A/N: Please note that I abandoned Nintendo after the 64 came out so I've never played either paper Mario games. I switched to playstation because I wanted to keep my precious D pad. I have read a lot of info on the game on Wikipedia and read a few paper Mario fics.
Shadow siren's call
Vivian had had enough, even her kind heart had it's limits. Even after the shadow queen's defeat had done little to quell Bedlam's attitude towards her. Vivian had said good bye to Myrlin being that she had never really bullied her like Bedlam had but at the same time had never truly stuck up for her. Vivian packed her bags and hit the road without mentioning anything to the old crone. Vivian remembered traveling with Mario a few years ago but now that she was out on her own she couldn't help but feel lonely. Each night Vivian curled up by a small fire she had whipped up and munched on some food that she had brought with her.
Traveling with Mario and the others was bearable because there was a sense of companionship because she was with so many nice people who would do anything to help her. Vivian missed that dearly. Countless days and night pasted and Vivian found herself at the edge of a pine forest. The skies above her had been darkening all day and now began to pour down on the small shadow siren. Vivian hoisted her bag and ran into the woods hoping she could get some shelter under their branches. No such luck, the trees were no help. Many of them only had needles on their higher branches that caught the sun and one layer of needles would not disperse the torrent that was coming down.
Vivian was soaked and chilled to the bone in no time, and her footing was becoming worse and worse as the forest soil was soaking up more and more water. Vivian's hat was drooping down and her normally curled pink hair was hanging over her eyes in a tangled mess. Vivian tried to use her fire magic to heat her up but as soon as she was warmed up her flames were doused by the rain. The Shadow siren continued on as fast as she could but the rain kept coming and she was getting colder and colder with every step. Finally Vivian could go no further and fell down, she didn't care about the cold anymore... she just had to rest.
Vivian awoke to the sound and smell of bacon and eggs being prepared a half second before realizing that she was under the covers of a very warm and comfy bed. Vivian sat up to see that she was indeed laying in a bed in a cozy little cottage that was still being racked by rain and wind. She turned her head to locate her hat and saw it hanging by the lit fire place. Vivian tried to get up but as she sat up she was over come by a dizziness and fell back onto the bed with a loud groan. She felt like the room was spinning around her and she felt exceedingly cold and pulled the covers over her.
Her savior or captor came in with two plates of food, Vivian looked at him with a great deal of tiredness. He was human like Mario was but considerably younger. He had short brown hair and blue green eyes. He wore glasses, a simple green T shirt, and loose black and purple plaid pajama bottoms that looked very wrinkled, like he had slept in both of them recently. He wore a very thankful look on his face upon seeing Vivian and set the plate on the small table next to the table.
"Hey you think you can stand to eat something?" He spoke softly, only guessing how bad she felt.
Vivian looked at him for a moment, her hair was still obscuring her face from him but she nodded. "Y-yeah... I could use it..."
He smiled and offered her a hand in sitting up, which she took. Upon getting her feet over the side of the bed the nausea returned and Vivian nearly fell off. If he hadn't caught her that is. Not knowing what else he softly rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her some.
"Thanks..." Vivian felt a little embarrassed at being comforted by a total stranger but her nausea seemed bearable in this awkward embrace. She put her head on his shoulder, which amusingly made him stop for a second. Vivian smiled and patted his back to tell him she was better now.
Vivian went to the plate when he released her and gobbled down the food as soon as he gave her a fork for the eggs. He however took his time with his food and was down by the time she had made her way over to the fire and retrieved her now dry hat and returned to bed. Now was the time for answers.
"Well I guess you'd like some answers now huh?" He didn't give her time to acknowledge before going on. "You're in Rainy Forest, a very descriptive name if I say so. I found you while I was looking for some mushrooms to sell in town and brought you back here. You've been bedridden for two days now, and I have to say you scared me when you started getting that fever of yours."
Vivian blinked under her hat. "Two days? Wow this must be some bug I got... But who are you? What are you doing in a place like this?"
He smiled, glad to see she had the energy to ask questions now. "My name's Ricks an I live here. I'm a writer and poet and living out here gives me a lot of alone time. I scavenge for mushrooms that grow in huge numbers thanks to the moisture here and sell them for enough coin that keeps me fed."
"I'm Vivian." She said, tipping her hat in introduction. "I'm... a Shadow Siren."
Vivian had never had a real profession to speak of, so she just gave her species. Still it seemed that was enough to satisfy him.
"I haven't seen many humans in this world..." Vivian said. "Where'd you come from?"
"I came to the Mushroom Kingdom about a year ago through a pipe I found in the basement of my grandfather's house. Since then I've been living here away from everyone else and enjoying the peace and quiet... The sound of the rain on this roof puts me to sleep at night."
Vivian smiled. He seemed likeable, some men would have taken advantage of a weakened girl like her but he was being very nice and had even treated her to a free meal. She'd have to repay him somehow, maybe helping him gather mushrooms when she felt better. He'd have a lot more coins to keep him going with two people looking. Maybe she could help him with writing too, she had never done anything like that but anything that might be helpful would help make up for all the trouble she put him through.
"Wait a sec, I'll get you some medicine I have stored away just in case I ever came down with what you have." Ricks walked out of the room, taking the dirty plates and forks with him.
Vivian could hear him set the plates and forks in the sink thanks to the clatter of ceramic and metal. After that she could hear only footsteps and for a while the cottage was quiet. Vivian understood what Ricks said about the rain putting you to sleep. The sound of each drop hitting the roof was almost hypnotizing and she found herself starting to drift off. Vivian had to had her head a few times to keep herself from dozing off. After a few minutes she saw Ricks returning with a glass of water and a small cap of purple liquid. Ricks set the water on the table next to the bed.
"Here, this stuff may taste like grape flavored death but it'll help you feel better." Ricks said as he offered her the cap filled with purple stuff. His humorous smile making up for the context of his words.
Vivian sat up and downed the capful of medicine. It was thick like syrup and indeed tasted nasty like all flavored medicine. The grape flavor only seemed to add to the displeasurable taste and Vivian found herself guzzling down the glass of water as fast as she could. The flavor persisted regardless of the bath her mouth had gotten and she settled down in her bed with a tired sigh. This had not been the best day she had had since leaving. Still on the bright side she had met someone nice.
"You know, as a human I'm not very familiar with all the creatures of your world. When I first found you I thought you were some kind of purple Boo." Ricks said. "I didn't know if you'd be safe to rescue."
"A Boo? Ick, you should check your glasses 'cause I'm nothing like a Boo." Vivian said, not liking being lumped in with those impish little spirits. "So, what made you decide to take me in anyway?"
"Well," he avoided her glance by pretending to clean his glasses, "I noticed you were a woman and I guess my chivalry factor kicked in... I couldn't leave a pretty looking creature like you out there in the storm..."
Vivian blushed, even though Ricks's words became hushed as he talked she heard every word. Nobody had ever called her pretty before. Bedlam had always told her that she was an ugly little nobody, it filled the little Shadow Siren with joy to hear someone talk about her that way.
Ricks coughed, trying to get his own embarrassment out of the way. He couldn't believe he said that he thought she was pretty. Granted she was he just shouldn't have said it. "Well Viv, just to let you know the bathroom's the first door on the left when you exit this room. Get well soon okay?"
Vivian smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks Ricks. I think I'll get some shut eye right now..."
Ricks nodded and quietly left, shutting the door behind him. Vivian watched him leave, blushing when she realized she was staring at him intensely. She din't bother asking herself why. She knew she didn't know or maybe she didn't want to know. Vivian just listened to the rain and was soon drifting off to sleep again.
When Vivian awoke next the rain had stopped and was replaced by gentle sunlight and the faint sounds of birds chirping. Her first thought was had it all been a dream and was she back at home with her sisters? After rubbing her eyes and looking around at her surroundings she came to the conclusion that it wasn't. She had really left that awful place and her horrible sister Bedlam and wound up here in this comfy bed.
Vivian stretched and yawned as she began to shake off the last remnants of sleep when she found her nausea gone. Whatever that medicine was it sure did the trick. Vivian moved off the bed and brushed her hat off before taking a look around the cottage. The bathroom was her first stop where she took a shower and washed her hair. Vivian was overjoyed after getting all the sweat and mud off her skin and finally combing the tangles out of her hair. After toweling off she looked in the hand mirror she had located while looking in the drawers. She finally looked and felt like herself again.
For some reason Vivian couldn't get the memory of Ricks calling her pretty out of her mind. Maybe it was just her mind craving compliments after all the negative input after all the years of Bedlam calling her ugly. Maybe he was just trying to make her feel better.
Leaving the bathroom and all its glory behind her Vivian continued to explore. Now that the daylight was here she could get a much better look at her new friend's home. The rooms were basically the same in each room, white walls and stained wood floors that squeaked loudly no matter how lightly she stepped. Whether product of poor design or age it wasn't clear which. She located her bag and all her belongings cleaned and laid out to dry in the attic which apparently served as the washroom. Ricks had been busy since he had brought her out of the rain. Vivian checked on her spare red and white striped hat, it was damp and cool to the touch but that could be cured by a few minutes next to the fire. The young siren left the hat where it was and located her comb, make up kit, water bottle, and sleeping bag. The white bag she kept her food in was empty and stained brown from mud. She guessed that all the food was ruined and Ricks had to throw it out.
Moving on she found the kitchen was stocked with frozen food and lots of cans. Most of it was cheap stuff that only a bachelor would eat on a weak income. The last room she found was the living room. There was a computer on a desk that Ricks was now typing on, a couch made up with a blanket and bed pillow (obviously where he'd been sleeping since she came), a few wood chairs and a TV. The light from the large picture windows was brighter here than the other rooms and showed Vivian that the storms had indeed halted for now and were letting the sun sift through the clouds.
She silently snuck over to peak over Ricks's shoulder to take a peek at what he was writing. It looked to her like a novel of some sort. She could only see what was on the pages he was working on but it looked like the main character was having a spat or lover's quarrel with a female character. It was well written but still could use some polish in her opinion.
"It's not polite to read over another person's shoulder." Ricks said suddenly, startling the Shadow Siren enough to make her jump back a little. "But I guess if you're up that means you're feeling a lot better."
Ricks turned around in his chair and gave Vivian a quick smile. "So... did you like what you saw so far? It's about a spirit of a young man that haunts a house that a young woman and her family just moved into."
"Hmm..." Vivian had to admit the concept sounded good but many stories had good concepts and weren't very good. She would have to read the whole story in it's entirety before casting any judgment. "It sounds good and it seems like you're pretty good at writing but it looked like you skipped a line here."
Vivian pointed to a spot where there were no words, a blank line between paragraphs.
"Yeah I know. I'm kinda stuck there." Ricks said, "That's a spot where the spirit tires to possess the girl to make her do stupid things in front of her friends so she'll get embarrassed. But I can't come up with anything descriptive for the possession."
"I see." Vivian said. "Well from what some of the Boos that I have known say it's like holding back a heavy stone. With the stone being the possessed person's will power. And like holding a stone the Boos can only possess something for so long before being forced out. Or so I'm told."
"Can you possess people?" Ricks asked, turning around in his chair to face the young Siren.
Vivian winced and cast her gaze to the floor. She knew that it was possible and she had done it before under protest. She remembered how Bedlam had once threatened her into possessing a passing Shy Guy and making him dance for her sister's amusement. She remembered shouting in the creature's mind that she was so sorry for doing it and feeling how terrified the Shy Guy was for having all control of it's body taken away. Vivian hated doing that to someone who had done nothing to her. Sometimes she could still hear it screaming in its mind to let it go.
"Well... I can but I really don't like it..." Vivian said, at last returning from her trip into her memories. "I don't like making people do things against their will."
"I can understand that. You seem like a very nice person Viv." Ricks's words made the young Siren blush a little under her red and white hat, or at least they did until he continued. "But I'd like to discover what it's like first hand... If that's alright with you. Vivian "
Vivian thought about it. Maybe this was she could repay Ricks for all his hospitality. Still doing this felt more like another thing on the list to repay Ricks for but, if it was what he wanted she'd oblige. Still she had only done this once before and knew she wasn't very good.
"Okay... but I know you aren't going to like it. It's only used against a person's will and it's not exactly pleasant..." Vivian said, rubbing her hands together while trying to hide the nervous expression on her face.
"Have you done this before?" Ricks asked, who was attempting to fight off a mixture of anticipation and fright.
"Once... and I admit that I didn't like it." Vivian said flatly. "My sisters made me do this a long time ago."
Ricks nodded. "Well, it was probably as much against your will as it was the person they made you possess. This is different."
"How's that?" Vivian asked, looking up at Ricks with a questioning expression that was clear even through the shadow of her hat.
"Well I'm doing this willingly, and this is up to you. I'm not forcing you to do this." Ricks said as he gave her a friendly smile.
Vivian thought about that. She had only heard of possession being used as a means of forcing another to do what someone wanted, she had never heard of any other use. Maybe this would be different than then.
"Okay... just relax." Vivian said.
Ricks closed his eyes in preparation, not sure what else to do. He didn't see Vivian's form dissipate into mist and flow into his body via his nose. The sensation of Vivian's mind intruding on his own mind caused his eyes to fly open and mouth to gasp, taking in more of Vivian's mist form. Within seconds it was done. If there had been anyone to see Ricks they would have seen a young man with shiny dark violet skin, short pink hair and a shadow overcastting his eyes.
Vivian could feel Ricks was confused and a little disoriented but felt she could feel it quickly being replaced by curiosity. She felt surprised that this was no where as horrible as her first time she possessed. No this didn't feel like lifting a stone and holding it over her head this was more like an embrace, gentle and warm in a way.
She felt him become curious about his, or rather their appearance at this point. She mirrored his feelings and stood. As they walked she felt him aiding her, a bizarre yet welcome feeling compared to the shy guy's desperate struggles. Their steps were a tad awkward since Vivian was not used to wearing shoes or clothes for that matter but they arrived at the bathroom to look at Rick's possessed body in the mirror that hung over the sink. At the sight of his shadowed body Ricks was shaken from within his own body but only for a second. Just like the possession his shock was overtaken with fascination. He kinda liked the look, except for the pink hair.
Vivian giggled from within his mind, she was starting to become comfortable and relaxed. She was surprised when she felt his hand touching his/their cheek and marveling at the cool rubbery feel of it. Vivian blushed, embarrassed at this silent thank you. She took his hand and kissed his palm, only to feel his mind smile and give off what can she could only describe as an intoxicating, mind numbing warmth that spread through her own mind and then through the body she controlled. If she hadn't forced him to grab the sink they would have fallen on the floor.
"Perhaps..." She said, using his own voice. "We should stop for now..."
She felt him blankly agree and she sat on the lid of the toilet and slowly seeped from his mind like a gentle fog. Soon she was standing in front of him and he was fighting a light head ache caused by disorientation.
They took a moment and stared at each other, impossible to contain the warm feelings they had shared before she had cut off the possession.
"Viv... that was..." He said, at a loss for the words to describe how wonderful that had felt.
"I know..." Vivian said, placing a finger on his lips. "It was incredible."
Vivian removed her fingers and kissed him, surprising both her and the human. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..."
"It's okay Vivian." Ricks said, giving her a hug. "I know how you feel, I feel... strange, like I can trust you even though we've really just met... I can't describe it at all..."
Vivian placed her head on his shoulder. "That's exactly how I feel. Like we shared something intangible huh?"
Ricks nodded. "Yeah, thanks Viv, I feel like I owe you a lot."
Vivian shook her head and broke their embrace, it was becoming too comfortable for her. "No, I was repaying you for helping me recover from my cold and giving me a place to stay for a while. I-... I really should be going."
"Why Viv? Is there someplace you wanted to go to?" Ricks asked, feeling something ache inside him at the thought of her leaving.
Vivian meanwhile was thinking, where had she been going all this time. In truth no where, she had been wandering since she left her home. She finally looked up at him; "No where I guess... Someplace I belong."
"Why not stay here? It's big enough for two people." Ricks's offer was genuine, he wanted her stay, admittedly more so than he expected.
Vivian thought about it. Her sudden attachment to Ricks may have begun to affect her judgment but she decided to try it. What harm could it do to stay here for a while?
"Okay, I'll stay here and help out what I can." Vivian said with a cheerful smile.
Ricks smiled and offered his hand to her, which she shook readily. Both knew this was the start of a strong friendship between the two of them.
End.
Hope you liked it. Serious Mario fans don't take this too seriously, I'm sure I made some mistakes with Vivian's personality.