#Wario is just proud of you

[theswedishpajas]

Just take it from me.

[prodigal-sunlight]

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE MARIO MOVIE!

- Jack Black’s Bowser is as amazing as you think he’ll be

- Chris Pratt’s Mario is good. Not GREAT, but he does actually put effort into it and it didn’t kill the movie as much as I thought it would.

- The animation is gorgeous. Like, seriously. The action was fun and bouncy, the settings were the perfect blend of silly cartoon and legitimately pretty, and the animation of the power-up was especially fun.

- Don’t expect a super complex story. It is Mario at the end of the day.

- There are a lot of fun easter eggs regarding classic Nintendo games, especially classic Mario games.

- Don’t get your hopes up for Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, or Rosalina; There are cameos for Pauline and the Yoshis though!

- The music is awesome. Like, it’s reimagining’s of classic Mario soundtracks as cinematic music and its really a ton of fun!

- All in all, a good movie. Above all else its just FUN. I definitely recommend it, at the very least for the eyecandy and music.

- You WILL be disappointed how little Luigi is in the movie

- They make Luigi the most likeable little guy and BARELY USE HIM

- Guys you dont understand LUIGI’S MOM IS PROUD OF HIM :( Why do they not use him more

- There needs to be a Luigi’s Mansion movie let him be the main character or else

[otomiyaa]

Luigi Wins (by doing absolutely nothing)

Bowser x Luigi

A/N: This was going to be a 2-part fic but I ended up writing the whole thing before I could even consider what kind of poll to add. *shrugs* works I guess. Thank you @weegee-simp69 for the final little push to write some Luigi again.

Summary: Bowser confronts Luigi about his interesting strategy to win a game. Inspired by Mario Party and the classic Luigi Wins By Doing Absolutely Nothing series. (Also on AO3)

Word Count: 1.3K

The little star was sparkling brightly in the hands of Princess Peach. Toad was holding up a little flag, and the water was shimmering beneath them.

"Everyone ready? On your marks!" Toad chirped, addressing the participants in their weekly game competition: Mario, Wario, Waluigi, DK, Bowser, Daisy, and Luigi. Luigi took a deep breath and gazed at the group. Since the game only started with Mario and himself and slowly expanded with more and more participants, he was sure it was a matter of time before more would join.

Of course, everyone wanted to earn these shiny victory stars. He was proud owner of 3 of them. Naturally his brother Mario was in the lead with a whopping 7 so far, and Bowser had already earned 3 as well. Luigi glanced sideways at Bowser, who was already smirking at him before their eyes even met.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you this time," Bowser chuckled. Luigi blushed and nodded.

"Understood," was his humble reply. Bowser was after all, his romantic partner too. As strange as that may sound to many, including himself.

"THREE, TWO, ONE, GO!" Toad almost lost his poor voice as he announced the start of the game, and luckily he didn't need to tell them a second time. The second he screamed 'go', the little group exploded into chaos.

"E-eh." Luigi hesitated entering the mess as he watched his 6 opponents crash into each other. Today's game was a simple one. They were all on a star-shaped platform and needed to push each other off. Underneath them, a cold pool of water was awaiting them.

Luigi froze and waited to be thrown into the water, but noticing the others going at each other with so much passion and determination, he slowly relaxed.

Oh? Splash. Wario was the first to fall in. Luigi nervously kept his eyes on Bowser who was, pfft, the second to fall in, followed by DK who was basically dragged along with him.

They really didn't realize he was standing here and doing nothing and - ah, Luigi realized now. This was exactly how he won his other 3 stars. One game he just didn't know what to do, so he stood still and ended up winning. The second he first wanted to observe quietly and also did nothing - yet before he could even take one step, the game was already over and he won. The third one was just like that.

Was this going to be his 4th star? Was he going to win, just like that? A grin was tugging at his lips when Waluigi didn't even get pushed in, but he tripped over his own feet and fell right past Luigi, not even touching him, into the water. Then not only Daisy, but also Mario fell in, in the middle of their little brawl. And before Luigi could realize, Toad's whistle could be heard.

"Game over! Luigi wins!" he yelled. Peach applauded and welcomed him off the star platform. All dry and safe, and now.. hehe, with another sparkling star in his hands. Luigi admired it and smiled proudly.

"Congratulations," she said sweetly. Luigi felt flattered, but did she not see he actually won by... doing absolutely nothing?

Proud with his victory he headed home first while the others got out of the pool and dried themselves.

"Oh yeah," Luigi said to himself, adding the star to his proud collection. Next to the 4-star collection of his own, Bowser's 3 victory stars looked less impressive. Luigi couldn't suppress his giggle. He actually beat him again!

"Are you that happy you won?"

Luigi looked how he came walking in, still wet as he lazily rubbed a towel over his body. He nodded.

"Of course I'm happy," he said, unable to hide his smile. Bowser glanced at his glass display that now had 4 stars in it.

"I noticed something," Bowser said in a serious tone, and Luigi somehow felt laughter bubble up, so he tried to control it. Why, laughter? Why?

"W-what did you n-notice?" he asked.

"You weren't doing anything."

Pffft! Luigi gulped and let out a giggle. He quickly covered his mouth. "I g-guess you m-must've noticed... so early in.. the water..." he managed to say between held back giggles. Bowser cocked his head.

"Pardon?" he asked.

It had started and Luigi couldn't contain it. "Nohohothing," he giggled uncontrollably, shaking with held back laughter. Why was everything so funny? The whole gang including Bowser going at each other so hard they didn't realize Luigi was doing nothing. Luigi then winning while everyone was in the water.

Bowser being among the first to be in the water and noticing Luigi's remarkable, eh, strategy? To win the game. On top of that, his lover Bowser was now acting like this ー

"HAHAHa!" Luigi was startled when suddenly he felt familiar claws rubbing against his sides.

"I guess you've got a laugh stuck in there don't you? I'll help you get it out, it must be itching hmm?" Bowser said teasingly, all of a sudden tickling both of Luigi's sides.

"Wahah- Mahahama Miahahaa- wahahait Bohohowser!" he cackled. Well his laughter was now indeed set loose, with 100% of his voice and more.

"That funny hm?" Bowser said calmly, still wiggling those pesky fingers against Luigi's sides and ribs. Sure this wasn't their first tickle fight, so Bowser knew exactly where to get him to make him weak in the knees. Tickle fight wasn't even the correct term here.

"Nohoho! Okahahay I'm sohohorry!" Luigi laughed, falling on his knees, but Bowser scooped him up without effort and tickled his tummy almost as if he was a little baby.

"Sorry for what? I don't understand," Bowser said while Luigi's laughter was all over the place. He kicked his legs and flailed his arms more.

"Huwahahah! For lahaha-laughihihing! Ahahaha!"

"Why would you apologize for that? Like I said, I'm helping you get that laugh out that was stuck. What were you laughing for anyway? Don't tell me you were laughing at me?"

Bowser was such a goofball, such a tease! Luigi couldn't do anything but laugh about it, and laugh because he was being tickled, and laugh because he was just... happy.

"Well?" Bowser sang, rubbing little circles against Luigi's tummy. Oh right, he asked a question.

"Ohohonly a lihihittle!" he admitted through hysterical giggles.

"Only a little hmm?" Bowser acted as if he was going to eat him, growling and nibbling Luigi's side playfully through his clothes, tickling him even more and making him shriek.

"EEehehehee yehehees! I'm sohohorry!" Luigi laughed and he kicked his legs again. Such a tickle monster!

"Plehehease - hehehehe!" he finally begged when he could barely breathe. Bowser noticed and immediately stopped the tickle attack.

Luigi caught his breath, and even though the tickling had stopped, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. He nuzzled Bowser's big arm.

"Really now," Bowser said. Luigi looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Hmm?" he hummed. Bowser rolled his eyes fondly and shook his head.

"You... Even though I tickled you to death, feels like you still won. And you did absolutely nothing," Bowser teased. Ah, Luigi blushed. As tough as he looked, Bowser recently would say stuff like this and it was adorable.

"...Agree to disagree. I laughed a lot, that isn't nothing," Luigi finally argued, but that earned him another poke in his stomach. And another, and another.

"Hohoho ahahalright - no mohohore!" he laughed tiredly, and he was relieved when Bowser switched back to cuddling.

"I know. Congratulations on your victory today," Bowser muttered softly before kissing the top of his head. Who would have thought Bowser could be like this. Not Luigi, nah. He still couldn't believe it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate it everyday.

"Wait. Are you laughing again?" Bowser asked, noticing his shaking shoulders.

"You're being so cheesy haha!" Luigi laughed breathlessly. However this time instead of tickling him more, Bowser joined in and laughed as well, and they laughed together while the stars were shining brightly behind the glass.

Next week, another chance to win! He was going for 5 stars, but something told him Bowser wouldn't let him get away with doing nothing again. Well, not so easily...

[laventory]

Recent MS Paint doodle pages I've done. The calligraphy brush has saved my will to draw

Close-ups below.

Featuring @porcuprick's Chili

Another thing for Porcu, this time of her sona.

Sorry! Nothing!

@screwyelk's Scuffed Amy hitting that fucking Pizzelle Sugary Spire taunt. Reference:

Sonic.EXE has been hung. Good riddance.

BROLY P-RANK.

Hercule Tower HUD mock up. Honestly kinda proud of the snake way Goku for the combo meter idea.

RAC-BOT just kinda sitting there. What a slut, absolute whore of a robot.

Fuck you too, Sonic.

My friend JustBun's sona hitting you with the Taiyō-Ken

Wait.... Huh!?

Kind of a slay.

Insane person stare.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Tony Persona 2. This prick looks like a human Rayman design, I can't believe ATLUS just dropped this design and never touched him again, He should reappear in Persona 6.

WARIO, THAT'S MEAN!

Truth.

He's covering for a Mr. Phoenix Wright.

Incredibly scuffed small sketches (featuring @itsalsoconnor)

[mysticalsoot]

This is it, this is what joy feels like, doesn't it?

A/N: this was meant as my gift to my valentine for Grey's Valentine's Exchange but since it has been cancelled I decided to quickly finish it up and dedicate it to not only grey because they need it with how rough the exchange ended up being but also my new found friend on here! I'm really proud of this and Im very surprised at how much I wrote in such little time (5k is a lot okay lol) I hope you all enjoy it and happy early Valentine's! (I'm still gonna post a special Valentine's blurb!)

Pronouns: they/them, uses of y/n

Pairings: Cc!Wilbur x Reader

Summary: Wilbur and Reader have known each other since their early teens, and despite having painfully obvious feelings for the other, they ignore them in the sake of saving their friendship. James concocts an outing for the two and maybe it goes according to plan?

Warnings: swearing, angst but with a ton of fluff at the end! also there is a kiss but not detailed bc I in fact have never been kissed so I'm going off gut feeling lmao. also mentions of alcohol and drinking (I've also never drunk alcohol so I don't know much about that either so another guessing game there too).

Words: 5.3k

Dedicated to: @grey-rambles @loverboy-soot

masterlist

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James had invited Wilbur, Ash, Tommy, Rue, and you over to his place to hang out. It was mostly Mario Kart and James fucking screaming the Wario sound, but it was fun. There was food and a few rounds of uno with Ash, Tommy, and Rue, but despite all the festivities, Wilbur hadn't joined in any of them. He sat in the farthest corner from you and the rest of the group, the corner of James' loveseat didn't seem very comfortable anyhow. But there he sat, hands folded and rested between his thighs, his eyes darted from the group to the wall, to the TV, and back to his lap. He seemed so dazed like he wasn't fully there in the moment like he was somewhere else.

The absence of his laugh and his smile...and his voice, concerned you. It wasn't like him to isolate himself like this, it was one thing to stop answering messages and hiding in his flat but straight out isolating himself at a social gathering was nothing like him. You wanted to find him in his corner, bring him away from the others and ask him what was wrong, what you did every time he found himself anxious and shutting down. But every time you tried someone would pull you away, ask questions or bring you into banter. Staring at him, contemplating doing something wasn't helpful so maybe engulfing yourself in the festivities around you would help. It was selfish, yes, but there wasn't much you could do. The chances of him brushing it off and saying he was fine and completely ignoring the subject at hand were much more probable than him stepping aside and delving into his anxieties with you. So you pushed it aside and focused on whatever shit James and Tommy were debating about at this point.

“James,” Tommy pauses for emphasis, his hands folded in front of his face and eyes closed, “You are one deaf fucking bastard.”

“I’m hearing you! I’m just saying your point is invalid and ill-informed!” James counters, despite the possible hostility of their bickering, it's known by everyone that it's just light-hearted poking and prodding at each other, nothing substantial to be worried about.

Something you could slip away from easily…

“Says the man who is convinced that the creeper is the elite hostile mob in Minecraft?? It blows shit up and is extremely difficult to kill at the start of the game! The true elite mob is the zombie, they are slow and easy to hit.” Tommy then stands up and his face plastered with a smug smile. He knows he's right even if the topic at hand is trivial and childish at best.

"You're an asshole, Thomas Simons. I'm right, you're wrong." James is quick to poke at him, and you catch a small, soft smile forming on Wilbur's features. He's gazing at the chaos in front of you, no longer on his jeans or the spots on the wall. It's on the people now. His friends.

The thought brings a glimpse of hope to you, maybe it's just a fluke and he's okay. Nothing to worry about, he's not being self-destructive right now. It's okay.

It wouldn't hurt to get him to join the conversation, would it? "What do you think, Wil? Who's the most elite hostile mob?" You pose the question with a smile on your face, eyes locked on his, gauging how he was feeling by the way his eyes went wide and his mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. Anxious, noted, not anything new and revolutionary but something to note when speaking to him.

"Um, Skeletons I guess?" His answer is unsure and it's probably because he wasn't really listening in the first place, just observing his friends having fun and bickering, doing anything he can to keep his mind off the anxiety dwelling in his head.

“Skeletons? That is the most basic bitch answer! Also, it’s invalid because they can shoot you from sixteen blocks away!” Tommy counters his answer and he gets riled up again, rushing to pull up some sort of resource list as if this was a school assignment.

Wilbur’s face drops again, but his eyes are still trained on the group as they begin bickering again. Rur and Ash decided to chime in this time, both with their own very opinionated thoughts on the matter. It began to get tenser, despite the laughs and smiles, the abrupt yells were enough to push anyone already on edge even further.

It was best to get him out of there, even if it was for a moment. So you stood from your spot at the sofa to walk over to where Wilbur placed himself. Pushed into the corner of the loveseat farthest from the group. Now that you're closer, you notice how straight he's sat, his whole body is tense and his face is flushed.

You put your hand out to him, an offering, “Come on, Wil,” It’s muttered as a mere whisper, but he hears it. His head tilts up to look at you, eyes still wide and overflowing with unease.

“Okay,” He whispers, taking your hand in his and standing up from his own spot. His shoulders slouch, making him seem slightly shorter --- he still towers over you, but it makes him seem vulnerable and small.

You tighten your grip on his hand, in a comforting way and lead him out of the living room, through the hall, and into the dark kitchen. No one seems to notice the absence of either of you, they're too busy arguing over a block game to think about much else. He lets your hand go after the door is closed and he goes to sit on the floor in the corner of the room against the kitchen cabinets. Wil pulls his knees up to meet his chin and he wraps his arms around his legs.

“Are you okay?” You slide down the cabinet to sit next to him, your hand resting on his knee drawing circles with your thumb.

“Mmm, ‘m fine.” He mumbles, his head between his knees and his face hidden.

“As your best friend, I do not believe that.” You try to lighten the mood, be playful in hopes he’ll at least crack a smile.

“I’m fine.” He lifts his head and looks to you, despite how hard he tries it's not convincing.

“Yeah, yeah, and the queen’s alive. Come on, Wil.” You laugh, moving to card through the curls atop his head.

"I'm okay." He tries to fake a smile to rid your concerns but it's not that easy anymore.

"You don't have to tell me, but you can admit when you're not okay, love." The pet name was merely a slip for you and when you noticed you used it, you wanted to crawl into yourself. Hideaway and forget everything you said. Surely to others, it's not a big deal but it's not like you can give any hint at your feelings for him, feelings you know aren't reciprocated.

He simply hums in response with his head back between his knees, and you take your hand away from his hair and drop it on your lap. You want to help him, make him feel better but this is making you feel so hopeless. You can't let him wallow but he's stubborn, it's not easy to get through his shell.

"Wanna tell me about the French Revolution?" The question was merely a suggestion, a bribe to get him to speak in more than two words per sentence.

And it worked, his head lifted up almost immediately and his eyes were wide with excitement, "Really? Are you sure?" His voice is soft but you can practically hear the joy in the way he spoke.

"Of course, tell me all about it." As you mutter the last bit, you lean your head against the cabinet and gaze up at him. His smile is wide and he's now let his knees fall to where his legs are stretched out in front of him. Stupid lanky bastard.

"Okay so, the revolution of 1789 had maaany different causes, primarily economical and political," And so he went on for what felt like hours, but you enjoyed the chatter. You liked seeing him so giddy and happy over something he loved like this. He's an absolute history buff and most people don't care to sit still long enough to listen, except for his brother, you, and sometimes Ash. So you let him talk your ear off, you asked questions, and let him tell you all the little details and factoids he's learned over the years.

After a while, your eyes began to droop and feel heavy, and you kept having to pull your head back up to keep yourself awake. So you settled with resting your head on Wilbur's shoulder as he continued telling you about one of the many corrupt French kings. You wrapped your left arm around his middle and your right hand rested on the shoulder you laid on. You were comfortable and he didn't seem to mind the contact.

"Sleepy?" He breaks his info dump and runs his hands through your hair. You were far too drowsy to think twice about the action or to get nervous about it as usual, so you just hummed and nuzzled further into him.

"Keep talking." Your words were muffled by his sweater but he understood, and so he did just that. He continued on about the revolution and everything that came after before he himself began to doze off. His head leaned against yours and before he knew it, he was passed out too.

----

"Hey, has anyone seen Wilbur?" James chimed in, the Lion King plays on the TV, and everyone groans, and Tommy pauses the movie.

"Dude, it was the best part!" Tommy exclaims and dramatically throws his head onto the back of the couch.

"Sorry! Wil just disappeared, so I was just wondering if anyone saw him." James reiterates, hands in the air in surrender before dropping them to the floor on either side of himself.

"I'm sure the guy's fine, he's probably somewhere with his best friend anyways," Rue reassures James, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Those two are inseparable," Ash adds.

"And they are so obvious too! It's annoying." Tommy grunts in that typical little sibling way.

James frowns, clearly not satisfied with how calm and not worried his friends are. Ash notices and pats his friend on the back, and James' shoulders slump.

"Dude if you're so worried about them, go find them." Rue leans against the back of the couch, crossing her ankles and resting them on the coffee table. James growls and shoves her feet off the table, Rue then rolls her eyes. "So mean.."

“Fine, I will.” James groans and lifts himself off the floor where he sat and he as well makes his way out of the living room. He heads through the hall, peaking into the dining room; nothing. He checks the guest bed next, also nothing; and then his office, still nothing. He checks every room before he settles on checking the kitchen- the last spot he expected to look. The moment he peaks his head through the door he catches a glimpse of both you and Wilbur cuddled against each other, sound asleep.

“Aww, cute,” Rue whispers behind James and he jumps, yelling a slew of curses at his friend. She simply laughs in response. James looks back to be sure the interaction didn't wake the two of you, and surely it didn't. He would have never been so thankful for how heavy of sleepers you two were.

James backs away from the door, being sure to close it as slowly and quietly as possible, and then he ushers Rue down the hall and back to the sitting room where the rest of their friends were. He then happily plops down onto his sofa, right next to Tommy.

“So, are they okay?” Ash’s expression is one of concern, but calm still.

“Oh they're fine,” James takes a swig of the drink he left on the coffee table, “But we have some matchmaking to do.”

----

“We’re meeting at the pub around the corner, that's right, James?” The entire situation is confusing and getting a confirmation out of James is the worst hell that you desperately want to crawl out of.

"Yes, yes, that pub. I told you like ten times already." James sighs in a loud obnoxious way and if it weren't for the fact you loved him, he would be dead on sight. Or on sight when you both got to the damn pub.

"It's not my fault you give shitty instructions and clarification!" You do your best to whisper yell through the phone, he may annoy the fuck out of you but you don't hate him, and if he lost his hearing because of you—you couldn't mess with him.

"Oh my god, stop whining and get your ass over here." You're about to snap back at him and then he hangs up just as quickly as the words roll off his tongue.

You groan and drag your feet on the sidewalk, desperate to make your trek longer so you can postpone seeing James a little more. I mean, you love him but fuck can he be an annoying little shit sometimes. He's really good at it too and you don't know how he manages it.

Unfortunately, you're in front of the pub way quicker than you thought you would be. You're quick to open the door, and rush in before you push through the crowd to find any inkling of where your friends have situated themselves. James didn't mention which table the rest of their friends sat at, so you assumed he didn't know either seeing as he was on his way here as well.

You're about to give up when you spot a familiar Pinterest hipster across the pub. Wilbur is sat alone at a booth, holding what seems to be a simple water as he himself eyes the tables and bar as well as the sea of people standing around the place.

You smile and wave your hand at him, signaling that you're there. He smiles too, waving back and then gesturing for you to sit with him. You're quick to shuffle through the people surrounding you, muttering excuse me and I'm sorry's whenever you bump into someone or get just a hair too close to them. By the time you reach the booth, you're out of breath from swimming through the crowd. You plop down on the spot next to Wil and you rest your head face first on the table.

"Why is James so annoying?" You pose the question, all muffled and not really meant to be answered, simply spoken into the void.

"Hell if I know, he told me the rest of the group was here but I couldn't find them." Wilbur speaks in such a nonchalant way that you would think he did this often, wait for his friends to be there and either be late or not come at all. But you know he doesn't do this often, I mean it was more common in middle school and high school, but now he's an adult and you know his current friends wouldn't do that. I mean you're his best friend after all, you notice way more about him than you would care to notice.

"So you think they've ditched us?" You move your head to face him, eyes looking up to him and his own looking down at you. You swear you could see a smile forming on his lips.

"Hah, maybe." He laughs and then switches to gaze at his hands resting in his lap.

You lift your head up, and lean against the back of the booth. You rest a hand on his shoulder and he looks to you, "You're my favorite anyway." You pat his shoulder before removing your hand only for it to find great interest in the sleeves of the jacket you wore out today. One of Wilbur's old jackets his arms were too long for. It's oversized but it's comfortable and a hundred percent smells like him, so it's comforting.

"Ash isn't even your favorite?" He's smirking now and you can tell he's almost completely forgotten about James and the clan.

"He's a close second." You throw a soft smile to him and you can feel your cheeks warm and turn red.

———

"Wow, France is fucking shitty." You let out a soft laugh, taking a sip of whatever alcoholic beverage was the special—you didn't care, it tasted good and didn't burn horribly so it did just fine for you.

"I know!" Wilbur slurs and then laughs, throwing his head back to lean against the back of the booth. He turns to face you, smile wide and face pink from being a bit too tipsy.

"You're smart, Wil. You know that?" You rest your chin in your hand and look in his eyes. You never really noticed how rich and…deep they were. It was endearing to look at.

"Not really, I just know a lot." He shrugs, gaze dropping and face draining from positivity.

"Isn't that the definition of smart?" You reach your hand out to rest against his arm. He doesn't move or flinch. It's like your touch is second nature.

There's a silence, he doesn't say anything, you don't say anything. Your friends still aren't here and it's been an hour and a few drinks in—you're beginning to wonder what James' intentions were.

"They ditched us didn't they?" You lean your own head against the backboard.

"Oh they sure as hell did." Wilbur lets out a soft chuckle and the sight makes your heart flutter.

"Wanna go back to mine?" The question is simple and you play with the idea of looking away from him, to dull the sting if he says no—or rejects you without even admitting anything to him—but you decide to turn your head and gaze upwards at him.

A soft smile, a breathy laugh, he turns his head to face you, "Of course,"

It takes a good twenty minutes to get back to your flat, which is only a ten minute walk from the pub James tricked the two of you to go into, but with both of your slighter drunken states, it was safe to say it took a lot longer. Stumbling, giggling, slurred speech, a hand on the small of your back, your arm around his torso. There was no such thing as a ten minute walk on your minds.

The walk down the cobble path to the door of your flat is a tricky one. Wilbur only had a few shots but he hadn't been drinking in a while so his ability to handle much alcohol was severely lacking at the moment—so he was stumbling a lot. He nearly fell in the bush a few times but you were able to keep your grip on him, keeping him steady. You yourself weren't in the best of shape either, but you managed. Surprisingly neither of you had felt the least bit nauseous yet, which was a tremendous thing.

You struggled a few moments with your keys before Wilbur got off the wall where he leaned and said, "Here, lemme try." He was quick to find the right key and turn it in the keyhole. The door clicked and Wilbur turned the door knob and pushed it open. He stepped aside and bowed, his right arm over his stomach and his left out stretched in a gentlemanly manner. "Royalty first, as always." You smile and are sure your laugh is heard by the man.

"Why, thank you kind sir!" You exclaim, folding your hands like a queen in a ball gown and dramatically walk in the door. He laughs and follows you in, closing the door and locking it behind him.

You lead him to the living room just to the left in the corridor and curl up on the couch and shove your shoes off your feet. Wilbur follows and does the same, his head next to yours and his legs curled up next to him.

"Hi," He whispers to you, smiling softly and gaze set up on you.

"Hi," you pause, readjusting your legs to be held against your chest. "I'll take the couch, you take the bed, that cool?" Your eyelids begin to feel heavy and so you rest them, unable to spot the reaction Wilbur gave you.

"No, not cool." He states plainly, your eyes shoot open. Did you upset him? What did you say wrong? Your mind runs wild and he seems to notice your anxiety bubbling. Your slightly tipsy self, not doing a great job at hiding it. "I take the couch, you take the bed."

"No, you take the bed, I take the couch."

"Darling," He warns and the pet name shocks you both, and it seems as though the alcohol has an effect on both of your filters, his and yours.

"I said what I said and I stand by it!" You cross your arms over your chest and playfully move to look away from him.

He groans in an artificial annoyance and you smile to yourself.

"How about this," He begins and you turn back to face him, he's sat up now, legs pulled up to his chest still. "We both take the bed? That way we both win."

"Mmm, as long as you're okay with it, I am."

Wilbur smiles and nods, "It was my brilliant idea, now wasn't it?" A smirk forms.

"Goddamn, you and your stupid ego." You roll your eyes and Wilbur huffs.

"Oh shut it." He snaps back, going to stand and walk out the door and across the hall to the bedroom. You follow him and quickly go to the cupboard on the left beside the door. Your bed is prepared to warm one person, not two, so you need extra blankets and maybe another pillow or two.

"Dude, when's the last time we shared a bed?" You break the silence, chuckling to yourself as you hear Wilbur shuffle around the bathroom—presumably to find his old toothbrush he left at your place that one time he stayed for a week six months ago.

"Like the last time I stumbled to your door drunk as fuck?" He sighs before exclaiming an Aha presumably because he found the toothbrush he was looking for.

"You really need to stop drinking that much, especially alone. I'm not always gonna be here to be a pick me up for your sorry ass." You throw the blankets you pulled out onto the bed and jumped in face first. "So comfy." It's meant as a whisper, but Wilbur manages to pick it up.

"Save some blankets for me, meanie." He turns on the faucet and he's then silent for a moment before the sound of brushing sounds from the bathroom.

"No, they're mine. I bought them with my money, dickwad." You grunt and turn over, wrapping yourself in a little blanket cacoon.

Wilbur lets out a laugh, and the faucet sounds again before the tapping of the toothbrush on the side of the sink. Before you know it, the other side of the bed dips and you feel a blanket being snatched from you. You don't have the energy to fight it, so you let it go.

"Wow, my best friend being generous to me? What world do we live in.." He mutters, laughing more to himself than anything.

"Too tired to care."

"Not because you love me? Oh my heart!" He dramatically clutches his heart and lets out a breathy chuckle.

"Only because tired." Your words become more slurred and they're muffled by the pillow you have your face in.

"Yeah, yeah." He sighs, and then tosses around a few times, getting comfortable. The bed creaks with his every move and you can hear him groan in annoyance at the sound.

The creaking stops, and Wilbur stops moving. He's situated now, but he's on his back staring at the ceiling.

Many thoughts run through his mind but one in particular stands out; Should I tell them?

The concept is foreign, expressing undiscussed emotion that could be detrimental information if provided at the wrong time—it's scary. What is he meant to do? Lye around and pretend he didn't get nervous at your touch, or your pet names or the way you willingly am letting him sleep next to you—and while the latter wasn't unusual in the past, it was now, given the two of you being in your early 20s and having been avoiding sleepovers since you turned 18. Although there was only so much you could do when Wilbur came stumbling to your door pissed out of his mind.

He bit the bullet. What's the worst that could happen? A Lot actually.

But he figured he should give context first, background.

"Do you know why I was sulking that day at James'?" He breaks the comforting silence that fell between you two. He doesn't mind it but he figured he must act now before he chickens out.

"I figured you were just having a bad day, and once I offered a France info dump you seemed pretty okay. Was there something I missed?" You turn your head back to face him, eyebrows knitted in genuine—sober—concern.

"I was upset," He pauses, beginning to place the pieces in his mind of what to say next and then after that and then after that and so on. "It's kind of stupid, I guess-"

You cut him off, "Nothing, and I mean nothing you say is stupid, Wil. I promise." You're sitting up now, crisscrossing applesauce on the bed, your body facing him but your eyes trained on his own eyes. "What was wrong?"

He closes his eyes, "I guess, I was getting sort of fed up with myself. See, I really really like this person—" He pauses to sit up himself, he gazes down at you as he leans his back against the wall. He reaches for your hand and draws circles on your palm with his thumb, his eyes painfully focused on the lines drawn in your skin. "They're wonderful, and one of my closest friends. I've liked them for a long while, love them even but a part of me knows they don't reciprocate my feelings—so I was feeling sorry for myself. It had been years and no moves had been made and so I felt hopeless. That person was so happy that day, and I was pissed I wasn't the reason for their smile." He sighs, letting go over your hand and leaning against the headboard, eyes closed shut.

Your voice is but a whisper, "Who is this mystery person?"

He hesitates for a moment, but he's this far already, there isn't any going back.

"You." The answer is simple, straightforward and blunt but it hits you hard nonetheless. Handfuls of emotion are thrown at you like confetti and you can't even begin to sift through and identify them all. You're in shock, that's for sure, but everything else? There's no telling.

You smack his shoulder, "William! You should have said sooner, you asshole!" Your tone is playful but your words would say otherwise. Elated.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He rubs the side of his arm, wincing for a split second before meeting your eyes.

"Not telling me." Frustration.

Silence, no more words slip from either of your tongues. It's simply quiet, the humming of the fan you set up hours ago, sirens sounding outside in the city —your breathing, his breathing. Fear.

"I like you too, you know." You look down, despite him already confessing to you, admitting this is still terrifying, and odd to you.

"Oh, I know." He smiles, and you mentally smack yourself for saying something you know would get some stupid snarky comment.

"You and your damn ego, Soot." You shake your head, smiling fondly at him.

"Oh but don't you love my ego, my dear?" The man is still tipsy.

"Hey, why don't you shut up?" He smirks, and you immediately regret your words, well, partially — he reaches his hand up to rest on your cheek, and he brings your face closer to his, lips millimeters apart and breath fanning on each other's faces.

"Can I?" It's a simple request but you nod, smiling whilst your heart warms. He leans in closer, your own lips meeting his in a soft loving exchange.

You smile into the kiss, giggling a few times throughout. You rest your hands on the back of his neck and his own hands fall to rest on your sides.

It's not as dramatic as you imagined, figuring if he felt the same he would have some grand confession —but you like this, you really do. It's calm, private—it's tremendously better than a heated confession in the rain, at least in your opinion.

You both break apart, smiles wide as ever and you're out of breath. You lurch forward, wrapping your arms around him and your head hitting his chest, settling into him. It takes him a moment to reciprocate but when he does, his own arms snake around you, pulling you closer to him.

Wilbur's head dips down to rest on top of yours and you hum happily. This is it, this is what joy feels like, doesn't it? Warm arms around you, the sound of his beating heart—he starts to hum, what sounds like one of his songs.

The night goes on like this, the two of you wrapped around each other, Wilbur humming songs he knows or wrote and the occasional comment on how long it took you two, followed by laughter.

This was joy, he was joy.

The next day, you awoke to your phone buzzing like no tomorrow. You were groggy and really didn't want to even bother looking, but the sound managed to send you into a slight panic. Your legs were still wrapped with Wilbur's, and his head was resting on your chest and his stupidly long arms were pulling you into him. You looked over at the end table on your left and snuck your phone into your grip.

You groaned as you pressed answer on the incoming call that created your woken state. It was James.

"What do you want, James? It's 2am." Your tone is that of a very annoyed person, and James winces over the call.

"I hadn't heard from you and Wilbur's not answering his phone or his door, so I figured you two ran off and died." His words all jumbled together and you laugh much to his distaste, "Be serious here!"

"We should've run off, honestly. Maybe we would have gotten some peace and quiet then." You set your gaze down at the man with his arms around you, and you smiles sweetly.

"You're a dick—are you two okay? Do I need to send like a police force or something?" James is still frantic with how he speaks but you can tell he's calming down by the second.

"We're fine James, okay? We're at my place. We drank a little last night and my apartment was the closest." You pause, but before he can get a word in, "Thank you for setting us up." There's a smirk on your face and James can hear it in the way you spoke.

"What—I, I didn't set you up!" He's quick to his defense and you laugh.

"Yeah, no you definitely did."

"Did it work?" He asks, ditching the defensive attitude from the moment prior.

"Yeah, yeah it did. Thank you." You lean your head back, phone still pressed to your ear and your free hand carding through Wilbur's mop of curls.

"Good."

[magicalgirlagency]

I always annoyed whenever people say "mario has no personality". He's fun jovial italian uncle who always eager to cheer others and do the right thing. Why this is considered as problem?

Could it be because people are more into morally ambiguous characters nowadays that characters with a strong sense of justice become obsolete and cliché at this point?

The thing with Mario, is that being the good guy IS his thing. He was intentionally designed to be the jolly and energetic family-friendly character, much like Disney's Mickey Mouse. He exists to fufill the role of the virtuous hero.

Sure, you could flip some of his positive traits into negative ones to make him more interesting (i.e.: His adventurous nature could be also represented as recklessness and a severe lack of self-preservation), but if you remove the fun and jovial energy from Mario, then it's no longer Mario.

Not to mention how humble he is too; you'd think that with all of the years of experience in adventuring and the notoriety that Mario has secured for himself, he would be living in luxury right now, but nope! He lives in a quaint and simple house with his brother Luigi.

He may be competitive and a bit dramatic at times, but he never brags about his exploits, and I'm totally sure that he'd be immensely proud of Princess Peach for saving the Sparkle Theater, just like how he was proud of Luigi for saving him from King Boo more than once.

Plus, do you have any idea how tough it is for me to find an adult character who isn't afraid of being a silly billy? One who is unapologetical and in touch with their inner child? And that are loved for being who they are? Please, I'm collecting those like bugs and latching myself on them.

Besides, if you think Mario is boring, then you might be into Wario instead. He doesn't save worlds or people because it's the right thing to do; he just does it because he's in it for the bag. Wario's expecting a big fat reward at the end, money is his motivation.

[skysometric]

why, thank you for asking! i've been thinking it through for the last few days, i just wanted to make sure my answer was all written and ready to go first. all... checks notes... 4,000 words of it.

ICYMI, last week i sent asks to a bunch of my friends with a simple question: "what's your favorite game you played this year?" as i hoped, y'all gave a bunch of EXCELLENT answers, all of which i reblogged on my side blog @autumatically! (if you didn't get an ask like this and you want to join in, ping me – i sent too many asks to keep track of and i probably just forgot to send one your way!)

of course i wanted to answer this myself, but i wanted to write about more than just one game! and when i sat down to write, i just kept going, and going, and going...

so we're splitting this up! every day this week, i'll be counting down my top 5 games that i played in 2023. not all of these are games that i've streamed, and only one of them has shown up on anyone else's lists so far, so i'm really excited to reminisce and share my experiences this year 💖

maybe you'll even find a new game to try out? i'm certainly really excited to dig through y'alls lists and try some of the ones i missed out on this year!

to kick things off, let's start with:

Honorable Mentions

two games came out this year that i would probably put in my top 5, no competition. so why didn't i? because i didn't actually play them!

see, as much as i love to play video games, oftentimes i also like to watch them just as much. this has always been great for games that i never intended to play in the first place, like the Final Fantasies and Fortnites of our day… but lately it's also let me take turns with my partner on who plays which new releases.

in fact, for both of the games i'm about to list, i watched my partner play them in full and i've watched no less than two separate people stream them as well. which means, with all that oversaturation, it's probably gonna be a while before i play them myself…

either way! here's my top two games that i didn't play in 2023.

Pizza Tower

this one likely needs no introduction! Wario Land 4 is one of my favorite games of all time, and the way Pizza Tower extends those basic concepts is a masterclass of game design. the moveset is perfectly geared toward accessible speed tech, the level layouts are top notch, the different forms are unique and funny, the art style is GORGEOUS, the combo system adds incredible replay value and pushes the player to their limits…

honestly the only thing stopping me from playing this right now is that the levels are too fresh in my mind, and i'd like a little time to let those memories fade before i dive back in and experience everything in a wave of nostalgia. seeing so much of the game already was totally worth it, though – i had the distinct pleasure of watching my partner learn how to P Rank most of the levels, and the simple joy of watching her build up her skills is one of my standout memories of 2023. proud of you, love!

god, Pizza Tower is a perfect slice of video game. i can't WAIT to play it myself!

Super Mario RPG

as a young kid, i always wanted a physical copy of this game. i could never justify it, though, because i already owned it on Wii Virtual Console, and it was one of the more expensive SNES games i had my eye on… a whole $40 in 2007 money! fast forward to the modern day, and not only do i no longer have easy access to that old Wii copy, but a physical cart now goes for like $90???

blessedly, along comes the Switch remake. i still can't believe this exists – it's a perfect remake in every way, shape, and form! the sprite-based animations are lovingly recreated, the battle system is rebalanced in fun ways, and the music is PERFECTLY re-arranged. even the dialog, which i expected to be completely retranslated… it's smoothed over, but mostly unchanged! the original game's unabashed weirdness and charm is fully intact, and i did NOT expect that out of modern Nintendo.

this is one that i didn't mind watching others play; Super Mario RPG is all about the vibe, and this remake captures that vibe perfectly. i'm excited to play it myself once it's had time to settle! but, for now, i'm perfectly content just vibing with others~

[popstart]

bridgeney roommates + geoff. do they play mario kart together. (i am thinking about them)

oh my god dude im fucking insane about mario kart you dont even know.

geoff owns the gc or wii or whatever theyre playing on, brings it over and is like hey guys best idea ever lets play mario kart out of nowhere. bridgettes like wow i love you lol and courtney loses her fucking mind and resigns her evening to hanging out with them.

remember geoff was in the episode where they all built bikes and he does really good so he totally fucks with that game. hes like NICE!!!!!! i dont even have to blow up in real life this time lol!!!!

bridgette mains koopa troppa (my main 🤭) Loves all those watery levels. think koopa cape and yoshi falls. too chronically nonchallant to give any fucks. ends up in around 6th place and is like wow nice im bomb as shit at this game lol

geoff lives for warios gold mine and waluigi pinball. he mains ummm. probably donkey kong or king boo. might also fuck w rosalina or peach or any of those pretty blonde girls bc this man drew a hyperrealistic picture of bridgette and rode it around all proud and shit. is probably the best at it. usually ends up first except for the times he purposely loses to make everyone else feel better. it makes courtney feel worse.

courtney is terrible and fucking hates it so she doesnt play but they convince her to play one time and she has the worst fucking road rage of all time. breaks a controller who knows. doesnt know shit about video games so she goes and buys some random ass bootleg controller to apologize and geoffs just like NICEEEEEEE👍👍👍👍👍I LOVE IT👍👍. i think she would like maple treeway and peach gardens. she would detest mushroom gorge and rainbow road and every course its easy asf to fall off of. she'd secretly wanna be on teams bc she knows shes shit so the rest of her team would carry her bc she hates losing but she doesnt have the shame to ask for that and just settles for 12th every time

[izunias-meme-hole]

Top 10 Mario Characters (Remake)

Number 1. Bowser - Bowser is a genuinely great villain and fun as hell. Sure, there are a crapton of underrated villains in the Mario series, but no matter what you cannot really hate this guy. He’s a giant fire breathing turtle-dragon who’s a evil king, but he’s also a meathead, arrogant as hell, has very cool boss fights, is a surprisingly good father to his kids, and he’s an amazing protagonist and ally, as shown in games like Bowser’s Inside Story, and the Paper Mario Series. At the end of the day, Bowser is just an entertaining villain and an great character.

Number 2. Wario - Whaddya expect? Wario is a perfect take on an “Mario Double” by not being a literal Evil Mario. He’s just a disgusting, rude, and greedy little bastard man that just so happens to not only look similar to Mario, but is also the exact opposite of everything Mario is! He’s also a game developer, and a treasure hunter, plus his games are actually pretty fun. In other words, Wario for the win!

Number 3. King Boo - The Boo’s are annoying little shits and the cutest enemies in the series, but this guy is legit nightmare fuel and a delightful slice of ham. He captured Mario, he captured Peach, he turned Mario and Peach into paintings, and he went from wanting to capture Luigi to just wanting to outright kill him! Also, much like Bowser, he's consistently entertaining every time he is on screen, and I find it surprising he isn't an Mario RPG villain because he certainly fits that description pretty damn well. Overall King Boo is just a delight to see, and he’s the perfect nemesis for Luigi.

Number 4. Dimentio - Easily the biggest asshole in the Paper Mario games, and the biggest asshole in the whole series. This jester is suave, smug, manipulative, AND sadistic. He feels less like a Mario villain, and more akin to a Final Fantasy or Kirby villain. Also the twist with him betraying Bleck was somehow not the asspull I thought it was when I first played the game, and it was actual kinda built up well throughout the game.

Number 5. The Shadow Queen - The easiest way to describe The Shadow Queen is that she’s a Kirby final boss in a Mario game. Eldrich in nature, terrifying, powerful, and PURE EVIL. Also, despite just being the final boss, her build up is done exceedingly well, so she doesn’t feel out of place either. In short, this ghastly demon queen is so non-Mario as a villain that it works perfectly in her favor.

Number 6. Count Bleck - A well written tragic villain in a Mario game that is also quite the horrifying bastard? HELL YES!

Number 7. Bowser Jr - Bowser Jr is a small gremlin that is on the same level of fun as his father, and is extremely underrated. He’s got some of the most versatile bosses in the series due to his mechs and clown car, is very energetic, and his relationship with his dad is pretty healthy and fun. In short, the son of Bowser is just neat. However his biggest problem is that he's so underutilized in the mainline games, like how does Nintendo hit gold and decide not to use it often.

Number 8. Rosalina - She is beauty, she is grace, she has a sad backstory, she's helpful, she's the mother of these stars that become planets, she's considered to be either a witch or a goddess, and overall out of all the princesses in the series... I don't think we've had one like her. Daisy is outgoing and tomboyish, Peach is more refined, but Rosalina feels like a divine entity mixed with a mother figure who's experienced a lot. Sorry, but top 2 goes to star mom.

Number 9. Princess Daisy - Do I have to explain? Despite only appearing in an obscure ass game and some party games, Daisy is a HUGE contrast to Peach, and it’s in a good way. She’s a tomboy, is loud and proud, and her energy is constantly high as all hell.

Number 10. Princess Peach - When she isn’t being kidnapped by Bowser, she’s actually pretty fun. Sure she lack’s Daisy’s high energy, and is more “girly,” but she’s still got some sass and her own unique type of high energy that is let out in the party games. Also her Mario 64 castle theme is one of the best leitmotif’s in the series.

[slapdrawsstuff]

TENNA C. ROOK

*HEY! *WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PIPSQUEAKS DOIN' 'ERE?! *'YER IN THE MIDDLE OF A SET! *WHO ME? *'YER TELLIN' ME YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?! *TENNA. TENNA C. ROOK!

---------------------------------

Hey! First post here! So! Tenna, right? What a guy! Since everyone's making up designs for him left and right I thought I'd put my hat in the mix as well.

DESIGN CHOICES:

So, well before I begin with the design. The name. Tenna C. Rook. Well, I don't have to explain Tenna, I guess. Rook's there because I'm a firm believer in chess theory, and the C is there because it makes the "rook" look like "crook", because he's a criminal, I tell you, a criminal! Also, if you put the Tenna at the end it spells out CRT, and that's kinda funny.

THE COLORS:

Green! Yeah, I love green! I chose green for two main reasons: -It seems that the main villains are going from right to left on the color bar thingy.

Queen is light blue, so I thought that good old Tenna over here would be green.

-You can't spell GREED without the first four letters of GREEN. Tenna's that type of guy you know? He cares a lot about THE MONEY. Apart from being a big shot producer, he's an avaricious little troll.

Apart from green, there's no real reasoning behind any of the other colors. Red's just there to not make his suit look to same-y, if you catch my drift. White's there to fit in with King and Queen. Also, headcanon that Tenna's like Lancer's uncle or something like that.

THE SUIT:

I think pinstripe suits are the best thing ever. I am a pinstripe suit supremacist. Of course, there's a reason other than my love for these types of suits: mobsters! I think Chapter 3's gonna be like, a look into the Golden Age of Hollywood through Toby Fox' lens. I could be totally wrong here, and to be honest, I'm probably totally in the wrong, but y'know it could be fun. Mobsters + TV is always fun! The square-y shoulder pads on his suit, combined with the hat are supposed to kind of look like the top part of a rook chess piece.

It's probably really stupid, but whatever.

The little antenna on his hat is a thing he uses to control stuff from long distances, by the way. I didn't put it in the dialogue sprites because I tried and it looked ugly.

The T-Belt, T standing for Tenna of course, is there because he's got a company to promote! And he's got a huge ego, so he has to let everyone know who he is!

GENERAL SHAPE, SIZE AND HAIR

I tried to make him really squarish, to contrast with King and Queen since they're both rather round and curvy. Also, like I said, the top part of a rook is square-y so that also influenced his shape, as well as the fact that TV's are generally rectangle/square-like, so yeah.

Sprite-wise he's about the same size as Kris. I thought it'd be funny to go from these pretty tall, imposing villains to this little Wario-like goblin. The size is also inspired by the "really short leader who's really smart but gets angry really quickly" trope. I don't know the name of the trope, but there's Joe Dalton from the Lucky Luke comic strips that made me fall in love with it, so here you go, this one's for you Joe.

The hair. So, I wasn't going to give him hair originally, but I thought it'd be good to not have the head be entirely white with a green hat. I thought of Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, because frankly, his hair looked stupid in that movie and I think it's really funny to give characters stupid hair. I can easily imagine Susie mocking him for his stupid hair. Also, technically not his hair. It's a wig, and I think it'd be funny for it to fall off during the final boss fight.

Oh yeah, also the shadowy part covering the eyes is supposed to look like a club, because King's got a spade-like thing going on and Queen has got a heart-like thing going on, so yeah.

All-in-all, I'm pretty proud of how this thing turned out. I saw a lot of tv-heads, lots of big and bulky figures and a Jerma thrown in there for good measure, so I tried to stay as far as possible from those, as to not get too inspired by them.

Anyways, see ya bye!

[notsophism-draws]

Here is that one character I alluded to in my last post, and boy, do I have quite a history with her. I’ll be upfront before the break: I do not look back on her fondly, but there might be some useful lessons to derive from my ramblings, so read on if you’re interested.

Matrona is someone I conceived in my adolescence around 2014 or so. She was the lead protagonist of that old story concept I had, and the other characters you see with her were also a part of it. However, she completely lacked direction on a fundamental level; I had come to this conclusion about her story in general and even scrapped it alongside the other characters you see alongside her. Not wanting to get rid of everything, however, I persistently tried reinventing Matrona and tweaking her design bit by bit, which culminated in an unhealthy obsession with her in 2021.

Around the time I decided to keep working on Matrona, I also adopted a new semi-lineless art style, akin to Samurai Jack. At first, I found it pretty fun to do, and Matrona translated into it pretty well... However, what I didn't account for was how I was deriving the wrong lessons from the style. It is inherently simple and relies heavily on shape language to keep itself interesting, but my iteration of the style focused strictly on simplicity without any flavor to back it up.

But when it came to Matrona's art pieces, I developed a serious issue: perfectionism. If I was even a mere pixel was off, I would force myself to go back and fix my error. I accepted no semblance of imperfection with this design--to the point where I made upwards of one hundred iterations of the same godforsaken model sheet throughout the year. Mind you, this is just what I remember offhand. Each time, I would spend an unhealthy amount of time at night chipping away at the design until it developed into something I thought I would enjoy...

When I said my art became oversimplified for a time, this is what I was referring to. Matrona is the culmination of my greatest sins as an artist, especially as her pieces became nearly my entire output during 2021. This isn't even all of the artwork; I'm keeping one private as it is a fan art piece for someone I no longer associate with. Regardless, there is more than enough here to illustrate my main point: all of these issues led to a design so diluted that it didn't even match up with the characterization I settled on. In fact, there was so very little to gravitate to visually; all one could say about her was that she was blue, dressed in pink, and was a happy artist.

January of 2022 rolled around, and after completing the final iteration of Matrona's model sheet, I had to sit down. I realized I refused to let her go and let myself grow as an artist--and, dare I say, as a person. I needed to get rid of her, and that's exactly what I did.

Shortly after, I developed Alma Valentine, the first original character I am proud of making. She started as a Wario-like exaggeration of Matrona and gradually evolved into her own person--and I couldn't be happier. She is someone who I find has a lot of potential for art and stories to come.

I think distancing myself from Matrona for a time was necessary, but I needed to confront the idea one final time to make peace with the fact I don't need her anymore. She was a toxic friend masquerading as a precious cinnamon roll, and it is unbelievably cathartic to give her the dressing-down she's deserved for so long. But I don't want to dwell on the negatives of my past for too long, so my next post shall contain some of the old art I'm actually proud of making. I shall see you all soon.

[forthedancingandthethriving]

While I'm working on the other piece,, how Lily comes to accept SMG4&3 as her dads finally came to my mind! :>

Anyway,, found family YESSSS

○●○

Lily was terrified out of her mind, but she knew she had to be brave.

She exhales softly and peers around the corner, seeing the Paratroopa that had stolen the bag of everyone's things. It wasn't Wario, unfortunately for her, or else she was pretty sure she might've been able to trick him enough to get it back.

No, of course, of all things, it had to be a Paratroopa.

Lily glances around before spotting a metal pipe on the ground. Strangely convenient, but hey, she wasn't going to complain. She picks it up and twirls it a bit before glaring at the Paratroopa. He was grounded now, so if she was quick..

With another soft exhale, she races around the corner whilst raising the pipe before swiftly bringing it down, knocking the Paratroopa down. She grabs the bag with her free hand and immediately begins backing away as fast as she can. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it far.

The Paratroopa, cursing up a storm, quickly recovers and flies towards her. It's a long blur, but now Lily knew she was on the roof of a particularly tall building, she didn't have the bag, but the Paratroopa was gone.

"Lily!" suddenly comes SMG4's voice, making her gasp. With a small whimper from pain, she gets up and makes her way over to the edge. There, she can see SMG4 looking up with worry, but it changes to relief when he sees her. Off to the side, she can see SMG3 in his N64 model, groundpounding the absolute shit out of the Paratroopa.

"How stupid are you?" 3 hisses. "All of our stuff is password protected! How would you even explain that?!"

"Lily, are you okay?" 4 asks, glancing briefly at his partner before looking back at her.

"U-uh, yeah. A little sore, but.. I'm okay!" she nods.

"Great." 4 sighs in relief, smiling. "Okay, well, are you able to get down? Is there a staircase anywhere? A ladder?"

Lily moves away from the edge and quickly looks around. Her heart sinks, seeing nothing. She quickly ran back over to the edge. "N-No.. there's nothing.."

4 curses and looks down in thought. Then, he looks back over at 3 and then the Paratroopa. His gaze gets mischievous as he looks at the Paratroopa, as if he realized something. His expression then softens as he looks back up at Lily.

"Just jump." SMG4 calls. "SMG3 and I will catch you."

SMG3 pauses and looks at his partner like he's crazy before the other points at the Paratroopa. 3 slowly looks down at it before a wide, malicious grin spreads on his face.

"A-Are you sure?" Lily swallows thickly. "You promise?"

4 nods as 3 moves away from the Paratroopa. The two join hands and a soft glow surrounds their bodies. Lily was blown away by how.. beautiful the glow was.

"We promise." 4 and 3 smile up at her, nothing but trust and confidence behind their smiles.

The child inhales deeply before leaping over the edge. She quickly tucks into a ball, eyed squeezing shut.

She heard the Paratroopa shout in shock before it faded away, and then something warm began to whizz around her body, almost protectively. She didn't have time to question it though, as soon she was in someone's arms.

She opens her eyes to see SMG4 smiling down proudly at her. "See? Nothing to be scared off."

Lily giggles softly and nods, fixing her hair. 4 also shifted his hold on her, carrying her on his side. She exhales softly and rests her head on his shoulder, feeling pretty tired.

"You were brave today, kid. I wish Luigi was as half as brave as you were." 3 pats her head, smiling. "Going after him while his idiots distracted us? Really smart."

Lily blushes from embarrassment. "It wasn't that smart.. I just saw him flying off and decided to follow him.."

"Doesn't matter." 4 hums. "You managed to get everyone's stuff back! We're really proud of you, Lily."

Lily closes her eyes, letting out a soft and tired hum. "Thanks Dad.. thanks Papa.."

As she drifts off into a light sleep, 4 and 3 look at each other, absolutely shocked. Though the former soon grins and whispers. "After a month, she's finally our kid! Yes! Another child acquired!"

3 snorts. "Techincally, by law, she was already our kid since we adopted her so she wouldn't have to go into an orphanage."

4 sticks out his tongue. "Her legally being our child is very different from her considering us as her dads."

SMG3 laughs softly so as not to disturb Lily before bumping his partner's shoulder. "Okay, that's fair." He then hoists the bag over his shoulder and walks off. "Now let's go going, scrub. Everyone is probably freaking out over their stolen shit."

SMG4 snorts and rolls his eyes. He adjusts Lily so he can better carry the sleeping girl before following. "Bet you its over their search histories."

"Oh definitely."

[kirbyofthestars]

okay i sent this to hungry but this is a better way of reaching you lol, so this is how it goes. I found you through hungry and I had an epiphany. I'm basically your shadow, a Wario to your Mario, the second rate, the lesser of you, the version of you who lurks in the shadows waiting for a turn in the spotlight, but never going out of fear of rejection or hatred, I'm not jealous I just find it funny that I found who I'm just the weird, edgier, bozo loser, lessfunny, weeb, otaku AU of lol.

It makes me very happy that you consider me a kindred spirit, but you’re only hurting us both by putting yourself down to bring me up, my friend. You are allowed to exist on your own merits; it can be difficult to muster the confidence to put yourself out there, but it is far from impossible. I wish you the best of luck!

Plus, Wario is a successful game developer and badass treasure hunter who’s absolutely ripped, richer than God, engaged in a rich social circle and has at least two cute girls who are madly in love with him. Being Wario is fantastic. Wario is objectively cool as fuck and you oughta be proud of that.

[ashchromium]

favourite Mario kart person for the Wii?

me personally it was dry bones and daisy I think I played toad a lot as well

(also you are doing a great job chrome dome, I'm very proud of you :D /gen)

awwww ty!

i loved to play baby peach a lot, koopa troopa, or just my general mii character lol

i liked using the nostalgia cart for wario's gold mine for time trials too!

[lostwithoutyouherewriter]

Escape to the Seaside Kingdom (Excerpt, Peach x Pauline)

(From Chapter 6)

Thwack!

A neon stream of light trailed behind the ball as it whizzed past Pauline, evading her latest attempt at a trick shot. She dove forward and tumbled across the court, but it was already too late.

“Yay!” shouted Princess Peach, leaping high in her pink and white sneakers, waving her racket through the air. “Game point!”

In spite of losing the volley and scuffing her knees in the process, Pauline couldn’t help but smirk at Peach’s enthusiasm. She brushed off her bright red tennis dress and shook her head. “I guess this just isn’t my match.”

“Nonsense,” said Peach as she returned to the baseline, preparing for her final serve. “You need something to energize you, something to boost your focus. Perhaps this would help?”

As she spoke, the princess leaned over to pop a new canister of balls, allowing her skirt to rise up behind her. She graced her opponent with a tantalizing view of white bikini underwear, made all the more distracting when Peach reached back and slid her finger under the elastic trim. The princess glanced to the side, a knowing smile on her lips as she invited Pauline to stare.

The mayor scoffed. “Right, as if that would help me focus on the game.”

Peach giggled, enjoying her little prank as she bounced a new ball on the court. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But seriously, there must be something. Usually, when I’m getting ready to serve, I try to imagine a goal in life. Something I want to achieve, or somewhere I want to go.”

Pauline ran her hand along the curve of her racket, contemplating the titanium trim painted in a fierce, blood red finish. “Or someone you want to destroy?”

Peach caught the ball mid-bounce and furrowed her brow. “Not... exactly, but I guess it couldn’t hurt. After all, there are worse ways to channel your aggression than smacking a little yellow ball around.”

There were a hundred ways that Pauline wanted to take out her aggression on the people who hurt her, and only a few of them involved smashing some choice balls. Dropping into her receiving stance, she considered how to beat Swanky Kong at his own game of politics, and then she would beat him over the head with this racket for good measure. She conjured up a fantasy of robbing Wario of his riches, his dignity, maybe even something on his person that he treasured more than gold. And then she would go on to do something far worse to little miss Captain Syrup. She would strap on that stupid dragon dildo and...

No, stop it! thought Pauline. You can’t go down that road.

She shut her eyes, tight, and shook her mind free of such notions. The fact she even had them made her feel ashamed, but who could blame her? Last night was one of the worst things that ever happened to her, and that included being kidnapped by an eight-hundred pound gorilla... twice! 

Still, if Peach hadn’t shown up, it could have been so much worse, and Pauline knew she couldn’t let herself give in. She wouldn’t let herself become another Kong, crushing everything and everyone in her path, but she couldn’t just stand on the sidelines. What was she going to do about it? How was she going to make this right?

And how was she supposed to focus at a time like this?

She looked up, just in time to witness the serve. She watched Peach bounce the ball once, twice. She envied the casual sense of control on display. Even as the princess flourished her racket, carefully positioning herself behind the line, Miss Toadstool made light of everything in her world. It was all fun and games, just an enjoyable afternoon of tennis with the lovely Pauline, but all of that changed as she went up for the serve.

Pauline could see it from across the court. A sudden intensity had taken hold of the princess, and everything about the woman spoke to the proud dynasty of rulers from which she had descended. She faced forward, her hand holding the racket like a scepter, her eyes laser focused on the zone ahead. And then she jumped, high into the sky.

There was no way of tracking her shot. What seemed like a forehand suddenly became a backhand, her racket tracing a heart through the air as Peach let loose a powerful shot.

Wham! The ball struck Pauline’s racket with such force, sending the mayor spinning in her clay court shoes.

“Oh mushrooms!” cried Peach. Her smoking racket clattered to the ground as she raced across the court. She dropped to her knees beside Pauline, who was presently lying spread-eagled over the center line. “Are you alright?”

As the princess reached out, Pauline grabbed hold of her hand. She pulled Peach down to her level, capturing her in a passionate kiss that caused her true love to yelp in surprise.

She tasted so sweet, so very sweet that Pauline needed more. They opened their mouths to one another, gently exploring with their tongues as the sweat trickled down their skin.

Peach suddenly pulled away, gasping for air. “Madame Mayor! My goodness!”

Pauline laughed, wiping her brow as she leaned towards the princess. “Woo! That’s a mean serve you have there. Exciting, actually. It really takes your mind off things.”

“Well, I’m glad it helped,” said Peach, laughing with Pauline, giving in to this newly discovered joy between them, “but what if someone sees us? There could be other hotel guests on the courts at any moment.”

Pauline brushed aside her lover’s blonde hair, taking in the majestic beauty that knelt before her. “As long as I’ve got you, then I don’t care,” she said, and her next kiss held the princess with the majesty of many kingdoms all rolled into one. It nearly left Peach breathless, but even when the kiss was finally over, she somehow managed to speak.

“Mm, I could use a shower,” said the princess. “Care to join me?”

The mayor felt warm all over. “Do you really need to ask? Lead the way, babe.”

Check out the rest of the story on AO3! Chapter 7 coming soon!

[ifanfictiondreamerworld]

The Starfox Journal Entry 2-Fox’s Very First Friend

Four years later, Peppy felt that Fox was ready to make friends. He, however was only able to do it on a different world unbeknownst to Andross. So, he took Fox to the friendliest preschool in the universe. Fox: “Peppy, are you sure about this?” Peppy: “Sure I am. This is the friendliest preschool I know out of the Lylat System. Besides, it’s not safe for a youngster like you to attend school with that scoundrel Andross on the loose, especially after he did to your father.”

Fox dropped his head. Fox: “Yeah…I know…I… never had a chance to meet him.” Peppy: “I know, kid, I know. He was a great man. I’ll never forgive that backstabbing crook Pigma for making your father succumb to his horrible fate.“ Fox: “Yeah…” Peppy: “Now don’t you worry, kiddo, I’m sure you’ll be able to fit in to this school. Just focus on getting along with the other kids and you‘ll be just fine.” Fox: “Oh…OK…” Peppy: “Now then, I have some work to do, so I’ll see you in the afternoon. Make some friends while you’re at it.” Fox: “OK…”

Fox walked into the school as Peppy returned to Corneria. He sat into one of the empty seats. Fox: “It’s OK, Fox. Just try to take it easy on yourself. You’ll make it through this.”

At that time, a young girl was looking at him. She wore cute, white and pink shoes with light pink socks, a pink overall skirt and a white blouse. She had long blonde hair and a golden crown to match it. She walked up to Fox. Girl: “Hello, what’s your name?”

Fox looked up at her. Fox: “Huh? Oh! My name’s Fox. What’s yours?” Girl: “My name is Princess Toadstool Peach. I heard about what happened to your father. It’s very sad.” Fox: “Yeah, I know.” Peach: “Who was that rabbit guy with you?” Fox: “That was Peppy. He was a good friend of my dad before my dad…”

He paused. Peach her hand on Fox‘s shoulder. Peach: “I’m so sorry.” Fox: “Thank you, Peach.” Peach: “So, what is he doing with you. Is he like your stepfather?” Fox: “Kind of. He’s watching over me until I become an experienced pilot and get back at the monster who took my father away.” Peach: “Oh, um, that’s nice. He seems like a really good guy.” Fox: “Oh, he is. He told me stories about my dad when he was still alive. He told me that my dad of one of the best pilots he has ever known. Peppy said he was proud to be my dad’s wing-man.” Peach: “Sounds great, Fox. You know what? I think you’re cute.” Fox blushed. Fox: “Oh, shucks, Peach.” Peach: “Anyway, I also heard about the terrible things that happened to your home world. I’m sorry about that, too. That must have been a horrible experience.” Fox: “Well, I was still a baby when my planet was attacked. I don’t have any memory of that catastrophe.” Peach: “Oh, well, that’s a relief.” Fox: “Yeah. Enough about me, tell me about you.” Peach: “Well, my parents are king and queen of the entire Mushroom Kingdom. They look over our peaceful kingdom until I’m ready to look over it, myself. I know I’m going to do a great job. I can hardly wait till I’m a grown princess. Maybe after school, I can show you around the kingdom.” Fox: “That sounds great.” Peach: “Splendid. How about I’ll introduce you to some of the kids here.” Fox nodded. Peach: “OK, let’s go.”

And so they walked off and looked around at some of the other kids. She moved on to the first kid in the red cap and blue overalls. Peach: “That’s Mario, the dumb kid. He brings a bag of shoes to school each morning; he thinks their his lunch money. Go figure.” She then moved on to the next kid in the green cap and blue overalls. Peach: “That’s Luigi, Mario’s younger brother. He’s smarter than Mario, but he’s weird. He once said something weird, like C, C is for C, CEEEEEEEEEEE, or something like that.” Fox: “Weird.” Peach: “Yes, but no one’s as weird as…”

She then faced another kid with a big headed kid with a yellow cap and fuchsia overalls. Peach: “Wario. He told everyone that one day, he’ll raise an army of Bob-ombs to blow up stuff.” Fox: “That is weird.” Peach: “Yeah…”

She then leaned in closer towards Fox and whispered to him. Peach: “He also has a crush on me.” Fox: “Yikes, that’s not very pleasant.” Peach: “It’s not. Let’s move on.”

And so, she introduced Fox to more and more of the kids, including the teachers, who were Yoshis and Toads. Soon enough, they sad down together on a table. Peach: “So, how do you feel now that you have met some of the kids in the school?” Fox: “Um…I don’t feel very confident that I’ll be able to fit in very well with a lot of the kids here being so weird, but, I’m glad to have met you, Peach. I think we’re going to get along just fine.” Peach smiled. Peach: “You know what? I feel the same thing. In fact, I feel like we’re becoming best friends already.”

Fox and Peach smiled at each other.

Soon enough, it was lunchtime. Fox and Peach were talking happily on a table until Peach spotted someone. Peach: “Oh, no!” Fox: “What’s wrong, Peach?” Peach: “Don’t look now, but there’s an unpleasant kid here.”

Fox looked over and spotted an avian-like kid. Peach then pulled Fox under the table with her. Fox: “Who’s that kid?” Peach: “That’s Falco Lombardi. The meanest kid in school. He picks on the other kids because he’s in kindergarten.” Fox: “Yikes!” Peach: “I know. Whenever you see him, be very careful. He picks on a lot of the boys here, but for some reason, he would never bully any girls.” Fox: “Huh, I wonder why that is. Wait a minute, why are you hiding under the table if he wouldn’t pick on you?” Peach: “Because I’m scared for you, Fox.” Fox: “What? Really?” Peach: “Yes, rumor has it he has a dad who supports that Andross guy.” Fox: “WHAT!?!” Peach: “Sh! Do you want him to find you?” Fox: “N-no…” Peach: “Follow me and you’ll be able to get out of here without him seeing you.” Fox: “OK…I’ll follow you…”

As Falco picked on other kids, Fox and Peach slowly crept out from under the table and quietly snuck away. Just then, Falco spotted them. Falco: “Well, well, well, if it isn’t that McCloud kid!” Fox: “Gulp!”

Falco walked up to Fox and Peach. Falco: “You know, I always wanted to meet you, McCloud.” Fox: “What…what do you want from me…?” Falco: “Nothing…nothing but you.” Fox: “W-whatever you do to me, I’m…I’m not afraid of it…!” Falco: “Ooh, we’ve got ourselves a wise guy here. OK, I’ll give everything I’ve got.”

He then lifted Fox by the shirt. Fox: “Hey! P-put me down!” Falco: “Don’t move, cause this is going to hurt.” Peach: “Stop! Please! Have mercy on poor Fox!” Falco: “What do you want, Peach?” Peach: “Put him down this instant, Falco. I don’t want anything to happen to him.” Falco: “Listen, Princess, I just want to teach McCloud here a thing or 2 about being a wise-guy. So, if you could just…”

Just then, the bell rang. Fox: “Saved by the bell.” Falco: “You may have been lucky this time, Fox, but next time, I’ll get you. I guarantee that.”

He then put down Fox and walked away. Peach walked up to Fox. Peach: “Are you OK, Fox?” Fox: “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for defending me, Peach.” Peach: “Don’t mention it.” Fox: “I don’t get it. Peppy said that this was the friendliest school he knows, but I don’t see anything friendly about it, except for you, of course.” Peach: “Yeah, my father told me the same thing. What’s up with that?” Fox: “Adults can be so difficult to understanding sometimes.” Peach: “I know.”