Promise
quiet.
yes quiet. Thats how luigi would describe bowsers castle.
Atleast thats what he thought when first stepping in to check up on the castle and its remaining inhabitans following bowsers inprisonment.
Luigi knows that most of the toadstool kingdom disapproved of his decision to do so, however he found himself barely caring about their opinion. How odd.
Usually the plumber was known for his shyness, his habit of being a people pleaser and most of all his urge to seem like the most agreeable person alive.
This mindset however stopped rather quickly after he was put on watch duty of the newest prisoner.
At first he acted the same way he would with any other person. He treated Bowser with respect, sometimes even a bit to much, some may say.
Luigi however liked talking to him. unlike their first meeting, their conversations seemed calm and interesting, sometimes even edging in an almost domestic setting.
He liked the king, there was no denying that, but one day Luigi brought up the topic of family. It was something that has been racing across his mind for such a long time.
So he simply asked: „ Bowser, if I may ask. Do you have any relatives?“
Luigi eyed him expectingly while the other only glared at him slightly.
Quickly Luigi started to paddle back.; „ I only wanted to ask because you have never mentioned any kind of family before and I havent seen anyone during my stort time in the eh..well… castle.“ He let out a small giggle to make the whole situation less akward but once he heard it, it sounded painfully forced.
„Well..“ Bowser sighed.
„ My family isn‘t really as big as I would like it to be but… I do have several children which you most definetly haven‘t met. But you might remember Kamek. Little guy with a blue robe and a staff“ Bowser made a point by trying to show how tall Kamek was, which however didnt really work out due to himself being really tiny. „I mean.. we aren‘t actually related but I think he‘s the closest I have to a father.“
Luigi nodded with furrowed eyebrows. „I never knew you had children“
„ I love them, I really do but I prefer to avoid the topic of them because of their mother. She wasn‘t a very good person you know ?“
Again Luigi reacted with a short nod, registering to avoid the topic of Bowsers ex.
„Hm do you know if someone is looking after them?“
The plumpers eyes laid back onto the kings‘.
„No. s‘pose I don‘t and to be honest I‘m to scared to find out. I don‘t want to be the reason for their endangernment.“
This was the side Luigi has grown to meet after only the first few days of them talking…
Bowser was fragile, scared and certainly not as curageous as he liked to pretend he is. Everytime something negativ seemed to come up, Luigi could witness Bowser quite literally droop like a wet rag.
That was when he decided to atleast try to give Bowser some closure.
„ You know what… I think I‘ll check up on the castle soon. I-I mean my watch duty is over in a few days anyways and due to Mario and Peach being a you know.. thing ?“ Luigi internally cringed at these words and apoligized quickly to which Bowser only shock his head slightly. „ Well because of that I‘m not really forced to do any other tasks so I would have a lot of free time till my next mandatory watch duty.“
Suddenly he couldn‘t bring himself to look into his much smaller opposites eyes and pressed his hands into his lap.
„ What do you want for it?“
„HEEE?“ Luigi blurted out. „B-Bowser you must‘ve misunderstood! I don‘t want anything in return! please just see this as a favor between friends“ He flashed a nervous smile at him to which he just stared confusedly.
„ Are you..sure?“ Bowser asked hesitently.
„Yes absolutly!“ He now beemed at Bowser with more confidence.
He remembered when, only a few days ago, Bowser wouldn‘t have been so easily convinced. No . He woul‘ve laughed in Luigis face and argued that he would never trust the brother of his worst enemie.
Maybe that was why Luigi felt so much compassion, it was almost like Bowser never had anyone truly be interested in him and only him. Not his kingdom, not his fortune no… only him. It made Luigi incredibly empathetic towards the guy.
Not long after, Mario knocked on the heavy prison doors to signal the end of the shift to his brother.
„Luigi you can wrap up for today!“ Luigi yelped back in response. „Yes I know! I‘ll be done here in a second just wait at the castle entrance please.“
„Gosh.. didn‘t I tell you this morning?“ Luigi locked confused at Bowser while cleaning himself from the dust of the cell, waiting for further explanation from his older brother.
„I‘ll stay at the castle the next few days…you know to …help peach?“
That was when Luigi, now more confused than before knitted his eyebrows towards the king again who only shrugged.
Luigi knew that Princess Peach was more than capable of handling kingdom affairs by herself, after all she has been doing it all alone for years, but he didn‘t have the urge to start a quarrel with his older brother and simply made a gruff hum.
„Sure…, well I‘ll see youtomorrow then?“
„Of course you will!“ His brother awnsered like he wasn’t technically abandoning his younger brother.
Luigi heard his brothers footsteps thump towards the exit again.
And then it was quiet.
Really quiet in fact.
He unlocked the prison door once he stopped hearing the steps of his brother and turned around to Bowser again.
„A few days, then I promise I‘ll take the fastet way to the koopa kingdom!“
Bowser eyes lit up a bit and he nodded towards his guard letting him know he appreciated him very much.
With that Luigi took his leave, slowly leading his way home.