Hi! Not a request so much as a question - do you take commissions for non-bloopy related art?
hello...!! i am super super late to this but i have finally opened commissions ;w;
will be open indefinitely as of right now, i'll update any changes on the home page of the site. thank you as always, if you cannot commission enjoying my doodles is enough...!!
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Impromptu
Quick one-shot based on the body-swap concept by @elitadream because you guys know I had to write something. It was inevitable.
Also available on Ao3: X
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“Psst. Princess.”
Princess Peach was deep in thought when she heard someone call out to her from the nearby window. Despite the distinct familiarity of the voice, she couldn’t help but let out a little gasp, nearly dropping her tea as she turned to see Luigi clinging to the branches of the tree outside of her bedroom.
That tree, “The Mario Tree” she had taken to calling it, was tucked behind an old vine-covered wall in the inner courtyard, out of the way of anyone who wasn’t thoroughly familiar with the garden. Mario had climbed it to reach her window a number of times at her beckoning, so that they could speak for a moment in perfect privacy.
Strangely enough, she always felt safer with that window open and that tree in view.
But now, it was Luigi dangling from the branches, his arms and legs wrapped awkwardly around a drooping limb like his life depended on it. When he realized the Princess saw him he shuffled closer, and flung himself from the tree to the window sill like an unsteady kitten.
He seemed unusually clumsy tonight, weary and exhausted as Peach grabbed his shoulders to ensure gravity didn’t send him tumbling to the ground below. When Luigi's feet touched the floor of the bedroom he hunched over, clutching his knees as he breathed heavily.
“Thank you.”
Peach smiled, but felt little amusement. Luigi was trembling terribly, like something horrible had chased him up that tree.
Mario's little brother was not a particularly spontaneous individual. He knew he was welcome to use the front door, and would have done so gladly unless the situation prevented it. Princess Peach glanced around, looking for some hint as to what to blame for Luigi's current state, but seeing nothing she took him by the hand and made an effort to lead him to the small tea table near the bed.
“Come, sit down.”
But Luigi pulled away, opting instead to spin around and shut the curtains behind him.
“I can’t. I can’t be seen here… he…” he stuttered, “It’s Mario, but it’s not Mario… he’s not Mario.”
It was a message he needed to relay quickly– but he couldn't quite figure out how to explain it. What proof could he give to elevate his word above that of the most trusted man in The Mushroom Kingdom? What evidence could he provide that the doppelganger couldn't effectively explain away? That he hadn't explained away?
He stammered for a moment, getting out nothing but fragments of sentences, when he felt Peach's hand on his shoulder.
“…I know.”
Luigi froze, caught off guard by this reply.
“You know?”
“Well... I suspected." Peach corrected herself in a whisper, adopting Luigi’s hushed tone. "I’ve only seen him at a distance as of late, but he has been acting strange. I could sense something was wrong, but I couldn’t put a finger on what, and I could never get ahold of him to inquire about it.”
Indeed, Mario had been more ever-present, yet more avoidant than ever before. He seemed to drift in and out of locations like a ghost, wearing an expression that mimicked his old kindness like an ill-fitting mask.
Then, there had been strange goings-on in her castle; troops being shuffled about without her command, frequent miscommunications between guards, strange little incidents were never properly investigated, doors left open when they should’ve been shut…
Princess Peach was about to explain this, when she suddenly felt herself wrapped up in a hug, Luigi’s face pressing against shoulder. Surprised as she was, her heart ached at the sensation, the desperation in the gesture speaking volumes about what Luigi had been experiencing for the past few days. Peach was on the verge of returning the hug, when Luigi backed away as suddenly as he had embraced her, red with embarrassment, hands tucked to his chest.
“S-sorry. I’m sorry. That was out of line. It’s just, I… I thought nobody would believe me.”
His gaze drifted to the ground as he rubbed the back of his neck. This was a common tic of his, but as Peach took in the shy gesture her eyes widened.
There were dark bruises on his throat.
She had glimpsed them when he had first climbed through her window, but at that time she had assumed it was merely the shadow of the tree leaves in the light of sunset. Now, with the curtains shut and the lamps lit, there was no mistaking it.
She gingerly lifted a hand up and brushed her fingers against the injury. Luigi winced, but made no motion to stop her, tilting his chin a little as he felt the light tingle of healing magic, The Princess slowly fading the marks to nothing.
“He hurt you.”
“No more than I’ve been hurt before. It’s Mario I’m worried about. The real one.” Luigi shrugged. “He said he’d kill him if I tried anything, but if Not-Mario is who I think he is… I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”
Peach nodded. Luigi did not need to elaborate, they were both thinking the same thing: if not The King of The Koopas himself, the imposter was no doubt someone working under his command.
At last, Luigi was calm enough to allow himself to be ushered to a nearby chair, where Princess Peach sat him down and searched him over for further injuries. She found nothing life threatening, mostly bruising, the worst of it being a large, swollen lump on the back of his head.
In most situations, she would have opted to mend the wounds traditionally rather than use healing magic, but there was more that needed to be healed here than simple physical injuries, and as Princess Peach gingerly undid every wound Luigi's shivering slowed, and his breath gained a gentle, steady rhythm.
“I’m going to go to The Darklands.” He said after a time, “If I don’t find Mario there, then maybe I’ll at least find answers.”
“When do you leave?”
“Tonight.”
“Good.”
Peach brushed off her skirt and rose to her feet, her hands cupped determinedly in front of her. “I’ll join you after I inform Toadsworth about what is happening. Wait for me at The Grasslands Outpost.”
Luigi stood up, appearing surprised and concerned in equal measure.
“Your Highness?”
“Toadsworth is clever, he should be able to cover for me and keep things in order until we get the real Mario back. Besides…” She reached out and gave Luigi's hand a reassuring squeeze, “… I’ll be a lot safer with you.”
Luigi was startled by the affirmation, looking down at the hand that gripped his like a lifeline. He nodded, lifting his free hand to give the brim of his hat a sharp, confident tug.
“Thanks. I… I won’t let you down!”
Princess Peach gestured for him to lower his voice, and Luigi let go of the hand to clamp his palms over his mouth.
They both stood perfectly still for a few seconds, examining the surrounding darkness, ears pricked for evidence of eavesdroppers. When they were both content that they were truly alone, Luigi crept back to the window and leapt to one of the branches. He climbed down as quietly as he could manage, not taking his eyes off the princess the entire way to the ground.
“Please be careful,” he called up in a whisper.
“You too, Luigi.” Peach called back quietly, and once she saw him disappear into surrounding garden she took hold of the shutters, looked around one more time for anything amiss, and cautiously clicked her bedroom window closed.
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Professor Mercedes AU Concept: Edelgard and Hubert don't know Jeritza and Mercedes are siblings. And one night, when reviewing the plans for the impending invasion, Hubert has his The-Usual-Suspects-drops-coffee-mug moment, as the pieces of a puzzle he didn't even know were there click into place, because he was so lost in the details he missed what anyone could guess by looking at them.
It's an understandable presumption, he thinks at first. On the surface, there was nothing that connected Jeritza von Bartels, their human weapon positioned at Garreg Mach, with Mercedes von Martritz, the goddess worshiping new co-professor. When one finds a man covered in blood that is not his own and says he's killed his family, well, most people would rule out him having a sibling walking around somewhere. And wait, there are no records of von Bartels ever having a daughter-
Unless- he remembers a minor detail from the documents of empire lords he'd studied like the spymaster he is- there was that brief marriage in imperial year 1157, and though the names escaped him, wasn't there a daughter from a previous marriage? He knew the wife had fled the house... and one would only need to imagine she took her daughter with her for the pieces to click together.
The timelines don't just line up, they complimented each other. One child leaves, the other stays until they couldn't take it anymore.
They're long lost siblings, and Hubert didn't know. Like, imagine how insane it would drive him that he missed that, and that it could actually destroy their entire plan. If they find out they're long lost siblings, Jeritza might turn on them and warn about the upcoming war, and everything falls apart. A long dead man's marital history was surprisingly crucial.
Byleth had drawn their attention, yet it's the other one, this soft, inexperienced, goddess worshiping, scatterbrained woman, who wasn't even on their radar of potential threats, could now be the key to stopping their plans altogether. Without. even. meaning to. Just by virtue of where life had taken her.
Suddenly a very big target is on Mercedes von Martritz- or, should he say, Mercedes von Bartel's back. Something needs to be done, now.
(Bonus: Mercedes tells Ferdinand her backstory in their B+ support, so FERDINAND, fucking FERDINAND had intel that Hubert didn't, and if he didn't hate him so much he might have figured this out earlier.
Linhardt: of course Professor Mercedes and Jeritza are siblings. I thought we all knew that. (sound of hubert breaking something it the background))
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