Chapter 19 Hugs All Around

Morton looked around Sparksville as he and his family made their way through the town. Just like Stonebrim, it was decorated from stem to stern. Lights twinkled, wreaths hung from the doors, inflatable snowmen stood in the front yards of some of the houses, yada yada yada. Morton knew that the decorations would disappear as soon as Koopsmas was over.

Despite knowing this, Morton couldn't help but feel as if there was something different about Sparksville. Maybe it was a feeling in the atmosphere. Unlike Stonebrim, which seemed to cram the happy ideology down Morton's throat while ignoring the town's usual demeanor, Sparksville was more...laid back. Comfortable. Genuine. And yes, Morton did manage to smile when he was in Sparksville. It felt like a place where he wanted to be.

Anyway, the Koopa family were soon at Bob's house. When they got there, Bowser and Junior examined it with intrigued expressions. Well, Bowser had an intrigued expression at least. Junior, on the other hand, looked a little miffed.

"This is it?" Junior asked. "Well, this isn't very exciting."

Bowser laughed. "Who says it needs to be exciting?" He grinned and looked up at the house again, which just so happened to be the only one in the neighborhood that didn't have any decorations. "I think it's lovely."

Junior sniffed. "If you say so."

Ludwig made his way forward and knocked on the door. Bob was right in front of them within seconds. He cast them a smile.

"Guys! What a surprise!"

"Hey, Buddy," said Ludwig. He gave Bob a pat on the back. "Long time no…."

Bob didn't even wait to hear the rest of the sentence. He wrapped Ludwig in a hug and held on tight. Ludwig looked a little taken aback by this, but eventually eased into it. He smiled and returned the hug.

When Bob let go of Ludwig, he turned toward the others and wrapped them in an embrace. He would also sprinkle in some little comments, like "Wendy, always a pleasure," and "Roy, as strong and muscular as ever." That last one actually garnered a high five from the shades-wearing Koopa. Bob chortled and then turned toward the king and Prince, who stared at him in confusion.

"Wow," said Junior. He turned toward Bowser. "Dad, is it just me, or does this guy look exactly like Ludwig?"

Bowser scratched his head. "Yeah, he does." He turned toward the others. "Is there some dark magic voodoo stuff going on here that I should know about?"

Bob laughed. "No, there isn't. The reason why I look like Ludwig is because I am Ludwig!" When Bowser and Junior gave him raised eyebrows, he chuckled. "Well, a clone of Ludwig to be more exact."

Bowser adorned an understanding expression. "Ohhhh, a clone. That makes…." Suddenly, he turned toward the others, the confusion returning to his face. "Wait, a clone? When did Ludwig get cloned?"

Ludwig chuckled. "It's a….it's a long story." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, is it okay if we go in, Bob?"

"Oh, sure! I would love to have you in my house!" He turned toward Morton and grinned. "But first, there is one more hug that I need to deliver."

With that, he gave Morton a hug. Morton didn't know why this was, but a warm, fuzzy feeling overtook him as he was practically squeezed by Bob. He smiled and hugged Bob back.

"It's nice to see you, Bob."

"It's nice to see you too!" He let go and smiled so brightly that he looked like a star. "I was not expecting you guys, especially on Koopsmas!"

"Well, we're here, in the flesh," said Larry. He turned toward the door. "And we're going to stay with you for the rest of Koopsmas."

"Oooh!" Bob said. "This must be my lucky day!" He ran toward the door and gestured for everyone to follow. "Come in, come in!"

The others followed Bob inside. Granted, it took a lot of effort to squeeze Bowser through the tiny doorway. But once he was inside, he was able to move around freely without any trouble. He examined the interior of the house.

"Hmmm. Nice place, Bob."

Junior shrugged. "Eh. It's okay, I guess. It's no castle, that's for sure."

Bob laughed. "Thanks, you guys!" He turned toward the others. "So, dinner is going to be around 7:30. I wasn't planning on doing anything special, but I can order pizza or something like that if you want."

Roy snickered. "Pizza? On Koopsmas? That's…." His whole demeanor changed completely. "Actually, that does sound pretty good."

Bob laughed. "Of course! I mean, it's pizza. Pizza is always good!"

"While that is not objectively correct, I do have to agree," said Iggy with a grin. "Pizza is a true masterpiece of the culinary arts. It makes even the most decadent of foods look like garbage by comparison."

"I couldn't agree more," said Bowser. "Pizza rocks!"

"Yeah!" Bob looked around the house. "I think I'll be able to set up the table for everyone." His face fell. "But that means I'll have to find a place for all the outdoor decorations I'm keeping in the kitchen."

Larry raised an eyebrow. "What are your outdoor decorations doing in the kitchen?"

Bob let out a sigh. "Well, I was going to set them all up. But...I don't know. I guess I've just been procrastinating on it."

Morton nodded. "I know that feel."

"Well, that is simply unacceptable, Bob!" Iggy exclaimed as he took a step forward. "Procrastination, especially with something as important as Koopsmas decorations, is not something that should be celebrated!"

Lemmy giggled. "Hey, that's a pun!"

Iggy's face turned crimson as he turned toward Lemmy with a glare. "Shut up." He turned back toward Bob. "We will make sure that you have those decorations up on the front of your house!"

Bob shook his head. "Oh no, that's okay, Iggy. You guys came here to visit and celebrate Koopsmas, not do some boring work!"

Lemmy laughed. "You think putting up Koopsmas decorations is 'boring work?'"

Bob scratched his head. "Well...I mean, I guess…."

Wendy smiled. "Bob, if it means helping you get into the Koopsmas spirit, we'd be more than happy to do it."

"Yeah," said Ludwig. "Besides you said so yourself; those decorations have got to go somewhere."

"Yeah!" Lemmy exclaimed. "Besides, it could be a fun Koopsmas activity!"

Bob looked around the group. "Well, if you're all willing to do it…" He smiled. "I guess we might as well!"

"Nice!" said Larry. He leaned against Bowser's arm. "Although, we might have to be weary of Bowser, as he's too fat to get in and out of the door."

Bowser cast Larry a glare. "You watch your mouth, young man!"

Larry cast him a smirk. "Or what?"

"Or you'll be grounded until you're thirty seven. How does that sound?"

Larry's face fell into a frightened look, as if he had just been told that Bowser had a gun. He slowly backed away from the Koopa King without another word.

Bob smiled and turned toward the kitchen. "Well, come on everyone! Let's get right to decorating!"