Tennis and many others, often being one of the most powerful but slow competitors. He has demonstrated many different abilities over the years but his most common are his extreme strength and his ability to breath fire, something he’s been shown to have mastered to the point he can use it in a vast variety of ways, from shooting bursts of fire to large sprays of fire to even extremely fast lines of flame that he sweeps across the floor. Bowser boasts a vast loyal army, with him often finding surprisingly powerful creatures who will serve under him, from his regular Koopa Troopa and Goomba foot soldiers all the way to the giant dragon Lord of Lightning that’s head alone is larger than Bowser himself yet followed his commands (possibly under a form of mind control although it’s never explicitly confirmed.) Perhaps Bowser’s biggest strength however is his persistence, he always returns despite being defeated and facing all sorts of dangers such as falling into lava multiple times and falling from orbit down to Earth just to name a couple. His intelligence varies and most of the time this seems to be more down to his arrogance and haste, he can put some plans into motion that allow him to attain great power but will usually lose due to his hubris in the end. He often also relies upon other characters to handle the details such as Kamek for more elaborate schemes.

Bowser began his history of conflict back when he was a baby and first met Yoshi and Baby Mario, or as he called Yoshi, a ‘Green Donkey’. Kamek his loyal guardian was the one setting events in motion due to a prophecy that Baby Mario and Baby Luigi would grow up to become the Koopas greatest enemy. It was when towards the end of their adventure, Yoshi and Baby Mario reached Baby Bowser’s Castle that Baby Bowser met them for the first time, and threw a tantrum because he was woken from his nap by Kamek. He took his anger out on him before noticing Yoshi and deciding he wanted to ride him instead of Baby Mario. This led to Bowser jealously trying to knock Baby Mario off and get a ride, which ended with his defeat. Kamek dismayed used his magic to then make Baby Bowser giant, and he attempted to destroy the castle with Yoshi and Baby Mario in it. The two fought off Baby Bowser, resulting in him shrinking and being taken away by Kamek. Following this, Baby Bowser grew a hatred of Yoshis and would often get Kamek to help him try to take over their island, employing such methods as turning it into a storybook, stealing their Super Happy Tree and other such things. It was when he was seemingly somewhat older, although still a child that Baby Bowser would first set his eyes on the Mushroom Kingdom. He invaded Princess Peach’s Castle, but was beaten by Baby Mario who happened to be present. Following this, a vast plot involving time travel and alien invaders took place, with Baby Bowser meeting his older self, actually for the second time seemingly at this point. The two had not gotten along the first time they met, but this time they teamed up similarly to the Mario Bros and their Baby forms, with them having a battle in a volcano. Baby Bowser lost once again and for the first time it wasn’t to Yoshis but to the Mario Bros themselves.

Following this, Bowser seemingly quietened down for a bit. Mario seems to have moved to New Donk City, having various adventures there involving his various jobs and a certain ape. It was only many years later when the Mario Bros had seemingly returned to the Mushroom Kingdom that Bowser undertook his very first full-scale invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom, succeeding in kidnaping the Princess and taking over the land. As his older self, Bowser had seemingly learnt magic which helped him in taking over the Mushroom Kingdom, and which is something he has demonstrated other times, being able to perform various tricks such as teleporting or turning invisible. The Koopa King’s reign was short lived however, as the Mario Bros took him down, something that would become the norm from then on in the Mushroom Kingdom. Over the years, Bowser would return again and again, sometimes accompanied by the Koopalings, other times with other bosses who were Kings and Queens themselves, and eventually by his own son Bowser Jr. Bowser also has fought alongside his enemy Mario against various threats, with his power often being a great asset in taking them on. Bowser has also seen his troops sometimes hijacked by other villains through hypnosis or occasionally other means, something which arguably riles him up even more than being stopped by Mario. At first Bowser would kidnap Princess Peach simply to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, but as time went on, he seemingly began to develop a crush on her, often wishing for her to marry him, with it on some rare occasions being his main aim, although he has always been defeated before he could reach such a stage, except on one occasion where another villain married to two in order to bring about a prophecy to end all worlds. Bowser insisted it counted whilst Peach very much disagreed on that occasion.

Bowser’s personality isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Bowser is brash, villainous and willing to go to extremes to destroy his enemies and force others to do what he wants. He has overseen campaigns to steal cosmic power, try to create his own galaxy and force the Princess to marry him. There are some good traits to him as well however, most notably he will often partner up with his son in various sports and competitions and has been shown taking care to play games with him and other things. He will however get Jr involved in his schemes, although Jr is definitely a willing participant, having told him how he wants to fight Mario again after their first encounter. This does lead to Bowser getting Jr involved in dangerous situations in his fight against Mario and friends. Bowser did also try to trick Jr in his first appearance into believing Princess Peach was his Mother, although he admitted the truth and Jr told him he already knew she wasn’t. Bowser also seems to have the respect of a lot of his troops, from a fair few of the ground troops admiring him to the loyalty of the various bosses and the Koopalings. Some of them express fear of Bowser when failing him, but a lot serve him out of genuine loyalty, which has been shown when others try to take over Bowser’s forces and often have to resort to brain washing.

 Friends: Of actual friends Bowser has very few. Possibly his closest confidant is Kamek who has seemingly raised him from his childhood and still faithfully serves him to this day. Bowser doesn’t show great respect towards Kamek, but he relies on him a lot when he’s present. Bowser has also had other advisors when Kamek isn’t present, a notable one being another Magikoopa called Kammy Koopa who he was similarly disrespectful of. Bowser can be notoriously difficult to get along with for those who wish to work with him, begrudgingly helping when working with his enemies and especially when working alongside another villain. This even extends to the rare times he’s worked with another version of himself, both his Baby form and his Paper form spent more time arguing with him than actually coming up with plans to defeat the Mario Bros. Bowser always has to be the leader so when it comes to his troops he tends to be more comfortable, especially when they shower him with adoration and respect. Bowser Jr admires his Father a lot, although he is not beyond pranking him and acting bratty towards him from time to time, still he will always go along with his Father’s schemes when he has the chance. Jr trusts his Father enough that he knows when something’s seriously wrong with him, as happened in one case where Jr went to the extreme of teaming up with Mario in order to save Bowser from a fury that had overtaken him. Bowser will spoil Jr often giving him all sorts of equipment and his own personal army. Their relationship definitely has its strains however with Jr sometimes feeling ignored due to Bowser’s campaigns against the Mushroom Kingdom and lacking friends his age. Bowser trusts the Koopalings although he will berate them when they fail, still it seems they also respect him and are willing to follow him no matter what, even in cases where he’s not actually in control of his own actions or has been possessed. Bowser has had such a vast army over the years that listing even just the notable members of it will go on too long. His most common troops are Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros, Lakitus and Magikoopas amongst many others and provided they aren’t brainwashed they will often follow his commands no matter what.

Enemies/Rivals: Mario is definitely Bowser’s arch-enemy and arch-rival, with the two facing off in almost everything they do, from fighting each other in Bowser’s plots to competing with each other in a variety of sports and activities. Luigi has a similarly antagonistic relationship with Bowser, however over the years Bowser has forgotten him, sometimes not recognising him or if he does, not remembering his name. However, following some of Luigi’s exploits in stopping him, such as in the events of Mario & Luigi Dream Team Bowser’s been angry enough to remember Luigi’s name when facing off against him. Princess Peach is technically Bowser’s enemy, although he wishes for her to be by his side rather than against him, however the feeling is not mutual and he is willing to fight Peach when she goes up against him. Yoshi and his whole species have earned Bowser’s wrath following their battles against him when he was a child, which possibly is why as a grown up he has taken to kidnapping Yoshis on occasion and forcing them into eggs stuck inside question mark blocks. Bowser thinks little of Toads with his focus usually being on Princess Peach or the Mario Bros, often with him himself barely acknowledging them. Various Toads have taken on Bowser over the years, such as Toad, Toadette, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad showing they can be as much of a threat to him as the Mario Bros, but even so Bowser seems to see them as little more than Peach’s minions. An odd case is Wario, where the two have on occasions worked together, usually in spin-off games, but also have fought each other, such as in Super Mario 64 DS where Wario joined Yoshi, Mario and Luigi in trying to save Peach from him. As with most things, it most likely depends on what will provide Wario with the biggest gain as to whether he fights with or against Bowser. Most other characters who are friends with Mario such as Rosalina, E Gadd and Princess Daisy are considered by default Bowser’s enemy, although he often won’t directly interact with them, with at most his forces causing problems for them rather than him himself. Also, despite having all of these enemies, Bowser is willing to put his animosity aside on some occasions even to take part in fair competitions with a lot of these characters.

There have been occasions also, where despite his animosity, Bowser has reluctantly teamed up with the Mario Bros and others to take on a larger threat. Chronologically the very first occasions of this were him briefly teaming up with Yoshi and the other Babies when his older self who had time travelled to the past wished to kidnap him alongside the other Star Children for his plans, although he betrayed the team towards the end of the adventure fighting them out of a belief they wanted to take his castle away. He also teamed up briefly with the Mario Bros from the future and their Baby selves against the Shroob invaders, although their union ended fairly quickly when his cruiser was shot down and they were separated, with Baby Bowser proving himself an annoyance to the Mario Bros throughout the rest of the adventure. Bowser’s first actual team up with Mario took place in Super Mario RPG with him teaming up with Mario, Princess Peach, Geno and Mallow to take on the Smithy Gang who had taken over his castle. Smithy was the first of various villains Bowser would personally fight against, never through any sense of good but usually fuelled by personal grievances, whether it was them taking control of his castle, stealing Princess Peach’s voice replacing it with an ‘explosive vocabulary’ that makes it too dangerous for him to kidnap her, seeking to take over the world when that was his plan or them seeking destruction that will leave no world for him to take over. Over the years, these villains have either beaten Bowser with ease leading him to reluctantly have to turn to Mario for help, such as with the Smithy Gang, tricked him into helping their plans such as with Count Bleck or Bowser has tried to muscle in on their plans such as with the X-Nauts. It seems following a lot of these encounters, Bowser has learnt how to be more sneaky himself over the years, with one time him teaming up with another villain only to turn on them at the last minute, leaving the Mario Bros to defeat them and stealing the ultimate power they were seeking all along for himself.

Crossovers with other Smash characters: Being from the Mario series, and Mario’s arch villain as well, Bowser has appeared in a fair few crossovers over the years. Since Bowser was part of Mario’s party in the game, he was present for Samus Aran’s cameo in Super Mario RPG, however Link’s cameo occurs before Bowser joins the party. Interestingly, Bowser cameos in Kirby Super Star in the crowd with Mario watching the Megaton Punch event, however he does not appear in the crowd in the remake on DS, with Wario seemingly appearing instead. Bowser is in Mario Kart 8 and therefore races against other characters who appear in the game such as Link (Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword’s incarnations), Villager, Inklings and Isabelle. Bowser appears in the Game & Watch Gallery series which has the classic versions of Game & Watch games playable, making him technically appear alongside Mr Game & Watch. Bowser is part of the group in Tetris on the NES which features Pit, Link and Samus. Bowser has been in all of the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series, with him often taking a large role in the ones with a story mode, often working alongside Sonic’s arch-enemy Doctor Eggman to take on Mario and Sonic as well as their friends. Bowser is also a racer in the Mario Kart GP arcade games, which are a crossover with Pac-Man who he races against. Bowser is a playable character in the Fortune Street series, which crosses over with Dragon Quest, although none of the Dragon Quest Heroes themselves appear. Bowser probably has the most crossovers with other characters of any villain in Smash overall.

Why this game?

Well, to put it simply, this game is arguably Bowser’s starring role. His name is in the title and he’s playable as more than just a party member which is the case for his other major playable appearances (excluding spin-off titles). The reason I played the original version of the game rather than the 3DS version is simply because the 3DS version wouldn’t even be announced until a couple of years after I finished this one. With the remake, I believe there are still reasons to play either version, although I’m not sure of all of the changes in the remake I believe there are pros and cons for each rather than one version being clearly superior.

My past with this game.

So before I go into specifics of the game itself, I would like to preface this by saying, Bowser is my favourite videogame villain. I believe his strength lies in just how adaptable he is, with there being two extremes of Nintendo villains in my opinion. On one side you have Ganon, a character who as a villain is almost always played as the ultimate evil, a ruthless tyrant who will happily wipe out his enemies or enslave them in his quest for power. He is not without some nuance however, in that he states how he was influenced by the hardships his people faced that he saw, influencing him to seek power and gradually lore in the series painting a picture of him being likely a product of an older evil’s curse. On the other side of the scale you have King Dedede, a villain who is more of a petty greedy jerk at the worst of times, but more often than not is willing to team up with his arch enemy to take on far worse threats. King Dedede has performed some impressive feats which show he’s not an absolute joke of a villain, with often powerful cosmic entities seeking to take control of him due to his strength, however he is still on the far more petty and mild side of the scale when it comes to villains overall. Bowser in my opinion, is a character who can move all over the scale but still feel totally in character. He can be a petty fool at times arguing with other characters over something ridiculous, then at other times take over many galaxies in the Mario Universe building his very own Galaxy to be the base of his Galactic Empire and still not really betray the character he is. It helps that over the years he has been shown to be very temperamental, with his temper getting the better of him at times leading him to become a weak tutorial boss Mario takes down with ease at the start of the story to being later the final boss of the game on many other occasions. My main point here is that Bowser in my opinion is capable of being an actual intimidating threat and also being a source of comic relief without it not feeling like him. He can never reach the level of a villain like Ganondorf or Sephiroth in seriousness, however he always manages to provide a big threat when he needs to. As he puts it himself, he’s “grade-A, 100% prime-cut final boss!” material. Finally, one important thing to note, is the majority of the time, I find Bowser a really funny character, especially in the RPG series. Over the years he’s had some great scenes and lines and, without going into a tangent, it’s probably one of the biggest reasons I dislike Paper Mario Sticker Star so much, since him being the main villain again for the first time in that series could have been amazing if he’d said a single word. Still, that’s a whole other topic I’d rather not get into now.

Now, I realise that’s my opinion on him, not an objective fact, still it’s an important one for me personally when it comes to my history with Bowser and Bowser’s Inside Story. Before the game came out, there had been a few times Bowser had been playable, with Super Mario RPG and Super Paper Mario both having him be part of the party, being usually the power based slower team member. Bowser’s Inside Story immediately got my interest though, not only because Bowser was playable, but because he was essentially the star of the game. Mario & Luigi were still the main characters as with all the other games in the series, however whilst their gameplay seemed somewhat the same as the previous games in the series, Bowser looked to be totally unique in how he worked, with his punches and fire breath being the main tools he would use to get around the world as opposed to the Mario Bros jumping abilities. This differed from Bowser’s previous playable appearances as they would often still be more done in the style of Mario and the other playable characters, usually being just bulkier and having fire breath as an option. The Bowser in this game is based much more on him acting like how he does as a boss in games rather than emulating Mario, using his strength to get around and fight.

When I got the game, I remember loving it and playing through to the end, something I’d not managed with the previous Mario & Luigi games (usually because I’d have a specific boss I’d get stuck on and give up) so whilst it’s far too long ago now to give specific details, I feel overall I really enjoyed the game. I know I enjoyed it more than I had Partners in Time, but overall Superstar Saga still holds the fondest memories for me. As a game however Bowser’s Inside Story I could definitely see being argued as being the best of the series and I definitely consider to be as good a game overall as Superstar Saga. It also can be just as funny, especially in how Bowser himself acts and reacts to the events that take place, something that I felt could be lacking at times in Partners in Time after the hilarious Superstar Saga.

My Smash Playthrough.

So this is the first game on my list that’s a Mario RPG game, which includes a few series I’m a big fan of. I don’t really want to focus on the situation with those as a whole at this point, but I just want to stress that I really love the classic Mario RPG titles and of the Mario & Luigi series specifically, this was one of the best (arguably the best but personally I rate Superstar Saga higher). I was pretty excited to go back to this game, especially as I hadn’t played through it for some time unlike other Mario RPGs I like. When it comes to the way the game plays, a hallmark of all the Mario RPGs there’ve been so far is that there are turn based battles, but attacks often involve timing button presses in order to pull off more powerful attacks, something the Mario and Luigi arguably is the most complex example of. Outside of battles, jumping is a key part of the standard Mario RPG gameplay with the games still including many platforming elements despite being RPGs. One thing I always liked with the Mario & Luigi series was how they’d often do interesting ideas with the buttons. A would be Mario’s button which he jumps with and B would be Luigi’s button. With the DS and the addition of an X and Y button, this was used for the Baby Mario Bros in the second game, Partners in Time and for this game Bowser would use both buttons for different abilities he can use. Bowser is a big part of the game, but the game still also stars Mario & Luigi, their role this time however involves them spending a lot of the time in a somewhat unusual location, given the title you might have guessed, but that is inside Bowser’s body. Following Bowser being tricked into eating a special mushroom, he inhales the Mario Bros, Princess Peach, Starlow, Toadsworth and a group of Toads and many other objects in Princess Peach’s Castle.

Bowser starts off the game lacking many of his abilities beyond his strong punch which makes up his basic attack in the game. Mario & Luigi as the story goes on must help Bowser by solving problems in his body in order to power him up, such as getting rid of a pest he inhaled which is blocking his fire pipe which allows him to breath fire. The Mario Bros also often have to go to specific parts of Bowser’s body and stimulate specific areas in order to do things such as make Bowser strong enough to lift heavy objects, or as time goes on grow giant in order to take on giant enemies in special boss battles. These often involve minigames such as the Mario Bros having to hit balls of energy at muscle with their hammers in order to give Bowser more power. Personally, whilst I get how gross the idea is to some, I’ve always found the concept of characters inside of a living person and having to navigate their way around interesting, granted I prefer it when it’s more cartoon logic than going for the realism of how disgusting that would likely be to experience. It’s due to this, despite often finding cavern type environments fairly dull, I actually really like the locations visited within Bowser and I found it a cool concept to play through. The location is on a 2D plain rather than the 3D environments Bowser travels through in the game, so it makes them unique and often I wouldn’t say they’re particularly confusing. Returning to areas in Bowser’s Body is really simple too as the Mario Bros can just select an area they’ve already visited to return there on the map. The Mario Bros don’t spend the whole game in Bowser’s body, in fact there are pipes they find which allow them to travel back to the overworld, often being able to do things and visit locations Bowser cannot, a key one being Toad Town which features various stores and NPCs to speak with. One final cool thing I’d like to mention regarding the Mario Bros and Bowser is that there are small enemies in the overworld that the Mario Bros have to fight as well as the bigger ones that wander around, however Bowser can often just take out the small ones by walking into them due to his size and power, with only the big ones initiate battles with him. It was in my opinion a nice touch which made each area feel different depending on whether it was Bowser or the Mario Bros you were playing as.

When this game came out, I remember one aspect which I was personally excited about, was that this was the first RPG game since the first Paper Mario to have the Mushroom Kingdom as the setting, with the aforementioned Toad Town being a returning location which specifically first appeared in that game. Partners in Time was also set in the Mushroom Kingdom, however that was specifically the past version of the place, with a lot of it destroyed. One of my major criticisms of that game was how the areas weren’t connected, only being visited by going through specific portals. The Mushroom Kingdom in Bowser’s Inside Story on the other hand has a connected world map. There’s a nice variety of locations although I could see some calling it somewhat bland, still I personally quite enjoyed it, with two of my favourite locations being Toad Town and Bowser’s Castle. Nowadays I realise the Mushroom Kingdom possibly appears too often, but still at the time I was glad to see it, and it still has some interesting unique locations, such as Plack Beach which features odd teeth formations. Bowser’s Castle is a highlight to me also, although thanks to the main villain of the game it’s been remodelled and a lot of Bowser’s minions inside there will attack him on sight due to brainwashing.

Another somewhat unique aspect to this game for Mario RPGs is that the main villain, Fawful is actually a character from the very first Mario & Luigi game, being the lackey of that game’s main antagonist Cackletta. Fawful puts various plans in motion, starting with beginning an outbreak of a disease known as the Blorbs, which causes Toads to swell like balloons becoming immobile balls essentially. His second plan is disguising himself as a merchant and selling Bowser the disguised Vacuum Shroom, which allows him to use Bowser to inhale everyone inside Princess Peach’s castle, trapping them all and simultaneously taking out Bowser due to his exhaustion. Seizing on this opportunity, Fawful takes over Bowser’s Castle, hypnotising his minions and invading the Mushroom Kingdom in order to take over Peach’s now vacant Castle. Fawful’s main goal it turns out is to uncover a power hidden away long ago under the Mushroom Kingdom, known as the Dark Star which Fawful seeks to take for himself. Fawful was a fan favourite from the first Mario & Luigi game, with his speech in the English versions of the game being similar to bad translations from old videogames as well as just odd nonsensical metaphors, with phrases such as “I have fury!” and “This battle shall be the delicious mustard on that bread! The mustard of your doom!” so him returning was good to see, especially as he had a small cameo in the second game Partners in Time, which helps make all three feel connected.

When it comes to the bosses in the game, there’s quite a variety because of the different forms of battles in the game. There are many bosses that are specifically fought by the Mario Bros within Bowser’s body, such as the cell-like Kretin boss, Durmite a wiggler sort of enemy and probably my favourite which is Bowser Memory ML, which are blocky sort of caricatures of Mario and Luigi that seem to be based on how Bowser thinks of the two. Mario & Luigi do fight some bosses outside of Bowser’s body, but only a couple, still probably the coolest to me in this case is Bowser himself. The reason for this, is it happens after you’ve played as and unlocked various abilities for Bowser such as his fire breath, so the fight with him is facing off against all the moves you’ve been using whilst playing as Bowser. Speaking of the prime final boss material himself, Bowser has two different sorts of boss battles. The regular boss battles are just like any other battle Bowser does, although one cool aspect to them is when Bowser unlocks his inhale ability, he can inhale certain enemies or parts of big enemies which then the Mario Bros can fight inside Bowser’s body. This isn’t just a standard Mario Bros battle however as sometimes these enemies have a move which can harm Bowser, such as digging into the er, ‘ground’ on the inside of Bowser’s body that damages him. This ability plays a key role in the final battle, but I’ll get onto that later. Of the other bosses Bowser fights, probably the most notable one is Midbus, a weird sort of pig-armadillo hybrid who ironically plays the second in command role to Fawful that he played to Cackletta in the first game. Midbus is a pretty good foil for Bowser, with him similarly being a big strong brute character, but being a different type to Bowser. Whereas Bowser is a sort of Ox-Turtle King, Midbus is a Boar-Armadillo, where Bowser will retract into his shell for some attacks, Midbus will roll like an Armadillo to attack, where Bowser uses fire breath, Midbus’s final form is ice based. Overall, he provides a good sort of rival character for Bowser to fight seeing as Fawful isn’t really power focused.

The second and far more unique form of boss battles in the game are the giant Bowser battles, where Bowser will take on other giant enemies. These battles are unique as they require the DS (or 3DS) to be played on its side, with the touch screen on the left. The stylus is used on the touch screen in order to initiate attacks, such as sliding the stylus across the screen to perform a punch, or (probably one of my least favourite DS features) blowing into the mic to do a fire attack. The bosses you fight more often than not are vehicles or buildings with the first being Bowser’s own castle and the last being the Fawful controlled Princess Peach’s Castle. I enjoy these battles and they’re not too common so they don’t outstay their welcome, although the train battle where you have to keep knocking down mountains to catch up to the train I feel was probably the one I had the most trouble with. The final battle is not with Fawful, who is one of the penultimate bosses, but with the Dark Star, who takes on a form similar to Bowser, known as Dark Bowser and absorbs the remains of what seems to be Fawful’s spirit. This leads to an epic confrontation between Bowser and Dark Bowser on the roof of Peach’s Castle, with Bowser being the only one left who can directly fight the powerful being. The boss battle is probably one of my favourites in the series, it’s not easy (although nowhere near as hard as others in the series) but has an amazing theme, Dark Bowser has some impressive looking attacks and Bowser’s counter attacks make the whole thing even more spectacular. Dark Bowser is essentially invincible, but the remains of Fawful, that when he’s hit hard enough he’ll cough up can be inhaled by Bowser, providing the actual vulnerable piece of the Dark Star’s lifeforce. When the Mario Bros defeat the Dark Star, Dark Bowser being just an empty shell collapses and is also defeated by Bowser’s final powerful punches. Fawful’s remains, in one last attempt at revenge self-destruct, planning on taking the Mario Bros and Bowser with him, however instead his attempt causes Bowser to expel everyone who is inside him.

Planning on taking over the Mushroom Kingdom himself with the Dark Star gone, seeing the Mario Bros reappear and finding out they were inside him all this time throws the Koopa King into a rage and he fights (and is once again defeated by) the Mario Bros during the credits. Despite this, some time later when Bowser is recovering from his defeat back home, he receives a present, a cake from Princess Peach to thank him for everything he did in stopping the Dark Star. It’s a nice ending and I like how it’s clear Bowser hasn’t necessarily changed but still has his good points to the degree Peach of all people can stand sending him a thank you gift. I want to make special mention of the music in this game, with it being fantastic, the standout track most people know of is the final boss theme with Dark Bowser (which was included in Smash Bros) however there are many other great tunes in the game. The thing with this game, is there’s so many things I feel I could go over that I’ve not gotten to, things such as how Bowser gradually frees different minions that he can summon in battle to help him such as Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Magikoopas etc and going over the various characters that appear in the story such as Broque Monsieur, Starlow, the three minions and many others (many of whom made their first appearances here but would go on to appear a lot more in the series and even in side modes in later remakes of the original games) and just how funny the game is overall, but I feel to list all these things would just go on for far too long, so all I want to say at the end of the day, is this is a fantastic game, and definitely deserves its reputation as one of if not the best of the Mario & Luigi series (maybe even one of the best Mario RPGs overall).

Specific aspects about the game relating to Bowser in Smash.

So, this game does have equipment, although none of it changes Bowser’s appearance, still as always with these things, I like to pick out equipment in the game that I feel fits closest to what might be a ‘canon’ setup for Bowser. For this game, I went with the King Shell, (he is the Koopa King afterall) Power Band+ and Intruder Fangs (which allows Bowser to perform two actions consecutively per turn). Two of these have some fairly steep requirements, with the Fangs requiring you to reach ‘Final Boss Rank (level 40)’ and the King Shell requiring you to get all A Ranks at Broque Madame’s challenges, however to me they’re the most fitting equipment for Bowser. Bowser’s not really known for wearing rings so I didn’t have any specific choice for this when it comes down to it. When it comes to moves, Bowser’s basic punch is similar to some of his attacks in Super Smash Bros, and his fire breath is obvious. One of the other overworld abilities is a body slam, which doesn’t have an exact equivalent in Smash Bros, but involves Bowser jumping, going into his shell and slamming down on the ground, with many moves in Smash involving Bowser retracting into his shell (and his down arial does involve him doing a ground pound in his shell, but with the spikes going down rather than his body slamming into the ground.) In battle, Bowser’s counter-attacks involve either punching or him leaning down so attacks from above land on his spiky shell, which interestingly is similar in my opinion to Bowser’s up-smash with him using the spikes on his shell to hit foes above him.  Finally, regarding Bowser’s final smash, Giga Bowser is unique to Super Smash Bros, however Bowser growing giant is something that’s happened many times in the series. Bowser does grow giant in this game, but later down the line I have another game on my list specifically regarding giant Bowser.

Credits.

For information on this game including dates of releases I must give credit to Mario Wiki.

The screenshots in this post are taken by me from gameplay videos on youtube by other people a few years ago. I was hoping for a release on the Wii U virtual console to replace them, but sadly that never happened so this is all I have of Bowser in the game. If someone recognises these screenshots from their video specifically and can provide me a link to the original I will give credit.

[totally-incorrect-theatre-quotes]

After the Rain (Fanfic)

Beetlejuice

In which sibling chaos ensures and Lydia comes out to Beetlejuice. 

Guys I think this might be the most angst-free fic I’ve ever written

TW: Reference to Suicide (non-descriptive), bullying mentions

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There was something going on in the house. Things had been a little too chummy around here ever since Lydia had gone back to school. Beetlejuice was annoyed to lose his partner in crime for seven hours out of the day plus all those hours she would spend in her room yelling at her homework. He hardly got a chuckle when he offered to eat her homework so she could blame it on the demon living in her house, she just rolled her eyes at him as she curled up another sheet of what she considered wrong answers and tossed it in the trash can next to her desk. The first week everything was fine, he was lonely but when she came home she was still excited to see him and talk about her day. He didn’t tell her how extremely boring it was, but sometimes her stories would drone on and she’d get into these tangents that he didn’t quite understand. For example, she came home on a Thursday and complained about for a solid hour about her geometry class and how difficult it is to find the circumference of a circle. He thought that was pointless but she seemed worked up over it. It all just seemed like normal teenage stuff to him for the first while back to school, but the second week she stopped coming in all smiles or huffing about some stupid question she got wrong on the quiz. She would spend more time shut up in the room, not wanting to talk to anyone. 

He wasn’t good with the whole emotions thing, any time he tried to help her he usually made the mess a whole lot worse so he figured he’d just let the breathers figure out why she was mopping around so much. It was a boring waiting game though, he heard fragments of what was going on some kids were being pricks to her at school but she rejected his offer to “take care of things” because his idea of taking care of things was apparently “immoral” and “illegal”. He was walking past her bedroom one night and he heard her crying, and something was thrown against her wall. He peered in cautiously wanting to do something, even if it was just distracting her with a stupid joke but she noticed him, walked over and gently shut the door in his face. He took the message and gave her space, but he couldn’t help but to feel a little hurt when he heard her talking to her father in his bedroom about how she was feeling. She was glad though that things were getting better, she seemed happier after that conversation and though he didn’t understand what exactly was going on he was happy to have his friend back. 

“Do you ever worry you’re avoiding doing something really important?” she asked him while he was absolutely destroying her at Mario Cart

“Constantly, I was supposed to give Chuck the keys to his car back like a month ago.”

“Wait my dad let you borrow the car?”

“Borrow isn’t the word I would use, I would say I took it without permission and have been avoiding giving him his keys back to not get caught. I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything, I have no clue how he’s been getting to work all this time.”

Lydia glared at him, “He has a second set of keys? He thought he lost his at the store or something.”

“You aren’t going to tell on me are ya, Scarecrow?” 

“No, I’m not a snitch. You just owe me now.”

“The usual?” Beetlejuice lowered his voice while Lydia tried to hold back a giggle as she nodded, “Okay fine, you’re a tough customer. I’ll find a way to get you more Capri Suns but it might take me some time.”

She wrinkled her nose at him just like she did any time she thought he was funny. He liked it when she laughed, he was so used to seeing her somber and upset during those first few days he knew her, and he still shuddered when he thought about when he found her crying in the bathroom...a bottle of pills thrown in the garbage can. Thankfully unopened but his mind instantly went to the worst. Seeing her happy was the closest thing he got to feeling alive again, and it was much nicer than the rollercoaster of emotions that first time around. 

“So what are you avoiding? Telling Chuck about a bad grade or worse...telling Barbara about a bad grade? What was it in, because I’ll have you know I graduated for Julliard and I’m sure I can figure out whatever easy stuff they’re teaching you, sixth graders.”

“I’m in high school BJ, but no it’s not that. I don’t know, it was dumb of me to ask. It’s just kind of confusing and I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually but,” she was getting flustered trying to explain, “I’ll tell you another time.”

He shrugged and they went back to playing their video game. He was heavily insulted to realize that there wasn’t even a second controller to the console and that the whole time he had been using a flower pot and thinking one of the cars was his. She had let him go on like that for almost two hours before she eventually broke down laughing and told him the truth. Said flower pot was then smashed on the floor and the two had to quickly fix it before Barbara found out. 

Another week or so passed by with Lydia getting more comfortable with her new routine. Every Saturday she made time to spend with him just hanging out, doing friends things while listening to her talk about her week. He had been planning an amazing prank with Lydia to play on her father. The two struggled to figure out where he, a dead guy, and Lydia, a child would be able to purchase fireworks, but they figured they could just cross that bridge when they got to it. Friday nights though he was kind of the odd man out, that’s when she went up to the attic to hang with the Maitlands, so he usually either popped back to the Netherworld or recently he found out he had a lot more in common with Donna than he thought, he even finally figured out that he named was actually Delia. That Friday night Delia was busy though, selfishly going on a dinner date with Charles leaving Beetlejuice to his own devices, he thought about crashing the attic party but when he got to the door he heard Lydia sniffling about something and figured this was a whole lovey-dovey thing that he shouldn’t interrupt. He couldn’t help but feel left out, wishing that sometimes Lydia would come to him with this kind of stuff too but he figured the Maitlands or her parents knew better, he should just stick with being the fun one. 

Lydia woke up the next morning feeling so much lighter after having told the Maitlands what was on her mind and she was ready to unleash the master prank her and BJ had been planning for almost two weeks now. Though it took some work and possibility lying about her age on the internet they were able to secure three bottle-rockets and fourteen confetti poppers, she wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen but she was just excited to see the look on everyone’s face if they could actually figure out how to get it to explode the colors they had picked. The two of them were out in the backyard, trying not to draw attention to themselves when she realized she hadn’t told BJ yet. He was just as much a member of her new family as everyone else was, and she felt bad for not telling him sooner. 

She didn’t know how to approach it with him though, it had been an accident with Delia, a serious conversation with her dad and the Maitlands, and none of those seemed like options for telling him. A joke seemed too casual but he wasn’t the serious conversation kind of guy. She looked over at him kicking a rock at the fence in the yard because “it was looking at him the wrong way” and she decided there was no right or wrong way to do it. 

“Hey Beej, can I tell you something?”

“Is it how to get vengeance on a rock because that fucking STONE over there is getting on my last damn nerve”

“No, it’s not that dumbass.” She rolled her eyes at him, and lead him by the hand over to the porch swing, “I want to tell you something, and it’s kinda important so don’t be weird about it, alright?”

“No promises.”

“I’m gay.”

“I’m a hazard to society.”

Lydia jerked her head back, “Wait what?” “Oh, I thought we were saying things that were obvious.” She smacked his arm roughly and he gave her a toothy grin, “What? Come on you think I didn’t know that my best friend wasn’t into dudes?”

“You literally married me!” 

“Oh my god, how many times do I have to tell you it was a green card thing! It was funny the first time you joked about being my widow. Besides, that sham of a marriage was mutually beneficial.”

“I fail to see how I benefitted from it besides it being an interesting topic to discuss with my therapist.”

He groaned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “It was meant to serve as a message to reinforce that men are trash.”

“Aren’t you a man?” Lydia tilted her head at him

“Am I not trash?”

“And don’t you have like a massive crush on the Maitlands? I can’t say for sure but I’m pretty sure Adam is a guy.” She laughed when she was tints of crimson flush on Beetlejuice’s cheeks. They both laughed for a little bit before Lydia sighed, “I’m glad I told you, even if you’re being annoying about it.”

“That’s my job.” He ruffled her short black hair affectionately, “...I’m glad you told me too.”

[ahtohallan-calling]

chapter 21 of don’t read the last page is here!

masterpost

[kristanna / m / multichap / modern au with actress!anna and vetstudent!kristoff]

“Happy birthday, Kris.”

He reached into the bag and pulled out a square of fabric; he let it fall open and, after reading what was on the front of the t-shirt, looked at Anna with a mixture of shock and amusement.

Ellie squinted at it from the far end of the table. “Best dad ever? Why does it say that? I don’t get it.”

march

"Call me as soon as you're done, okay?"

"What if you're in the middle of saving a bunny's life or something?"

"I won't be. I'll probably still be at lunch."

Anna sighed in relief and stepped closer, leaning her forehead against his chest. "Oh, good. I'm nervous as fuck."

"Why?" he asked, settling his arms around her.

"I don't know. Just...now that I'm excited about it, I'm worried it'll be a false alarm after all or like...that something's wrong."

Kristoff kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be fine, baby. I'm sure of it."

She tilted her face up towards him, propping up her chin on his chest. "Why does everything sound so reassuring when you say it? Tell me something else that'll make me feel better."

"Uh...like what?"

"I don't know. That I'll never get morning sickness and only be in labor for five minutes."

"I don't think either of those things can really happen. But," he said quickly, seeing the disappointment on her face, "it'll be worth it. Because then we'll get to meet our baby. Who, just saying, is going to be the coolest kid of all time and will definitely be a Mario Kart prodigy."

She smiled and raised up on her toes to kiss him. "Love you."

"Love you back."

And then, because that seemed to be the way of things in his life these days, he had had to miss lunch in order to help out with an emergency surgery and missed lunch. The dog in question, thankfully, was completely fine, but his heart was pounding as he scrambled to check his phone. Ryder raised an eyebrow at the way he rushed into the break room. “All good, man?”

“Great,” Kristoff said absentmindedly as he flicked open his texts from Anna.

hey no worries that you didnt pick up sure u just got busy but congratulations dad🎈🎉👶

nov 12 is the due date but they said prob will be late since its our first

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love you

For a moment he just stared down at the screen, hardly daring to breathe. So this was really happening; by the end of the year, he’d have a one-month-old baby. He was going to be a father.

“Stop mooning over the girlfriend and come help me in the kennels,” Ryder called.

“Fiancee,” Kristoff said absentmindedly before typing out a quick response, ignoring the exaggerated gasp of shock from the doorway.

I can’t wait. Love you back :)

---

“Kristoff?”

“Distractions won’t work this time,” he replied through clenched teeth.

“I’m not even racing this time, dumbass. What’s in 209 days?”

“Huh? I-- fuck!” he shouted as he drove right off the edge of the track, to Anna and Ryder’s delight, and promptly fell to last place.

“Watch out, Nattura,” Anna growled. “I’m coming for your ass.”

“Was she always like this?” Honey asked, amused, from where she was sprawled across the armchair.

“Yes,” Elsa replied from her spot on the floor, not looking up from her phone. “It was worst when we played Candyland, because there’s not even a point to being competitive at that.”

“Hello? Does anyone care about this ominous countdown on the fridge?” Sven asked again, huffing when he was drowned out by Anna’s cheering as she threw a banana peel in front of Ryder’s kart and secured a last-second victory.

Kristoff, at last, glanced at him. “Will you get me a beer while you’re over there?”

“Yes, if you tell me what the fuck is in 209 days and if I need to like, buy a Geiger counter or something.”

“Anna?” Honey asked suddenly, sitting up. “Everything good?”

“Fine,” she said distantly, suddenly the same shade of white as her t-shirt.

 Ryder, his eyes wide, put an arm around her shoulders to keep her from swaying off the sofa. “Jesus, is winning Mario Kart that exciting?” he asked.

“That’s like, November…” Sven said, frowning. “Why is Thanksgiving making you pass out?”

“I’m not passing out,” Anna said, her voice distant, and Kristoff swore under his breath, hastily getting to his feet and crossing to the kitchen himself to get a glass of water. “I’m pregnant, though.”

No one reacted until Elsa’s phone hit the floor, and then they all burst into a cacophony of questions.

“You’re what--”

“How long have you--”

“What the fuck--”

“I think I am going to actually pass out if you don’t all shut up,” Anna said, her voice suddenly nearly a shout, and they all froze and turned to look at her. 

Kristoff handed her the glass of water then, and she took a long gulp before meeting her sister’s gaze. “I was going to tell you tonight, Elsa,” she explained, “you know, family and all. And the rest of you guys in a few more weeks when, you know, it’s less…” She waved a hand. “Risky. But...yes. We’re, uh, we’re having a baby. November 12th, mark your calendars for Anna Arendelle’s performance of a lifetime.”

Sven was the first to speak. “Damn,” he said, taking a sip of the beer he’d finally regained the sense to crack open, “you’re really gonna do that to some kid?”

“Do what?” she asked with a slight frown.

“Make him be a goddamn giant and a ginger.”

--

april

“You don’t have to stay up with me,” Anna said hoarsely as he passed her a glass of water. "You only signed up for morning sickness duties, not every hour of the day and night sickness watch."

“I won’t be able to sleep knowing you don’t feel good.”

“Yeah, but now you won’t be able to stay awake at the clinic tomorrow.”

“That’s what coffee is for,”

She sighed and wiped her hand across her mouth. “I think it’s over for now.”

Kristoff leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Are you sure?”

“No. But I hope it is.”

“Me, too,” he said, getting to his feet before reaching down and offering a hand to help her up. She stumbled slightly, and he caught her, eyebrows knitting together with concern. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

“I wanna brush my teeth,” she said, yawning.

He waited while she did, and she couldn’t help but smile at him in the mirror when he let out his own yawn, rubbing sleepily at his eyes under his glasses. “I love you,” she said around the toothbrush, and he laughed.

“Even though it’s my fault you’re sick right now?”

“Both of ours, really. Your fault for being so handsome, and my fault for taking full advantage of that,” she said, cheerful again now that the nausea had passed as she bounced back to bed. “Or maybe it’s the baby’s fault.”

“We’ll have to give her a stern talking to,” Kristoff replied, lifting the blankets for her as she clambered in. “Put her in timeout and everything.”

Anna laughed, nestling against his chest the moment he was beside her once more. “You really are convinced it’s a girl, aren’t you?”

“Mmhmm,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Who’s going to look exactly like you.”

“I don’t know,” she hummed. “I’m kind of hoping for a little boy.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just...sometimes I think about what it’ll be like when they’re here, and I just...I keep imagining how it would feel to look over and see you holding a little boy and think ‘that’s him, that’s our son’.”

Suddenly there was a lump in his throat. “Well...well, I guess that would be okay, too.”

---

Sam was surprisingly misty-eyed when she told him. “Look at you, kiddo,” he kept saying, over and over, and she was half-tempted to get up and walk around his desk to give him a hug around the neck.

Lena, though, was so efficiently business-like that Anna just sat silently in her chair, grateful for Kristoff’s hand in hers. “Do we have a timeline?”

“Yes, November twelfth is--”

“Not that. For when you want to go public. Although that does give us a firm deadline.”

Anna let out a surprised little laugh, but Lena just raised an eyebrow; apparently that hadn’t been a joke. Kristoff squeezed her hand and said, “The sooner the better. Might as well get it over with.”

“Well, if we go ahead and go public now, it’s going to hurt Anna’s engagement numbers and detract from the film’s first trailer coming out next week. If we wait until, say, June, it’ll fall perfectly in the lull between the first and second trailers and give us time to start setting the narrative on track well before the press tours. I’ll see what I can do to make sure anything out of state is done before you’re not allowed to fly. When’s the wedding?”

Anna blinked for a moment, trying to process the rapid-fire stream of information. “Um. We didn’t set a date yet.”

“Hmm,” Lena said with a frown. “Well, let’s try to get on that. People will want to know. Too bad you’re not already married, I’d say release a picture of you in the dress and you’d be on the cover of People. For now, though, just a picture of both of you is enough.”

“We don’t want to do that, though,” Anna said quickly before Kristoff could start to get nervous. “Just let them know that he, you know, exists. I don’t want to make it easier for them to find him.”

“Alright. I’d suggest social media, since your fans feel very close to you and will appreciate hearing it directly. But an interview is always a good default if you want a pro’s help putting it in the best way possible.”

She shifted slightly in her seat. “Um. I’m kind of...out of my depth here. Sam?”

He blinked. “Oh, sorry, I was just-- do you remember the day you wandered into my office for the first time, kiddo, with those roller skates?”

“Of course I do,” she said fondly.

“Anyway. I’d do the interview. Better safe than sorry.”

Lena nodded. “Right. Let me find someone willing to do a feature on you,” she said, diving back in to her laptop. 

The rest of them sat in awkward silence for a moment before Kristoff cleared his throat. “So,” he began, “what do I need to do?”

Sam shrugged. “Be on good behavior. Don’t do anything that would embarrass her. Don’t go out in pajamas or get a DUI or anything. If the fans are getting too pushy, help her get out. If paparazzi starts shouting, don’t ever shout back. Even if they say--”

“Done,” Lena announced suddenly. “Tomorrow afternoon downtown. No lunch required, just tea, so no need to worry about getting sick.”

“I haven’t been that sick,” Anna said defensively, and beside her Kristoff coughed.

Sam grinned again. “Look at you, kiddo,” he said again. 

“Look at me what, puking?”

“Getting ready to be a mom,” he said, and suddenly she felt a little misty-eyed, too.

--- 

may

“Jesus!” Anna yelped. “I was dead asleep!”

“Sorry,” Kristoff mumbled as he sat down on the warm spot on the sofa she’d just been evicted from, settling her on his lap and promptly burying his face in her shoulder.

She frowned, carding her fingers through his hair. “I was having a very good dream, I’ll have you know,” she said, though there was no real irritation in her voice. “About puppies, I think.”

“You can go back to sleep,” he said, his voice muffled against her shirt.

“I will when you tell me what’s wrong.”

His arms tightened around her waist. “Give me a minute.”

She hummed her agreement and turned to press a kiss into his hair, relishing the feel of him so close against her, enough that their breathing was slowly syncing up as their chests rose and fell together. Worry was tugging at her, to be sure, about what could have upset him enough to not bother with even a hello, but it helped more than a little to know that he would tell her before long so she could help fix it, instead of letting it linger like an untreated wound in his heart.

“Sorry,” he said again, pulling back with a sigh to rest his forehead against hers. “Just needed a second.”

“‘S’okay, baby. No rush.”

He closed his eyes, moving the hand that wasn’t supporting her back to rest against her still-flat stomach. “At the store...there was stuff in the tabloids. About this.”

“But I...how would anyone know?”

“It said ‘a source from the set of Arendelle’s new movie’.”

“Fuck. I knew people were going to start being suspicious of me being sick all the time. Well, they were going to find out soon enough anyway, weren’t they?” she said, hoping she sounded reassuring despite the pit that had just opened up in her chest.

“It said the baby is Hans’s,” he said bleakly, and a little gasp slipped out from her before she could hold it back.

For a moment they just held each other, letting the news sink in. Anna ran a hand up and down Kristoff’s back, and he sighed, still keeping his forehead pressed against hers. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Kris,” she said quietly.

“I know with...with you being famous and stuff, you’re always going to kind of belong to other people. But the baby...she’s just ours. And I guess it was stupid of me, but I was kind of hoping it would always be like that. That the whole time people knew about her, they would know the truth.”

“About him,” Anna said, and he huffed out a laugh. “Sorry, too soon to be teasing you?”

“No. It helps. You’re definitely wrong, though. I’m certain of it.”

She laughed then, too, and kissed him. “The interview will be out soon. And then everyone will know it’s been you all along, and that it’s your son in there.”

“Daughter. And...okay. If you’re sure.”

“Yeah. I’m ready for this part to be over. I know it’s gonna be hard on you, and I’m sorry you’ll have to deal with the bullshit, but...damn, it’s been hard keeping you a secret. I just want to parade you around town and be like ‘hey guys, guess who got lucky and convinced the hottest guy in the world to marry her?’” “Now you’re just being corny to cheer me up. Literally last night you called me Grandpa again when I put my glasses on.”

“Yeah, but you’re a sexy grandpa. Which is how we ended up in this mess in the first place.”

“Not a mess. Just an...unexpected journey.”

Anna grinned and kissed the tip of his nose. “Is that your way of asking me if we can have a Lord of the Rings marathon tonight to cheer you up?”

“You know me too well. And yes.”

“Did you get popcorn?”

“Mhmm. Think you can keep it down?”

“Nope,” she said cheerfully. “Good thing I have a fiance to hold my hair back, eh?”

---

“Wait!” 

Everyone turned and looked at Anna as she dug through her purse. “I want to take a picture of this,” she explained. “So I can remember the face he makes.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow, one hand still in the gift bag. “Should I be nervous?”

“No, just--” She grinned and held up her phone. “You’ll see.”

“Can I open it now?”

She nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement. “Happy birthday, Kris.”

He reached into the bag and pulled out a square of fabric; he let it fall open and, after reading what was on the front of the t-shirt, looked at Anna with a mixture of shock and amusement.

Ellie squinted at it from the far end of the table. “Best dad ever? Why does it say that? I don’t get it.”

And then she did get it all at once, her eyes going wide as she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh!”

Kristoff’s mother was already weeping and throwing her arms over his shoulders, and his brothers looked awkward but pleased all the same as they clapped him on the back, and Ellie was already squealing and tugging on her sister’s hand and spouting off something about names, and beside Anna Kristoff’s father smiled and set a hand on her shoulder.

“Congratulations,” he said, his eyes kind and full of warmth, and suddenly she was wishing her own father was here, wondering what he would have said, how broadly he would have smiled.

“Thank you, Mr. Bjorgman,” she said, and when he saw her lip start to wobble he pulled her into a tight hug.

“You can call me Cliff, you know,” he said softly. “Or whatever else you’d like. Shoot, might as well go ahead and help me get some practice in, start calling me Grandpa if you want.”

She laughed at that. “Cliff for now, I think.”

“Fine with me,” he said, gently patting her back. “I hope you know we’re here to help both of you with whatever you need. And that you’re welcome up here anytime, with or without him. Don’t even have to call ahead, just come right in the back door and tell me you want pickles or something, whatever it is. Don’t have much experience in this department of parenting, but I’ll try my best.”

“Thank you,” she said, holding on tighter for just a moment before pulling away to face the rest of them. 

---

june

look it’s official

lena had a copy mailed to the house

He squinted at the photo she had texted him, scrolling through the full-page article dedicated to Anna’s rapid rise to fame. He couldn’t help but grin at the mentions of her tampon commercial and unexpected viral fame; she had to have been irritated at that being brought up again. There were photos of her in that blue gown, too, the one she’d worn for the Netflix movie and been so excited to show him. And then there, at the end, was the all-important “what are you doing now” section, the one she had rehearsed with him over and over the night before the interview.

“What’s next for you, Anna?” I ask, and she gives me a bright smile as she sets down her cup of (herbal) tea.

“Well, I’m going to wrap up filming for the sequel, of course, but then I’m going to take a step back from the spotlight for a little bit to focus on my family.”

“Your sister?” 

“My fiance Kristoff, actually, and our first baby. We’re really excited,” she adds with her trademark bright smile, and I can’t help but smile back at her.

He grinned and closed the picture so he could type back a response, but before he’d even started a phone call came through. He frowned; it was just a number, no name, but it looked familiar somehow. “Hello?” he asked, expecting it to be a telemarketer.

“Kristoff? It’s Sam.”

“What’s up?”

“I, uh, I don’t know if you saw yet, but just...don’t panic.”