#Luigi is wearing gloves with a hat with a sweater and overalls

[kiingbiing]

The cage… I have a vision

[tigers-eyes-26]

Stargazing

Luigi walked into his mobile home after a long hard day on the construction site. His yellow overalls and green shirt were covered in dust.  He would have happily volunteered his time helping build Daisy’s new palace, but she insisted on paying him for his work. Luigi dumped a good-sized bag of coins on the counter, hoping to remember to deposit it in the bank later. Even though he wouldn’t admit it out loud he enjoyed engineering and was pretty good at it. Him and his brother started to earn their wages when they first got into the Mushroom Kingdom by making sure all the mushroom people had indoor plumbing. Every now and then Luigi would tinker with things. Making toy robots for kids. Learning to fix broken household items. Luigi unlaced his work boots and thought about Daisy.

 Daisy was moving the capital of Sarasaland from the mountainous and bamboo forested kingdom of Chi to the seaside kingdom of Muda.  While he was helping out building the Palace Daisy was doing the landscaping. She would wear blue overalls, with an orange long sleave, orange goulashes, and garden gloves. He removed his work gloves and shuffled to the bathroom. She even tied back her hair with a yellow bandana. Luigi looked at his face in the mirror. He was blushing after thinking of Daisy. His thick wavey brown hair was matted from his hard hat and his mustache had soaked up his sweat. he had a lot of work to do before his date tonight.

Daisy dried her hair. She liked to be in the sun and dirt and mud all day but being clean afterwards felt so refreshing. After her ear length auburn hair was sufficiently dry, she pulled a yellow hoodie over her tank top. This was a casual type of date. They were going to stargaze. There was a meteor shower predicted tonight and the plateau hills behind the construction site of her new palace was just the perfect spot. You could see the sky parallel the ocean for miles.

She gathered up a blanket, stepped outside of her mobile home and smacked right into Luigi. “Oh!” they exclaimed in unison. “I’m sor-” “I wasn’t” “I was” they attempted to apologize over each other. Daisy burst into laughter. Of course, they would run into each other, their mobile homes were across the lane from each other. Luigi nervously joined in the laughter. He was going to knock on her door when she burst out of it door. She took a deep breath giggled a little more and looked a Luigi. His wavy hair was fluffy from having been dried and he didn’t have his signature hat to flatten it down. She dropped her eyes to his shirt. He had on a blue sweater with white stars on it. She recognized it from when he was teaching golfing.

She poked a star that was on his shoulder. “How appropriate.” She linked her arm around his. “You ready?”

Luigi smiled and nodded.

They trekked up the steep hill in a zig-zag pattern. When the hill flattened out, they spread out the blanket and sat down. Daisy laid back to look at the stars. She eyed Luigi to see if he would follow. He did slowly. She quickly shifted to use his chest as her pillow. He stiffened. From where her head was, she could hear his heart pound quickly. She just smiled to herself.

She started to chat with him to ease his nervous heart. They chatted about the flowers Daisy was working on. On the palace layout. About friends that would stay at the palace. Luigi eventually relaxed. They talked about things that reminded them of friends. Sports competitions that Daisy would love to hold at her new place.  The beauty of the ocean. Playing in the waves. How to make sandcastles. Making castles out of food.  

“I think sticky rice would be the best to” SSNOAOK! Daisy shot up and looked around. What made that noise?! SNOAOK! It was coming from…. Luigi??? SNOAOK! She inspected his face. It sounded like he was choking on something. SNOAok! He was just….snoring? Daisy’s concern melted away. His face looked so peaceful even though it made a horrendous sound. She laughed at herself. she cupped his face and turned it to the side so he wouldn’t snore so loud. She laid her head back down on his chest and listened to his breathing. It had been a long day for her too. They had seen a few shooting stars while they had talked but it seemed like the meteor shower wasn’t as grand as she was expecting. She might as well catch some sleep too.

 She closed her eyes and just as she was drifting into sleep Luigi’s body turned his arm flung over her face and a leg over her waist. “Luigi!” was he still asleep?!? Such a bold move! No answer. “LUIGI!” Just soft breaths answered her. He was still asleep! Did he move a lot in his sleep? She adjusted his arm, so it was cupping her face instead of straight on it. That was better.

It wasn’t too uncomfortable…she could still probably still sleep. She closed her eyes. NOPE! His arm and leg were getting heavier as the time went on. His leg on her diaphragm and his arm close to her neck made it hard to breath. She moved to remove his arm. He constricted his hold on her head. “Gah!” She clawed her hands under his arm. That only made him hold on tighter! Her head was squashed into his chest. He was like a boa constrictor! She waited for him to relax a little more. She eventually scooted below his arms now his leg was the only thing crushing her. She slid her hands under his thigh and knee. She could feel the muscle that was in his thigh. She shook her head and lifted the heavy limb. She rolled away from the sleepy hugger.  

There was now no way for her to fall asleep anymore. She had exerted too much energy. Maybe it is time to end the date? She looked at the snoozing figure. Maybe she could carry him home? She took the edge of the blanket and flipped it over Luigi. Daisy rolled him up in the blanket like a burrito. She paused seeing if the rolling had woken him up. Nope still asleep. She bent her legs and scooped her hands under him. She lifted. “Ugha!” Why was he so heavy!?!? She knelt next to his head. Incredibly he was still snoozing away. She lightly tapped his face. Nothing. She shook his shoulders. Nothing. “LUIGI!” She shouted in his ear. Nothing… Should she just leave him here? She sat back to think of a solution.

“…..mama mia…”

He talked! Luigi talked! Daisy bent down to inspect his face. Nothing… was he pretending to be asleep? Was he making fun of her? She knitted her brows and pouted.  She poked his cheek hard. “If you are pretending to be asleep, I’ll kick your butt!”

“SNNOAK!” He snored in response.

She sat back perplexed. He started to mumble incoherently.  She remembered hearing somewhere that you could talk to those who slept talked. She got in close to his ear. “Luigi, can you hear me?” 

“mmm….si….” She smirked. It made sense he would talk in Italian while asleep. She knew some words, so she continued.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“mmm….ver…de…..mmmm”

“What’s your favorite flower?”

“mmmm…dais…ss”

Daisy blushed. “What are your thoughts on Daisy?”

“il….meglio…” She didn’t know that one. She would have to ask Mario later.

“What do you see?” She continued.

His face twitched. “d….da….darkness..” Luigi suddenly sat up, smacking his head into Daisy’s. “OW!” Daisy held her nose. She felt hot liquid drip into her mouth. She turned to spit out the iron liquid. “I-I’m S-sosorry!” Luigi’s eyes bulged upon seeing the red on Daisy’s hand. “Oh no oh no!” he stood quickly and scooped up Daisy. She kept her hands on her face. Luigi ran down the hill with her. He got to the mobile homes on the construction site. He burst into her mobile home and into her bathroom. He set her down in front of the sink. The whole time while spouting off apologies and panicked words. “Just. Go. Sit. Down.” Daisy commanded. Luigi obeyed. The only place to sit was her bed. he sat down and tucked his hands in between his knees.

Once the bleeding had stopped Daisy realized how tired she was. She peeked out of her bathroom Luigi had fallen asleep on her bed. She didn’t care anymore; she was going to sleep. She took all the pillows that Luigi wasn’t occupying and laid down on the floor. She was almost asleep. She heard rustling. Luigi sat up and screamed. Daisy jumped up ready to fight. Luigi slammed a hand over his mouth. Luigi franticly looked at his surroundings. Daisy saw no threat. She dropped her fists frustrated. She confronted Luigi. His pale face softened her feelings. She grabbed his face making him look at her. “What’s wrong?” She said softly

Luigi took a couple of deep breaths. “I…had a dream…you…were…d-dead….” Daisy gave him a hug. She was still frustrated but she couldn’t let him have it. She held him until he felt better. He leaned away “I-I b-better get g-going.” Daisy nodded wearily. He stood up and walked out the door gave a little wave before he closed it. Daisy flopped back on her bed utterly exhausted.

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Mario joyfully whistled as he walked up to the construction site. He adjusted his work gloves. Daisy appeared.

“Oh Hi, Daisy.” He greeted her not noticing Daisy’s bloodshot eyes and the dark bags under her eyes.

She gripped his shoulders. “What is wrong with your brother!?!”

Mario dug around in his brain for any idea as to what Daisy was talking about. He came up empty and started to sweat.

She squeezed his shoulder harder. “I haven’t slept all night!” He looked up at her sleep deprived face and everything clicked.

“OH!” Mario chuckled. The laugh caught Daisy off guard she let go of him. Mario guided her to a seat. “He gets nightmares that causes him to squeeze the life out of whatever or whoever is next to him. or he wakes up screaming depending on the dream. Growing up I had to give him a pillow or a stuffed animal. The waking up screaming only happens every once and a while. It’s not always. It’s usually if he goes to bed stressed.” He shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

Daisy nodded thoughtfully at the solution Mario had presented.

Mario’s bushy eyebrows went up suddenly and his mouth twisted mischievously under his mustache. “Why where you up all night with Luigi to begin with?”

She smacked him in the arm. “He fell asleep while we stargazed!”

Mario snickered. “He also snores and talks in his sleep.”

“I know! I heard it! all night long!” She threw her arms in the air.

Mario finally busted out laughing. Daisy glared at him. He wiped a tear away from his eye. “I’m sorry princess,” He took a big breath. “But finally, someone knows how It feels to deal with Luigi.” He continued to laugh at memories.

Daisy pouted at Mario’s laughter. “Yah, yah, yah, it’s hilarious.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I have one more question for you before you go laugh your head off at the site.”

Mario composed himself a little more.

Daisy rubbed her arm. “What does li meglio mean?”

Mario smiled up at her. “It means you’re the best.”

Daisy gave a small smile. “Thanks. I’m going to take a nap.”

Mario nodded jovially.

Daisy’s eyebrows lowered. “Don’t laugh too hard at the site you might injure yourself.”

Mario chuckled, “Okie Dokie, Princess.”

Daisy returned to her temporary living space. She curled up in a ball on her bed. She fell asleep thinking of what stuffed animal she could gift Luigi.

(Dedicated to my snoring, sleep clinging and sleep talking husband, I love you.)

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