#oh but paper mario looks good

[hall0wedwyrm]

TROMBONE CHAMP LMAOOOO THE CO OP MODE???? THATS SO FUNNYYYYY

also fungus amungus.

LUIGIS MANSION???? 2???? OMG??????? i might not have beaten 3 but you bet i'm playing 2.

[give-me-one-good-reason]

Mario wishes that Luigi might take things a bit more seriously when he's worrying whether Luigi is even alive

[shima-draws]

NINTENDO ANNOUNCED A PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND-YEAR DOOR REMAKE

[sortanonymous]

You know, I've had the original Thousand-Year Door on my backlog for a year now, specifically on Nintendont on Wii U. (So let me make it clear, I've never dropped a penny on this game other than I guess for the SD Card to mod the Wii U.) But the remake is making me tempted with how beautiful it looks, the quality-of-life improvements, the handheld mode (even if my Switch's air vents are so bad now that I can't play it on the TV), and of course them no longer censoring Vivian (Massive W there). That said, really feel like sticking with the original just for now. Hopefully I'll procrastinate on it long enough that someone mods the original to at least get Vivian's identity right and so at least that won't be an issue.

Don't know why I'm even posting this when I have to quickly finish a fanfic, I'm already bad at commiting to games these days, and I've never come close to completing an RPG in my life, but hey, this is the Tumblr - the platform of why not!

[astralis-ortus]

agent(s) of chaos

✱ boyfriend!bc x gn!reader

— there's a reason why you love game nights with your boyfriend's second family.

w.count → 1.1k genre → fluff, a dash of comedy warning → mild cussing (i think? it's just hints), the chaos that is ot8 stray kids, one time jump, and reader is referred to as baby! no gender specific attributes mentioned aside from reader's hair being soft, heh a.n → based on this request! not gonna lie, i actually got a slight headache from imagining the chaos throughout the fic lol even in my head they're /that/ loudㅠ heh ⋆ see masterlist

game nights with your boyfriend and his friends might not happen often; but once they all come together and get the event date set?

oh, a (good) chaos will definitely ensue.

“goddamit—chan hyung! get your eyes on the game!”

“yeah! go get it, seungmin!”

“felix you bronze—step on it! catch up!”

a collective of cheers and disappointed groans were imminent as soon as yoshi, seungmin’s character of the night, crosses the finish line; leaving dry bowser and baby mario—which respectively belongs to han and chan, in second and third place. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought the boys were just competing in some major mario kart competition.

“­wah chan hyung—you’re seriously so bad at this!” changbin loudly protests—to which you genuinely thank yourself for pushing through with the rented villa agenda—while throwing his head back against the sofa in desperation. lee know, their other unfortunate teammate on the other hand, is busy pretending to box against your cackling boyfriend, having a string of ‘sorry’s falling from his lips.

“argh!” switching his target in desperation, changbin immediately puts his hands together and faces you with his attempt of salvation. “please switch teams with me! i can’t do this any longer! he’s so bad!” he pleaded, nearly earning himself a thrown nintendo controller on the head from chan if it wasn’t for your swift hands, snatching the heavy plastic from your pouting boyfriend. Well, not that you mind though, considering how adorable your boyfriend looked while he sulks.

“yah yah yah—changbin hyung!” seungmin intercepted—and if you know something about the kim seungmin, then his iconic multiple-hit comment is about to pop off. “no one told you to be so bad with rock paper scissors anyway!” the younger pointed out, a smug grin etched across the span of his face, “that’s why you ended up with chan hyung!”

“hey!” your boyfriend was the first to react, pointing at the smug younger one—and of course, it’s not changbin if he didn’t follow suit.

“yah! you prick!” huffing and puffing, changbin was quick on his feet as soon as seungmin stuck out his tongue, further provoking the curly haired male while he ran away—only to fish more of changbin’s loud shouts after the younger. “yah kim seungmin! come back here!”

series of laughter follows the disappearance of the two; to which everyone know by heart now, is also the best time for the rest of the kids to take their water and bathroom break—and alongside that, also became the best time for chan to finally take a proper look at you.

“you’re still good, baby?” the switch in his demeanor made you giggle as you lean into chan’s warm touch on your cheek. despite having witnessed the shift countless of times, the way chan’s voice became very soft when he spoke with you never fails to make your heart flutter. “it’s almost 1 am, aren’t you sleepy yet?”

“i’m good,” a smile follows your simple answer whilst your arms found their home around your boyfriend’s waist, snuggling closer to his warmth while chan lifts your legs to cross over his lap. “can last at least 2 more games, i think. besides, i drank some of the coffee jeongin brewed earlier, remember?”

chan’s exaggerated sigh along with his usual disapproving head shake ignites another set of laugh within you, fishing another pout to appear on his plump lips. “knew i shouldn’t have trusted jeongin,” he dramatically piched his nose bridge, trying to look as disappointed as he could. “he’s part of the bad peaches club after all.”

“i heard that!”

jeongin’s resounding shout from the kitchen startles both you and chan—causing your laughter and chan’s to grow in volume. “not sorry!” chan’s reply simply earned a grunt from the younger, not wanting to further continue the discourse while he’s busy arguing with hyunjin about who can get their hands on the last can of beer in the fridge.

“but anyway,” chan’s gaze softened as they returned to you, running his fingers mindlessly in your soft hair, “tell me whenever you feel sleepy, okay? we’ll go to bed right away.”

“i know,” an exaggerated sigh left your lips as you immitate your boyfriend’s previous antics, “this isn’t my first rodeo, you know?” you snickered as you playfully stuck out your tongue—which in turn only further cause the adoration in his chest to bubble.

oh, how he wish you’re all alone right now. he’d immediately tackle you into a cuddle and plant several dozens of light kisses across your face and neck—but he must resist. after all, he wouldn’t want the kids to tease you over something like that.

“gosh, you’re so annoying,” he hummed, lips betraying him as it formed into a massive grin across his lightly flushed cheeks, “think you’ve been hanging around the kids too much. i should keep a schedule for your visits from now on.”

“nooo!”

4 round of games and 20 minutes later, another wave of commotion returns as the race for second place—since first place has again been coveted by the representative agent of chaos, the kim seungmin—ensues between lee know and han.

“han jisung! step on it step on it!”

“lee know hyung! shi—why are you getting as bad as chan hyung!”

“yah! baby, tell—“

chan’s words immediately died down in his throat as soon as his gaze landed on your peacefully sleeping face—plea to defend himself from his kids vaporized and replaced with a soft thump in his chest. You looked so peaceful with your head resting against his shoulder—a massive contrast to the chaos surrounding you—and chan could feel his heart swell. you looked so cute; especially with your fingers wrapped tightly around the controller seungmin had just handed you a few moments prior.

had you been fighting off the drowsiness all along?

carefully pulling you into his lap, chan smiled as he gently peeled the controller off of your hand before dropping it directly onto hyunjin’s unsuspecting lap, startling the younger.

“ya—“

“shut it,” chan hissed between gritted teeth, easily pulling hyunjin’s focus from the chaos happening on screen and to you—who immediately nodded his head knowingly when he realized what’s happening.

“yah lee min—ow! what was th—oh.”

chan’s next target was changbin—who immediately received a slap on the back instead of chan’s quiet warning. it’s rather effective, however, considering outside of the two current players, everyone now has their eyes on you.

“keep it quiet—if my baby wakes up because of any of you,” chan eyed every single one of his kids, not even caring how severe the teasing he’ll receive by the daylight will be for whatever he’ll be saying next,

“i’m not gonna let it slide.”

©️ astralisortus, 2024. | likes and reblogs are highly appreciated♡

[wildesqdreams]

teen vogue

pairings - drew starkey x actress!female!reader, the outer banks cast x actress!female!reader (platonic).

summary - outer banks cast plays "truth or dare" on teen vogue.

warnings - mentions of tomdaya, drew eating a spoon of mayonnaise, spoilers for outer banks if you haven't watched the show... and my shitty writing.

navigation | masterlist | request | taglist

a/n: i haven't really seen any new drew fics, so after watching the outer banks interviews, i decided to write something. i litterally cannot wait for obx season 3, like literally. okay, hope you enjoy :)

"we're the cast of 'outer banks' and we're here with teen vogue to play truth or dare."

the actors played rock, paper, scissors with each other to know who would go first. madison won, as she beat y/n since the two girls were left last, resulting in her starting first.

"i think because i'm first, i feel like it's okay to play it safe, so," she put her hand in the bowl in front of her, "we're gonna go with truth."

the girl read the paper, she pulled out, "whose trailer is the messiest?" and like that she momently answered, "i'm gonna say jd."

carlacia beside y/n said, "i knew that was coming,'' while looking at the boy.

jonathan spoke, "what about y/n?!"

"hey," the girl turned to him, " my trailer is clean on the weekends," that made drew let out a chuckle.

"okay, well, first of all... it's not just my stuff in that trailer," the boy stated, making the cast laugh, "when john comes in there, he's got his whole workflow going, you know what i mean?" he drank his coffee.

madison continued, "you're right, i don't have a roommate so my place is pretty tidy, but the pro is, it is the 'mario cart' trailer," she pointed back towards jonathan.

carlacia added, "it's the gaming trailer."

"i set it up for everybody... everybody, everybody comes in and plays in my trailer," and others agreed with what the boy said.

"i'm gonna go with truth," y/n leaned forward and took a piece of paper out of the bowl.

she unfolded it and read, "oh, this is a good one," she let out a laugh.

the girl felt drew lean down. feeling his warm breath on her ear, as he spoke, goosebumps appeared on her arms, "kiss, marry, kill - pope, jj, and rafe," he leaned back, eyes remaining on the girl, "interesting."

"why's there not john b?" chase asked.

"he's sarah's man," jonathan answered, as chase nodded.

madison looked at the girl beside her, "sooo, y/n... what's it gonna be?"

"well, obviously i'm killing rafe."

"hey," austin said, "you could change him."

that made y/n chuckle, "by getting a bullet in my head? no, thanks," the cast laughed, "and, ummm... then i'm probably kissing jj and marrying pope."

drew dramatically put a hand to his heart, "ouch."

the comment made y/n smile and shake her head.

"why not marry jj?" madelyn asked, tilting her head, so she could see the girl.

y/n looked at her hands in her lap, as she fidgeted with her fingers, feeling nervous about talking so much. the girl felt a hand come to her back. it was drew, softly rubbing up and down, "i feel like jj gets in a lot of trouble, so i just couldn't handle the stress because of him, and... i'll leave him for someone else," she lifted her head back up while looking at the camera, "you'll found out in season 3."

madelyn nodded, and austin spoke up, "doesn't drew cause trouble?"

"yeah, a little, but i can handle it."

the girl heard carlacia mutter beside her, so she could only hear, "it's called love."

she felt drew's touch disappear and she looked back, at him, seeing him smiling at the camera, "well... i'm gonna pretend that i didn't hear that," he then looked at the girl, still with the smile on his face.

"throw me the dare bowl," jonathan asked.

y/n grabbed it and turned to give it to him, hearing madison beside her say, "okaayy".

he picked out a piece of paper and read, "talk to the camera and tell your celebrity crush that you like them."

"this is great," carlacia spoke.

"oh, boy... all seven of them?"

the cast laughed and y/n said, "you could try, maybe you'll get a call from one of them later."

"from zendaya," drew added.

"pfftt, yeah, only in my wildest dreams where tom holland doesn't exist," laughter again was heard from the comment, "that was a joke, we love zendaya and tom," jonathan spoke in a serious tone.

"tomdaya forever," chase said, as the cast nodded agreeing.

jonathan looked at the camera, "y/n y/l/n," at his words everyone giggled.

drew looked at the guy next to him, smiling, "ay, man, wait a second."

austin chuckled, "someone's stealing your girl."

"i'm kidding, i'm kidding," jonathan looked back at the camera, "zoë kravits," laughter yet again was heard.

madison, giggled, "why do we have the same?"

"i mean c'mon," he continued.

madelyn looked at him, "i think she'll go for it."

"she's already fallen," y/n said.

austin added, "yeah, you got her."

"well, i don't know."

"channing tatum is out. out of this," madelyn confirmed.

"no, i can't... i'm, i'm not as magic as mike, but," the girls laughed, "i'll still make your dreams come true."

"oooh, that was a good one," y/n nodded while looking at him.

drew leaned forward, while making grabby hands, "give me truth."

y/n gave him the bowl, and he smiled, "thank you."

he picked out a paper and read, "who's most like their character in real life," there was silence before he added, "me?"

the cast laughed, while drew mouthed 'no', as jonathan spoke, ''let him speak his truth.''

drew smiled, "actually... actually, yes."

"y/n?" austin asked, "is he?"

"yeah, am i?" drew looked at the girl, who was sitting on the couch in front of him.

"oh, yeah, definitely... he's kind and lovely, exactly like our sweet rafe," she let out a laugh.

she looked at him, as he continued talking, "umm, i'm gonna go with the old rudy boy,'' his gaze locked with y/n's, ''cause he is a tasmanian devil."

the cast chuckled and drew's lip corners lifted when he saw his girl smile.

''for sure,'' carlacia agreed.

austin looked at the second bowl, "i'm gonna go with dare," and once again y/n passed the bowl to him.

he had picked out a piece of paper with the text 'eat three crackers and then sing your favorite song' written on it. the boy made a face that made the others laugh.

while austin was putting the crackers in his mouth, madelyn said, "we can actually help austin with this,'' and y/n agreed.

"yeah, yeah," jonathan nodded.

the boy with the full mouth counted, "one, two, three," before the cast started singing the song 'charlie, last name wilson' by charlie wilson.

as they finished they all clapped, "yeaahh."

y/n felt something on her shoulder. as she turned she saw drew cleaning the crumbs off of austins leg, which landed on her. he looked at her and mouthed a 'sorry, baby,' as he brushed her shoulder.

she laughed with the others when austin said, while eating the crackers, "i need a water, need a water."

jonathan added, "he's dying.''

after he got the water bottle and took a sip, he looked at the camera, giving thumbs up, "okay, we're good."

carlacia had already picked truth, "oh, god," chase and y/n leaned to her sides to see the text, as she read, "read the last text message you sent," she looked at the camera, "no chance, we're not," she didn't even finish before they all started laughing.

jonathan clapped, "oh, shoot, they couldn't..."

"NO,'' carlacia leaned on y/n shoulder.

a few seconds later, the girl grabbed her phone. as drew said, "let's go, yeahh."

"oh, i know what it's gonna be," the girl beside her said.

"i texted tanner and i said 'can you get me and y/n super bowl tickets'?" and the room was filled with laughter again.

"running sharks.''

"make it happen."

carlacia smiled, "rihanna's in the super bowl this year, and... we're on the hunt for tickets."

"we love rihanna," y/n added.

"yeah, we do."

drew couldn't even rest from the pickle shot with jonathan because the next dare was for him to eat a spoon of mayonnaise.

austin was really nice and picked a lot of mayo from the jar for drew.

he grabbed the spoon in one hand and the jar in the other, as he looked at the camera, while austin said, "c'mon now... you got this from north carolina."

and with that drew ate the mayonnaise.

everyone was shocked and disgusted and gagging at the sight, while the boy enjoyed the mayo.

"it's like ew."

he even swallowed it, which made y/n stare in shock.

austin gagged, "i don't like mayo."

"i don't like it either," jonathan stated.

chase laughed, "y/n won't be coming home with you."

"yeah," y/n shook her head, "definitely not," she turned back to face the front.

"we'll see about that," drew smiled down at the girl.

when he was done he breathed heavily, while austin patted his back, "what a champ."

y/n looked at him and scrunched her face, "god, you smell like mayo."

"lovely, no?"

"absolutely no," she looked at jonathan, "i'm gonna be living with you from now on."

and before anyone could say anything he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "no you won't."

the girls beside y/n gagged at the smell, "ew, what the fuck, drew!!!" but the boy just smiled, while drinking his water, feeling proud.

"thank you teen vogue for having us, see you next time!" the outer banks cast ended the video after the last dare, which was for jonathan.

and like every other interview, it ended on a happy note ended, because laughter was heard, when madison howled like a wolf.

taglist: @willowpains @rana030

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

The Butternut Squash (The Surprise, Part 19)

Emily Prentiss x fem!reader Warnings: pregnancy times, mentions of female anatomy/breastfeeding, explicit language (let me know if I missed anything!) Word count: 2.2k

Summary: You and Emily don't really need a baby shower, but you do need help getting the nursery ready, so the whole BAU comes over one Saturday to help out.

Week 29: The Butternut Squash

You had insisted on no gifts. You and Emily had plenty of money. You didn’t need a registry, and you didn’t need a baby shower. What you did need was help getting the nursery decorated and set up. So Emily–fresh off a 4-day case–had invited the entire BAU over to help prep the nursery on a rare, free Saturday.

“Emily,” you complained that Friday morning when she came home. “I won’t even have time to make food!”

“You don’t need time to make food,” she chastised, wrapping her arms around you from behind and resting her chin on your shoulder. “Because we’re just gonna have it delivered.”

You scoffed. “I always cook, Em. It’s my whole thing!”

She turned you around and grasped your face in her hands, kissing the tip of your nose, then moving to your lips. You huffed impatiently, even as your stomach erupted in butterflies (and maybe a few kicks from the baby) when Emily kissed you. “Okay, well, right now your whole thing is being seven months pregnant, so…”

“I could at least make cookies…” you grumbled. “If you get me chocolate chips from the store?”

Emily raised her eyebrows at you, but smiled lightly. “Will it make you happy?”

“Mmhm,” you confirmed, turning on the charm and your very best puppy dog eyes.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, kissing you one more time for good measure and grabbing her keys from the counter. “I can’t say no to you when you look at me like that.”

“Thank you, my love!” you called after her, a little too giddy with your grocery store victory.

“Yeah, yeah…” she muttered, shutting the door, but you knew she was smiling behind it.

But, now, here you were. Saturday, mid-morning. A plate of fresh-baked, homemade brown butter chocolate chip cookies on a plate on the coffee table… along with gifts from every single member of the BAU. Despite insisting they not bring any.

Hotch sat in the living room with you, playing Mario Kart on the Switch with Dave and Jack. Penelope gossiped with you on the couch. Meanwhile, Emily was running operations in the nursery, and every so often you could hear her ordering Derek and Spencer around. It made you giggle. JJ squeezed your shoulder, hovering back and forth between rooms.

“You need anything, Y/N?” she asked.

“I’m okay,” you assured her. “Thanks, JJ. Just… make sure Emily doesn’t get too bossy.”

JJ laughed. “Oh, I’m not sure anyone can do that.”

“Can we do gifts now? I think we should do gifts! Open mine, Y/N!” Penelope insisted, patting the spot next to her on the couch for JJ and handing you a glittery gift bag. You should’ve known they wouldn’t listen when you’d said not to bring gifts. You would’ve done the same thing. They were your family, after all.

You pulled out the tissue paper to reveal several tiny baby onesies in bright colors with adorable designs and sayings. Happy Camper. Silly Little Bear. Even one with tiny dinosaurs all over that said Babysaurus. Your heart felt like it might burst thinking about how cute your little one was going to look in these.

“Penelope, these are so cute!” You wrapped her in a hug. “I’m gonna send you so many pictures of her in these!”

“I know you guys are waiting to find out the gender, so I tried to pick ones that were gender neutral. Although, I mean I guess technically every outfit is gender neutral or… should be, or–”

You stopped her before she spiraled. “They’re perfect."

Before you knew it, Jack was pressed up against you, shoving another gift bag into your hands.

“Open ours, Aunt Y/N!”

You wrapped an arm around him and gave him a squeeze. “Thanks, buddy. I can’t wait to see what it is!”

You pulled out the most adorable stuffed gray wolf, soft as velvet, complete with two little pointy felt teeth sticking out.

“Oh, Jack, it’s perfect!”

“His name is Wolfie,” Jack told you, snatching the toy back.

“Jack,” Hotch scolded. “Remember, that’s for Aunt Emily and Aunt Y/N’s baby. It’s not yours.”

Hotch looked at you apologetically, and you shook your head to let him know it wasn’t a big deal.

“I made you this picture, too,” Jack said, handing you a crumpled piece of paper. You smoothed it out to find stick figures of you and Emily. He’d drawn your belly as a big circle, with a tiny swaddled baby inside of it. You grinned.

“Now, this is art, Jack. This is going right on the fridge.”

“This is you,” he said, pointing. “And this is Aunt Emily. And this is the baby inside your tummy.”

Speaking of the baby, she was incredibly active right now. Almost as if she, too, was happy to be with her BAU family.

“You want to feel her kick?” you asked Jack, and he nodded. You grasped his hand in yours and pressed it over your baby bump, estimating at the last place she’d kicked. Jack screeched when he felt her kick his hand, jumping on his tiptoes.

“Oh my gosh!” he squealed. “Oh my gosh! Daddy, there’s an alive baby in there!”

Hotch smiled at you. He was such a good dad. A good team leader. A good friend to you and Emily.

“After she’s born, Jack, you’ll have to come over and hold her,” you told him, but he was already gone, distracted the Switch.

“Aw, crap,” Dave exclaimed as Hotch hit him with a red shell. Hotch chuckled. “Y/N, go ahead and open up mine,” Dave said. “I’ve already lost this race. It’s the one with the silver paper.”

Penelope grabbed the gift for you, since your arms wouldn’t quite reach all the way to the coffee table. You ripped off the paper to reveal a box set that read, “Ciao Pasta Bistro.” It included a tiny little metal stock pot and colander, little ladles, and soft felt pasta shapes–bowties and raviolis and elbow noodles and shells.

“Oh my god,” you breathed, looking it over. Penelope and JJ leaned next to you to get a closer look. “This is freaking adorable.”

“The little meatball’s gonna know her pasta shapes if Uncle Dave has anything to say about it!” Dave called, cheering as he zoomed past Hotch with Star Power.

“Thank you so much, Dave,” you said, and you really meant it. They were such thoughtful gifts, so particular to each of them. You couldn't wait to show the baby, to let her get to know her BAU family, too.

JJ waited until everyone was distracted and Penelope had been dragged into Mario Kart (“Okay, but I’ll win! They don’t call me a tech goddess for nothing!”) to give you her gift. She sat next to you and pulled a bag from underneath the coffee table.

“These are more for you than for the baby,” JJ explained. “But if your pregnancy is anything like mine, you’ll get plenty of baby gifts, but not a whole lot of mom gifts.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you, JJ.” You squeezed her hand.

She pulled things out one by one, displaying them discreetly and explaining their purpose. “Listen, your nipples will hurt so bad. So bad. Just telling it like it is. So…” She held up a plastic tube. “Nipple cream. This one was my favorite. Also, silver nursing cups. I can’t explain why the silver makes them less sore, but it does.”

You nodded, feeling both overwhelmed and extremely grateful. “It’s basic, but there’s also a food delivery gift card in here. I know you love to cook, but I promise you’re not gonna feel like it for a while after giving birth.”

“JJ, I don’t know what to say. This is so nice.”

She held up a finger to stop you. “Last gift.” She pointed to herself. “Me and Will. We’re happy to babysit. Often, if you like.” When she saw you start to protest, she said, “Look, Henry’s getting older, and I really miss baby snuggles. So it’s really no trouble at all.”

You felt like you might cry. It wasn’t that nobody paid attention to you or took care of you during your pregnancy. Emily took excellent care of you. It was just that JJ was right. Most people looked at the end of your pregnancy and the birth of the baby as the end of the hard part for the birthing parent. But you knew that wasn’t going to be the case. And JJ knew, too. You were so grateful for her friendship, for her support.

“Thank you so much, JJ,” you said quietly, pulling her in for a hug.

“Oh, are you opening gifts?” Spencer asked, entering the room and hovering quietly behind you.

“Yep!” you said, watching him retrieve a tidy package wrapped in newspapers and hand it to you. You looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Are you guys done with the nursery already!?”

Spencer chuckled. “Oh, no. Not even close. I just snuck out while Emily was yelling at Morgan.”

You shrugged and started tearing the paper. “That tracks.”

Inside Spencer’s package was a set of colorful board books with titles like Quantum Physics for Babies, General Relativity for Babies, and Rocket Science for Babies.

“Spencer, these are awesome!” you exclaimed, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Baby Prentiss is gonna be a genius.”

“You know, that’s probably true,” Spencer observed, taking Penelope's place in front of the TV next to Jack. “Scientifically speaking, children inherit their intelligence from their mother, not their father. So no matter how intelligent or unintelligent the donor was, the baby will inherit your intellect. And you’re really smart, so it’s likely the baby will be, too.”

“Trust Reid to come with a prepped science lesson,” Emily said, poking her head around the corner.

You threw a balled-up piece of wrapping paper in Emily’s general direction. “Zip it, Em! I like hearing about what Spencer knows.”

“Nerd,” she muttered under her breath, coming up behind you to place her hands on your shoulders and kiss the top of your head. “You alright? You need anything?”

You squeezed her hand. “I need you... to stop being so mean to Derek.”

“Thank you!” Derek exclaimed, emerging from the hallway to shove Emily out of the way and plant a kiss on your cheek. “It’s nice to know someone around here cares about Uncle Derek.”

Emily shoved him back. “Yeah, well, I don’t want to have to tell the little butternut squash that you wussed out of painting his nursery one wall in.”

Derek grabbed one of the cookies from the coffee table and took a bite, momentarily closing his eyes in enjoyment. You smiled. This is why you loved cooking and baking.

“Listen, Prentiss,” he teased. “I’m taking a well-deserved break. You’re lucky I love your girl or I wouldn’t put up with this shit.”

“Ooh!” Jack squealed. “He said a bad word!”

Derek looked at Hotch apologetically, then reached down to grab the last unopened gift bag. 

“Here, mama,” he said, handing it to you. “Saved the best for last.”

You grinned at him, handing Emily the loose tissue paper as you opened the gift. Inside was a collection of soft toys that included a football, a whistle, and a little number one finger.

“Oh, man, are we gonna have a little football fan, Uncle Derek?” you asked, grinning cheekily.

“Not just any football fan,” he insisted. “There’s one more thing in there.”

You pulled out a tiny Chicago Bears onesie, complete with a number 34 on the back for Walter Payton.

“A Bears fan, huh?” you said, smiling from ear to ear.

“I figured since the little guy or gal’s gonna be born right as football season’s kicking off, he’ll spend a lot of time on the couch watching the games with Uncle Derek. And we gotta be decked out in our matching gear.”

“If you let us sleep, Morgan,” Emily said, squeezing his shoulder playfully. “You can indoctrinate my son into being a sports fan all you want.”

“Or daughter!” you protested, and the whole team laughed. By now, your faux-feud over the baby’s gender was well-known. They were even placing bets. It was about a 50/50 split.

“Alright, guys,” Emily said, clapping her hands together and rallying the troops. “One wall down, two walls to go. And one wall of wallpaper, but I don’t think that’ll take as long.”

JJ, Penelope, Hotch, and Dave stood to follow Emily to the nursery while Derek took a seat next to you. Spencer sat cross-legged on the floor with Jack, fully immersed in Mario Kart.

“Be there in a second, Emily,” he called. “We’re about to start Rainbow Road.”

You grinned, so glad to be surrounded by Emily’s family–her real family. Happy that you had people who were excited for you, people who took care of you, people who gave up their Saturday to help you get ready to welcome a new family member.

“Hey, Jack, add me and Derek in for the next round,” you said, lowering yourself gently onto the floor, Derek’s hand instinctively grasping yours to support you. “I play a mean Moo Moo Meadows.”

[weirdmarioenemies]

I am going to rank all of the Super Mario Galaxies and none of you can stop me

That's right! I'm ranking all of them! All ninety-one of these things! Hi, I'm Mod Hooligon, and you may recognize me as "the mod that posted about Super Paper Mario a lot", but did you know? The Super Mario Galaxy games are maybe my actual favorite Mario games! In fact, I've never even beaten Super Paper Mario! I'm a fraud! But I'm a cute fraud, right?

But I'm not a fraud when it comes to Super Mario Galaxy, because I've 100%'d both games, and have replayed them multiple times over! And when you play some games that much, you start to have opinions. And then you want to subject everyone else to your opinions! So that's what I'm gonna do.

This is gonna be a little Weirdmarioenemies mini-series I run outside of our usual posting schedule, so expect a new part of this list every Sunday, until there's no Galaxies left to cover. Today we'll be tackling all the low-tier Galaxies, because there's not enough of them to warrant making three separate posts for F-tier, D-tier, and C-tier.

Got that? Good. Rankings start under the cut!

91. Sling Pod Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: F

Well, something had to be the worst. If you are an ardent Sling Pod Galaxy fan, I am so, so sorry. Let it be known that you are entitled to your own opinion, and that I understand.

But I'm also entitled to my own opinion and my opinion is that Sling Pod Galaxy is Not Very Good! Really, not a lot of the Hungry Luma galaxies from the first game are, we're gonna be covering most of them in this post...

The Sling Pods aren't an awful gimmick in and of themselves, it can be fun to slingshot Mario around, and they're used to great effect in the Tarantox boss fight! But I feel like they can be a bit imprecise, and nowhere does that show more than in Sling Pod Galaxy, where you're required to fling Mario from Sling Pod to Sling Pod with precise timing, and not a lot of wiggle room.

If your aim or timing is just slightly off (and let's face it, it uses motion controls, so it's probably going to be) then you're gonna sling Mario right into the void. There's a cool concept here, but at the end of the day, I'll always find Sling Pod Galaxy more frustrating than fun.

And besides that, it's just not very thematically interesting! It's kinda just cobbled together out of miscellaneous assets, but doesn't manage to make it feel like a Theme the way Space Junk Galaxy does.

90. Snow Cap Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: F

Oh look, another Hungry Luma Galaxy! That didn't take long at all.

I feel like most people wouldn't consider the bunny chases the highlights of the Super Mario Galaxy games, and Snow Cap Galaxy is a galaxy that makes you chase three bunnies, all of which start the mission hidden, under a pretty strict time limit. There's a small chamber you can open that you can chase the bunnies into, but in order to open it, you need to activate a number of Flipswitches, most of which are hidden in the snow, which you need to use your cursor to clear out...

I feel like this mission asks too much of you in too little time, and ends up being another one that ends up more frustrating than fun, especially with how inconsistent chasing down the bunnies can actually be! That being said, I'll give it the edge over Sling Pod, since I think it's at least a little more aesthetically interesting. Bunnies hiding in the snow! It's cute.

89. Stone Cyclone Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: F

If the Hungry Lumas have the worst galaxies in the first game, then World S has some of the worst in the second. I wouldn't say the track record is nearly as bad, I think Super Mario Galaxy 2's quality is much more consistent all around, but that didn't manage to save Stone Cyclone from escaping the bottom tier...

I like a good challenge, but I like a good challenge, and I don't know if I'd consider Stone Cyclone Galaxy good. It's a repeat of the Stone Cyclone planet from the first game (which I do like!), but with all the Tox Boxes, Thwomps, and moving platforms moving 4 times faster. You're given switches that can temporarily slow everything down, and make everything much more manageable, but since it's all temporary, you better be able to manage the faster version once the timer's up!

I don't know, there's a cool concept here, but I feel everything moves so fast when time isn't slowed down, that making jumps between the moving platforms in particular can be really difficult. And when the Tox Boxes are moving faster than you do, sometimes it feels like there's not much room to move without getting squished soon after!

88. Flipswitch Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: D

Yep! Stone Cyclone was the last of the bottom-tiers. Again, there's not really a lot of galaxies in these games I don't like. Now we're at the "I don't necessarily hate them, but also find them kind of pointless" tier!

And no Galaxy feels more pointless to me than Flipswitch Galaxy, which is honestly kind of a joke. Flipswitch Galaxy is One planet. That's right, you get one! This is an entire Galaxy that could easily be a mission in another Galaxy, and even that's being generous. This is a stopgap between two planets in a cooler, more elaborate Galaxy.

Flipswitch Galaxy isn't really frustrating at all, it's probably one of the easiest missions in the entire game, but it's so short and so pointless, that I just wish they did a little more with it, you know? Add a couple more planets, let things escalate a little more, I know you want to keep it easy because of how early in the game it is, but if Flip-Swap Galaxy is any indication, you can do a breezy early-game gimmick galaxy much better than this!

87. Bigmouth Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: D

Okay, quick question, how many of you have beaten Bigmouth Galaxy the intended way? I genuinely didn't know until a pretty recent playthrough that there even were Star Chips in this Galaxy. I always just used gravity shenanigans to jump from the top of pool to the other! I thought that's what you were supposed to do, and that the jump was just a little annoying to get right! I'm not sure if I've even ever done this mission the intended way. The jump is just way quicker.

Bigmouth Galaxy is pretty whatever. It sure does exist! I think it's funny that this is a Hungry Luma Galaxy, but Penguru says he likes to come here frequently just to think. He's been a frequent here ever since the galaxy was born five minutes ago!

What do you want me to say about Bigmouth Galaxy. It's a shorter, easier, more mediocre version of Slimy Spring Galaxy, I guess.

86. Drip Drop Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: D

I'm just not giving these Hungry Luma galaxies a break, am I? Don't worry Hungry Lumas, you'll do better in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Anyway, Drip Drop Galaxy is a single planet where you kill a few Gringills with shells, and that's really it. The underwater controls in this game can feel a little janky, so aiming the shells can be a little frustrating, but it's not especially hard, especially if you can find the Red Shells, which retain their homing ability from Mario Kart.

Pretty unremarkable, not especially fun, but I don't dread it the way I do some others, so that's a plus. Apparently this is where Penguru lives.

85. Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: D

Wrapping up the D-tiers, we have Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor, the most forgettable of the Bowser and Bowser Jr. stages. King Kaliente is a cool boss and all, and I think the sinking lava platforms are a cool shakeup to his fight, but for the final boss of the fifth dome, you kinda think they'd do a bit more, right?

There's not really a lot of buildup to the boss, and the boss itself isn't all that difficult, which makes this mission feel pretty underwhelming. I'm curious if I'd put this higher if it weren't one of the Bowser Jr. stages. My stance is "probably, but not by too much". There's not a lot going on in this galaxy.

84. Boo's Boneyard Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

I don't know what it says that this is one of the better Hungry Luma galaxies from the first game.

Let's talk positives first! I think it's cool that they give you a rematch against the Spooky Speedster, and I like that it shakes things up so much. The idea of you getting the Boo Mushroom to become more "equal" with the Spooky Speedster is cool, and I like that they further differentiate things by making it a 2D level. That's all pretty cool!

It's just that... I think this mission is really easy. The Spooky Speedster isn't really all that speedy here, and unlike the shortcut during the first race which you kinda have to go out of your way for, this time it's in plain sight, and not hard to reach at all. Besides that, I just don't think the Boo Mushroom is an especially fun powerup to use in a Race. It's a good powerup, make no mistake, but in the context of a race, it feels pretty sluggish...

83. Loopdeeloop Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

Super Mario Galaxy has a handful of motion-control based minigames, and of the bunch, I think the ray surfing is my least favorite. I don't hate it, I kinda like how wild riding the waves can feel, but at the same time, that wildness combined with the motion controls can make it feel at times like you don't have a lot of control over where you're going, you know?

Loopdeeloop Galaxy is the galaxy that introduces this minigame, and it's fine. I generally prefer its more challenging variant (which we'll see later, but not too much later), but this works well enough as an introduction. It's just kind of a basic version of a minigame I'm not that big a fan of, there's not a lot to say about Loopdeeloop Galaxy.

82. Honeyclimb Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

As far as single-mission gimmick galaxies go, this one is alright. I like the use of Mandibugs and Meteors to spice things up. Unlike something like the Flipswitch Galaxy, this has a pretty solid sense of escalation, which I like!

That being said, it's still pretty basic, climbing honey walls isn't exactly the most exciting gimmick in the world, so I'm not gonna be that huge on a galaxy built completely around it. I guess the focus on the honey climbing lets it feel a bit more distinct from the other Bee Mushroom galaxies, but it's also easily the weakest of the Bee Mushroom galaxies, so I'm not sure if that's a good thing...

I feel like I don't have much to say about any of these mid-tier Galaxies. Sorry.

81. Grand Finale Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

Of all the galaxy rankings, I feel like this is one of the ones I feel the least certain about. Part of me feels it should be lower, part of me thinks putting it lower would be unfair, so instead it ends up here!

From a gameplay perspective, Grand Finale Galaxy is not really that interesting at all. There's no challenge, you just grab the Purple Coins, which are all just out there in the open, and that's really it! That's the star! I don't even know if you can die in this galaxy at all.

But like, that feels like the wrong way to assess this galaxy, because it's not meant to be a challenge in the slightest, it's meant to be this nice little reward you get for getting 100% in this game. You beat the game twice over already, so get to enjoy the Star Festival without Bowser rudely interrupting! Get to spend a little more time with all the characters you've met on your journey before being done with the game for good, it's here as a nice little bonus.

That being said, as a Grand Finale, I feel it sort of lacks... grandeur? I dunno. It's cute as a nice little goodbye, but part of me feels they could've done a little more with it.

Don't ask me what! I'm not a game designer, I'm just some autistic girl on the internet talking about a 16 year old video game! Leave me alone!

80. Mario Squared Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: C

I'll give Mario Squared Galaxy this: it has one of the best names of any galaxy across these games, and that gotta count for something.

Mario Squared is pretty much just a reused planet from Toy Time Galaxy in the first game, just with the rotating squares swapped out for Flipswitches. And I mean hey, if you're gonna reuse content from any galaxy, Toy Time is a pretty good pick. but also the very nature of being reused content means I'm bumping it down a bit, because eh! We've already seen this before! I don't need a galaxy to be a small part of a better galaxy!

I'm pretty sure this galaxy solely exists so they could bring back the infamous Luigi's Purple Coins mission in Super Mario Galaxy 2, which I guess is fair. That mission is difficult, but it is fun, and I like the twists they add in this game (like the Cosmic Clones, and the fact you have to grab all of them this time)! Fun way to create a new take on one of the first game's most challenging missions.

...But can I really rate a galaxy that highly for redoing something another Galaxy already did? I don't know if I can give Mario Squared Galaxy a super high grade for copying Toy Time Galaxy's homework and changing it a little.

I think it's funny that the objective of this mission is to turn all the blue Flipswitches yellow, so it looks like Mario's SMB1 sprite, but once all the Flipswitches are activated, they all turn green, making the whole thing feel kinda pointless. This is fine because green is a better color than yellow anyway.

79. Hurry-Scurry Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

Another one of those short gimmick galaxies with only one mission. I think building a galaxy around these disappearing panels is a pretty fun idea. Once you stand on one of them, it's gone forever, so you have to plan your route carefully, but don't spend too much time planning, because all the ground is disappearing panels. It creates a fun dynamic, that's true to the galaxy's name! There's a solid chance your route will be a little off, so you might have to make some big leaps to grab notes you may have missed. It's cool, I like it!

But not like, that much. It's still a pretty small galaxy all things considered. This one gets a little buildup before the end, which is nice, but it's not much buildup, so the whole experience ends up feeling a little short.

Not helping is the fact they repeat this mission later in the game, but more challenging, and in a galaxy that has other things going on. That does subtract from Hurry-Scurry Galaxy a bit, I feel.

78. Sand Spiral Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

I know I've mentioned multiple times in this post how mediocre the Hungry Luma galaxies in the first game are, but for emphasis: this is the second best one, and it's in C-Tier. Don't feel too bad, Sand Spiral Galaxy. You'll still outshine most of your siblings at the family reunion. At least if you're ignoring those pesky Super Mario Galaxy 2 Hungry Luma galaxies.

This Galaxy gives you a choice between the Bee Mushroom and the Boo Mushroom, and I pretty much always pick the Boo Mushroom I'm pretty sure. There's obstacles for both on the way, so it's not like one's strictly "better" than the other, but I always appreciate the extra control the Boo Mushroom gives me here. After a short tunnel, you lose your powerup, are sent to a spiral planet spinning around a moon, where you grab a Rainbow Star and run through some mines to grab the Star at the end.

It's a pretty short mission that doesn't really feel like it knows what it wants to do, but at the very least, I appreciate that it gives you multiple options, the visual at the end is pretty striking, and making big jumps during the spiral as a Speedrun Strat can be pretty satisfying.

77. Boss Blitz Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: C

If you couldn't tell already, a lot of World S in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is reused content, and that's a lot of why these galaxies are scoring so low. Boss Blitz Galaxy is a string of five boss fights from the first game in a row, which I guess makes it a bit interesting in the context of the sequel, given none of these bosses show up in the main quest, so if this is your only Super Mario Galaxy game, you kinda gotta figure them all out on the fly.

Thankfully, most of these boss fights are still pretty fun, though again, they're all reused so you're not really getting much new here. The timer challenge is sort of teetering on the edge between being "challenging in a frustrating way" and "challenging in a fun way" for me. Speedrunning all the boss fights can be really fun, but none of them really have shortcuts the way the bosses in say, Super Mario Odyssey do, and some of the RNG in the Bouldergeist fight can make the challenge feel a bit inconsistent (even if that IS the best of the bosses), so sometimes your pace feels a bit out of your control.

It also feels weird to have both Dino Piranha and Fiery Dino Piranha, it's kinda redundant, though I do like having them as the bookends, I guess.

76. Twisty Trials Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: C

Woah, reusing content from Super Mario Sunshine now? Slow down, World S!

For what it's worth, reusing Sunshine content is a bit more interesting than reusing Galaxy content, because it's a different game with different controls and different physics and whatnot. Still, it's not like Twisty Trials Galaxy is that interesting. It's a series of progressively more difficult rotating platforms that you have to keep your balance on, and that's really it, though I do like the comet challenge where they move twice as fast, and you have to use the Cloud Flower to keep on pace. That's pretty neat.

I wish they kept the music from Sunshine. I like the weird a capella version of the Super Mario Bros. Overworld theme way more than Super Mario 2007.

75. Loopdeeswoop Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

"The Galaxy's Greatest Wave". I mean, there's only two ray surfing galaxies across both games, this one and Loopdeeloop, so is there really that much competition?

That being said, yeah, I like this more challenging version. I know that the ray surfing minigame still isn't really my favorite (it's in C-tier for a reason!) but having a more difficult course I think brings out some of the best aspects, like how wild it feels to control! And also some of the worst aspects, like how wild it feels to control! It's still as much of a double-edged sword as ever, just a bit more extreme due to the more extreme course.

That being said, since it's more challenging, that makes finishing it feel a lot more satisfying, and I'd never say it really feels unfair. Sure, falling off can be frustrating given how difficult it can be to control, but when it's all done, I end up feeling more "yeah, I did it :D" than "oh thank god that's over with", which I think is the important distinction between an F-tier and a C-tier.

Don't take that as meaning I'm in love with this galaxy, though. It's still here for a reason.

74. Bonefin Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

The cooler Drip Drop Galaxy.

That's really pretty much all this one is, it's Drip Drop Galaxy again but this time it's a boss fight, and it's a bit more exciting because of it. Heck, you need to beat Drip Drop Galaxy to unlock this one, so the resemblance isn't unintentional!

Since it's pretty much Drip Drop Galaxy again, it suffers a lot of the same issues that Galaxy has, but I'm not gonna pretend it doesn't get boosted a lot from the Style Points, though I also think having a single large target to hit ends up feeling a lot better than several smaller targets. Aiming your shells feels a lot easier, but since it's a boss fight, there's also a better sense of escalation here.

Still, it's pretty much just the boss fight, and I mean, being a slightly better version of a D-tier Galaxy isn't exactly something I'll sing my highest praises about. If nothing else, at least it has a killer atmosphere.

73. Sea Slide Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: C

Wrapping up the C-tier is Sea Slide Galaxy, the worst of the "big" Galaxies from the first game. To quote myself from earlier in the same post, "Well, something had to be the worst." But also not quite like that since it's nowhere near as bad.

The biggest issue with Sea Slide Galaxy is there's really not an awful lot of diversity in its missions. Of the six missions here, three of them are basically "swim in a loop around the galaxy," just with slightly different distances. The Silver Star mission, thankfully, fares a lot better, as does the Improved Version of Hurry-Scurry Galaxy (here it is!) but the last of the missions is one of the boring Purple Coin missions. Mod Hooligon's Tip: If you start a Purple Coin mission and it doesn't have this banger, I'm Sorry.

The galaxy definitely has a unique layout, but there's not really much to do in the water besides swim in a circle, since every mission that doesn't involve swimming in a circle usually has you ignoring the water outright. Would this galaxy be better if it had more swimming? I dunno. As stated, the underwater controls in this game can be a bit finnicky, so maybe I should be glad it's either swim in a circle or don't swim at all.

And that's it for today's post! Do you agree with my opinions? Do you disagree? If you're a Sling Pod Galaxy fan, make some noise!

And if you're looking for the B-Tier galaxies, you're in luck, because you can find those here!

[coffeeghoulie]

Mushy May Day 16: Cooking A Special Recipe

Cumulus, Mountain, and Dew introduce Aeon to the joys of kahlua chocolate chip cookies.

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and thank you to @ghuleh-recs for making the divider! <3

"Hey, junie, look what we got while we were out shopping!"

Mountain and Aeon both look up from the round of Mario Kart they're playing, Aeon cursing under their breath as their Toad crashes into a wall, the 'wrong way' sign flashing over his head.

Dew's stuck his head into the living room from the kitchen, holding up a brown glass bottle with a red and yellow label, shaking it. The full bottle sloshes, and Mountain perks up. "Oh shit, you got kahlua. I know what that means."

"Fuck yeah, you do," Dew crows, eyes wide.

Aeon's brow furrows. "It's ten in the morning on a Thursday, are we starting to drink this early?"

Mountain reaches over, rubbing Aeon's shoulder. "No, petunia, it's not for drinking, at least, not right now. We're making cookies."

"Oh, fuck yeah, cookies," Aeon pauses their game, spamming the button with such urgency that Mountain cackles, standing from the couch. "Is Cue helping?"

"It's her recipe," Dew says, leading the two other ghouls to the kitchen. There are grocery bags on the kitchen counter, things the Abbey can't grow or make themselves. Semi sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch pudding mix, the thick glass bottle of rum and coffee liqueur that Dew sets down with a clink.

Cumulus looks up from where she's sorting things in the fridge, hair tied back. "Boys," she greets the three of them. "You helping make cookies?"

"Unless that means you have too many cooks in the kitchen,'' Mountain says, reaching to grab the big bag of all-purpose flour from the top shelf of the cupboard. "Though I don't think Aeon's ever had your cookies before."

"You're in for a treat then, bunny. If it's too many people," she says, "I'll just kick Dew out."

"Hey!" he protests, but there's laughter in his voice; he knows she's teasing.

Aeon glances over at her as she pulls out the carton of eggs. "Can you get the cup and spoon measures out of the drawer by the sink?" Cumulus asks, moving to preset the oven. Aeon nods, scrambling to comply and moving out of Dew's way as he grabs bowls and a rubber spatula.

Mountain fetches baking powder ("Not soda, right, hummingbird?" "Yep, soda makes them flatter than I want them." "Like Dewey's ass?" "I can hear you!") and salt. He takes the measures from Aeon and shows them how to level the measuring cups of flour, dumping them into a bowl with the pudding mix. Aeon adds the spoons of baking powder and salt.

Dew takes care of the wet ingredients, both types of sugar and softened butter and vanilla and a healthy pour of kahlua. Cumulus takes the bottle when he's done, slyly pouring half a shot for all four of them.

"Add a little bit at a time," Mountain directs Aeon, taking the wet bowl from Dew. "I'll stir."

Aeon nods, biting their tongue in concentration, trying not to spill the dry ingredients. Bit by bit, the dough starts to form, and Cumulus adds the chocolate chips, all four of them trying to be slick and snatch a few while the other three aren't looking. Inevitably they catch each other stealing chunks of dough, cackling at the absurdity of trying to be sneaky.

Once the dough's ready, Cumulus goes to one of the cabinet drawers, pulling out an ice cream scoop . "Mount, there's a baking sheet with parchment paper on the counter, could you grab that for me?"

"'Course," he hums, already turning to grab it for her. Cumulus scoops the dough onto the baking sheet, evenly arranging them in rows. Once the sheet's full, she slides it into the oven.

"Alright, ten minutes on the clock," she hums, turning to gather the shotglasses and passing them out. "Cheers."

They down their shots before rinsing out the glasses and cleaning up the dirty dishes. Mountain keeps an eye on the stove clock as the kitchen fills with the scent of baked goods. "How long do you think it'll take for Swiss to come throw himself on top of these?" Mountain asks.

"I don't think hiding them on top of the fridge will work this time," Cumulus hums. "I mean. It'll keep Aurora and Dew from getting them at least."

"Wait." Dew's brow furrows, a look of distress falling over his features. "Is that where they went last time? I thought they were all gone."

"Oh, Dewey," Cumulus coos, laughing. "Oh, Dew, I'm so sorry."

"Cue!" He shouts, playing up his upset.

Mountain ruffles his hair, and the fire ghoul sputters, frantically trying to fix his hair. "Don't worry, firefly, we get first dibs."

Dew smiles smugly, settling back against the counter until the stove clock says it's been ten minutes. He gets up, turning to Aeon, leveling them with a serious look. "Please don't ever do what I'm about to do, I'm a fire ghoul, I don't need a hotpad. You will burn yourself if you try."

He opens the oven, pulling the tray out with his bare hands and taking the spatula from Cumulus, moving the finished cookies from the tray to a plate. They're round little things, golden brown and the chocolate chips gooey.

Cumulus waves her hand casually, using her wind to cool the cookies til they're just on the right side of warm. "Aeon, you get first pick. Enjoy."

She grins as Aeon picks one, tentatively taking a bite. The others all watch, grinning as their eyes go wide, a nearly pornographic moan slipping from their lips. "Holy fuck, Cue," they say with their mouth still full.

"Yeah?" she laughs, taking her own cookie. Dew and Mountain are quick to snatch one for themselves.

"That's really fucking good," they say, taking another big bite of cookie.

"They are," Dew says, biting off nearly half of his cookie. His eyes flutter shut. "Fuck. Just as good as I remember."

Mountain makes a similar noise to Aeon as he chews. "Yep. Uh-huh. We need to find a spot to hide these so they last for longer than an afternoon."

There's thudding footsteps, and Swiss skids on socked feet into the doorframe. "I smell kahlua cookies," he pants, eyes wide and a little crazed, a grin splitting his face.

Cumulus shares a look with Mountain and Dew, and all four of them burst into laughter.

[paper-mario-wiki]

You made a decent post about how imperialist news sources obfuscate the settler-colonial nature of israel and how we should be supporting Palestinian liberation but then some liberal says "oh actually the imperialist news says youre wrong" and you roll over and apologize?

Of course imperial nations strengthen certain currents of their "enemies" to manufacture consent to brutally crush them further.

This will be my last statement on the matter, as I really don't think it's my place to be a source for information on this topic. This ought to be interpreted as an opinion, because it is. My blog is called Paper-Mario-Wiki. I'm a bit out of my lane speaking on geopolitical conflicts. That said, I'd be doing myself a disservice by not at least making my stance clear.

Completely setting aside your assessment of The Intercept of all things as imperialist news, you'll note that in my post I only apologized for unilaterally endorsing Hamas and not acknowledging them as a creation of the Israeli occupying forces. They are, by definition, a terrorist group. And they are, in fact, killing civilian families. It is a violent, terrible thing that is happening.

I did not apologize for, or take back, saying that the IDF has been murdering and torturing Palestinian civilians for longer than you or I have been alive, and that they are singularly at fault for deaths of the occupying settlers. In fact, at the end of the post I reiterated my support for the Palestinian resistance.

Regaining land and footing against an oppressor will be violent and regrettable, as (I believe) on a fundamental level most reasonable people do not want to kill each other for any reason. But it will continue to be violent and regrettable because of the state of Israel, and exclusively because of Israel, for the alternative is the total displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people, as has been their goal for the past century. Real, militant resistance does not look cool or pretty or sometimes even fair. The loss of human life will always be terrible, and no matter how good the intentions of strategic wartime violence, it is still violence. It is still war, and war should not be glorified on any side.

I feel no shame in acknowledging nuance in one of the most complicated international affairs of my lifetime. I also feel no shame in acknowledging this nuance while steadfastly believing that many, many people would end up dead in this conflict regardless of what tactics Palestinian forces used. The only difference is that the settlers who were murdered by Hamas took the land they were murdered on, and the violence of the oppressed cannot be equivocated to the violence of the oppressor.

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

10. What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

Needless I went off the rails with this one! LMAO

This became an excuse to draw Celarthur/Merthur content in different scenarios & and outfits. And I had too much fun with the designs of each one.

Sun King & Moon Queen AU:

Basically, I was watching Lego Monkey Kid and this happened! I really wanted to do something that really got the essence of the show. If you watch the show you can really tell I kinda (or a lot) based it around the Lady Bone Demon & Sun Wukong. And of course some classic Chinese folklore...

It is a total rom-com scenario, with the Moon Queen betrothed to the Sun King... they but heads at first then slowly but surely fall in love.

Sleeping Beauty/ Fairy Tale AU:

This one was really made for young Sir Arthur & Celestine... I couldn't help it guys it was such a classic movie. Malfience icon (she's definitely be Morgan in this Au).

Especially when I was looking for dancing references I kept looking at the sleeping beauty reference dance sequence the most. (for a project to be revealed later still a secret) So I had to give a shoutout to that of course, love how it turned out!

Super Paper Mario Au:

I think this one is my favorite one I always got emotional for Count Bleck & Tippi's backstory. Their love story is quite similar to theirs....they just fit the characters so well.

In all honesty, if Sir Arthur didn't have Meta to ground him... then he definitely would have become like "Count Bleck." Oh but just like Tippi Celestine would still love and forgive Arthur anyways.

~

And here is an Au relevant to the plot of KBASW... I did wanna draw out more scenarios relevant to the plot of KBASW but then they kept leaking out to spoiler-ish territory.

Next Scenario Happy Ending Route. (Basically, Celestine & Arthur are running the GSA and this is a daily occurrence~)

They still have to wait for...(Kirby is lost for a while and is found by Meta and of course baby imprints on him and he's still Meta's) They become this obnoxiously flirty-loving couple... MK's seen this since he was a kid so he's desensitized. They do get work done I promise ~ (LMAO)

@kirbyoctournament

Keep reading for spoiler content/ Special thanks

~

This is where Celestine finds a cure for her " broken warp star" situation. They basically gave Gala the same isolation treatment (because he was supposed to be the galaxy's savior~). But Celty (secretly visits him as often as she can to ensure he isn't lonely.

After this time Celestine finds Meta in the Fountain of Dreams (before anyone could find him). The Ancients were so preoccupied with Gala that they weren't even montioring the fountain.

Basically, no one knew that Meta Knight was born but Celestine & Arthur. He's raised in secret at the temple. (They make a cute little family together ~) And Celestine would set up secret little play dates for the both of them.

A few years passed and then BOOM!

They manage to catch Icarus in his crimes for "forcibly creating another astral from Void." (Kirby was always going to be made but he came out too early due to Icarus' involvement.)

Morpho still takes his life but they manage to trace it back to Uther... The people are now questioning the Acients in their decisions and soon fall out of power due to the controversy. To save face they crystalize Sir Uther... (HA) but that doesn't help them at all~

It was during this time that Celestine properly revealed herself as Merlyn... WHAT!? Another blunder blew up in their faces...and the people immediately began to rally behind her. The popularity of her good deeds as Merlyn is what gets her into the seat of power.

Leaving Celestine in charge of the GSA (finally left in the right hands!) And of course, she takes Arthur with her as her right-hand man and well I think the GSA would become more of a light-hearted place after that.

(Morgan leaves, she doesn't fit into this hippie-dippy-happy place but she's not evil per se... she kinda just travels around as she pleases and she does find her happiness being a wanderer.)

Nightmare is still a problem but Nightmare Enterprise is never created, so it's not as widespread. So it's managed and the galaxy is thriving under Celestine's control. And of course, Arthur & Celestine confess their feeling for each other yada yada yada....

And of course, Kirby defeats Nightmare and that's it~

Despite this happy ending Meta Knight never meets Jecra & Garlude as a result of this. Along with Kirby never going to Dreamland or meeting everyone; Fumu, the cappies, no nothing. And the need for Star Allies no longer exists.

~

More content on these two to come and guys let me know which Au scenario you like more (reblog, leave a comment... maybe I'll expand on it more fun content to come)

I also wanted to thank everyone for getting me through round two I hope you all continue the support for next week's voting poll ROUND THREE!

Thank you for riding this wave with me!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

@lulu-chaos-incarnation I just also wanted to thank you for being such a loyal fan. I really appreciate you I know I went a little crazy on the AUs but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! :D

[bluestrawberrybunny]

Haha! @briandraws I tricked you! >:3

I wasn’t innocent! I was plotting something all along! Hahahahahaha!

Hypno Marware one-shot fic for you :3

Forgive Me (Hypno Marware AU)

Don't deal with the devil. Those are some famous words to live by.

Mr. Puzzles, however, does not.

But hey, he got some cool new powers from this little deal! So... that was something!

He currently sat in his office at his house, tapping a pen furiously against the desk as he attempted to think of something, anything, to make his next show about. He had taken control over the one who had been the largest thorn in his side, the one that he swore to one day get revenge upon:

Mario Mario.

Thanks to that deal with Vox, he had managed to bend the plumber to his will. It was going great! He would have him do the dirty work for him too. Like a personal assistant! All stars have one of those, so of course he deserved one! And who better than Mario? The revenge was beautiful, in a way.

He looked over at the Italian as he stood there, swirls in his eyes from the mind control. He had made him change into a suit. Much better than those drab dirty overalls that have probably never been washed since 1987.

He sighed, motioning him over.

Mario obeyed, as he always did after he'd first hypnotized him.

The cyborg looked at the plumber. He wasn't able to respond to him, but... he could at least vent this all out to someone! Besides, if Mario was even listening he would be too dumb to understand. Right?

He'd been the audience to most of his frustrations throughout the past... month? Mr. Puzzles lost track of time. Hell, he hadn't even been sleeping. He just worked the day away with Mario running and grabbing things for him, or standing there and hearing him vent out his frustrations.

He sighed. "Why can't I think of anything?" He asked, looking towards the plumber again as his blank eyes stared at him.

Oh... those blue eyes... even when devoid of expression, they were quite beautiful. He could actually appreciate Mario's appearance, now that he's forced him to clean up a bit and after he stopped being so obnoxious.

And he... cared... even if it was fake...

"I don't understand. I have been drawing a blank with ideas for the past week! I don't... where's the inspiration? I can't create the best TV show without any ideas! What am I missing?" Mr. Puzzles gave a glitched huff. "No matter how hard I try, nothing comes to mind! Nothing! I was able to come up with amazing show ideas! Why can't I think of anything?"

The cyborg stared at the blank page in front of him. He had started writing several scripts, getting one sentence in before his creative flow stopped and he threw the paper away.

He sighed, putting his head in his hands. "Why? I... I can't just stop... then... then no one will..." He looked over to Mario, who continued to stare at him. "No one would care about me. No one will care for me if I don't keep making things... if I quit now, no one will care for me... I... I need to come up with something! Anything! Nothing comes to mind! Why am I out of ideas?"

Mr. Puzzles looked back at the page once more before crumpling up the page and throwing it in the trashcan with the other abandoned scripts.

He stood up angrily, walking towards the door and slamming it open. Mario followed close behind him, watching his every move and awaiting his next orders.

Mr. Puzzles walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge and searching for something to reignite that creative spark. Anything with caffeine.

Or alcohol...

Either would work, really.

"I just need that one great idea to hit!" He exclaimed. "Then everyone will know and adore me! I'll finally be popular!"

He grabbed a wine bottle, pouring it out and into a glass. "I just don't get why I can't come up with any good ideas!"

Mario continued to stare at him blankly, not moving as he stood in the kitchen's doorway.

"I'll never be famous like this! Ugh... but I can't give up! There has to be something where I can get an idea or... or... UGH!" He leaned his head against a cabinet. "I... why? Why am I unable to think of anything?"

He looked back at the plumber and patted his head. "Thank you for listening, Mario," he said, sad smile on his screen. "Even if you're just a measly puppet right now."

His expression changed to a solemn one, walking past him as he walked back to his office, wine glass in hand. Why did he feel... bad for this? Mario was the thorn in his side. Mario was the one that ruined everything. He'd sworn revenge on him after the Meme Factory, even!

So... why was guilt beginning to eat him up inside? Was he... really feeling bad about this? About controlling the fat Italian like a doll to bend to his will?

He looked back at Mario as he followed behind him.

It was... nice to have someone nearby. He'd been alone for so long...

No. He had to focus on writing this script so that he can rise to the top.

That was all that mattered.

But he didn't understand. He hadn't been bothered by the SMG4 crew since he brainwashed Mario, so... why was he drawing a blank on ideas? He'd been so annoyed at them ruining his work, but when they were gone he... had nothing.

Was it just an excuse?

He sighed. How was he going to get any ideas?

That night, Mario stood in the living room, blinking awake. He looked around the fancy-looking area around him. It was monochrome black and white, but... it looked very well-kept. He looked down at the suit he was wearing before stepping forward.

He walked over to the couch, looking at Mr. Puzzles as the cyborg sat with his TV head in his hands.

"Still nothing," he sighed, leaning back.

"TV Man?" Mario asked, walking over to him. "You ok?"

Mr. Puzzles jumped, turning around in his chair to stare at Mario. "I... wha...?"

"Mario asked if you're-a ok."

Mr. Puzzles stared at him. "You... you're..." He jumped up from his chair, pointing at him. "Oh, god! You're not brainwashed anymore!"

Mario tilted his head. "Yes?"

Mr. Puzzles screen changed to his crying face, looking away. Oh no.

"Wait..." he said as he looked back at the Italian. "Why... why are you asking if I'm ok? I... I thought you would have escaped, or beaten me up, or... something."

"Mario wants-a to know that you're-a ok," he said. "Mario... heard you talking."

Mr. Puzzles screen went blank as he realized the implications.

Mario had been conscious the entire time... he had heard everything. He remembered everything.

Suddenly that guilt he felt came back with a vengeance. Mr. Puzzles shook his head, crying face on his screen again. "Oh... oh no... I... I'm so sorry, Mario..."

He got down on his knees, gripping Mario's shoulders as the Italian looked him over in confusion.

"Huh?"

"I... I'm so so sorry," he said again. "I... I'm so... how could you ever forgive me for what I did?"

Mario looked away. "Um..."

"I... I used you as a puppet and... and you were aware the entire time..." Mr. Puzzles looked at him. "I am so sorry, Mario... just... just leave. Go back to your friends... I… at least when I brainwashed you all for Puzzlevision, you weren’t aware but… being stuck like that and… and being conscious… oh god…"

The Italian remained silent, watching him with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Mario… please, go,” Puzzles said.

He remained still, watching him as his singular brain cell burst to life to form a coherent thought.

“Dammit, Mario, leave! Or at least… do or say something! Anything!” Puzzles sobbed. “I… I can’t take the silence… it’s… it’s deafening…”

Mario shook his head. "No. M... Mario forgives you. You can-a get better. You... you need-a friends..."

Mr. Puzzles watched him, curious as to where he was going with that, even if he was still convinced that Mario should just leave him be.

"Mario knows what it's-a like to be in the spotlight," he continued. "Mario... wants-a to help you. If-a you are so set on being a star, Mario can... Mario can help keep you from going coo-coo crazy."

Mr. Puzzles shook his head, standing up and taking a step back. "No... I... I'm not... sure how that would work..."

"Mario wants to help you get better," Mario insisted. "Mario knows too much about you. You can-a change for the better."

Mr. Puzzles turned away, about to speak before the door was kicked in, the SMG4 crew rushing inside.

"Let Mario go, Mr. Puzzles!" Meggy exclaimed, standing in front of Mario with her splattershot pointed at his face.

"Wait, Leggy-" Puzzles began to say before SMG4 cut him off by punching him in the face.

"We're taking our friend back!" 4 snapped.

"Yeah!" Tari agreed, peaking her head through the doorframe before pulling it back out again.

SMG3 looked back at her and shook his head.

“Wait,” Puzzles said with a glitching voice before the crew proceeded to begin beating him up

Mario looked at them in shock before stepping in front of the cyborg. “Wait!”

“Mario,” 4 said, grabbing his friend and pulling him aside, “I know that you’re mind controlled right now, but we need to-”

“Mario is not mind controlled!” Mario snapped. “Mario is normal again! But let Mario speak! Please!”

The crew stopped, looking back at him from the mangled body of Mr. Puzzles.

“Mario is ok,” Mario said. “Let… let him be. Mario thinks he can-a do better. We should give him a chance.”

“Are you serious?” Meggy snapped, looking at him. “You are obviously still brainwashed!”

Mario shook his head. “I’m-a serious! He’s not-a so bad…”

“Are you hearing yourself?” SMG4 asked harshly. “In what world would Mr. Puzzles of all people…”

SMG3 watched the three of them argue about Mario’s newfound opinion of the cyborg before looking down at him.

Mr. Puzzles was picking himself up off the ground, putting a hand to his broken screen. “Ugh…” He looked over at the purple SMG as he looked him up and down. “Oh… um…”

SMG3 looked back over at Mario. He too had had a change of heart years ago and changed his ways to become their f- teammate or… something. He didn’t like hanging out with these losers. It was just better than nothing.

Mario sighed. “Fine! Then let’s-a go home and leave him alone?”

Meggy and SMG4 both looked at Mr. Puzzles, who was looking at the ground. He wasn’t even fighting them?

“Yeah,” 3 agreed. “Let’s… let’s go. Leave him here to think about things.”

The two watched as SMG3 left, Mario following close behind. 4 and Meggy both then turned their gaze to Mr. Puzzles, who was already making his way back to his office in order to fix his broken screen.

SMG4 looked over at Meggy, who shook her head and followed behind them.

“If you even think about following us-” 4 started to say before Mr. Puzzles shooed him off.

“I won’t,” he said. “I… I’m not in the mood.”

SMG4 tilted his head in confusion before reluctantly leaving behind the others.

“Can we get-a some spaghetti?” Mario asked excitedly as they walked back.

“Sure…” SMG4 said quietly.

Mario looked back at the house as they left. Mr. Puzzles really didn’t seem so bad, once he heard all of his troubles… he smiled. Maybe he could change Mr. Puzzles ways and then they wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore!

Meanwhile, Mr. Puzzles sat at his desk, reapplying a new screen. He sighed. Mario really stood up for him? After all that he did? Even after using him as a puppet while he was aware… he forgave him?

He smiled to himself, heartbeat monitor line across his screen.

Mario didn’t seem so bad either…

[guess-my-next-obsession]

OH MY GOSH - in honor of my finding my old Wii.

Elementary Drabble/Idea

Sarah gets a Wii for Christmas 2006 - family game night?? Will Joel play Just Dance? What’s it like trying to play Mario Kart?? 🤣😂

Christmas, 2006

pairing: no-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

rating: F (this is just a cute lil scene, mentions of alcohol i guess)

wc: <600

series masterlist | joel masterlist

“Alright,” Joel started, grunting as he reached behind the couch for a surprise present the two of you kept hidden away all Christmas. Sarah’s eyes lit up as she sat on the floor by the tree, playing in the scraps of wrapping paper with her two-year old sister, Iris. “This is a family present, but I’m sure it’s gonna be mostly you usin’ it.”

You watched from where you were standing in the kitchen pouring yourself and Joel a second cup of coffee to help get you through the chaos of Christmas day, a smile on your face as Sarah looked to you for any clues on what the gift could be as she accepted it from her father.

“Open it,” you urged with a giggle. Sarah dropped her eyes to the wrapping paper, carefully tearing it open until Iris started to help.

“Iris,” she scolded lightly, moving her sisters perpetually-sticky hands away from the gift, unintentionally making the toddler cry. Joel walked over and scooped his youngest daughter up before returning to his seat on the couch, bouncing her on her knee until she quieted.

“Now, I don’t know much about it—“

“A Wii?” Sarah exclaimed with a grin. “Please tell me you got—“

“Mario Kart for now, but I think it comes with another one,” you interrupted as you walked over, resting Joel’s cup on the coffee table before taking your seat at his side.

“Wii-Sports,” Sarah read the cover and hummed, nodding at the list of mini-games it contained. “I think dad might actually be good at these.”

“Lemme see,” Joel reached over and accepted the game from his daughter while Iris crawled onto you lap and nearly bumped your coffee out of your hand. “Boxing, baseball, tennis, bowling? How the hell are you supposed to bowl through a video game.”

“It comes with these remotes that can, like, follow your movements,” Sarah explained as she opened the box to reveal console. “There’s like a sensor.”

“Oh, that’s cool! I thought it was just like the Playstation or whatever,” you replied as Joel showed you the back of the game box. “Tommy’s gonna love this, I bet.”

“I’m gonna get him drunk and humiliate him at Mario Kart,” Sarah added with a grin as she started to follow the directions to set up the console.

“I’m gonna get him drunk and humiliate him at boxing,” Joel joined in.

“Well, I’m just gonna get drunk. Period.” you mumbled to yourself, earning a chuckle from your husband as he overheard it.

“Goddamn it,” Joel snapped as his kart spun out after being hit. “Who sent that red shell?”

“Me,” you smirked, glancing at him from across the room as you sat in the recliner while Joel, Tommy, and Sarah sat on the couch. Joel looked absolutely betrayed, his eyes flickering between yours and the TV screen.

“Thought you said you’d be good at this,” Sarah taunted, elbowing her father in the ribs as he finished the race in 8th place.

“Yeah,” Tommy joined in, earning a scoff.

“6th place ain’t much better, jackass,” Joel retorted before turning to you with a point of his finger. “And you. My own wife. Betrayin’ me in cold blood right before the finish line.”

“You were a casualty,” you explained with an amused smile. “I had to secure top three, I’m sorry.”

Joel chuckled and shook his head as he stood up.

“My own wife.”

•

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[6okuto]

UNIVERSITY WITH BOKUTO

gn!reader | late bokuto birthday post. kyaaa.. sorry for using sociology btw. i’m coping

university student!bokuto who you meet the first day of classes. it was hard not to notice him on the train, nor how you seemed to be taking the same path. you’re speed-walking down a pedway—just a few minutes from being late—when his eyes flicker over to you. “we were on the train together, right? i thought it was funny we started walking the same way. what class are you going to?” he asks with a smile.

and it’s a cute smile, but you wish it wasn’t because you’re starting to run out of breath and you don’t think the one you flash back is anywhere near as easy. “sociology with, uh, philip.”

your new-found acquaintance lights up. “really? me too!”

“yeah, i had him last year and he was really good,” you reply. and maybe it’s the adrenaline, or the way he seems so friendly despite how little you’ve spoken, but you decide to introduce yourself first.

the stranger grins again. “it’s nice to meet you,” he says your name hesitantly, as if testing it out for the first time. “i’m kotaro!”

university student!bokuto who has an impressive skill for keeping small talk going in a way that isn’t awkward or miserable. he sits across from you on the train every morning you have class—taking the side that keeps you from squinting at the sun, which, of course, garners a thank you—and talks about anything and everything. he tells you about his other courses, asks for yours, what you had for breakfast, whether you prefer pancakes or waffles, and even describes how he likes to drizzle on designs with his syrup. (one of his favourites was a wonky little owl, and kotaro swears he managed to draw mario once—or at least his long-lost twin.)

it’s easy talking with him, and even when you want to skip and sleep in, you find yourself getting ready, just in hopes of seeing him again.

university student!bokuto who has a pad of sticky notes in his backpack, filled with reminders and drawings and scribbles from testing if a pen has ink left. the professor is going over the syllabus when you turn to see his brows furrowed, pen doing something on the paper. you have to stop yourself from smiling too big when kotaro passes you a note—a little doodle of the you holding hands and cheering, “SOCIOLOGISTS! >:)” written in block letters above. you have a collection growing by the end of the first two weeks.

bokuto who offers to hang out with you while you wait for your next class, and even walks you there when you’re ready. forty minutes—it’s an awkward amount of time where you can’t really do anything, or sit outside the room to wait, so having someone with you is always nice. you’ve just sat down when you remind him again, “you could just go home, kotaro. you don’t have to wait for me.” and kotaro shakes his head, taking a sip of his drink before replying. “you can’t get rid of me that easy. i like spending time with you, anyway, so don’t worry about me.”

bokuto who stops mid-bite of his lunch when you use his nickname for the first time. “kou, did you get napkins?” you try to ask casually, ignoring how foreign the name feels on your tongue. kotaro stares, cheeks filled on one side with rice. “…kou?” “huh? oh, yeah! uhm.” he fumbles, but manages to hand them over. you thank him quietly and he smiles. he considers himself lucky that you’re looking down at your food, and can’t see how he’s holding back what could possibly be the biggest grin of his life.

bokuto who casually mentions his birthday is coming up, much sooner than you’d expect, and much sooner than you’d hope considering you wanted to get a gift. you lightly hit him on the shoulder. “why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“aw, you don’t need to get me a gift. but if you’re free, i was gonna have dinner with some friends,” he offers. “which probably sounds awkward because you don’t really know them, but i told them about you and they’re really nice, and i’d be there so i don’t think it’d be too bad? and it’s after your assignment is due for your other class, i think. or we could do something another day? if you wanted to.”

your ears heat up when he says he’s talked about you, the rest of your face following suit when you realize he's been paying attention to your schedule, but you bite the inside of your cheek and say nothing. “no, it’s okay, i’ll come to dinner, if that’d be okay with them.”

any nervousness that was building inside him evaporates, and kotaro is suddenly back to his usual grinning self. “awesome! it’s my birthday so they’ll be fine, promise!”

bokuto who, himself, is not fine when the day comes—who starts shaking akaashi’s shoulder when you text to say you’ll be there soon. he’s barely paying attention to how his other friends are snickering, or even to akaashi’s reassurance that yes, bokuto, your outfit looks nice, and yes, he’s sure you’d have mentioned any allergies to his cake and no, he doesn’t think he’ll need an epipen by the end of the night.

bokuto who had no idea you managed to text akaashi and the others privately to figure out what the best short-notice gift would be. they told you that kotaro would appreciate anything you bought or made, even if it was just a simple card. they’re all a little surprised when you show up with not just a card, but also a sweater, owl plushie, and collection of sticky notes.

“i mean, i just thought the sweater was pretty soft and the owl was cute. but the sticky notes are ‘cause you always draw on them during class. so i sort of…made you little drawings? of you, stuff you like…they aren’t the best since i had to make them fast, but...” you trail off as he flips through each one.

one of his friends—kuroo, you think—looks over kotaro’s shoulder and snickers. “huh? i don’t know what you’re talking about, i’m pretty sure i’ve seen him make that exact face before. are you considering going into the art industry?”

you smile as everyone else looks over your gift, but your eyes are fixed on the birthday boy himself. he’s smiling widely as he takes in each sticky note, making comments and laughing when he reads an inside joke you have from class.

bokuto who takes you to the side while everyone else is talking amongst themselves, surprising you with a hug. “oh!” you take a second to process the fact that there’s arms wrapped around you, but eventually wrap yourself around him in return.

he says your name, dragging out the last syllable as he squeezes you tighter, moving you side to side. “thank you for the present!”

you snort and pat his back. “i’m glad you liked it, some of those sticky notes took a few tries to not look like shit.” you joke.

when he finally lets go, kotaro has a look of determination on his face. “i’ll be sure to make a birthday present just as good as yours, or even better! i didn’t miss it, did i? is it close? i should have asked earlier,” he panics. “well, even if it’s tomorrow, i’ll make sure it’s super good. it isn’t tomorrow, is it? or are new year’s presents a thing?”

bokuto who’s already planning what to do for a gift after you’ve all left, wearing the sweater and holding the plush, with the drawings on his desk, waiting to be put up in the morning.

[thriftedtchotchkes]

dating start!

pairing: josh futturman x reader

summary: your first date with josh is likely the best you've ever been on, but you're pretty sure he has no clue it's valentine's day (based on a prompt from this list)

warnings: fluff, dick mentions everywhere, making out in public

word count: 1.7k

(ily @tinycozycomfort, ty for enabling me always)

It's ridiculously cute how oblivious Josh is.

The sun's already starting to set, and you've passed about a dozen storefronts and restaurants plastered with paper hearts, yet you're almost positive he still has no idea what day it is. In his defense, this is probably the best date you've ever been on—you just didn't expect him to take you out for the first time on Valentine's Day.

You wonder when it'll finally hit him. If the gaudy decorations and love-struck couples everywhere haven't tipped him off by now, you're not sure he'll ever figure out. Are you perfectly capable of telling him yourself? For sure, but the last thing you want to do is freak him out or embarrass him.

Things are already comfortable between you, surprisingly so, and you'd rather not rock the boat. Not yet, at least. Besides, you're right in the middle of an important debate that could make or break your budding relationship, and you're totally winning.

"—in conclusion, it's physically impossible for Luigi to have a bigger dick than Mario. I rest my case."

Josh scoffs, shooting you a dubious look from his spot on the grass. Okay, maybe you're not winning. He takes a deep breath, shifting closer, and now you know you're in for it.

"There's no way. Have you ever seen Luigi in Smash? Super Mario Wonder? That thing flops all over the place, it's huge. You can barely even see Mario's crotch half the time, he's too close to the ground," he argues, eyebrows raised like he's already planning his next rebuttal. You raise an eyebrow in return.

"Wow. So, you're saying his dick has to be small because he's short?" you give him a pointed look. You're teasing him, rather than trying to make a point, and you both know it.

He flushes a pretty pink, and you can see the cogs turning in his head. Part of you hopes he takes the bait and flirts back, but he doesn't—at first.

"Okay no, you're literally putting words in my mouth. I'm just saying, logically speaking, the height-to-dick ratio doesn't add up. Plus, I gave you actual proof. Your entire argument was based on vibes," he laughs, and he's so endearing with his crinkled, hazel eyes and red-tinged ears that you almost concede. 

But before you get the chance, his arms snake around your waist and drag you down next to him. The grass is cold and a little dewy from the mid-winter Los Angeles air, but you barely notice, distracted by how close his face suddenly is to yours. 

At this proximity, you can count the faint freckles peppered across his nose and cheeks, and his lips quirk as if he can tell that's exactly what you're doing. His eyes drop to your mouth, and after a lingering moment, you realize he's leaning closer.

"You make a good point, though," he says unexpectedly. You struggle to remember what you were talking about in the first place, but he's quick to remind you. "I do know a pretty cool guy who's 5'5 and has a massive dick. So, maybe you were right after all."

"Oh yeah? Sounds like a winner—total Mario vibes," you reply cheekily, loving the turn this debate is taking. Perhaps a little too much. "Maybe I should've let that guy take me out on Valentine's Day instead."

It slips out before you can stop it, and for a second, his face goes blank. Then, he panics.

"Oh, shit." Josh jolts up, frantically scanning the park like he's just noticing that there's red and pink and couples on romantic picnics all around you. His shoulders droop in defeat. "Well, that's embarrassing," he mumbles. 

Crap. This is exactly what you were trying to avoid all day. It had to come out at some point, sure, but you didn't mean for it to come out like that. You reach up to tug at his green flannel and pull him back down to lie with you on the grass.

"Why is it embarrassing?" you ask carefully, resting a comforting hand on his chest. He sighs.

"I would've done so much more if I'd known. I should've brought you flowers or chocolate—and chocolate, I should've done both," he says, sounding unfairly frustrated with himself. "I'm such an asshole. Who the fuck just forgets Valentine's Day?"

You, for starters. This is probably the first time in years you remembered what happens on February 14th, and that was just a fluke. It's just a day, one you're thoroughly enjoying not because it's some random holiday with way too many connotations, but because you get to spend it with him. 

"Hey. You're not an asshole," you reassure him, cupping his cheek to snap him out of his spiral. He leans into your touch, finally meeting your eyes. "You didn't have to do any of that. I'm allergic to flowers and I'm not a huge fan of chocolate anyways, so that actually kind of makes you a hero. Major Mario vibes."

That makes him chuckle, and you laugh along with him. Thankfully, he looks as relieved as you feel. Taking that as the go-ahead to continue what he started earlier, you scooch closer.

"What if we just ignore what day it is and you can keep telling me all about that cool guy with the massive dick? I think he might honestly be my ticket to winning our debate," you joke, draping an arm over his shoulder. 

You're face-to-face, all but pressed up against each other in the middle of a public park, but neither of you seems to care. Josh's eyes dart to your lips, and he nods, grinning as he leans in.

"Well, he has unclogged a toilet or two in his day, so he's basically a plumber. And princesses love him,” he says, teasing you, and you huff out a laugh.

"You are so fucking cheesy—"

He cuts you off with a kiss. Warm and a little chapped, his lips move slowly against yours as you both savor the moment you've been waiting for all day. It doesn't matter that it's Valentine's Day or that this is your first date. What matters is that it feels natural and comfortable, even in its newness. In your experience, that's pretty rare.

His fingers splay across your ribcage, and you sigh softly into his mouth as he pulls you flush against his body. It's so easy to forget where you are, lost in the increasing intensity of the kiss and his hands freely roaming your sides. 

Before things can get too PG-13 for the park, you reluctantly pull away, opening your eyes to see him already smiling at you in contentment. 

"Maybe we should go back to my place," you grin sheepishly, and the look he gives you is nothing short of suggestive. You roll your eyes. "Not like that."

He raises an eyebrow, looking doubtful. "You sure this isn't just a ploy to verify the dick thing?"

You playfully shove his shoulder, but he retaliates by kissing you again.

"Josh, focus," you laugh, muffled by his lips. Jerking back, you attempt to recapture his attention while he tries and fails to chase you. "No, this isn't some elaborate ruse to get your pants off." 

You don't bother mentioning that it's supposed to be his friend's dick, not his, but it's not like either of you are pretending you don't know exactly whose dick you're talking about. Plus, you already got your proof earlier when he kissed you. There's a reason you had to cut it short.

"It's just getting kind of late, and we probably won't find a place to eat around here that isn't already booked for the night," you tell him. At that, he looks a little downtrodden, clearly blaming himself for not making a reservation. "But—," you continue, hoping to cheer him up, "—I happen to make a mean spaghetti and meatballs, and Italian feels like it fits the vibe of this date."

His eyes light up, and you immediately know it was the perfect thing to say. This time when his lips meet yours, you melt into it, letting him bury his fingers in your hair as the kiss deepens. He coaxes your mouth open, and it becomes a sweet give-and-take that makes your head spin.

It ends way too quickly, but you can't find it in yourself to be disappointed when he pulls away. Not when he's looking at you like he can't believe you're real and in his arms right now.

"How the hell did I manage to get a date with you?" he asks earnestly. You shrug, burrowing further into his chest.

"I find your lack of temporal awareness and shitty takes on video game characters to be utterly charming," you reply with a straight face. 

For a second, he looks stunned by your answer. Then, you both burst out laughing, and you're struck again by how easy it is to be with him. You've been on this date for almost six hours and still haven't run out of things to talk about. 

It's the best date you've ever been on by far and might even be the best Valentine's Day you've ever had. You already know you're going to ask for a second one once it's over, but the night's still young. And you have a debate to win. 

"Come on," you say, hit with a sudden burst of energy. You shift out of his grasp to stand, then hold out your hands to help him up. "I have a serious craving for spaghetti, and I'm so ready for you to officially concede defeat."

"Oh yeah? And why would I do that?" he raises an eyebrow, lacing his fingers through yours as you lead him in the direction of your apartment.

"Because I know for a fact you're concealing evidence and I'm gonna prove it."

thanks for reading!

(divider by @saradika-graphics)

[brittle-biscuits]

With Friends like These. (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)

“Thank you, Y/N. All of you.”

You scratched the back of your head with an awkward smile. You did have a little help that was beyond just Admiral Bobbery, who himself was a great ally.

“Oh! You have made lots of friends along the way?”

Yeah! You introduced Mini-Yoshi, Koops, and…uh..

Goombella was the first to introduce herself as one of your friends during your journey!

“Ah! It’s nice to meet you! It’s good to know that Y/N had such allies on their side-“

Vivian went right to next you, holding your arm and you close as she shyly waved at Peach, a clear blush on her face

“I see! It’s nice to meet another trusted friend of Y/N!”

Ms. Mowz and Madame Flurrie blew kisses at you as they wave at you. These two were the more…interesting allies during your journeys.

“Oh…Are these..more of your friends, Y/N?”

Y-yes, but there was still Koops! Admiral Bobbery! Mini-Yoshi-

“Y/N. Just what is your relationship with these girls?”

You noticed a dark look in Peach’s eyes as she stared intently into your own, as if she’s digging through your soul for her answer.

You nervously turn to your other allies, subtly signaling them to help you…

Koops shook his head and backed away a bit nervously.

Mini-Yoshi hid behind Koops.

Admiral Bobbery simply shook his head as he looked at you with sympathy.

“Forgive me, Y/N. This battle is only your own.”

You felt Peach’s hand on your shoulder, you were too scared to turn your head to face her.

“Y/NNNNN….I’m waiting…”

The boat ride home later was going to be incredibly awkward….