#honored to be a part of this zine!

[mrs-luigi-vargas]

Here's the fic I wrote for @paper-mario-zine! You can get it here. Check it out for some more awesome art!

~~~ [AO3 Link] ~~~

We Launch in Five

Mario and Kamek have a chat on the deck of Bowser’s airship.

The last remaining of Bowser’s airships capable of flight bustled with activity as minions scurried around getting it ready for liftoff. Kamek stood among them, watching to make sure preparations were going smoothly; as Bowser had been neatly folded into a square shorter than he was with worse mobility, it was up to him to make sure the minions didn't somehow mess something up.

...even if he would rather be sweeping up that conspicuous dirt pile over there.

...ah, but he should focus; he was hardly a groundskeeper anymore. And he’ll hopefully never be again. He’s got enough titles stuffed in his job description as it is.

He glanced starboard and Mario was leaning against the railing, staring off at the other side of the ship. Just standing there, as hard-working members of Bowser’s Army flowed around him like water.

Kamek marched up to him. “What are you just loafing around for?” he said angrily. “Make yourself useful or get out of our way!”

Mario didn't acknowledge his words, lost in his own little world. Kamek’s eye twitched. Back to being ignored, was he?

“Hey!” Kamek jabbed the end of his broom into Mario’s nose. “Are you listening to me?!”

Mario started, looking cross-eyed at the broom in his face. His gaze slid down it to Kamek, who was scowling fiercely at him. Mario’s face turned apologetic in return. His eyes flicked over to what he’d been looking at once more, then he stood up straight and shook his head as if to clear it.

Kamek looked too, to a small crowd of Bob-ombs milling about the door to the cannons. He considered Mario, who was passing him to leave with a face that looked a bit sad, beneath his usual expression.

“Oh,” Kamek said. It sounded amused. “You got attached to one, didn't you?”

Mario stopped in his tracks. He turned around and blinked at Kamek, who smirked at his surprise.

“Yes,” Kamek mused. “It makes sense for a goody-two-shoes like you to do something like that. You know their lives are meant to be short, right? If you start having feelings about that, you'll just find yourself in more trouble than it's worth.”

Eyes flashing with indignation, Mario balled his fists with an impressive scowl of his own. Kamek scoffed at the display, rolling his eyes.

“Seriously,” he continued, “do you even know how many walk out of the factories every day? There are hundreds, sometimes! They’re all disposable! Take it from me, if you grieve after every single one, you'll burn yourself out in no time. Besides” — Kamek crossed his arms — “they hardly do much these days, aside from being sent out to fight you.”

Mario’s glare froze. It melted into something troubled.

“Oh, for the love of —!” Kamek poked Mario’s chest with his broom. “You heroes always make everything about yourselves. It's not like we expressly tell them to blow themselves up for good; it's hardly anyone’s problem if some of them get overzealous trying to defeat you. They're really not allowed to be that stupid unless it's an emergency, which” — Kamek’s face fell — “I suppose this classifies as.”

Mario frowned. He raised his head, looking up at where Olivia was flying up by the mast with Bowser Junior, and Kamek wondered if the emergency the Bob-omb Mario was thinking about had given it their all for had something to do with her.

“Well, all’s unfair in war, it seems.” Kamek sighed. “The Bob-ombs will be in the cannons,” he told Mario. “It’s doubtful we’ll be allowed to storm Peach’s Castle without resistance. So don't waste time in hesitating for them; they'd rather go out with their impact, as you surely already know. And defending us — you — so you can go do your hero thing certainly is an impact worthy of having.

“Falling out of the sky into the ocean would be a most unfortunate fate in comparison,” Kamek added, leveling Mario with a glare. “So you’d better not screw up!”

Kamek didn't take his eyes off Mario until he received a firm nod in answer, after which he stalked away to yell at a stray Shy Guy for making a mess. Mario fell into step behind him, and it admittedly took a while for Kamek to realize he’d done so, caught up as he was in mentally bemoaning the incompetence that surrounded him.

“...What are you doing?”

Mario shrugged, grinning.

Nearby, a Koopa tripped, the crate they were carrying flying up into the air. Kamek drew his wand to catch it with his magic. “Be careful!” Kamek snapped as Mario helped them back onto their feet. They paid him little attention, busy staring starstruck at Mario. Kamek grumbled about being ignored yet again as they scurried away with a blush on their cheeks. Mario jumped up to grab the crate still floating in the air, and waited patiently for Kamek to get the ire out of his system.

Kamek’s complaints petered out as he noticed Mario with the crate under his arm, watching him expectantly. The confused scrunch of his face shifted to mild irritation fairly quickly, though. “I suppose I did want you to be useful,” he muttered. If only everyone was as eager about receiving orders from him. “Put that over there” — he pointed — “and then go get Olivia and talk to King Bowser; we’re practically ready for liftoff.”

Mario nodded enthusiastically and hurried off to do just that. Kamek watched him go with a huff, then went to go chat with the airship pilot.

Minutes after that, the airship took flight, soaring towards the volcano upon which Princess Peach’s Castle sat. As predicted, there were origami aircraft ready to meet them, to knock them out of the sky. And when Mario had to man the main cannon to defend the airship, Kamek was pleased to note that he didn't miss a single shot. A more than adequate performance, if he did say so himself.

[mxmarsbars]

my piece for the @hermitseasonzine 🎉✨

I absolutely LOVED the dare stick arc and had so much fun bringing it to life!! :D

[lattien]

the silly mascot phone comic i got to make for @tgaaizine !! ✨️ thank you so much for having me 💖

[savvage-arts]

*Butterfly by Smile playing in the bg*

My piece for Wannabe Zine!!! Leftover sales are open now✨️🕺

I also did some spot illustrations for the "whose your crusader crush" quiz, check them out below!!

[florbe-triz]

BULLET'S CRESCENDO is an amazing Trigun music zine. And here's my preview!! :D PREORDERS OPEN TILL FEBRUARY 26, you can visit the Shop with THIS LINK

[daeyumi]

My preview for @neardawnzine !! I wonder who Midna is looking at, lurking in the shadows~

Preorders are open until September 12th!! Sooo many absolutely incredible artists are in this zine, I can’t recommend it enough! Definitely check out if you can!

[lastdiinosaur]

ryuseitai x the happy prince // a to z x cinderella

artworks I was able to create for the ES Mythos zine! thank you for having me ; ; <3

[plasma-packin-mama]

Hey!!! Look!! It's my piece from @falloutghoulzine !!!!!

I got to draw Calamity :] I think she's got a soft spot for nightstalkers after doing so much work with them.... And after the long life she's led, she likes to just sit back and enjoy a nice Jacobstown morning with her puppies sometimes!

[extra zines will be on sale from 12-26th of June! Get em while they're hot!]

[mochiwei]

My Ace Attorney movie posters for @turnabout-cinema!

[pineshrikes]

Just a few more days to get your copy of the @broadsandbroadswords zine ⚔️ Order here by July 31st!!

Broads and Broadswords is a charity zine, and all profits will go to the Transgender Law Center!

[kairolan]

the @scenariofanzine is out for preorder at https://scenariofanzine.carrd.co/#shop

[vinelark]

sorry if this sounds stupid but since i remembered starting to read bbts in late 2022 as it was first posted + how active you are in general in the fandom/on tumblr I was kind of convinced you'd written so many other fics in addition to bbts and i was so surprised to find out that no. but this is not meant to bad, your blog just feels like such an integral part of fandom to me!! do you know yet if you'll eventually write more for the batfam? thank you for your hard work~

not at all! i mean i ended up posting long semi-standalone chapters every few months since 2022 so i can see how that could feel like multiple fics. i’ve also shared occasional concepts/postfics on here as well so maybe that was part of it.

i actually have written another (shorter) batfam au already! last year i wrote a oneshot for the tim drake flip zine (which is launching its leftovers sale on friday!) and then in the meanwhile wrote a whole second and third part as well. i had a lot of fun and i’m excited to share that at some point.

[doodlebloo]

THE ZINE IS OUT!!!!! If you like fluffy domestic _Beloveds then GO GO GO!

[hummingbellehans]

The Incautious Driver crash lands on Hybras. Again.

My piece for the Neath to Reach Fallen London zine! It's a love letter to the vast expanses of the Neath! You can get it for free at https://www.tumblr.com/neath-to-reach-zine/719549873122426880/neath-to-reach-zine-2-is-out?source=share

[ghostedglitch]

gonna level with yall i have. been drawing little things every day since i got my ipad. its mostly aitsf stuff. i will probably start posting it in the coming days. heart emoji

[oleandypng]

I'd been off Tumblr for a while, so I didn't see it when it posted, but I had a random scroll and spotted that Jake and Jane you did for that disabilitystuck zine and honestly? I had to stop and stare for a little 'cause whatever it was, I was in love with Jake in there. I just wanted to share the love and thanks for drawing that (plus the Jane love in it too. Can't forget about her~)

UWAHH!!! I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT!!! honestly i did think of you while i was drafting things out heehee :3