#player-0ne

[player-0ne]

Hariet Broodal - quick 45 min thing bc I just had a boss battle and the music was epic (don’t wanna spoil the details of the battle tho so I’ll just leave it as that).

[player-0ne]

--The Last Rose--

[player-0ne]

Mario For A Day - Prologue

Pairing: Peach x Pauline

Chapter Rating: T for Teen, nothing risque here

Story Rating: E for Explicit

Summary: Mario gets sick one day, and so he asks Pauline for a favor. Pauline very quickly realizes that she may be out of her league. This fic will most likely be rated M or E once future chapters are uploaded.

A03

Mario had been outstandingly helpful to Pauline when she had needed him the most, and so she was perfectly happy to return the favor when he wound up getting sick. After all, his immediate work was completely okay with him missing a day, and so all that she really needed to do was make sure that nothing in the Mushroom Kingdom caught on fire while he wasn’t looking. With Peach being a perfectly competent woman, Pauline thought that she had a pretty easy job. She was wrong.

Almost as soon as she was ready to get some of her other work done, she received a letter that had been sent to Mario and then re-addressed to her. Inside were two folded pieces of paper. One of them was pastel pink with very neat, small handwriting on it, and she chose this one first. It read:

“Dear Mario, I thought that it would be nice if we spent some time together. Would you like to chat over tea and cake? Princess Peach.”

Pauline blanched. It was a little unprofessional of Mario to send his girlfriend’s love letters to his ex-girlfriend. Unless… He did say to watch over the mushroom kingdom. Did he really want her to go on a date with his girlfriend? Was that what his idea of “filling in for me” entailed? Pauline shook her head, before her attention was grabbed by the next piece of paper. It was old and yellowed, and had Mario’s familiar handwriting on it. Pauline opened it up, taking a look.

“Dear Pauline, Every single time that I have ever gotten a letter from Peach asking that we go on a date, she’s been abducted. Seriously, every single time, without falter. I know that it’s a lot to ask, but could you just pay her a visit? Say it’s from me, thanks Mario.”

Pauline read and reread the letter, confused. So… he expected her to go hang out with his girlfriend whom she had never met. It was a lot to ask, but she supposed that she could understand his concern. Getting abducted was traumatizing, and she’d hate for that to happen to anyone, even Peach. She was thoroughly confused despite this. Was she supposed to bring anything? Should she just… show up? Eventually, she just decided to do Mario a huge solid and bring Peach some red roses, claiming that they were from him. That way, she also wouldn’t come empty handed.

When Pauline arrived at Peach’s castle, it was not without mild confusion from its residents. On second thought, strutting up to her front door with a bouquet of roses would look a little weird out of context. Toad still greeted her, and she explained why she was there, so he showed her to the room where Peach awaited. She didn’t know why, but she felt… uncomfortable.

Knocking politely on the princess’s door, she immediately realized why she felt uncomfortable.

“Come in,” chimed a voice. It was innocent but there were still some rather… implicit undertones, and suddenly, Pauline was not really sure that she wanted to come in. I mean the woman was waiting for Mario in her private quarters, anticipating a long period of time spent alone together. Pauline felt very, very out of her element. Regardless, she did as she was told, politely opening the door with an apologetic look.

“Mario sends his apologies-” she began, before looking at the room in front of her. Or rather, the woman in the room in front of her. Peach was… well, she was… something. Pauline politely looked away, blushing a little out of civility.

“Sorry, princess,” she said, “Mario sent me to see you. He’s sick today, you see…”

“And he sent you?” asked the woman. Her voice didn’t sound demeaning, just curious. Still, Pauline wished that Peach would get into a different position. It simply wasn’t decent, her entire calf was showing.

“Yes,” she responded, still looking away, “he wanted to make sure that you were okay. He said that in the past, sometimes your letters were cries for help, so he wanted me to check on you.”

“That’s sweet,” was the response, “I really was just looking to have some time with him, though. Thank you for coming on his behalf.” Pauline nodded.

“It’s no problem,” she said, finally returning her gaze to the woman. Sure, she was still a little exposed, but they were both girls, “anyway, he brought you some roses.” She closed the distance between the two of them, carefully handing the bouquet to Peach.

“He did?” Peach seemed skeptical, before smiling absently “that’s unusual.”

“If you really are fine then I’ll just take my leave now,” Pauline continued, taking a step back, “I’ll tell Mario you liked the roses and that you’re doing well.”

“You could stay for cake if you liked,” offered Peach, looking up at Pauline with a smile that she couldn’t really read.

“I’m… sorry?” asked Pauline.

“Well it would be a shame to let it go to waste, and I’m certainly not going to eat it all by myself,” responded Peach, standing up, “besides, it’ll be a chance to get to know you better.” Pauline really did not want to stay.

“I mean, I’ve still got to do a lot of paperwork for New Donk City-” she began, cut off abruptly.

“You should stay,” Peach insisted, softly but in a way that made Pauline think that she might not have any other option, “I think I’ll like your company.”

“Princess…” managed Pauline, utterly confused.

“Please,” chimed the woman, already headed to her balcony, “call me Peach.” Pauline could do nothing but follow her.

[player-0ne]

Mario For a Day - Chapter Six

Chapter Title: The First Rescue

Chapter Rating: T for Teen

Story Rating: E for Explicit

A03

Pauline awoke to sunlight streaming through the light-pink canopy of the extremely comfortable bed, feeling someone pressed up close against her chest, breathing evenly. Right, she and Peach had spent the night together again. The princess was curled up, arms wrapped loosely around Pauline, and she seemed to be smiling in her sleep. Pauline wanted so badly to stay, but she could only imagine what would happen if Toad were to come in for his daily duties and find them there.

He was in charge of waking Peach and dressing her. While the princess and the mayor both found that tradition to be extremely silly, it was also necessary for a woman of her status to meet a very specific dress code, and Toad was always there to make sure that she did.

That was why Pauline had to leave. Lying together with nothing to conceal them besides the bedsheets was hardly an appropriate way for Toad to find them, and he usually came in an hour after sunrise. Pauline took Peach’s hands into her own, gently extracting herself from the woman’s embrace. A little sadly, she left a kiss on the woman’s forehead, tucking her in and going to put her clothes on in order to go out into the world.

Just as she finished buttoning her blazer -fortunately, she kept many clean changes of clothes in Peach’s wardrobe now, hidden at the back- she heard the woman in the bed begin to shift. Turning just in time, Pauline saw Peach sit up and stretch, the sheets sliding down and off of her body.

She looked like a goddess in the sunlight, and Pauline couldn’t help but go over to greet her.

“Good morning, princess,” she murmured, sitting next to her on the bed, “up a little early this morning, are we?” Peach mumbled something incoherent, wrapping her arms around Pauline from behind and pulling her into a hug. Pauline chuckled.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Stay with me,” murmured Peach, “just a little longer.”

“Toad comes in an hour,” Pauline gently reminded her.

“I don’t care.” Peach pouted stubbornly, resting her head on Pauline’s shoulder “I want you with me. I’m a grown woman, I should be allowed to sleep with whomever I want.”

“But you’re a monarch,” sighed Pauline.

“Yeah…” mumbled Peach, closing her eyes, “but you’re so warm. Everything else is always so cold.”

“Such is life, princess,” said Pauline, “but I’ll be back for you, probably in a day’s time.”

Peach, in a manner very unbecoming of a princess, flopped backwards onto the bed, bringing Pauline with her. The other woman chuckled, kicking off her high heels and turning around to face her.

“Hey!” she said playfully, “you know I can’t stay. The toads get up soon, I need to leave now or they’ll see me leaving the castle and know that I stayed the night.” Peach didn’t seem to be listening.

“You put your clothes on…” she said, sounding a little disappointed, “I like it when I can hold you without this stuff in-between us.” Pauline smiled.

“Come on, Peach. I have to go,” she said, trying very weakly to stand up. Peach kept her down, and she definitely didn’t protest.

“Take me with you…” murmured Peach.

“Would you really like that?” asked Pauline.

“Huh?” asked Peach, seeming more awake.

“I told you that I’d take you to my city when you want to take a day, just for the two of us. Would you like to go now?” asked Pauline. Peach looked at her, seeming a little forlorn and rejected.

“Yes, I really, really want to,” she said, “but…”

“The kingdom,” Pauline finished for her.

“Yes, the kingdom…” muttered Peach. She sighed, eventually forcing herself to let go of Pauline and immediately feeling the emptiness in her arms once the woman stood, putting her heels back on.

“Hey, I love you,” said Pauline. Peach huffed, pretending to be grouchy with her for leaving. Pauline smiled, tousled the princess’s hair, and left.

Peach would regret her lack of response for the rest of her life. She would regret not going with her, and would regret not asking her to stay with such conviction that she just couldn’t say no. Pauline would only come back once before it happened, but Peach didn’t know that yet.

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The loud, blaring whistle of a train woke Pauline from her slumber. She felt a lot better than she had in Bowser’s castle, and she was ready to face the world again. Goombrielle was sitting next to her, looking at the map and occasionally glancing out of the train windows at the tall sand dunes. The train slowly chugged to a stop, and Pauline could see the steel support beams of a train station whizz past the train until it pulled to a complete stop.

“Attention all passengers: This is the end of the line, Dry, Dry, Desert. Please disembark the train at this time, and mind the gap.” The announcement boomed over the intercom, and Pauline stood up with Goombrielle in tow, leading her off of the train and into the blisteringly hot air of the desert.

“Woo! Yeah, that’s a desert alright!” Goombrielle explained, holding the map up for Pauline to see, “now we’ve gotta go north for a really long time, so make sure you’ve got water and nutrients. You wouldn’t wanna pass out out there, I’d try to drag you back, but you’re four times my size.”

“Thanks, Goombrielle,” said Pauline, “where exactly is our destination?”

“Oh stars it’s way out there in the middle-a nowhere,” responded Goombrielle, leading the way out into the desert, “I mean at least that Toad guy helped me find it, or else we’d just be wandering for a long time until we somehow stumbled across it. It’s a pretty obscure ruin.”

“Hold up,” said Pauline, “is that a sentient, seven-foot-tall cactus?” There was something very tall and very spiky moving towards them at a relatively frightening speed.

“So it is,” said Goombrielle, “that’s a Pokey. Run.” She led the way and they both sprinted away from the sentient cactus. Once they were sure that they’d lost it, Goombrielle slowed back down to a walk.

“Woah! I’m outta breath,” she said, “can we just.. Sit down for a minute? Have some water?” Pauline nodded, pulling a bottle of water out of her purse and handing it to Goombrielle. They took turns drinking from it, and it was quickly emptied. As they sat there, regaining a little bit of their strength, they heard something.

“Hello?” It was a dry, cracking voice from just beyond the sand dune in front of them. Goombrielle and Pauline looked at one another.

“Anyone? Please?” it rasped. Pauline put the empty water bottle into her purse, closing it and approaching the sand dune. She reached the top, appeared shocked, and sprinted down to the other side, Goombrielle in tow. At the base of the dune was a winged koopa with a battered mail bag.

“Water… please…” rasped the koopa. Without hesitation, Pauline gave him the second bottle of water that she had stashed in her purse. The koopa began drinking it very slowly and carefully, and Pauline realized what happened. He was very dehydrated, and if he drank the water too quickly, his body wouldn’t be able to handle it. He would definitely need some electrolytes, and so she also fished around for her tonic, giving it to him as well. He smiled, thanking her in his raspy voice and downing the small tonic.

“That’s better…” his voice was still rough, but he no longer sounded like he was on the verge of death, “thank you. I thought I was going to die out here. Could you… if you wouldn’t mind, ya know….” He gestured to his right wing, which was under a large rock. Pauline and Goombrielle lifted the heavy rock, tossing it aside a short distance, and the koopa recoiled his wing, hissing a little in pain.

“Ah, yep. That’s gonna sting alright,” he said, “but it’s better than being stuck here…”

“What happened to you?” asked Goombrielle.

“I was delivering mail and then, out of nowhere, someone started launching rocks at me. I dodged a lot of them, but the last one hit me, and I got trapped out here. I tried to yell, but I guess I’m too far away from civilization for anyone to hear me,” the koopa explained.

“That’s terrible, why would they do that to you?” asked Pauline.

“For fun, I guess…” muttered the koopa, before he collected himself, “a-anyway, my name is Koops, at your service.”

“Oh no,” said Pauline.

“Alright!” exclaimed Goombrielle, “another one on the Bowser train!”

“B-Bowser?!” squeaked Koops.

“Yeah, he took Princess Peach. Pauline here is trying to get her back,” explained Goombrielle, “We actually just came from his castle. Man, he’s one messed-up dude.”

“Do- do I have to fight him?!” asked Koops.

“No, no you don’t,” said Pauline, “Goombrielle and I are just fine, you aren’t obligated to help us, don’t worry.”

“A-alright, thanks!” exclaimed Koops, “I mean… man, that’s one big koopa! Still, I owe you one, both of you. If I can help you guys, just contact me. I’m the only mailman, so I shouldn’t be hard to find.”

“Alright, nice to meet you, Koops!” exclaimed Goombrielle. Pauline waved, and they were off. In about two hours, they finally arrived at the ruins, which seemingly came out of nowhere. They started jutting out of the ground in odd places, and there was only one, tiny, goomba-sized entrance that Pauline could barely fit through. Just as she reached out, ready to help Goombrielle into the ruins, she spotted something on the horizon, moving fast. It was Koops.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, “I don’t know how to get back to civilization!” Oh. Right. Pauline supposed that they were stuck with him. She helped Goombrielle through, and then they both lowered a shivering Koops through the entrance. He kept his injured wing folded to his side, and had long since resorted to walking. The ruins were disturbingly quiet. Not quiet as in ‘finally inside after a loud and windy day in the desert’ quiet, but quiet as in ‘you could hear a pin drop a mile away’ quiet.

“Jeepers…” muttered Koops.

“Really?” responded Goombrielle, “‘jeepers?’” Pauline ignored the two of them as best she could, focusing on finding a path through the odd ruins. There was once again not a single enemy in sight. On multiple occasions, Goombrielle just barely stopped Pauline from tumbling into a pit or floor-trap, but aside from that, there was no danger. That was, until they came to the central chamber of the ruins.

This room was dimly illuminated by torches that were stuck to the walls of the triangular prism. With a steel collar around her neck, chained to the wall on the opposite side of the room, was Peach. She was fast asleep, but Pauline almost cried out because she noticed how much worse she looked than before. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days, and clearly Bowser had gotten physical with her many times after they had left his castle. Pauline held back a sob, running to her and dipping down in front of her to gently unfasten the chain around her neck. Koops ran up behind her, Goombrielle in tow, and tapped her on the back, reaching into his mailbag with his spare hand.

“I’ve actually got some tools here…” he whispered, pulling out quite a few screwdrivers, a wrench, and some bolt cutters. Pauline decided not to ask, and she just thanked him, taking the objects and carefully getting to work. First, she unchained Peach from the wall, catching her body as it slumped forward and setting her gently down so that she could get the collar off of her. Fortunately, it opened and closed in a fashion similar to those of handcuffs, and because of the large size of the screws, it was easy for Pauline to open it and release Peach. She sobbed. The poor woman’s neck was red, and there were cuts from struggling against the bonds.

“Peach…” she whispered, “Peach, wake up. We need to get you out of here.”

“No…” murmured Peach, still half-asleep. It was then that Pauline remembered Toad’s words. He had explicitly said not to wake her up.

“Crap- guys,” Pauline whispered, “Peach has to stay asleep, we need to make sure that she doesn’t wake up in the desert.” Like a literal angel from heaven, Koops reached into his bag once more, procuring a few store-brand earplugs that were still in their container.

“I can never sleep if it’s even a little loud, so I have some super-strength earplugs. Do you think she could use these?” he asked, handing her a pair after opening the package. Pauline nodded, thanking him as quietly as possible. She didn’t really like putting them in Peach’s ears, but it was necessary. After that, she very, very delicately picked up the sleeping woman, carrying her bridal-style out of the ruins.

She took her time, carefully avoiding the traps and pits while not waking Peach. Once they were outside again, the trio began to make their way towards the train station.

“I can’t believe we just walked out with her!” whispered Goombrielle. All three of them felt like they would still get caught if they spoke too loudly.

“Toad was right, I think… we just need to make sure that Peach doesn’t wake up until we clear the whole desert,” responded Pauline, also whispering, “I don’t know why, but he was right.”

Koops was mostly quiet, taking in the sparse scenery as it went by. When they finally arrived back at the train station, Koops was ecstatic, but Goombrielle reminded him to keep it down. As they boarded the train, Goombrielle politely took Koops to a separate car from that of Peach and Pauline so that they were alone together.

[player-0ne]

Estranged - Chapter Two

Chapter Name: Rosalina

Chapter Rating: T for Teen

Story Rating: E for Explicit

A03

Peach had never been the type of person to get possessive or jealous over someone else. Even in romantic relationships, she was generally able to let her partner do whatever he wished and trust that he would be loyal to her. That was why Peach couldn’t make sense of her current behavior and feelings towards a certain mayor who had walked back into her life.

Pauline had been charming from the get-go, and the two of them had instantly hit it off, becoming fast friends. The woman would often hug Peach, hang out with her when she was feeling lonely, and teach her self-defense in return for baking lessons. They had been spending a lot of time together, and Peach loved how she felt whenever she realized that she was going to see the delightful woman again. Of course she had invited Pauline to her ball that evening, and of course Pauline had been very charismatic in striking up conversation with the other guests. She was a politician, after all, she had to be a people person, and beyond that, she was just plain likeable and sweet.

Back to the problem at hand. Or- well… Peach scolded herself. It was hardly a problem that Pauline seemed to be getting along very, very well with her friends Daisy and Rosalina. It wasn’t a problem at all that Rosalina was the only one out of the bunch who was single besides Pauline, and she seemed to be feeling surprisingly… not shy tonight. It certainly didn’t make Peach grow slightly angry when she saw Pauline fussing over Rosalina, who blushed a little as Daisy joined in and teased her about whatever it was that they were talking about.

Peach walked up to them, greeting them politely, and stepping in-between Rosalina and Pauline. She didn’t do that because she was jealous, of course, she did that because there was the most space there, that was all. At least, that’s what she told herself. Everyone politely greeted her in return, before they fell back into their prior conversation.

“Princess,” said Pauline, “you didn’t tell me that you were gonna invite a literal goddess! She’s amazing, Rosalina- show her what you can do!” Rosalina looked to the side, slightly embarrassed, before waving her wand and producing a burst of magic, around which, millions of tiny stars seemed to orbit as if they were planets. With a flick of her wrist, the tiny stars circled the small group of women, before returning to her wand and disappearing into thin air. Everyone clapped, and Peach found herself feeling a little bit angry again. Why had she invited the goddess? Because they were close friends, and it was petty for her to get upset over the fact that Pauline was fitting in with the rest of the group. Calm down, Peach.

It was when Pauline praised Rosalina excessively, and the goddess responded by blushing and acting incredibly shy, that Peach decided to put logic aside. How jealous could she possibly get before she would do something stupid? She smiled, looping her arm through that of Pauline.

“Dinner should be ready, girls,” she chimed, “we should head to the dining room.” Everyone agreed with her, as it had been a long time since the party had started, and they were growing quite hungry. Rosalina looked at Peach and Pauline’s looped arms, eyes flicking from Peach, to the arms, and then to Pauline. Daisy regarded the rest of them with an amusement that only Peach could detect.

“Something funny, Daisy?” she asked innocently.

“Oh, no!” scoffed Daisy, “I was just thinking about all of the great food we’re gonna have. Let’s go!” She passed Peach, smirking at her once she knew that only she could see, before leading the way to the dining room. As they all walked and made idle chatter, Pauline cast a quick glance down to Peach, furrowing her brow.

The straight one was acting even weirder than usual. It was just like her to be completely disinterested in Pauline’s advances until she turned them on someone else. With mild amusement, she turned to regard Rosalina, who was walking (hovering?) by her unoccupied side.

“What’s it like living out amongst the stars?” she asked, genuinely curious. Rosalina seemed to be startled out of a thought, and she paused for a moment to silently repeat the question before answering it. A small smile crossed her face.

“Well, I’ve lived there for so long that it’s all I can really remember,” she explained, “so I don’t have much to compare it to besides the occasional visit to the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s very... tranquil, and time seems to stand still when there’s nobody out there besides the Lumas and I. It does get a little lonely, though, without other humans. That’s why I stop by so frequently. Lumas make excellent company, but there’s something about human contact that just can’t be replicated.” Pauline nodded, smiling.

“I think I know what you mean,” she said, “I mean after all, I chose to be mayor of New Donk City.” Rosalina hummed contemplatively.

“It must be nice, to be surrounded by so many people all of the time,” she mused. Pauline shrugged.

“It’s nice most of the time, but sometimes I do just want to get away from it all. But hey, if you want to give that lifestyle a shot, you’re always welcome to come see me,” proposed Pauline.

“I think I’d like that,” responded Rosalina, smiling a little.

Peach silently simmered, and they arrived at the dining room. She had pre-set the table so that she was sitting at the head with Pauline to her left and Rosalina to her right, which was fortunate for their current situation. Peach honestly wasn’t sure if she could handle the two of them sitting next to each other. Daisy, who was on the other side of Pauline, was enjoying every second of her friend’s wrath. She had never seen her get jealous before, and this was amusing to her.

She watched as the four of them made conversation, seeing how Pauline’s eyes would intentionally linger on Rosalina for just a bit longer than usual, and how whenever Rosalina caught her staring, the goddess would blush and look away. Each time that this happened, Peach would huff and look a little annoyed. Honestly, in Daisy’s opinion, she had it coming. Pauline had been quietly courting her for the past few months, and Peach had given nothing in return, because she was supposed to be straight. Now, Pauline found somebody else to pursue, and Peach seemed upset.

In hindsight- did Peach even realize that she was jealous romantically? Daisy had to hide her small chuckle with a napkin. Her friend was so oblivious to everything, even her own emotions, and it was both parts cute and pathetic. Daisy decided that she should fan the flames. Pauline deserved to court at least one woman, and Daisy would ensure that it was either Peach or Rosalina. Her sister could get in the way of her own romance, but it was just annoying for her to intrude on that of another.

“Hey, Pauline,” Daisy intervened, “were you and your band gonna perform tonight?” Pauline’s eyes lit up with genuine passion for the subject at hand, and she nodded.

“Yeah, we were going to do it a little after dinner so that everyone could dance to it,” she responded, wearing a huge grin.

“You perform?” asked Rosalina. Pauline redirected her gaze to the goddess, and she nodded.

“Yes, I sing whenever I have the time to set up a gig,” she said, “it’s nothing much, but I get a kick out of it.”

“Oh, she’s amazing!” Peach intervened, before backing up and seeming slightly embarrassed at her sudden outburst, “sorry! I just… Pauline has a really good voice, and you have got to hear her band play, Rosalina. You’ll never hear anything like it.”

“Well, now you’ve got me intrigued,” mused Rosalina, offering a coquettish smile to Pauline. Peach internally scolded herself.

“Why Miss Rosalina, I’m honored,” responded Pauline, smirking a little. “I could perform any song that you like, just say the word.” Pauline caught herself, “Not-not tonight, obviously, but if we’re together sometime then I could prepare it for you.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that,” giggled Rosalina, “music is something that I miss dearly when in space. I can still hear it at certain places, but it’s usually very quiet out there.” Rosalina’s face lit up, “oh, and I’m sure that the lumas would love to hear you! I don’t think that they’ve really ever heard a full-on musician before!”

“Is this an invitation for me to come over?” asked Pauline. Rosalina smiled, nodding.

“I’d like to have you, yes,” she responded coyly. Pauline’s heart skipped a beat. Had she just..? Daisy didn’t externally react, but she was reeling. Oh MAN she had not expected that from the introverted star-woman.

“The feeling is mutual,” purred Pauline, prompting a smile from Rosalina. Holy shit. Daisy looked to Peach, who seemed completely fine. Right, she was straight. She had absolutely no idea what Rosalina had just proposed. Still, Daisy did notice her hands clenching together in a nervous tick, just discrete enough for nobody else to notice. Dinner wrapped up slowly, with Pauline and Rosalina flirting behind an ill-fitting mask of innocent tabletalk.

When it was done, Peach introduced Pauline and her band, and they took their places, preparing to perform. Pauline seemed uncharacteristically shy, but she launched herself right into it. The lack of vocal warmups surprised Daisy, but she supposed that Pauline knew what she was doing, and it didn’t seem to affect her voice during the songs.

Daisy looked to Rosalina, who was very close to the front of the stage, looking like she was practically in a trance. When she wasn’t looking at Pauline, in her gorgeous dress and incredibly smooth movements to accompany her singing, she had her eyes closed and was swaying absently to the beat. Daisy realized, with a slight twinge of pain, that she was genuinely interested in Pauline, and the feeling was mutual. This, of course, left Peach. The woman looked genuinely happy to be able to see Pauline perform, and she was watching her excitedly and cheering her on when it was appropriate. She didn’t notice Rosalina, having eyes only for Pauline, and Daisy wondered if she even knew how she felt for Pauline yet. Peach was a little obtuse when it came to these things.

She was good at flirting but bad at understanding anything beyond heterosexual interactions, and she might not even understand her own feelings because of this. Daisy supposed that, at this point, with Rosalina hanging onto Pauline’s every word and Pauline singing just for her, it would be better if Peach never realized the full extent of her feelings for her. It would cause some jealousy, but at least there wouldn’t be heartbreak.

The concert ran on, until Pauline arrived at the final number. It was a slow, sultry song. The crowd didn’t notice it, but it was definitely directed at Rosalina, and Daisy wondered absently if the timid goddess could handle all of this at once. To her surprise, she saw Rosalina smirking coquettishly up at Pauline as she sang and nodding her head to the beat. This was what she wanted in a partner. Daisy had never seen her try to romance someone before, and it was clear that the quiet, introverted woman was not at all shy when she knew that her feelings could be reciprocated. Once the song and bows were over and the roar of the crowd finally died down, Pauline stepped off of the small stage that she had been allotted by Peach.

She was immediately swarmed with amazed onlookers who showered her with praise until her cheeks were red, and it took her quite a while to find Rosalina, who had waited for the crowd to die down. She did like people, but she didn’t care to mingle with whole swarms of them at once.

Daisy couldn’t hear what was being said, but she did see when Rosalina stood on the tips of her toes, planting a small kiss on the edge of Pauline’s lips. She saw when the woman smiled and reciprocated, kissing her directly on the mouth and rubbing a bit of her red lipstick off on the other woman, who clearly didn’t mind. Daisy also saw Peach, staring at the two of them with wide eyes, her mouth agape. She decided to approach her confused friend as Pauline and Rosalina continued to… get acquainted.

“Hey Peach,” she said, trotting over to her, “‘sup?” Peach looked to her, seeming to be snapped out of a trance.

“Oh… I…” she paused, looking over to Pauline and Rosalina, who were now shamelessly holding one another close and kissing. Nobody else seemed to mind in the slightest. “Is that… can they do that?”

Daisy smiled a little.

“Peach, women can be attracted to other women, and Pauline is definitely gay,” she said, “we’ve established this.” Peach’s eyes widened for a moment, before she covered her mouth with her hand.

“I… oh…” Peach furrowed her brow for a moment, before promptly turning and walking off. She was not seen for the rest of the party, which was probably a good idea on her part. Pauline and Rosalina made no effort to hide their interest in one another, and while they remained civil, they weren’t afraid to walk around with their arms around one another’s waists or shoulders. To Daisy’s amusement, they also left the party soon after, telling her to tell Peach that they had a wonderful time and were really thankful that she had invited them.

They left together, and it was clear what they intended to do.

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Pauline was never one to beat around the bush, and it seemed like Rosalina wanted to cut to the chase as well. They had both decided to go to Rosalina’s place for the night, where Pauline became absolutely transfixed by the Lumas, insentient stars, and planets, forgetting her original intent. Rosalina, finding her enthusiasm to be adorable, was more than happy to drop her prior motives and show her around the place, watching in delight as Pauline found every little thing that had been mundane to Rosalina just moments prior, to be absolutely amazing!

While she found the woman extremely attractive, and her intention was to spend the night with her, she also found that she was growing a little attached to her. Maybe this wouldn’t be a one night stand, if Pauline felt the same. One of her lumas, a deep red one, seemed to take an interest in Pauline, who was absolutely in love with it. She played with it like a dork, and Rosalina had to hide her laughter.

“It looks like this little one has taken a liking to you,” she chimed, sitting next to Pauline on her bed. Pauline actually giggled a little as it twirled around her and she petted it, and Rosalina felt her heart… swell? She furrowed her brow, placing a hand over her chest. This was unusual for her. It was similar to when she slept with women, but somehow, it felt softer in a way. Smiling a little, Rosalina just decided to enjoy it, continuing to watch Pauline as she played with the stars.

Without warning, the little Luma flew up into the air, twirling once, before flying out the door. After a beat, it flew back in, seeming like it wanted Pauline to follow. She turned to Rosalina, who stood up calmly, moving over to the Luma.

“What is it, my child?” she asked. Although it didn’t really sound like the Luma said anything, it moved as if it were speaking, producing a strange, otherworldly noise, and Rosalina’s cheeks turned slightly red.

“Oh… alright, if you think she’d like that,” managed Rosalina, “thank you.” She turned to Pauline, who looked curious.

“I…” Rosalina was a little red now, “I know that this wasn’t our original intent, but if you’d like, this Luma knows of a very beautiful planet that’s not too far away from here where we might lay in the flowers and watch the earth from afar?” Pauline blinked, before also blushing.

“I… uh… yeah,” she managed, “I’m down for that. Lead the way!” Rosalina masked her excitement and led Pauline to the Launch Star. Once they arrived on the planet, Rosalina miraculously landing without actually touching the ground, Pauline could only look around in awe. It was a very beautiful planet indeed. It was very clearly a garden, and there were many species of fauna that she had never seen before, growing from the ground, the terraces, and the bushes all around them. However, it seemed that Rosalina and Pauline were alone on the planet. The feeling that Pauline got with this realization was unparalleled by any sense of amazement that she had ever felt before. It was somewhat like stepping off of a ledge and realizing that you were falling, except it felt good and positively exciting. She walked around a little, in complete awe, and Rosalina followed her quietly.

Finally, the Earth came into view.

“Wow…” was all that Pauline could say.

“Yeah, wow…” Rosalina agreed quietly, sitting down in the soft grass as Pauline joined her. She stared down at the planet quietly, seeming to marvel in its beauty.

“Earth is such a peculiar, endearing little place,” she quipped.

“Hmm?” asked Pauline, “how so?” She had taken to lying back on the grassy hill, using her arms as pillows behind her head.

“There are so many of you there,” responded Rosalina, “and yet, just like all other planets, it appears small and fragile from afar. Without looking into it, one couldn’t see what it’s truly made of. It’s such a beautiful, complex little thing.” Pauline was silent. She had never thought of it that way, and honestly, it made her feel… in love with her own planet, all over again. There was a long moment of comfortable silence before either of them spoke again. Rosalina laid back, joining Pauline in star/earthgazing.

“Rosalina,” Pauline spoke pensively.

“Mmm?” asked Rosalina, growing a little drowsy.

“What drives you?” asked Pauline.

“What?” Rosalina was more attentive now, curious as to what the woman was saying.

“You know- what makes you get up each morning and do what you do? I feel like… I know that we just came here to do one thing and then leave, but you’re just such an interesting person, I really want to get to know you a little better first. What drives you?” asked Pauline. Rosalina was slightly taken aback, and her heart rate increased as she blushed a little.

“I suppose, in a general sense, it’s the Lumas who drive me,” she responded, “they depend on me, and provide me with friendship and support, and I love and take care of them.”

“But what about you?” asked Pauline.

“Hmm?” responded Rosalina.

“Let me think of how to phrase this…” Pauline paused for a moment, before appearing to figure it out, “what do you want to do for yourself? As in, what interests do you have that just revolve around you?” Rosalina paused and mulled this over. In all honesty, she rarely thought of herself, and really just minded the Lumas.

“I… really haven’t thought about it,” she confessed, “what about you?”

“Well,” Pauline was able to respond immediately, “I’ve motivated by the need to constantly be moving forward. I want to become a stronger, trustworthy individual so that my people can really depend on me, and so that DK can’t mess with me ever again.”

“That doesn’t sound like it orients around you, either,” Rosalina mused. Pauline was quiet for a moment.

“You’re right,” she said, mentally scolding herself, “you know… maybe the two of us should just take a day off. We could use some time to get to know ourselves -and one another- a lot better than we do.” Rosalina paused, before responding.

“I’d quite like that,” she decided, “but where would we go?”

“I’ve always wanted to visit Shiveria, but it’s rather cold there,” responded Pauline, “and we don’t have to limit ourselves to Earth.”

“I don’t mind the cold so long as I have someone to keep me warm,” responded Rosalina. Pauline blushed a little.

“Touché,” she said, “but really, it is quite cold there. If we went, you’d want to bring something very warm to wear outside. Oh, I know of a much better place!”

“Mmm?” asked Rosalina. She was drifting off again, and she subconsciously moved closer to Pauline so that she could rest her head on her shoulder. Pauline smiled affectionately, daring to run a hand through the woman’s hair, causing her to sigh blissfully.

“Well, you and I could go to Seaside Kingdom,” she murmured, “it’s very warm there, and they’re known for their clear waters and generally gorgeous scenery.”

“I’d love to go.” When Rosalina spoke, it was so quiet that she could barely hear it. It was clear that she was about to fall asleep, and so Pauline nudged her gently.

“Wanna head back, you cutie?” she asked. Rosalina made a noise of protest and pressed herself closer to Pauline’s body. Chucking affectionately, Pauline picked her up, carrying her bridal-style.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” she said.

“Not yet…” murmured Rosalina, opening her eyes and wrapping her arms around Pauline for better support, “I don’t want this night to end just yet.”

“Neither do I, but if you like, I’ll be here to pick you up for Seaside Kingdom first thing tomorrow morning. Or rather, tomorrow afternoon. You should get some rest.” Rosalina grumbled, but agreed. They launched back to her comet observatory, and Pauline set her down. She was prepared to leave, but Rosalina stopped her, still holding one of her hands.

“What is it?” asked Pauline, turning around to face her.

“This…” murmured Rosalina, standing up on the tips of her toes and giving Pauline a swift peck on the lips, before pulling back and looking embarrassed.

“S-sorry,” she said, avoiding eye contact. Pauline pulled her back in, pausing and looking into her eyes before kissing her again, this time more slowly. When they broke apart, the air felt… different, somehow. It was as if, in that instance, everyone and everything around them had ceased to exist, just for a moment. Pauline smiled, still cupping Rosalina’s cheek with her hand.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, smiling, “goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” responded Rosalina. She watched the woman leave, before returning to her quarters and falling into a deep, content sleep.

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A cute lil witch and her enchantment-gone-wrong hat companion

not sure which universe she’s gonna be in yet, but I feel like you’ll see more of her.

(I have accounts on all social media, so please do not post this on any other social media platform. Likes & Reblogs, however, are always appreciated!)

[player-0ne]

01-gamer ID: Domino (Ember and Magma). 

This will be a billboard in the short webcomic that I am working on. 

[player-0ne]

Icon :v