Luigi was four beers into his usual twelve before Brewster finally said something about the bandages. This was the third night Luigi stayed late, and this time he wasn't wearing his usual outfit- he was in sleep clothes, a tank top and blue sweatpants. He had worn a jacket in, but that ended up on the floor around the second bottle. The man's arms were fully bare for the first time, and Brewster had caught a good look at the strips of white banding around each arm. They were all the way up to the shoulder.

He was concerned.

"I didn't know the tournament had become so rough, coo." Brewster said. Luigi jerked in surprise.

"What?" The man had already begun to slur his words. Luigi did have a low alcohol tolerance.

"I didn't know the tournament… had become so violent, coo." Brewster repeated. He made a vague gesture towards the man's arms. "I understand the Hands had to… hire a doctor?"

"Y-yeah. Doctor Mario." Luigi said.

Brewster raised his eyebrows. "Your… brother, coo?"

Luigi smiled at that. "Nah, my cousin. We're distantly related. Guess you haven't seen him around much then; I mean, he looks a lot like Mario but a lot older too. "

"You… like him?"

Luigi shrugged. "He's pretty nice. I know a lot of the younger smashers do- Ness, Toon Link. He's nice to them I guess, tells them stories and stuff. He used to be a smasher too- I think he retired. Maybe he got too tired of fighting." Luigi glanced away, but looked back at Brewster, then down at his beer.

"So, how were you hurt, coo?" Brewster reached underneath the counter and pulled out another bottle. He looked around for the opener.

"Hah ha, man you've got a lot of question, eh?" Luigi grinned at him." I got a little bruised up in my brawl today, there's a bunch of bruises on my arms. I gotta keep uh, pressure on them. I don't know why, just doctor's orders."

Brewster looked at him, setting another bottle on the counter. Luigi looked away again, and in a moment, his confidence faded into a miserable guilt.

"Im'a sorry." He mumbled under his breath.

"What are you sorry for, coo?" Brewster said, in his quiet way. Luigi didn't answer. He stared into the bottle.

"…Luigi?"

Luigi didn't say anything for another few breaths. Finally, he shook his head. "Nothin'." He muttered, and then looked up and smiled. "I'm never sorry, Brewster. Why should I be, eh? I've done nothing wrong. Life… is great. "

Brewster sighed. "For everyone else but you, it seems."

Luigi looked at him, a sharp look on his face. "Brewster," He said in a warning tone. "Please." The pigeon could see the tension in his shoulders. "I'm…"

Brewster raised his wings in surrender. "I'm worried, coo. " He said. "Please, just make sure to take care of yourself. "

The tension relaxed. The sharp look on the man's face eased, and Luigi leaned back in his chair. "Heh. Don't worry man, I'm taking care. " He shook his head. "I mean, I'll be sure to take care."

Brewster chuckled. "You better… I wouldn't want to report you to the doctor." Brewster stopped laughing at the flash of fear that shot across Luigi's face. "Luigi, I was joking, coo."

Luigi swallowed, and smiled. "I know. We're just messing, I know, I wasn't, uh... "He shook his head and looked away.

The tension still hung in the air when Luigi left later that night.