|
|
|
|
|
|
Marshbrush is the non-binary ship between Marshmallow and Paintbrush from the Inanimate Insanity fandom.
Canon[]
Inanimate Insanity[]
The two are both selected to be on Lightbulb's team, Team Epic, for the season. Throughout the following challenge, Paintbrush and Marshmallow both work towards gathering the most lemons for their team.
In the relay race, Nickel, Paintbrush, and Marshmallow are chosen by default to participate for their team since they are the only three remaining on their team by then. After Paintbrush sinks in the tub of guacamole, they give their team's baton to Marshmallow even with the pain they faced from landing.
On Christmas Eve, Paintbrush sits with Marshmallow and Apple by a campfire. When Paintbrush ends up having to tell Apple that Santa Claus is fake, Marshmallow calls them out for being harsh but hesitantly backs Paintbrush up when Apple is in denial. Later during the challenge when Apple is visibly upset by this, Marshmallow asks Paintbrush to help her with her plan to make Apple feel better. She grabs a Santa hat and a fake beard while giving Paintbrush a coat to disguise the two as Santa Claus. As the two approach Apple, their plan briefly works as Apple is convinced again that he is real. However, when Apple demands that she get to sit on Santa's lap, she lunges at them and unveils Marshmallow and Paintbrush in disguise. Paintbrush ends up having to reveal to Apple that they were simply Santa in disguise, upsetting Apple again upon realizing that she was tricked. Marshmallow brings up how they still don't have a tree for the contest, prompting Paintbrush to get an aluminum tree last-minute.
When Paintbrush is revealed to be eliminated, Marshmallow feels bad for them and calls them a great guy. Apple reveals that she thought Paintbrush was a girl, causing confusion between the two on what their gender is. Paintbrush is about to correct them but is flung away before they can.
Inanimate Insanity II[]
The two hide in a bush as Apple calls for Marshmallow wondering where she is. As Apple runs off, Marshmallow thanks Paintbrush for helping her ditch Apple and explains that she's annoyed that Apple doesn't care about what happened to Bow. When Marshmallow shares her guilt for indirectly causing Bow's death, Paintbrush tells her that they think Bow would have understood that Marshmallow was just trying to save MePhone in the finale. However, MePhone5S teleports to them behind the bush, launching Marshmallow away from Paintbrush and back to Apple.
Before the next elimination when OJ takes over hosting duties, Paintbrush falsely claims that their team won the challenge. Once they make it clear they're only trying to prevent anyone else on the team from getting eliminated, Marshmallow realizes this and follows with the plan. Later when no one is wanting to help Paintbrush with cleaning Hotel OJ, they try to get Marshmallow to help back them up to no avail.
In the maze contest, Marshmallow asks to talk to Paintbrush in private. Paintbrush is cool with this and the two start the maze together. As they get further into the maze, Marshmallow tells Paintbrush that she's having thoughts about Apple and whether she'll be able to know whether someone's using her or not. Paintbrush is annoyed at Apple for annoying Marshmallow again and as she tries to figure out what to say to Paintbrush about what exactly happened between them, Paintbrush is caught off guard by a piano note repeatedly being played in the distance. Afterwards, Paintbrush returns to Marshmallow and assures her that Apple was taking advantage of her popularity. Marshmallow is still not entirely sure what to think of it and Paintbrush is further annoyed by Lightbulb and Fan when they joke about Marshmallow's tendency to talk about Apple. As Paintbrush rages at Fan, Microphone asks Marshmallow about it as the former suggests that it might not be bad that Apple used her if it benefited her as well. Paintbrush is strongly against Microhpone's point and orders Marshmallow to come with them away from everyone else. The two later make it through the maze as they share a high-five.
Right as MePhone is about to start the bucket brigade challenge, Paintbrush notices that Marshmallow is not present and is angry with MePhone for not noticing at first. When MePhone warns that she will be disqualified if she does not return by the next challenge, Paintbrush is shocked and becomes disappointed that Marshmallow didn't tell them where she was going.
After Marshmallow fails to show up and is therefore eliminated, Paintbrush becomes saddened and then annoyed when she realizes Lightbulb is mourning her crab instead of Marshmallow.
In the finale, Paintbrush is shocked to find out that Marshmallow has been residing in the Purgatory Mansion the whole time since her disappearance. Paintbrush points out that they all thought she was missing, which Marshmallow thinks was only because she was off the show. After being told by Paintbrush that she came there and didn't tell anyone, Marshmallow responds that they never listened whenever she mentioned her idea of going back the mansion. Paintbrush believes that they would've remembered hearing something like that and quickly realizes that they indeed weren't listening to her at the time. After bringing up Paintbrush's need to have a leader in the team, Marshmallow explains her feeling that the show takes over the lives of its competitors and shares that she didn't feel like there was an option to leave until talking things over with Bow. Paintbrush understands the feeling, elaborating that they couldn't just break the rules and do what they want as Marshmallow agrees to the thought of having a need to act a certain way for the show.
Fanon[]
Marshbrush is a fairly less common ship for the show in general, although it still has a large following on certain platforms. The ship slowly gained traction as their friendship developed through the first two seasons in the show. Most of its fan content came within the later years of the second season's run highlighting how Paintbrush was an important figure to Marshmallow during her time of initial doubts with the show, as well as both having the sense of realizing what the show has done to them upon being reunited. Much of their content and discussion comes from Twitter with shippers appreciating their caring dynamic compared to some of their other allies. Video edits on TikTok and fan art of the two often show them in an affectionate manner when putting the two together. The ship is mainly rivaled by Lightbrush and Marshple.
On AO3, as of December 9, 2024, the ship has 3 works under its romantic tag and in the platonic tag. It is the 4th most written ship for Marshmallow and the 8th most for Paintbrush on the site.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Marshmallow/Paintbrush (Inanimate Insanity) tag on AO3
- Marshmallow & Paintbrush (Inanimate Insanity) tag on AO3
- Marshbrush stories on Wattpad
- FAN ART
- Marshmallow and Paintbrush search results on DeviantArt
- TIKTOK
- Marshbrush posts on TikTok
- TUMBLR
- Marshbrush posts on Tumblr
- Marshbrush posts on Twitter
