#lololol what is happening! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chloecherrysip · 11 months

Text

all the pain will change into a memory of when we were amazing (mario & luigi-centric post-movie fic, part 1!)

(My weekend got a little busier than I was expecting, but I was still DETERMINED to get this up today and hey, I succeeded!!! I will eventually post an AO3 version as well, so if you'd like to wait for that, you can (and I will of course link it here), but sharing on tumblr is just a little easier for me to start out with. :)

Remember that this is just the first part and there will be at least two or three more coming soon!! Like I've already said in other posts, this fic has become SO LONG that it needs to be split up a little just for ease of reading. The title comes from the song Casey by Darren Hayes, which for the record, is a song about siblings and really fits movie!verse Mario & Luigi's relationship, in my eyes. Also, just so you know, this part (and only this part) has some Mario/Peach moments as well! I hope you enjoy!)

It took roughly eleven hours to put Brooklyn back together.

Not to how it was before, just to be clear. Not even close. Just enough that you could no longer tell right away that it had been subjected to a catastrophic tear between dimensions or alternate realities or whatever the two worlds were in relation to one another — who even knew? Instead, it looked more like it had suffered a few earthquakes in quick succession, or a hurricane closely followed by a tornado for good measure. Y’know, normal disasters.

It would no doubt require weeks of work to fix the cracked roads, replace all the crushed cars, reassemble the shopfronts enough to reopen and finally, finally get rid of all the black chunks of molten rock and huge mushroom stalks that were still being found in the strangest crevices and alleyways. But there was a lot to be extremely grateful for too. It was an outright miracle that Bowser’s airship had happened to crash down into the empty construction site mere minutes before the workers were scheduled to get started, somehow missing all occupied buildings. Everyone on the block was unhurt and accounted for, and they all still had a mostly-intact place to sleep that night. That, Mario reasoned, was more than good enough for now.

He’d jumped headfirst into helping with the emergency cleanup efforts as best he could, of course. It was the very least he could do after unintentionally causing the whole mess to begin with, and Luigi had jumped right in alongside him, ready to go. The star had worn off — even if Mario was still seeing glimmering afterimages of rainbows in the corners of his eyes every time he blinked — but it seemed like there were some lingering aftereffects. They felt better than ever, every injury down to the slightest bruise or cut completely healed, an overflow of joyful energy humming pleasantly all through his core. Mario guessed it was some kinda mixture of leftover magic and his own adrenaline and relief, which probably could have kept him going strong for a long time all on its own. They’d actually made it home. They’d seen their parents and family again. His brother was back within arm's reach, smiling and solidly warm and safe. How could he not feel like he was on top of the world?

So they’d spent the rest of the day working with neighbors to clear debris and shattered glass, move cars safely out of the way that were too crushed to move on their own any longer, nail up boards to cover gaps where windows once were. There were various damaged water fixtures and pipes that desperately needed some TLC before they came entirely undone and caused more damage (thankfully, Mario knew two talented plumbers who were more than up to the task). And of course, there was the not-so-small matter of rounding up all of Bowser’s minions and stuffing them back through the pipe before they snuck further into the city and started causing mass chaos. Most of that went smoothly, thankfully (other than one notable incident of some Koopas messing around at a bowling alley and accidentally getting stuck in the ball return). The magician in the blue robe, the one with the wand, had vanished entirely, though. Luigi had been the first one to notice, nervously mentioning that he’d seemed important, like a second-in-command to Bowser. Mario didn’t like that one bit, but Peach reassured him that they would stay vigilant.

Speaking of Peach, she’d taken charge of the chaotic situation right away, her leadership skills shining bright in a way that left Mario quietly in awe. She’d personally overseen Bowser’s transfer and imprisonment back in the Mushroom Kingdom while also coordinating efforts on both sides of the warp pipe, DK and Toad providing support as they all passed back and forth between worlds several times throughout the day, transporting as much of Bowser’s broken-up airship back to where it came from as possible. Toad Town was still a mess from the invasion as well, and many of the Toads who’d evacuated needed to be helped back from the forests. Mario had only spent a little time there, but thinking about such a lively, cheerful place in abandoned disarray troubled him. He considered going back for a little while to help out there too, just to make sure everyone got home safe.

But the familiar warp pipe loomed before them, and Luigi’s smile strained. Mario, hand lightly pressed to his brother’s back, registered the sudden, new tenseness, the way his breathing became shallower, despite his best efforts to not let it show. And there was Mario’s answer. He wouldn’t put Luigi through that again, not so soon, and if Luigi wasn’t going, Mario wasn’t going — end of story. The thought of being an entire world away from him after everything they’d just struggled through, even briefly, was too much to handle. All day, that uneasiness had hung around him, the one wrinkle in his light-as-air happiness and boundless energy. He hadn’t even liked Luigi being out of his sight for too long as they worked on the cleanup, which he fully knew was silly and unreasonable. That was why he'd never breathed a word of the feeling outload, even when the discomfort settled in heavily like a bad stomachache.

It'll get better once a little more time goes by, Mario kept insisting to himself with a sure, stubborn forcefulness. What's there to be worried about? We made it, both of us. We're together. Everything's gonna be okay. It really is.

“Don’t worry! We’ve got it all under control,” Peach reassured him. “I promise. The Kongs are helping, and so are the penguins from the Ice Kingdom. We’re going to work with them to rebuild their castle as well. On the bright side, I think our alliances will be much, much stronger after this mess.”

“Are ya sure?” Mario couldn’t help but press, interlacing his fingers tightly. “I dunno, I just feel like I need to do something. If it wasn’t for you, all of you, I wouldn’t have gotten to Luigi in time.”

“Oh, and like you didn’t do even more to help us?” She gave the brim of his cap a flick that was somehow both playful and graceful. “Mario, you and your brother stopped Bowser in his tracks. Both of our worlds are safe from him now because of you two. If anything, we owe you! Toad was already talking about organizing a parade, or giving you both a chest of gold coins!”

“What? No, no, who needs all that?” Mario insisted, his face flushing a little. “Besides, those coins won’t even fit in my wallet! There probably isn’t an exchange rate or anything here for ‘em. Just my luck.”

“I thought as much.” She placed a fingertip to her pursed lips, tapping lightly as she pondered. “What about a house?”

“A whole house!?” Mario nearly choked on the air. “For free?”

Peach gave him an odd look and a shrug, as though it was perfectly reasonable in her world to offer someone she’d just met a few days ago real estate with absolutely no strings attached. “Why not? You and Luigi are always going to be known as heroes in the Mushroom Kingdom, you do realize. It's the least we could do. But…” She thought in silence for a moment longer and then smiled, the curve of it a little heavier, more subdued. “A house doesn’t do much if no one will be living in it, huh?”

Mario considered that. Across the sewer room, the black of the warp pipe’s insides spread out behind Peach, vast and unending. “That’s…yeah, that’s true,” he said, his shoulders sinking a bit. “For now, don’t worry about doing anything for us, all right?” He swallowed around a strange, new lump in his throat. “Before anything else happens, I just really need to make sure my family’s all right.”

Peach nodded. “And I need to make sure mine is too,” she said, voice warm with understanding.

She shot a meaningful glance over Mario’s head, and he followed her gaze to where Toad and Luigi were sitting off to the side. Toad was excitedly talking, making big, bombastic gestures with his pan as though he was reenacting something. Luigi, for his part, looked a little bewildered but interested, following along as best as he could manage with lots of nodding. The strain in Mario’s chest eased.

“But you’ll both visit before too long, right?” Peach brought his attention back to her, her tone pointed. “There’s still plenty of beautiful places to see in our world. We barely scratched the surface! But we can start with a nice cup of tea in the castle, of course.”

Mario couldn’t help but smile widely. “Definitely,” he said. “And besides, I already made a promise to DK before he headed back. Me and my “stupid overalls” have to give him a rematch at some point. C’mon, how can I pass up a chance to kick his furry butt all over again?”

“And I want to come back and visit this world again too!” She added excitedly. “I want to know more about the bowling we saw, and video games, and — what did you call that one thing? A calzone? — and well, everything!”

Mario laughed outright. “Sure, come back anytime! Luigi and me know allll the best spots in Brooklyn like the backs of our hands. With us, you’ll never have a bad time, guaranteed.”

Some bright, delighted mischief flashed in Peach’s eyes. “And besides,” she said, “your mom said she would show me some of your baby pictures next time. I have to see that because I can’t imagine you without a mustache, honestly. It just doesn’t seem possible.”

Mario’s laughter got less boisterous and much more strained in a big hurry. “Right, right,” he said, voice cracking. “Gotta remember to, heh, burn some of those before then.”

“Don’t you dare!”

With more than a little reluctance, she waved over at Toad, signaling that it was time for them to say goodbye.

“I’ve got to get out of this wedding dress already,” she joked, holding up the skirt so Mario could clearly see all the tears and scorch-marks and dark staining, all intermingled with white and glittering pink. On the top, she was wearing a new, light pink “I LOVE NY” shirt from a cheap souvenir store; Luigi had actually been the one to get it for her, having noticed that she was spending a lot of time standing out in the sun with her shoulders uncovered. At some point along the way, she'd also tied up her blonde hair in a messy ponytail to keep it out of the way. “What a disaster, huh?”

Mario honestly thought that she looked beautiful. But there was no way he could say that, and he also didn’t want to agree because that sounded rude. Thankfully, he had only had a few more seconds of mounting internal panic left to go on that subject before Toad and Luigi came over.

“Your brother’s just as cool as you are, Mario!” Toad brightly announced out of the blue, which in turn made Luigi jolt and blush behind him. “But I should have guessed! You guys are the SUPER Mario Brothers, after all!”

“Hey, I coulda told you that a lot sooner!” Mario grabbed Luigi around the middle with one arm and squeezed tight, enough to make his brother wriggle with a hoarse, surprised laugh. “He’s always got my back!”

“Hey, hey, I’m flattered, but there’s no way I’m as cool as Mario,” Luigi insisted, grabbing and squeezing Mario right back, playfully poking at his stomach. “Are ya kidding? This is the best guy in the world, c’mon! No contest!”

"You c'mon! Who came up with using a manhole cover as a shield out of the blue, huh?”

Luigi blinked a few times and then ducked his head down with a big, bashful grin. “Okay, maybe that was me.”

“Exactly.” He smushed his brother’s cap, ruffling his hair underneath. “What were you guys talking about, anyway?”

“Ohohoho, wouldn’t you like to know,” Toad insisted right away with a thick air of secrecy. He mimed locking his mouth with a key and then tossing it away, winking in Luigi's direction. “No need to be jealous, Mario. I can have two best friends.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Mario replied dryly.

“It was no big deal, r-really!” Luigi backed Toad up, a little too loudly. His eyes looked somewhat glassy, as though he was teetering on the verge of tears, but when Mario met his gaze full-on, worried all of a sudden, his brother smiled back, big and sincere and seemingly very happy. “We’re all good! Better than good! We’re great!”

Peach stepped forward, then. “You really made a difference when it counted most, Luigi,” she said warmly, taking one of his hands in her own and patting it. “Thank you again for that. I know you didn’t see the best our world has to offer, but I hope you’ll give us another chance soon enough.”

Luigi, having stiffened a little at her touch out of sheer surprise, relaxed again. “Of course, Peach — I mean, Princess Peach. Your highness? Ma’am!” He gave her a salute with the other hand, for some reason. “I, uh, definitely appreciate it.”

She let go of him and reached for Mario’s hand in turn. Out of the blue, he thought about kissing the back of it — she was a princess, right? Wasn’t that what people did in all the fairytale books? — but that was a silly idea, stupid enough to make the back of his neck burn from embarrassment. Instead, he simply held onto her tight for a long moment, reflecting her sweet smile back at her, his heart pleasantly fluttering.

Further down, Toad grabbed one of Mario’s legs and one of Luigi’s legs in both arms and hugged them fiercely at the same time, sniffling a little. They gave his head a few soft pats in return (and winced when he loudly blew his nose into their overalls).

“See you around, Mustache,” Peach said softly. She took a small step backwards towards the pipe but didn’t let go of him, their arms stretching out further. “And don’t forget what we talked about,” she added after a beat, delicate, maybe even the tiniest bit hopeful. “What I offered…it’s always on the table, if you ever do decide you want it.”

“I won’t forget,” he said in return, softer too. “Stay safe.”

She squeezed his hand one last time, and then she and Toad were gone. The warp pipe’s signature sound bounced off the impossibly high walls of the room they were in until it was just a tiny echo. Mario took a deep breath. He turned to find Luigi beaming at him, eyebrows raised high and wiggling a little at the ends.

"Shut up," he sighed.

“What!? I didn’t even say anything!” Luigi insisted, even as he continued to grin.

“Yes, you did. I can read your mind.” Even Mario’s sternest do NOT go there, I’m serious look could never do much when Luigi was ready to do some ruthless teasing, but he tried it anyway as they started to trudge towards the stairwell at a much slower pace then when they’d first come down it. When had he started to feel so tired? A big yawn fought its way up his throat before he could continue. “I just met her! We’re friends. That’s all there is to it, thank you and goodnight.”

“Look, you can't prove a thing, but if I was saying something, well, I'd start with the way she was looking at you.” Luigi whistled. Mario pulled down the brim of his cap, if only to hide the sudden warmth creeping into his face a little better. “She certainly seems like a princess with good taste, y’know?”

“All right, all right. Ya done?”

“As a matter of fact, I’m not! She’s already got a dress too, which is really convenient. After all, weddings are expensive—”

“Stop, Lu. You better not breathe a word of this back home! Cause you’re gonna get Ma and Dad all riled up too and then I’ll never hear the end of it."

“Are ya serious!? Oh, my poor, sweet, naïve Mario. They already smelled the blood in the water at least five hours back. They were talking about little blonde grandkids when you were in the bathroom and everything.”

At least the long trek ahead of them out of the sewers would give Mario time for his face to cool down to a normal temperature again. “Great, great, just what I need,” he grumbled. “Now I gotta find a princess for you to get the heat off me.”

“W-What!?” Luigi sputtered. “I mean, I wish. But a kingdom only has one princess, right? And you’re the lucky guy.”

“There wasn’t just one kingdom,” Mario mused. He was climbing the stairs by then, metal clanging with each step. “I betcha all the money I have that if I went looking around long enough over there, I could find a real cute royal out there who has a thing for the color green.”

He reached behind him to give Luigi’s shoulder a playful shove, only for his hand to meet nothing but air. Turning fully, he saw that his brother was moving a lot slower than he’d expected. He was still at the bottom of the stairs, clinging to the railing and blinking furiously, his gaze focused on nothing in particular.

“Luigi?” Mario asked hesitantly. “You good?”

Luigi perked up at that and gave a thumbs-up. “A-okay!” He chirped, starting to climb. “I just — whew. I’m a little, uh, dizzy. It feels like that crazy star hung around for a while, eh? Like, we weren’t super-powered anymore, but nothing hurt, and I still had tons of energy to do whatever I wanted. But now…”

“Yeah, I’m definitely feeling that too.” Mario realized it more clearly, his breathing already labored after only climbing one flight of stairs. The injuries weren’t back, thankfully, but he was aching all over, a new heaviness creeping into his bones more and more. Luigi was hurrying to catch up with him, moving unsteadily.

“Just go slow,” Mario called. “We’re not in a hurry. Be careful.”

It didn’t seem like Luigi heard him, still trying to talk as he climbed, huffing and puffing. “I mean, wow! We were running all over the place! We were fixing things! We were saving Brooklyn! But…huh. Something’s kinda weird.” His voice had dropped down into a mumble, so quiet and fast that Mario almost couldn’t understand him. “I’m having that pins-and-needles feeling, like my legs are asleep, but I’m still walking just fine. Right? Do I look normal walking? Be honest. I…I can’t tell.” He looked sleepy, and then he suddenly looked frightened, unfocused, as though he wasn’t even sure where he was at all. “Wait. Am I upside down? Mario…”

It happened so fast. With one last shuddery breath, Luigi’s eyes rolled back into his head. He started to fall backwards, about to topple down a nearly full flight of stairs.

Mario’s heart seized. “Luigi!”

He covered several steps in one desperate jump. Somehow, he managed to get one arm around his brother and pull him back with every last scrap of strength he had left, crushing their bodies together. The other arm, he wrenched over and around the railing blindly, worn metal scratching and squeaking against him painfully as he struggled to hold onto it. For a long, agonizing moment, the fight against gravity seemed like it was going to be too much to overcome, and Mario, teeth gritted, mentally prepared himself to turn them around in the air so he would take the brunt of the long fall. But miraculously, his shoes found enough purchase on the steps, and his aching grip lasted just long enough for Mario to pull their combined weight back in the other direction. The two collapsed in a heap against the ascending stairs instead.

Mario’s gasping breaths seemed like the only sound in the world, the echoes bouncing wildly all around.

“Luigi,” he finally managed to wheeze — quiet at first, then again, much louder. As gently and carefully as he could manage, he scooted up into a sitting position and turned his brother over onto his back, cradling him. He was still out cold. Mario patted his face. “Hey, Luigi. Come on, Lu, wake up for me, all right? I’m here. I’ve gotcha.” He patted a little harder, steadfastly ignoring the way his hands were trembling at that point. Every second passing with no change stretched on, an eternity and then some. “You’re all right, everything’s all right. Come on, Luigi, snap out of it…”

Up close, Luigi looked extremely pale, sweat beaded along the line of his cap. How had Mario not noticed that before? He’d been too caught up with all the cleanup efforts, too distracted by Peach and Toad and the thought of that hypothetical house. How could he not see that Luigi was starting to struggle? What kind of brother was he?

The kind that does something really, REALLY stupid because of pride or "destiny" or whatever you wanna call it. The kind that not only drags his brother down with him to do the stupid thing, but almost gets him killed because of it.

Mario's shoulders sagged. He gripped Luigi tighter, pressing his little brother's face close to the crook of his neck, if only to try and desperately ground himself in the knowledge that he could feel him breathing still, at least. Their injuries were gone, it was true, but for Mario, it was suddenly like the star had just shifted the pain around instead. He could feel it pressing up from under his skin, a deep well that was ready to split him open all the way through if he let it.

It no longer seemed like he'd just been in a magical world on a whirlwind adventure, or that he'd defeated a spiked turtle monster with anger issues and saved Brooklyn in a glorious, technicolor blur. Now, he was just a small, ordinary man in a dark sewer room underground, exhausted and terrified and unable to help the person he loved most.

All of a sudden, Luigi jolted under his hands. “Noooo more flambé for me, thankyouverymuch, I’m-a good!” He shouted, the words slurred together to the point of being nearly unintelligible. With a handful of slow, very confused blinks, he finally managed to focus on Mario’s extremely relieved face overhead. “Waaaaaaait. Whuh happen?”

Mario bundled up all those sharp, aching feelings behind a new wall and regathered himself. No matter what, he was going to stay strong, stay in control. He needed to do that for Luigi’s sake. There was no other choice. “You went down like a big sack of bricks, ya lug,” he tried to joke, even as his voice cracked badly on the last word. “Nearly gave me a heart attack! Are you okay?”

Luigi considered this information, eyes unclouding bit by bit. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, soft, a little embarrassed. “Y-Yeah, I think I’m good. I, uh, don’t really know what happened there! It was like…it all just hit me at once, I guess.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Mario worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “When’s the last time you slept, bro?”

Discomfort crept into Luigi’s expression at that. He looked away from Mario, not able to meet his gaze for more than a few seconds at a time. “Well, I dunno if I — I was wandering around for a while, and then I couldn’t really sleep in that cage, y’know? All that lava made the metal real hot, so I had to keep moving to not get burned, and you have no idea how hard it is to nod off when there’s a creepy star laughing its head — body? — head off in the next cage over, and, and...well, I’m sure I got an hour here and there,” he scoffed lightheartedly, waving off the thought with a wobbly sweep of his hand through the air. “Nothing worse than those all-nighters in high school!”

“You almost had a nervous breakdown because of those all-nighters,” Mario said. His grip on Luigi’s shoulder tightened, fingers winding snug in the green material. “And…what about food? Water? We’ve been go-go-go all day. I didn’t even think about…”

A brand-new sense of dawning horror came over Mario, sudden enough that he trailed off. He couldn't remember them ever taking a break, even sitting down in the shade for a few minutes. There'd just been so much to do, so many people in need of help, and the two of them had felt so good, laughing and joking and keeping up with no problems whatsoever. The time had flown by. But now...

“Pfft, who needs it?” Luigi said, extremely casually and extremely unconvincingly. He coughed, closing his eyes again for a long moment, resting his cheek sleepily against Mario’s chest. “Hmm. A guard gave me some sips a couple of times? And there was some weird bread. I think it was bread. Who even knows? It was stale like croutons. Not like the really good garlic ones Ma makes, though. These were like…like erasers or something. Blech.”

A few sips of water and some "bread." A couple of hours of sleep, if that. Luigi was on his own, scared and struggling and eventually imprisoned in a maniac’s floating lava airship, for over two full days.

“Well, no wonder you passed out,” Mario sighed, rough and very quiet. He had to talk like that — any louder, and his voice was going to become too unwieldy. It already felt like someone had promptly stuffed his heart into a blender and cranked it up to the highest setting. “Speaking of Ma, she’s probably got a full spread out by now. I’m gonna get you home, you’re gonna eat until you pop, and,” he had to pause for a moment to swallow, his throat hurting, “and then you’re gonna sleep until you can’t anymore, okay? That’s what we’re doing.”

Luigi sighed too, his smile resurfacing. “Man, that sounds like heaven. What are we waiting for?” He started to sit up with newfound determination, only for the dizzying sight of the stairs descending down into the dark beneath them to make his motions distinctly more rubbery again in a hurry. He sunk back into Mario’s arms, breathing faster, eyes closed again.

“Just, uh, one more minute," he half-wheezed. "Nothing to worry about, I’m getting up right now, I swear, but…is it just me or is it really, really hot down here? Those burns I had, they’re all gone, which is great, but I can still kindaaaa feel them? Is that a medical thing? Or am I freaking out? Because, heh, it’s starting to feel like I might be freaking out, and not to toot my own horn but some might consider me an expert when it comes to the signs of freaking out—”

“Just breathe, Lu,” Mario interjected, gently but firmly, the way he always did when Luigi got lost in a thought process that wasn’t going to lead him anywhere good in a hurry. “We can wait as long as ya need. No rush at all.”

Mario pressed back the brim of Luigi’s cap so he could brush his hairline soothingly, wipe away the sweat. He leaned down, gathering Luigi close enough to bump their foreheads together so they could breathe in slow, deep unison. He’d done that little motion to Luigi their whole lives, an unspoken shorthand that only they understood. When his little brother was scared or anxious, touching foreheads was a way to make the world smaller, less overwhelming, if only for a few seconds. It was an easy way to say: who cares about any of that? Focus on me instead. It’s just the two of us. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.

(And he’d tried, hadn’t he? He tried, and he hadn’t been good enough this time, when it mattered most. Luigi had suffered because he couldn’t hold on tightly enough. Because he hadn’t fought harder, been smarter, pushed to move faster throughout every part of the trip. And at the end when he’d finally found his brother? It had just been dumb luck, really. He’d squinted up at all the cages at the right time through the haze of the lava heat, breathless from the climb and still half-focused on trying to stay in the air without plummeting, and he’d seen his brother fall, and his body had just reacted without any thought, desperation and adrenaline screaming in his veins, the only word in his head echoing out as faster, faster, FASTER. And if one little thing had gone differently — if he hadn’t found that specific powerup, if he hadn’t figured out how to use it properly, if he'd been looking anywhere else, if he’d misjudged the speed or simply missed his grab entirely — then that would have been it, and it would have been all his fault. The sight felt seared into Mario’s head, something he could see whether his eyes were open or closed. He saw Luigi tumbling in the air, terrified and yelling and out of control, hurtling towards the lava at full speed. Only this time, he couldn’t reach him, he couldn’t move at all, he could only watch helplessly and in horror as he—)

“Mario?” Luigi asked quietly. “Are you okay?”

Mario jolted back into the moment. He was breathing too hard, too fast; a tremor ran through him, bone-deep. Luigi was holding one of his arms, his eyes big and shining with newfound worry.

Mario smiled reassuringly for him, as easy and unthinking as a reflex. He took Luigi’s hand and wedged his fingers through his with a tight squeeze, resolving not to let go again until they were safely at home. That awful drowning feeling was rippling all through him, but he could keep his head above it if he focused hard enough, if he refused to let it sneak up on him again. He could do that. He would do that, no matter what it took.

With a slew of careful, slow-going movements, the two brothers finally stood up together on the stairs.

“Don’t worry about me,” Mario said, and turned to lead the way. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here."

#mario movie #mario movie spoilers #super mario bros #mario and luigi #mareach #super mario bros movie #cherrysip fic #super mario bros movie spoilers #a succinct summary of this part: things are going great! and then things are going not so great :(#this feels very derivative of other people's fics but hey that's what happens when you take over a month to delve into your own #post-movie scenario - everyone's done most of the common things before lololol. I GOTTA JUST BE OKAY WITH THAT #anyway much MUCH more to come as soon as i can make it happen! thank you for reading - i appreciate you all!#(also i always hate having to say it but please do not tag this as ship!!! just don't!!!)

196 notes · View notes

stabbystiletto · 9 months

Text

It's a pretty small part, but I dunno I always liked it lol 😅

A strange woman has been seen eyeing the Vicomtesse's car, but it's probably fine 🙂

(wait is that a crowbar)

It's fiiiiiiine 🙃

#the phantom of the opera #the opera ghost #erik #eris #genderbend #rule 63 #stabbyscribbles #i tried to write out my thoughts on this like two different times but the tags just kept getting ridiculously long lololol 😅😅😅#like 22+ tags long lol 😅😅😅#so to be brief it's a very short passage in the book but it always painted a very vivid visual lol 😆#when you consider the events that happened right before and then what happens right after lol #also in a modern setting the phantom would have 100% planted some sort of explosive device in raoul's car lololol 💥💥💥#you cannot convince me otherwise lolol😌😌😌#what does that have to do with her holding a crowbar in the pic??#✨️💖aesthetic 💖✨️😌😌😌🤣🤣🤣#also the background is not super clear but it's *supposed* to be a parking garage like one of those underground ones lol 😅

62 notes · View notes

lvminisciel · 9 days

Text

dance macabre

let us have this dance of macabre!

strums of lullaby accompany our steps

spectators of all kinds eagerly waiting in silence

people of all race, of all ages

humans and fae alike, mingling into one

isn't this what you always long for, my dearest?

rub away your tears, if you would

look above, my dear!

look how the ceilings crumbled,

forging a path upon the starry skies

under the sea of stars shall we waltz with grace

one step forward, two steps back

a tango everyone desires

now then, don your brightest smiles!

as we are the prima donna of this palace

knightly boots replacing glass slippers

briars and thorns, prettier than roses

mere infatuations and lust desist,

only loyalty alone shall exist

hush now, dear

do not loathe me amidst parada

cease your sadness at once

bury your soul deep within one’s eyes

never let those speckles of aurora

be tarnished by the mere sight of carcass

for I have bestowed you the honor

of taking my hand for this dance

moving in front ochos,

I whisper to you eternal happiness

a promise that’ll never go unkept

holier than the eternal slumber

oh, if only the crowd would cheer!

rather than rotting beneath our feet

but fret not, my dear

as we have a long night ahead of us!

#tw // disturbing themes #malleus x silver #mallesil #malleus draconia #silver vanrouge #ths is basically the bad ending of book 7 #where despite everyone's efforts they r unable to stop his overblot #leading him to exhaust his magic till none is left #what happens when the caster's magic is depleted #what'll happen to those falling victims of his um #no one knows #but here i hc them slowly rotting & decaying #stuck in samsara of dreams; their consciousness slowly slipping away as death seeps in #as his magical reserve are getting thinner his time-stopping barrier would fade as well #and mother nature will took over the bodies; decomposing it w/ no mercy #w/ the last bit of his magic; malleus used it to wake silver for one final dance #and voila! here we are #no; there'll be no magic saving us this time #malleus is lying yall theres no 'long night' they'll die approximately after twilight lololol #sorry not sorry #his magic just wouldn't last for both of them any longer #as for how much time had been spent before that? i leave it to ur thoughts :>#'why the cinderella reference diasomnia is based on sleeping beauty' hv u considered tht perhaps the author loves cendrillon #no the author certainly did not research on tango steps & watching how to tango tutorials wdym #miè writes ✍️#miè's poems #one more thing!!#unlike the prev ones- this one was actually made today!!#so enjoy while it's still fresh!! fresh outta the oven!! >:D #....ths is the last one for today i promise

15 notes · View notes

storge · 2 years

Photo

Who Rules the World

476 notes · View notes

ursifors · 7 months

Text

deeply embarrassing for vikram not a single person said vik stan and a lot of chat was like logan stan for lyfe

#he keeps trying to get me banned LOLOLOL #yelling #subathon #what the fuck is HAPPENING #vik

25 notes · View notes

etre-grantaire · 1 year

Text

So we are approaching what is probably going to be Scary’s lowest point, but oh god I think there is so much opportunity for Terry Jr to reach out to her right now and I really really need that to happen.

Like the parallels are right there, and I think that Terry is uniquely in a position to reach Scary where she is—being manipulated by a father figure purporting to care about her but really just using her for his own ends. Like Terry has been there and lived it and almost got the people who love him killed because of it.

I think that maybe Terry forgot how he felt about Ron at first, how hard it can be to have someone come into your life without your decision and without your consent and then try to love you, because it seems like from the moment they bonded in the forgotten realms they ended up having a pretty good relationship (because Ron’s emotionally available now!). And I think that maybe he blocked it out or softened his memories and that’s why he’s struggling with Scary—he doesn’t remember how hard it was with Ron to start with and he’s just projecting the good relationship they ended up with onto Scary. But this might be a wake up call as to how far she’s slipped away. He’s watching the past repeat itself, but now he is in a position to help her.

I feel like Link is really going to struggle with forgiving Scary because his dads are everything to him and he already spent so much time worrying about Marco, and now Scary has just dragged him into this world by facilitating a murder at his dinner party. And if Grant was hurt during the escape (“you should see the other guy”) I think it would be really hard for him to come back from that. The two people he cares most about in the world have been seriously hurt by Scary’s actions and this might be a breaking point for him.

Normal I think will really want to forgive her and bring her back to them but I think he has too much of the Oak anger in him and even though he’s trying to control it, I don’t think that he’s ready for a situation like this, where Scary is probably going to do everything she can to push him away and hurt him. And I think that without Link’s support he probably won’t have the confidence to try and reach out by himself.

Taylor would probably be the most okay with the actual murder, but the fact that Scary did it without talking it through with them may seem like evidence that his dad is right and he can’t even trust his friends, and he might pull away. While I can see him trying to talk to Normal and Link about Scary’s point of view (clearly trying to be Tony Pepperoni’s friend wasn’t working, and they had already spent 2 months trying with no result, and I think that the Close-Foster-Swift family has a kind of maybe cold practicality to them at times when it’s not their loved ones getting hurt), I don’t see him reaching out independently to her. He’ll also probably be more focused on what this means for his mom and if she’s going to be safe, now that he’s seen Willy kill someone when they become inconvenient with no regards to consequences.

So I feel like it will really need to be Terry who reaches out to bring Scary back from Willy and offers her another father figure but on her own terms, and help to bridge the gap between them. Having Terry Jr look at her after what she’s done and tell her I see you, I know you (I am you), and I still love you would just be so powerful. I’ve seen the worst of you and I’m still here.

He’s not the step dad, he’s the dad who’s going to step up.

#But lololol I know that probably isn’t going to happen bc iirc Anthony wants the npcs to be reactive rather than proactive #which does make sense from a role playing perspective #and I think I remember him saying that he regretted how early on Terry and Ron fixed their relationship #soooo #I don’t think he’ll have Terry be the one reaching out and definitely not any time soon #the boys will probably try their best #BUT #A GIRL CAN DREAM #let’s keep the stampler family the only emotionally available family in the series #(although side note do we even know what last name Terry Jr uses?#I think I remember Link referring to him at Mr. Marlowe in an episode and he doesn’t correct him #although Link also later refers to him as Mr. Stampler #does he take Ron’s last name?#what was Terry Sr’s last name?#plot twist: his last name is actually Junior #Terry Junior and Terry Sr. Junior)#dungeons and daddies #dungeons and daddies spoilers #dndads #dndads s2 spoilers #scary marlowe #terry jr #terry stampler #i just don’t know

81 notes · View notes

nemo-of-house-hamartia · 9 months

Text

Monday Draft - The Witches of Månenshavn

*hello hello! decided to reupload my small drabble about my very super self indulgent AU. Blame the weather, but autumn just brought all the witchy vibes in me! Enjoy!*

(.......)

Sitting on the cozy couch, Dorothea looked out of the huge glass window of the sunroom. From the distance, she could see the city lights, twinkling against the black of the night like diamonds kissed by sunlight.

The first thing that made her feel like she wasn’t in England anymore was the quiet, warm stillness that lingered in the air.

Their house was sitting far enough that the lights would not pollute the vision of the sky above her.

Through the glass roof, she could see so many stars twinkling, and the moon herself with her silvery light - only a thin sliver showing, as she prepared to hide from view in the nights ahead.

She took a velvet pillow from the other side of the couch and put it behind her back, before tugging her blanket tighter around her shoulders: it wasn’t cold at all, despite the first signs of autumn that were starting to peak through the days. Still, she always liked to be cocooned.

The couch was as cozy as she remembered it being: so soft it felt like sinking in a cloud. With a low chuckle, Dorothea caressed the ridges of the threads Colette had used for the embroidering on the backseat of Dorothea’s favourite spot: silvers and gold and white against a midnight blue velvet, a star shining alone against the immensity of the night sky.

“I must say, I love what you have done to the sofa,” Dorothea said, turning to look toward the shadows of the adjacent room.

“I knew you would have approved,” she heard a low velvety voice chuckle back at her. “Can’t sleep, Sugar Plum?”

“Not quite,” she answered with a smile, turning to look. Even if the woman was still concealed in the shadows, she didn’t need her eyes to know where she was. “ You would think that the journey had worn me out, and by now I would be snoring like Lucia. Yet, I cannot. The Moon must be in my blood tonight,”

“As she always is, bichette. She never seems to leave you; much like the stars themselves, I dare say, considering the amount of stardust I always find in your trail,”

Dorothea’s laughter filled the room, accompanied by Colette’s own husky one, as the tall dark-haired woman finally entered the sunroom, the light of dark candles kissing her skin. Dorothea saw that she was looking at her with unmistakable affection, leaning against the door frame, wrapped in the same pajama of dark silk she always remembered her having.

Colette De Beaumont was a woman of rare beauty but, Dorothea thought, that beauty didn’t come just from her bright happy eyes or her chiseled features.

It came from her soul and such a splendid one it was.

She had never known a kinder woman, a more generous one.

Even now, as she was looking upon her, she was beaming, as if the sun itself was shining from within her, her tender face and her kind eyes filled with such soft light that Dorothea always felt at peace when she looked at her.

“Do you mind if I join you?” Colette finally asked,

“Not at all,” Dorothea answered, patting the spot just beside her.

Colette plopped on the couch, tucking her feet under her own legs. With a small gesture of her hand, directed toward the kitchen, she had her own cauldron bubbling away in minutes, and a fragrant perfume filled the air.

“Mmm, Lavander…” murmured Dorothea, scooting a little closer to Colette and enveloping her in the same blanket she was using.

“Freshly harvested this morning, bichette. Your wind alerted us of your arrival, so I thought you would appreciate”

Dorothea chuckled, cheeks turning red from joy.

“Was Lucia miffed?”

“That you almost made her fall from her hammock? Just a little,”

An impish smile appeared on Dorothea’s lips, mirrored by Colette. She leaned against the back of the sofa, taking in a deep sigh of relief, nestling her head in the pillows.

“I missed all of this. These smells, these colours, you and Lucia…it had been immensely hard being away from you two,” she murmured, taking Colette’s hand in hers and giving it a little squeeze.

“Did you at least find what you were looking for in London?”

Dorothea sighed, raising her eyes toward the sky.

“Not entirely. I tried to make contact with the Coven presiding over London, but no one could help me decipher the dreams. Or rather, they did, but the answers were… inconclusive. I still do not know what to think of it,”

“Could it be that this time your dreams were only that? Dreams?”

Dorothea sighed again, murmuring a small “thank you” when a cup of freshly brewed tea floated in her hand. She smiled when she noticed that Colette had used her favorite set of china.

“I know not. I cannot be sure. And I hate not having answers," she whispered, pursing her lips in a thin line.

Part of her wanted to agree with Colette.

Part of her, the most irrational one, kept believing that there was something interwoven in the weft of her dreams, a warning of some sort.

Against whom, she didn’t know.

Colette remained silent, as she looked at the younger woman lost in thoughts, and sad to see that the melancholy hadn’t left her eyes.

“Well, at least you had this handsome rugged fellow keeping you company, am I right?” Colette said, gently caressing the feather of the crow that was sitting on the back of the couch. The raven gave out a deep croak, his hackles fluffing up as if to show how the shine of his feathers. “If I didn’t know any better, I would assume that your little friend here is rather pleased with my compliment,”

Dorothea rolled her eyes with a small smile.

“Tell me about it. We almost lost the proper current that would carry us back home, because Belial here was too busy preening at his wings,”

As if to answer her, the raven let out another croak, jumping on her shoulder to peck at her hair. But the pecks were light and the familiar had no intention of hurting her.

“Did you call for him?”

Dorothea shook her head, her short curls bouncing with the movement.

“He found me. I was sitting on top of the Big Ben, just taking in the view of the City, and he arrived to keep me company. He has been with me ever since,”

“Sounds almost like someone sent him to watch over you,”

Dorothea turned to look at the bird, his dark eyes shining with a playful light. She scrunched her nose as she smiled, stroking her nose against the bird’s shiny beak.

“Sounds like it,” she giggled.

Then, she turned serious again, looking outside the window that faced the seaside.

“I will miss the rain,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she remembered all the nights spent awake, when her dreams kept her awake and insomnia got the best of her, and all she could do was stay up and read a book. The pitter-patter of the raindrops against the windows of her room in the old manor that was her residency while in England had always felt like gentle company.

“Månenhavn is not that bad,” Colette murmured, caressing her hair and landing a kiss on top of her head. “You’ll see, with autumn coming soon, you will feel at home again in no time. And with Lucia now joining us for good, our powers will keep this place safe and sound,”

“I was so happy when you wrote me about her return. I felt so bad about leaving you alone to protect the city-”

Colette pinched her lips between her fingers, smiling that warm smile that made everyone feel at home.

“I won’t listen to another word, Dorlé. You needed to follow your path, and I am honestly happy that you did. Besides, your banishing spell was strong enough that it kept all the Banes at bay. Not even the clouds managed to pass through - which caused a little problem with the local climate, but my brother came to lend me a hand and we solved the problem before it could turn into something more serious,”

Dorothea giggled, muttering a small “sorry” before asking: “How are Antoine and Mathias faring?”

Colette faltered a moment, before answering, and Dorothea noticed her moment of hesitancy.

Something had happened, she could see it in the woman's amber eyes.

(…)

#Nemo Writes #The Witches of Månenshavn #Dorothea Starrick #Colette De Beaumont #Lucia Barbarigo #Assassin's Creed #my ocs #my writing #I am in a witchy mood what can I say?#the weather definitely helps #and I need my cozy self indulgent AU lololol #with my girls and their loved ones #cannot wait to see what's gonna happen once Jacob Arno and Federico arrive #💖#witches #witchcraft

24 notes · View notes

iceeericeee · 6 months

Text

I wonder how many tags i can add on to this

#there must be SOME kind of a limit otherwise posts would get suuuuuuper duper long like is it just 30?#idk but i'm going to find out by simply maxxing out the character limit for each tag and finding out the limit of tags for each post lololo #this is gonna be great. i just have to remember to type without ever using the comma. it shouldn't be too hard right? fuck i almost typed #the comma i'm already bad at this smh my head. also if your still here i commend you. you have a better attention span than i do.#i'm already starting to get bored holy shit this is not happening. i gotta power through this. FOR SCIENCEEEEEEEEEE. or somethinggggggggggg #but fr idk what else to say. maybe just saying that i don't know what to say will be good enough? but does that even count?#I don't even know anymore. ffffffffuck. this is gonna be a while huh? also holy shit if you're still here omg u deserve like. a prize or #something because u definitely didn't have to stay and read all of this bull shit. lololol i typed out bs but decided to just spell the who #thing out just to make it go by faster. i'm so lazy. this is only the nineth tag HOW will i make it to 30. i am sobbing the adhd is adhding #very hard rn. are you still here? bruh this is insane. i have somehow managed to keep ur attention this long and it's just me spouting #absolute balderdash. wait do you know what balderdash even means? i don't care if you do already i'm gonna tell you anyway. balderdash is #basically just another word for nonsense. boom. you learned something new today. balderdash equals nonsense equals this damn post.#why did i decide to do this in the first place. it was a dumb idea. i don't know if i can even keep going. this is only the *counts tags*#it's the 14th tag. we've got a long way to go boys. men. soldiers. comrads. friends. besties peeps. marshmallows.#where was i going with this? oh yeah. trying to max out the limit for tags. dang i almost typed a comma there. i haven't done that since #i think the third or fourth tag. dang that feels like such a long time ago. not for you guys probably. it feels longer because i have to li #type it all out and stuff. so it's definitely gonna feel longer for me. are you still here? good lord don't you have better things to #be doing than reading all of this? we're already on tag number 18. it feels like i should be on the thirtyeth by now. or however it's spell #'toast' you might be wondering 'why are you typing out the names of the numbers instead of say '9' or '5'?' well you see. young one.#this is a strategy i'm using to make each tag slightly longer. even if i don't know how to spell it. it'll make it just a little bit longer #anyway. i got off topic. not that there was ever a topic to begin with. unless it's about making this as long as i can.#which i am apparently good at doing. i guess. are you STILL here? do you seriously have nothing to do? i guess i'm flattered you stayed thi #whole time. instead of reading something else you stayed here. with me. listening to me talk. on the twenty-third tag. oh yeah its tag 23 #except now it's tag twenty-four. how crazy is that. this little talk is almost over. only 6 tags away if memory serves right. this's strang #i kind of don't want this to end. but i know it should. after all there is a limit. but all things must come to and end at some point i gue #i'm running out of things to say. it's probably a good thing it's almost over. hahahahah............... but i don't want to go. i don't wan #to leave this post. i've worked so hard on it. and for what. just for it to end. are you still here? yes? good. i'd hate to end this alone.#thank you for indulging me and my craziness. the end is only 2 tags away now. you can go ahead and leave. i'll be okay on my own. really...#...you're still here? i- i don't know what to say. i suppose a toast is in order. perhaps. for this journey. this stupid dumb post i though #would be fun. i'll make it short. it's the last tag after all. this was fun. but i will never do it again. so long as a i live. i'll miss y

14 notes · View notes

marcmorrigan · 1 year

Text

bad news dude i just talked to the doctor and your babyface is incurable. yeah youre stuck like that. yeah its probably for forever sorry

OC, he/him for angelo, thnx!

#my art #basic color #my ocs #still waters #angelo #wow another autistic trans protag who wears red shoes and cant sit right. florals. for spring. groundbreaking. etc #had sooo much fun playing around w the style for this... rlly enjoying the chunky lines in combination w my usual sketch style #angelos red chucks w the laces tied around the ankles r so vital 2 me... i lov giving my OCs my own traits/habits/etc lol #speaking of habits. back at it again w the bi flag overlay lololol. i dont even think angelo is bi. im pretty sure hes just gay #he might be bi idk. he has partners who are Not Men #or at least Not Always Men #ANYWAY. i was listening 2 mazzy star while i worked on this can u tell #also he is SOOO baby in the face to me... this man is nearing 30 and looks like an INFANT. at least hes tallish #not that u can tell since hes always curled up and sitting and folded and crouching etc #u unfold him and theres like 7 extra inches of man that u didnt expect #which is also what happens when you f--

31 notes · View notes

aerodaltonimperial · 11 months

Text

TK, sending out an email on a Friday night in March: 🤔🤔🤔 Also TK, forgetting that 2 weeks ago HR implemented a new policy where emails are auto-censored to lower the possibility of lawsuits: 😎😎😎 Jack and Darby getting the email that says "make it look like you really just want to ki** each other": absolutely can do TK emerging later from an 8-week bender: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT Jack and Darby: yeah we really nailed this, man TK: I SAID MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO KILL EACH OTHER Jack: ... Darby: ... Jack: oh. Darby: huh. Jack: that's...that's a whole different set of vibes. Darby: yeah that one...might be on us honestly

#this is definitely what happened lololol

20 notes · View notes

stabbystiletto · 7 months

Text

"They're all gonna laugh at you!!! 😫😫😫"

Okay so please consider a modern highschool au wherein it is senior prom. The theme this year is "A Night at the Masquerade," and Christine Daaé, feeling remorseful over a particular bullying incident, has asked the weird kid in class to prom.

But Carlotta, spiteful over being banned from prom after walking out on detention over said bullying incident, enlists the help of Firmin to set up a nasty little surprise over the stage 😏😏😏😈😈😈🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

#phantom of the opera #poto #erik #eris #genderbend #rule 63 #red death #mashup/au whatever you wanna call it thingy lol #poto/carrie #okay but they are the same character and i won't hear otherwise lololol 😆😆😆#also do you see the problem with the dress? specifically the color lol 😅#red blood won't really show up on a red dress lololol 🤣🤣🤣#carrie au where she wears a red dress to prom and after the bucket falls she's like 😱😱😱 but then everyone is just like ❓️❓️❓️so #she carries on like nothing happened lololol 🤣🤣🤣 is that what they call 'fix-it fic' lololol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣#anyways i think she looks really beautiful here ☺️☺️☺️🥰🥰🥰#i dont know i must be doing something wrong the Phantom isn't supposed to be pretty lololol 😅😅😅😬😬😬#stabbyscribbles

14 notes · View notes

beskad · 2 months

Text

me every day: yes, I understand that I have ptsd. yes, it will frequently disrupt my life in sometimes (seemingly) random ways. sometimes this will necessitate leaving work or disclosing things about myself to a supervisor or friend or bystander because it's freaking them out and THEY are now panicking and often wanting to call me an ambulance. this is just a fact. it's fine. i'm dealing with it. most years are easier than the ones before them. it's fine.

me when my ptsd is actually triggered: what is happening right now. why can't I breathe. why can't I stand up. why do I feel like I'm about to throw up and die. oh, I know!!! I must be having an allergic reaction to something!!!! I'm suddenly coming down with the flu in the span of 3 minutes!!! this is so weird!!!!!!!

#EDIT: talk of PTSD proceed with caution #it's morphed a little over the years lololol #used to present as very obvious and unmistakable panic attacks with crying and hyperventilating #10 years later and it's quieter. 70% of the time the whole world just shrinks to a 1 foot bubble around me and everything goes dark #at least i didn't actually throw up this time around #and i was able to pinpoint the trigger about 2 hours in #once i was able to think again #and it was a song. 30 seconds of a song.#noticed right away that something felt wrong so i hit stop #but it was too late lmao within 5 minutes it was hard to breathe and the room was spinning and within 10 i crawled upstairs and passed out #but yeah like in the moment i often don't understand what's happening #i don't realize until I've passed out and woken up again #i had to lay down on the floor in the backroom of my retail job once and it scared the shit out of everyone #i usually stay somewhat lucid but i rarely realize I'm reacting to a trigger until after I've recovered #which means then I'm laying on a floor woozily insisting I'm fine #and then have the SUPER FUN TIME of having to explain everything after the fact once my brain and body are working again #I have a few long time coworkers who realize I've been triggered before I do lmao #They're like. Bro. You need to sit down. Right fucking now or you're gonna fall #rray.txt

4 notes · View notes

eorzeashan · 1 year

Text

ever since I read Dunmeshi I can't stop thinking about whether or not Ikaynids taste like snow crab...they look very meaty...

Lana makes you forage for supplies and water but wouldn't it be more prudent to learn survival skills and not waste rations in unfamiliar territory? That's probably an important skill the Alliance had to learn as a bunch of guerilla fighters.

In other words, I'm picturing a scene where Eight is examining the giant Ikaynid and all 89 of its babies that attack you in the Zakuul swamps and being like "we should eat these".

Ikaynid Sauté with Wild Swamp Veggies

Ingredients:

Giant Ikaynid

Ikaynid younglings

Filtered swamp water

Herbal swamp grass

Ginx Oil

Zakuulan Glowshrooms

ration seasoning to taste

Koth's unidentified alcohol from a flask ("hey!")

Directions:

Take a sharp vibroknife, preferably an armor-piercing variety and find an unclouded eye of your Giant Ikaynid. Stab down into the edges of the eyeball until you feel the cartilage pop loose. Continue sawing until you remove the hard layer that protects the Ikaynid eyeball: it should be as big as your average wok. Very sturdy! Can be used as rain covers or shields. Set aside once you have 2.

Separate your young Ikaynids by legs, thorax, and head. Remove eyeballs. Split the legs at the joints and crack, folding to remove the meat.

Flip the young Ikaynid thorax onto its back, and split the carapace into two. Pick out the cartilage and drain.

Trim the ends off your herbal swamp grass. Clean thoroughly with filtered swamp water to remove parasites. Chop into even sections with your vibroknife.

Grease your Ikaynid eyelid with Ginx Oil squeezed from the sacs of a fresh ginx. Place it over an open fire with the second eyelid over it as a pot lid. Wait for it to heat.

Wash your Zakuulan Glowshrooms; trim any inedible parts and gently clean off debris. If you've gathered excess, set half of them aside to dry for later usage. Chop into sizeable pieces.

Prepare your Ikaynid meat and sauté in your greased eyelid until it begins to dry. Add alcohol. Cover with the second eyelid and steam for 8-10 minutes over low heat.

Throw your Glowshrooms and swampgrass into the Ikaynid Eyelid pot. Remove your ration seasoning from the package and sprinkle generously. Sauté over medium until the desired moistness is achieved.

Serve to approx. 3-4 people in separate plates or eyelids.

The review:

"I'm not sure how I feel about eating something that tried to eat me a few minutes ago." Koth muttered, poking hesitantly at his dish with his utensils. The Ikaynid meat jiggled slightly at his provocations. Despite the captain's and Lana's open reluctance to eat the swamp predator's freshly cooked young, they had to admit...

Grumble. Lana and Koth glanced down in surprise at the sound reverberating from their stomachs, as if they didn't expect their own bellies to betray them. The mirth in Eight's eyes only glinted brighter in the darkness of their shelter, where he'd already begun sucking and shucking the meat out of boiled Ikaynid legs set aside for himself.

...It smelled good.

Lana glared at Eight, daring her agent to make fun of her as she grabbed an eyelid, scooping a small portion from the steamy makeshift pot into her makeshift plate. Somehow his innocuous chewing and innocent expression served to make her feel even more embarrassed, though one needed to throw away their pride when faced with situations such as these. Stars, how did she go from being Minister of Intelligence to eating spiders in a swamp?

No, if she thought any further down that road, she'd surely fall into greater depths of despair. Lana sat down with a thoroughly vexed expression on the nearest log picked clean of glowshrooms and stabbed the safest looking part of the dish to start with. Feeling eyes on her, she stopped bringing the morsel to her mouth and turned to spy Koth staring at her eagerly, his plate untouched.

She scowled darkly, prompting the captain to quickly look in another direction and begin whistling. So. Even her comrades had turned on her and were waiting for her to take the first poisonous bite. She would not be defeated so easily!

Mustering up her courage and her pride, Lana inhaled and bit the piping-hot section of ikaynid flesh and swampgrass, expecting the worst...

Her aureate eyes flew open. Juicy. A bit firm, like the stonefish she'd had on Manaan, but with its own distinct flavor that differed greatly from the awful smell she'd encountered wafting from its uncooked corpse. And what was this seasoning? Yes, very refined. The swampgrass' stems were hollow like reeds, allowing it to absorb much of the meaty juices and rich, aromatic flavor of the alcohol that combined with the grass' spry herbal flavor to make a sauce that contained sweet and bitter notes that tantalized the tongue.

She stabbed a plush slice of glowshroom, admiring its purple color. The mushroom was quite thick on its own and made a good meat substitute, but in this case, added an earthy undertone to the dish that cleansed the palate.

So lost in having a full meal the first nights since Korriban did she fail to notice the laser-focus her compatriots had gained watching her pick up speed at taking apart her dish; it was only until she'd cleaned it did she look up to increasingly wide grins.

Lana ignored them with a huff. She set down her plate. "It was very good. You would know that if you hadn't let your food grow cold, Koth."

The captain squawked and began digging in voraciously.

Lana set her piercing gaze on Eight, who seemed to be waiting too eagerly for her commentary.

She coughed into her sleeve. "I admit...I was wrong to pass up a meal. It would be a great boon if we could save on rations, wherever we could."

Eight continued to stare at her. Lana felt her professional demeanor slipping away by the second.

"And...I would not be opposed to having more."

Pleased by her reaction, Eight gave her a thumbs up, an Ikaynid leg dangling out of his mouth. Success!

#swtor #swtor fanfiction #what happened here. oops i wrote i whole snippet #lololol #lana beniko #koth vortena #oc: orradiz #knights of the meshi.#fic snippet at the bottom ofc #admin writes

26 notes · View notes