#profcapode

I'M NOT GONNA BE WRITING MUCH WHILE I'VE GOT MY GCSES GOING ON AT THE MOMENT!!!

MERMAID/MAN SEA CAPTAIN TOAD !!!!! YEAHH

Profcapode headers with lava/volcano themes for @jitteryjive!

Free to use with proper credit! Reblog if using!

Sunlight spills through partially shut curtains, casting the room in a thick golden glow. Papers, strewn across the floor, are dotted around the area in an inconsistent pattern. All is quiet in the early morning of Toad Town; birds are chirping, a kettle is softly whistling in the next room, and rustling notes drown out any outside distractions to the Sea Captain's intense focus.

Ink bleeds into paper, shimmering softly to match the glint in the eyes looking upon it, either from excitement or exhaustion–maybe even both, considering the ink continues to pool without so much as a twitch of acknowledgement to move the pen from its resting place.

Eyes droop. Heavy bags tug them further down. One blink. Two blinks. Whistling grows louder and-

"Gah- Oh come on!" The Sea Captain stares at the offending dark splotch now etched into his carefully written plans. Not without sending an annoyed glare at the not-so-innocent item clutched in his palm, it's thrown to the side as he drags himself up from the cross-legged position he's been in for what he can only assume as being way too many hours.

It's with great effort that he manages to thud his way to his small makeshift kitchen. While pouring steaming hot water into the first clean mug at his disposal, a short glance around the room reels in a few memories to the surface of his mind.

Back to when he bought the very house he's standing in–the first time he'd ever left home. His dad had been so proud of him back then. He even treated the place as a neat freak would've; Everything had to be shiny and spotless.

The Sea Captain chuckles without thinking, automatically half turning towards the mess that's become of his home. He drops a tea bag into the water.

It didn't take long, back then, before he'd fallen back into the habit of leaving things all over the place. Papers, food wrappers, worn clothes.

He leans against the counter, letting the tea brew as the papery mess out of sight practically begs for his attention through the doorway. A light breeze slips in through a cracked window nudging them into light protest with small waving motions, but he refuses to yield. Either to the mess or what they quietly represent.

It also hadn't been too long before the clutter of mugs (and their equally neglected cousins) made themselves apparent in his newly independent lifestyle–and, without his dad there to clean up after him.

He pays no mind to the display of multicoloured cups littering the counter's surface, finishing off his cup of tea. With a large gulp of the sweet liquid his body's been aching for, the whole reason he'd denied himself rest comes rushing back.

Energy floods back through his limbs, and-

"Shit! Not again!" The Sea Captain's confident stride falters with an embarrassing stumble as he fans his mouth. "Why didn't I let it cool down first…”

His steps slow, the padding of soft footsteps coming to a stop in front of a pile of...papers that have been through too much, to put it lightly. Without a moment's hesitation, he snatches a handful up from the ground, mercy not even on the table.

"Today!" He squeals, slamming the notes onto a nearby desk. "Today is the five year anniversary!”

Looking down at the sheet, poorly drawn plans for a sort of celebration are scratched down. A pale blue post-it note is also stuck to the side of it, a checklist of some kind noted down–small boxes beside each line are all ticked except for one at the very bottom.

Final box: Invite everyone.

Eyeing the decorations already set up through the window, the Sea Captain pumps his fist, a large grin spreading on his face. “This is gonna be so much fun!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sea Captain clutches two sheets of paper close to his chest as lines are dug deep into the dirt path, his feet dragging up the slope to Overlook Tower. Heavy breaths fill the air in his exhausted stumble up the final curve to the flat ground. "What...huff...what person in their right mind would wanna...huff...climb this high?"

He grips onto the white fence, knuckles matching in colour with their sturdiness to pull himself up the final few steps. With great effort–and much help from the strong hand clasped around his wrist–he makes it to the tower, and-

"AH! Ode!" The Sea Captain clears his throat, face heating up, "F-Funny seeing you here, huh?"

Ode loosens his grip on the Sea Captain's wrist. Neither comments when he doesn't pull away.

"Captain, we encountered each other earlier, correct? I believe I informed you of the Professor and I's plan to visit Overlook Mountain." He runs his thumb over the back of the Sea Captain's wrist. "Quite the coincidence, hm?"

The Sea Captain laughs nervously, "Yeah, a pretty interestin' coincidence! That's it!" His arms raise in a placating motion–though, in this context, it could be seen more as surrender, much to Ode's amusement.

A breeze lifts the corner of the invitation, sending it fluttering toward the tower’s base.

The Professor stoops to catch it with surprising speed. “Hmm...now this is interesting. Did you mean to lose this?” He watches with a smile as the Sea Captain jolts, while Ode turns to him with a subtle nod.

The papers are straightened out into a neat pile, and the Professor tips his hat down to get a better look at the writing in the shade of it. He walks towards them with his eyes still focused on reading.

"So, Captain, you plan on throwing a party? I'd be more than delighted to come! And I'm sure-" He's stopped by Ode's hand pressing gently against his chest before he has the chance to bump into the other. "Thank you...Ahem, I'm sure Ode would be happy to come too, won't you?"

Ode's hand lingers on the Professor's shirt before falling back to his side. "Very much so..." He looks between the two of them. "A gathering would indeed be pleasant for us, wouldn't it, Scholar?"

"Yes, yes! Quite right, Ode." He hands one of the papers over to Ode, stuffing the other into his hat.

The Sea Captain rubs his eyes, either from fatigue or disbelief. "I...I'm not sure why I'm even surprised." He pokes the Professor's hat, giggling quietly, "I swear I saw a scorpion crawl outta that thing once..."

The Professor splutters, "I- Never has-"

"I feel obliged to agree." Ode's arm snakes around the reddening Professor's shoulders, while the Sea Captain leans into the Professor's other side.

"E-Enough of this!" His arms hover over the two either sides of him, acting as if they'll push though instead staying just out of reach. "We need to get back on topic. Ode," He tugs at the end of Ode's collar, fixing it as a gust of wind breezes over them, "We need to dress nicer for this special occasion."

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary-"

The Professor waves the Sea Captain away with a dismissive hand, letting it rest on the other's shoulder as he continues to face Ode. "Of course it is! It's your event, so we need to put in the effort."

The Sea Captain grins slightly, basking in the warmth of the Professor's touch as he fusses over Ode. He lets his mind drift for a moment, tuning out the faint mutters of 'Learn to fix your own collar, Ode' and 'No, paisley is not a nice pattern, Ode'.

He doesn't know what he did to deserve this kind of closeness, but he won't question it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So...finally chosen to give yer ol' man a visit, eh?" The Oarsman finishes tying the last knot to tether his boat to the river's dock on Autumn Mountain. "How kind o' ya." He hops off, wood creaking underfoot, his feet firm and steady.

The Sea Captain nears, eyes rolling at the comment. "Hey, don't act like I never come to see you! I was here only...uh..." He tugs at the end of his shirt. "Not long ago, okay?"

A bird caws loudly in the distance. Hesitation slowly creeps up, hand twitching around its tight hold on the thing he's holding. He shakes his head. Now isn't the time to get cold feet. "I wanted to invite you to-"

"Not much has happened since ya left." The Oarsman breaks into a moderate walk without hesitation, head turned up and eyes half closed.

The Sea Captain gapes at the empty spot where his dad had been just a second ago. "Wait, wait," He trips over himself to catch the paper sheet slipping from his grasp. He quickly waves it up in the air. "I have an invitation for-"

"Don' be so uptight an' prissy. I ain't never raised you that way."

"But I have a strict schedule and-"

"Walk with me, Captain." Leaving no room for argument, he waits patiently for footsteps to reach him. "Now, come on. It's a rare thing to have ya here for once."

The Sea Captain splutters, "Dad, I already told you-" A sharp glare is sent his way. "N-Nevermind..."

They both walk in silence, the only sound being water flowing and leaves rustling in the breeze as they travel around the edge of the lake connected to Eddy River, grassy fields a little further away. The Sea Captain stares at his dad, who's watching the native Cheep Cheep swim by, though small glances break the avoidance.

He wishes the look meant he was listening.

The invitation hangs from weakly curled up fingers–creased, crumpled, and treated with much less delicacy than the Sea Captain had treasured it with not a moment earlier. He’d rehearsed the words. Had circled the date. Had folded that paper like it meant something. But the silence felt louder than the scribbled colours ever could.

"I've missed havin' you around." The Oarsman doesn't yet turn from the ripples his eyes trail. "Y'know how I am, an' I just want you to understand that I want to see my only son. Even once a month would do." His shoulders tighten for a moment, relaxing immediately after–as if a single thought had appeared and dissolved in the same breath.

The Sea Captain lets his hand linger in the air between contact and proximity, placing a comforting touch on the Oarsman, and he isn't sure if it's to help his father or himself as a familiar dampness begins to grow in the corners of his eyes. "I...dad. Oh, you're makin' me tear up."

They reach the entrance to the pale field. Neither make a move to enter.

"I'm gettin' old an' lonely, son." The Oarsman rubs his eyes, likely to wipe the tears that are, too, forming in them–and yet, it only serves to bring the Sea Captain's attention back to the ever present exhaustion on his dad's face. The words loop in his head.

"Heh, sorry 'bout my sensitivity. An', before you go on again with the whole 'I'm not a baby no more' spiel I've heard a million times, just...I know you're a grown lad and-"

He's pulled into a hug. It's tight. Warm. A head buries itself into his chest, and automatically his hand nestles on the top of it.

A colourful sheet of paper glides gently down to the floor below, the wind carrying it to the Oarsman's feet. He bends down only slightly, an arm still wrapped around his hiccuping son while the other picks the item up.

"I'll be there."

The Sea Captain tilts his head up, a blubbering mess as he attempts to respond. "You'll- you're gonna- oh I'm so glad!" He leans into the soft stroking of his dad's hand on the side of his cheek.

"Still cry like yer ma used too. Heart too big for your chest, eh, son?" With one final kiss to the top of his forehead, he gives the Sea Captain a push towards the field. "Now, go get the rest o' your pals. I better not be the only one at the party, you hear?"

"Dad...you're embarrassing me..."

The Oarsman chuckles at the pouting expression on the Sea Captain.

"Scurry along now. I may be gettin' older, but I still got youthful moves I wanna show off on the dancefloor!" He poses with a toothy grin on his face.

"Dad!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sea Captain wipes the sweat off his brow–hardly for the first time this day, especially since arriving in Scorching Sandpaper Desert.

His journey to Sweetpaper Valley had been of no trouble with his dad sailing him down Eddy River after their earlier conversation. He'd already been planning on inviting the DJ, but the Oarsman's last remark had certainly been quite the coincidence. Well, on the dancing aspect, at least.

His dad's parting joke about his own 'youth' furthers the suffocating heat inflicted upon his body as he treks through the sand, Shroom City rolling across the blinding horizon into his strained gaze.

The thick air around him bends and waves in a mesmerising dance. The crunching beneath his feet fades into a faint buzzing which flutters around his ears, too insistent to ignore yet never quite real.

The Sea Captain's steps slow, the entrance to the city only a few metres away. Dark patches stain his vision. The outline of his destination begins to blur. His body sways, and-

"Captain!" A hand shoots out, latching onto his shirt as his body gives in to exhaustion. He's pulled up into a purple vest. The faint scent of sweet fruits and rosemary invades his nose.

"DJ...'s that you?" A soft breath is let out above his head, though the Sea Captain makes no move to acknowledge or even see the source.

"Oh c'mon, man! I let myself vanish from my station for one minute, and suddenly I'm cradling a steamed Toad entrée!" The DJ pulls the Sea Captain upwards by the other's limp shoulders.

He presses a hand to the Sea Captain's forehead, hissing softly. "Yo, why're you out here anyway? Gotta protect yourself from the hotness, you get me?"

The Sea Captain sags against the DJ's shoulder, blinking slowly as if to remember his motive for the expedition. "I...I came here to see you!" He laughs a little deliriously, the giggles progressing into a small session of loud coughing in which the DJ awkwardly pats his back a few times.

"Slow down, Cap. Don't want you hurting those precious singing muscles you got in ya–who else is gonna sing during my karaoke sesh?" He takes a few seconds to notice the light fist batting against his chest. "Is that a 'no' to the singing? Or slowing down?"

"In...In a hurry..." The Sea Captain weakly pushes against the DJ, succeeding in creating some distance–unstable, heavily swayed distance, but still something.

The DJ's hands dart to the Sea Captain's shoulders, "Woah, maybe you should sit down, man." He guides them both to sit on the sand, forcing the other to rest against his side despite the grumbled protests.

Music fills the tranquil quiet between them, reverberating throughout the city and to the entrance they're sitting in.

"Sooo...I'm flattered you'd choose to crumple up out here just to see me." He sighs, lifting up his shades with the one unoccupied hand he has, while the other one holds onto the Sea Captain securely. "What's so important, Cap? Joking aside, you surely wouldn't do all this for no reason."

The Sea Captain looks up at the DJ through half-lidded eyes–blurred, unfocused, yet concentrated on the DJ in a way that makes him squirm.

"Mm...'wanna invite ya..." He mumbles in a sand-scratched voice, thrusting a sheet of paper into the DJ's face. Though, 'thrusting' is a word only used lightly–it's generous to consider the feeble attempt by the flailing arm forceful enough to compare.

"You wanna invite me, huh?" His eyes flick over the words written, pushing the trembling arm back down. "Is it that time of year again? Man, the date must've slipped my mind!"

The Sea Captain hums curiously, "Wha...? How d'you know already?" His head tilts to the side ever so slightly, eyes, too, scanning over the words he'd written. He squints at the DJ, "Witchcraft..."

The DJ barks out a laugh, "God, I wish. I'd think I was a witch too if you didn't host a party every year."

"I like celebrations..." The Sea Captain mutters, going limp in the DJ's arms, as if giving up.

He gently pats the head nestled under his own, "Mhm, I know you do." The DJ's delicate touch is broken with a sharp poke to the side of the Sea Captain's face, which makes the other groan into the muffling fabric he's face-first in.

"Yo, I am totally gonna be sending my sick beats your way, too." The DJ adjusts their position to let a disgruntled Sniffit pass by into the city, sending them finger guns as they walk. He returns his attention to the sun-stricken Toad using him as a pillow.

"Want me to carry you back to that river over by the valley?"

"Mhm…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waves rock the little boat traversing the Great Sea, tilting the Sea Captain's view of the upcoming island ever so slightly. His hold on the helm easily keeps him balanced–a gesture repeated in countless crossings, and likely more to come.

The green roof of the Craftsman's home–something which he insists is 'inviting'–stands out against the mushroom-shaped ground it's built on, recognisable by its garishness as it peeks over the horizon. Its white spots are partially hidden behind palm trees. The regular Goomba suns itself by the back contentedly...

He chooses not to question the unusual choice of company just this once.

"Captain? Is that you?" The Craftsman's peers out from behind the door as the boat nears the dock. "Oh, of course it's you, who else could it be..." He laughs, but doesn't meet the Sea Captain's eyes as the other steps out onto the island.

"Seems like you're starting to expect my visits, huh?" Hands busying themselves with the anchor, the Sea Captain's eyes stay locked on the Toad approaching."I won't be staying for too long this time...Oh, don't look so disappointed, Craftsman!"

The Craftsman coughs into his hand, "I-I'm not disappointed...I'm curious." He stands by patiently watching the well practised speed at which the Sea Captain moves.

"Uh-huh. Strange curiosity, then. I've never seen someone so upset to be intrigued." He raises a brow, "What part of this piques your interest?"

The Craftsman matches the Sea Captain's pace as he walks to the door, albeit with less confidence. "Well, you're usually here to stay for a while and chat! I mean, I'm sure you know that already–obviously you do–but there's never really any reason for you to stop by so hurriedly!" He fiddles with the straps of his apron. "Especially not on such short notice..."

The Sea Captain opens the door for the other, face lightly red as he holds in a few snickers; Not even a nod in thanks, but given how quickly the Craftsman darts into the house he can let it slide. The door shuts behind them with a soft click, and the room is engulfed in darkness.

The Sea Captain's voice breaks the stillness, "...you should probably turn on a light. Or open some curtains."

"On it!" He rushes to the nearest window, drawing the curtains back with unnecessary force. "Sorry about the dark...I was testing something before you got here."

The Sea Captain digs through his pockets, humming in acknowledgement. "Testing? What sort of stuff are you up to here when you're alone?"

Face heating up, the Craftsman opens his mouth to speak. Only a few offended gasps slip out, though the message is clear enough. "I...I was...uhm...I was trying to see if i could fold origami in the dark." His mouth snaps shut, as if he said something he shouldn't have.

"Well, can you?"

"Very well, surprisingly. Though, I guess it's not too surprising since I've been doing this for so long." He turns back to face the Sea Captain. "I have created life through origami, so doing it in the dark wouldn't be-" He pauses, catching the slip of paper grasped in the other's hand, "Oh? What's that?"

The Sea Captain breaks into an immediate grin, "It's an invitation! I came here to deliver it." The Craftsman strolls towards him, eyes squinting as they drift to the colourful words written.

"Hm...a party to celebrate the fifth anniversary, huh?" He plucks the invitation from the Sea Captain's hand. "May I make a request? It'll really help with the special occasion!"

The Sea Captain suppresses a frustrated sigh. He can never just invite someone to a party without trouble.

"And what would that be?"

"I want you to fold the invitation into origami." He stares expectantly.

Wind rattles the window beside them both.

"You want me to- what?”

A small chuckle slips out the Craftsman's upturned mouth, "You hear me! I mean..." he sighs dramatically, crossing his arms, "It's a pretty long way to sail back to Toad Town..."

He looks at the invitation, then the Craftsman, and huffs loudly, "Why did I think a simple invitation would be enough...of course you need more than that." The Sea Captain grumbles, folding the first crease with a defeated slump.

"No, no, you have to fold it the other way-"

"Let me do it the way I want to!" The Sea Captain jolts at the sound of a small rip. The Craftsman stays silent, watching. He shakes his head.

"Nevermind! Nevermind!" He grabs the Craftsman by the hands, yanking the other closer, "I don't wanna rip it more."

The Craftsman places his hands over the Sea Captain's own, quickly guiding them into the correct position. "It would be a shame. The paper you picked out is such a lovely shade, and…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moon hangs high, the sky is pitch black, and bright lights illuminate the sky above the Sea Captain's garden. Music and chatter fills the charged air, surrounding the party with an exciting atmosphere to not just those invited, but also the other residents of Toad Town that night.

"Yo, yo, yo! Are ya'll ready for some sick beats?" Loud cheers respond to the DJ's exclamation, some whistling coming from the Sea Captain while the Oarsman hollers obnoxiously.

"Get ready for some 'Thrills at Night'!" A deafening scratch, and then the familiar tune begins to play. The DJ saunters away from the set-up immediately after the song starts, making a beeline for the snacks table.

"Ooh, get on the dancefloor with me Ode! This is my jam!" The Professor links his fingers between Ode's, dragging the fancy-dressed Toad along behind him to the middle of the grass.

"I suppose...I could put some of my Ancient dance moves into practice if you so desire, Scholar." Ode twirls the Professor around to face him, grasping both their hands and pulling him closer. He leans down, whispering, "Let us dance."

The Professor stumbles a little, tripping over his feet to catch up with Ode. The Sea Captain watches on with delight from where he's sitting, snickering at the Professor's flushed face. He's quickly humbled, though, when his face matches the Professor's in response to a wink Ode sends him.

In the corner of his eye, he can see a disaster waiting to happen as his dad approaches the DJ, who's leaning against the table with a drink in hand.

The Craftsman bumps his shoulder against the Sea Captain's, muttering, amusement laced in his voice, "You should probably go supervise, I doubt it'll go well if you leave them alone long enough."

They watch as the Oarsman whips out a bottle of rum from the rucksack he'd brought with him, pointing at the drink in the DJ's grip in an obvious gesture that they can understand even while out of earshot.

The Sea Captain's breath hitches, "I...I did not ask him to bring that."

The Craftsman gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, directing his gaze back to the dancers, "I would've been more surprised if you had. Don't worry Captain, I'll watch over your partners while you sort your dad out before he ends up spiking DJ's drink."

"P-Partners? They're- They're not..." Partners. The word curls around his chest, warm and terrifying. He notices Ode's eyes flick towards the Sea Captain again, just for a moment, before spinning the Professor with practised ease. "They're..."

"Your partners, I know." He pushes the Sea Captain in the direction of the Oarsman and the DJ, "Now, don't let your dad bother DJ for much longer or else I'll worry he's too late to save."

The Sea Captain sighs, getting up from the bench and marching to the two Toads by the snacks table.

"Dad!"

The sound of glass being slammed down onto a table echoes throughout the small area. The Oarsman grins broadly, opening his arms to trap the Sea Captain in a bear hug. "Nice of ya to come over an' say hi! This parties' goin' great, ain't it, DJ?"

"Yep. Totally."

The Sea Captain's arms stay pinned to his side, face half-buried in the Oarsman's shoulder. "Mmph." He's swiftly placed back down.

"Oh right, it's a shame you can't talk when I give ya one of my famous hugs." He grabs the bottle he'd placed down just a second ago, "I was showin' yer DJ here how to party real hard."

The label had long peeled off, replaced with a sticker that read ‘Oarsman’s Elixir'. The DJ's eyes shoot between the bottle and the Sea Captain's, eyes wide as if to say: help me.

"It's my special drink! Got lots of proteins an' good stuff in it I'm sure."

"Dad, it's clearly rum." The Sea Captain loves his dad dearly, but sometimes love means intercepting the elixir before it hits the punch bowl.

"It's my special stuff!"

"I hope it's not..." He plucks the bottle and retreats to the bench with the Craftsman.

"And you live to tell the tale." Leaning back against the table behind him, the Craftsman inspects the bottle held in front of his face. His nose scrunches, "I don't think I want to know what's in that."

"You don't."

The liquid inside sloshes thickly, the colour somewhere between amber and regret, and the Craftsman can only nod solemnly.

"Captain...why do you have an alcoholic beverage?" Ode's voice is tinged with concern as he immediately passes the bottle to the Professor. His fingers brush the Sea Captain's arm, steady and grounding.

The Professor holds onto it tightly, nodding along with Ode, "Yeah, I would rather you not get into any danger with this..." he turns the bottle over, "Elixir. Of course it's an elixir."

"Hey! It's a good quality drink right there an' I won't stand your attack on my bein'."

The Craftsman tosses a little origami boat at the Oarsman, and they all stop and turn to stare at him. "There's no need to be so rude, Oarsman."

'MAX Power' plays through the silence.

"Why in th' name of Eddy River do you have a tiny ship with you?" He points at the Craftsman with an accusing tone.

"I-I made it. Craftsman made me fold it for him." The Sea Captain flinches under all the attention now focused on him.

The Professor kneels to scoop it up, practically cooing at the messy folds and creases as he lifts it to show Ode.

"YO! It's fireworks time, ya'll! Save your arguments for after the show!" The DJ's voice comes out scratchy through the speaker to alert everyone as he waves from his station to emphasise his point–or, just to say hi.

Slowly, one by one, each Toad sits down on the bench with the Sea Captain and the Craftsman.

The Sea Captain looks over all his friends, here together to celebrate a day they all remember.

The first fireworks light up the sky, their colours a deep purple and golden yellow.

izzys doodles of slowly going insane without wifi (1/5)