TW: Mentions of physical abuse near the end of this chapter.
Chapter 9: A Sky Full of Stars
In a small apartment, a middle-aged man sat on the couch and played the guitar for his boys. The boys were both about five years old. The man had brown wavy hair and matching eyes. He wore a yellow sweater vest and long brown pants. He sang a tune in Italian, both boys singing along happily. This man was none other than Marco Mario, a plumber and loving father.
"Why are you singing that song again?" A voice asked. Both boys turned to see their mother, standing with her hands on her hips. She wore her long, brown hair in a messy ponytail. She still wore her red waitress uniform and nice black shoes. This was Lillian, a sweet, but often exhausted woman, as well as Marco's wife.
Marco stood, surprised. "Lily!"
"The boys should be in bed!" Lillian said firmly.
The man relaxed and smiled. "Oh come now. It's just a song."
Lillian wasn't satisfied. She turned to her children and asked, "Boys, what's a fascist?"
The twins looked at each other. The older twin spat, "Someone reawwy bad!"
His brother nodded. "They need to go to jail! Or be pubwicwy executed. Wike Mussowini!"
Their mother's jaw dropped. After recovering, she jerked towards Marco. "What have you been telling them?"
Marco set his guitar down gently. "I left out the gruesome details. Relax, Lillian. It's history! Sooner or later, they're going to be teaching the boys about the Holocaust in school."
The boy in green felt his eyes grow wide. Tearing up, he muttered, "Howocaust?"
Lillian glanced at her youngest son in sympathy and lifted him into her arms. "You're frightening them, Marco! I understand. Your family used to be anti-fascist during the War. But this is America!"
Marco groaned. "Oh, you sound just like your father. America this. America that. Keep raising them like that and they'll grow up to be blind nationalists, waving the flag around without knowing what it means! Just like how it was in Italy."
The boy in green glanced at his brother. The boy in red stared back at him. Apparently, a nationalist was someone very bad too. "I wanna go to bed!" The older boy shouted.
Lillian shot a glare at Marco, then turned back to her son. "Of course. I'll read you both a story. How does that sound?"
The boy in green sniffled. "Can you sing the song again first?"
Now she was cornered. Lillian looked at her husband. His face said, I told you so. Innocently, Marco explained, "I was only singing them this song because they had trouble sleeping."
The American sighed, then began to sing. To the boys' amazement, she sang the song in her own native tongue. The twins exchanged surprised, yet happy looks. Marco smiled, then started to play to his wife's beat. That night, before bed, the whole family sang Marco's song.
The voices were still in his head when Mr. L opened his eyes that morning. He glanced at his window. It was a typical lovely scene. The sun was rising outside, painting the sky a dazzling dark blue. Birds were chirping outside. A calm breeze came by.
Mr. L smiled. "Fascists, huh? What a lovely question to ask your boys, Lillian." With that, he stood and stretched. He went to his closet and changed clothes before walking downstairs. He braced himself for Dimentio at the bottom of the stairs. Either that, or a jump-scare of some sort. Instead, no one appeared to be awake. He was the first one up, a rare occasion.
Shrugging, Mr. L went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He got out eggs, slices of ham, cheese, and red peppers. Slowly, he began to cut the ham and peppers, singing his father's song. Next, he started making an omelet, still singing. He didn't stick to his father's native tongue nor his mother's. Instead, he switched between languages whenever he felt like it. "Questa mattina, mi son svegliata...To find the fascists all a-round.~"
That was when he had a sudden, strange feeling. The man in green sighed. Then he smiled and turned to his left. "Want some breakfast too, Dimentio?"
At that moment, Dimentio turned visible. "How did you know!?" He cried.
Mr. L shrugged. "Lucky guess."
"I was going to surprise you again!"
"Too bad," He said bluntly, then returned to making breakfast. He flipped the omelet and heard the instant sizzling.
The magician regarded him with suspicion. "What's that song you were singing?"
"Bella Ciao. Written around the time of the War."
Dimentio tilted his head. "What war?"
Mr. L laughed. He didn't know much about the War either. However, two things came to mind: America was in the right and Italy switched sides at one point. "Don't worry about it."
The jester hesitated. "Would you mind singing it to me?"
The man in green shrugged. "Why not? Italian or English? I was singing in Italish just now."
"Both."
Mr. L grinned and began singing the tune in Italian. Dimentio watched him with curiosity. He recognized a lot of the language, but he realized that he wasn't completely fluent yet. Mr. L surprised the jester for the second time that morning when the song ended. Nonchalantly, he asked, "How do you like your eggs?" His American accent never sounded so out of place.
"Overeasy."
He frowned. "Ugh. Great. I suck at overeasy eggs."
Dimentio laughed. He only heard Mr. L doubt himself a few times. He wished he would do it more, not because he liked seeing him doubt himself, but because he appeared more human that way. Natural. Not so narcissistic. Maybe he'll be more like this when I've disposed of that no-good Count. The jester appeared by his side. "I'll take care of it. You just keep singing your heart out. English, please."
Mr. L rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "What am I, your jukebox?"
"Please? I'll tell you more about your past."
"Ugh...Fine." He sang the song again, but in his mother's tongue. He also felt the need to pick up the pace slightly, just as she did that magical evening. He went to the coffee machine and made a cup of coffee, pretending Dimentio wasn't in the room.
When he was done, Dimentio commented, "That's a lovely tune. You're a fine singer as well."
Mr. L grinned. "Marco and Lillian used to sing it to me and my brother. It reminds me of where I came from."
Dimentio furrowed his brows. "Why do you call them by their first names? They're your parents."
He shrugged. "I don't know. It just feels right." With that, he set his plate on the dining room table. He grabbed his coffee along with some silverware and began to eat. "So, what interesting fact can you tell me about my past now?" Mr. L asked, only half-sarcastic.
Soon, the magician turned off the burner on the stove. He grabbed a plate and titled the pan, letting the eggs slide onto it. He floated over to Mr. L's side and placed his plate on the table. "Fun fact: You worked as a carpenter for a time. Then a plumber somewhere along the way!"
Mr. L rolled his eyes. "Fun. I've always dreamed of cleaning toilets."
"I didn't say your sole purpose was to clean toilets. You had your fair share of hero work."
Hero work. For some reason, Mr. L immediately thought of Luigi. Mario's younger brother. He shoved that thought aside. "What did I do, help old ladies across the street? Come on. Why don't you ever tell me anything about your past?"
There was an awkward silence. Dimentio frowned, sat down, and started to eat. Mr. L waited for a response, but only received silence. "Come on, Mr. Houdini. Got anything?"
The jester turned with narrowed eyes. In a serious tone, he said, "I don't like that nickname."
Mr. L's eyes widened, taken back. "Sorry?"
"Our deal is only about your past, not mine. And we can break it off anytime you want."
Mr. L smirked. "Ah. Well, you're getting something out of this too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made me your first unofficial boyfriend. Am I right?" Dimentio froze. That only made Mr. L more amused. "Do guys turn you on? Do you look at porn or anything like that?"
The jester frowned. "Watch it, L."
"I'm just asking. One can't help but ask the questions, you know?"
"Can I eat? Then you can ask all the questions you want."
Mr. L sighed. Dimentio wasn't planning on backing down. "Fine. I'm gonna get some more sugar." He grabbed his mug and prepared to do just that.
"Am I interrupting somethin'?" A masculine, accented voice asked.
The man in green turned and noticed O'Chunks, wearing a frown. Mr. L rolled his eyes. He hoped that the derogatory speech from yesterday afternoon was only to rile him up for sparring. Apparently not. The Scotsman hadn't talked to him much at lunch or dinner. Oh well. Good riddance.
The mechanic grabbed the sugar. He turned the small shaker over to make sure it wasn't salt, then sprinkled it in his coffee. "Oh, hey...Mr. All-brawn-and-no-brain." O'Chunks scoffed at him. There was a moment of tense silence.
Dimentio broke it. "Ah! O'Chunks! How's that song coming along?"
Suddenly, Mr. L couldn't stay angry. He burst out laughing. Both men started laughing their heads off. "SHUT IT!" O'Chunks yelled. Both men went silent. O'Chunks grabbed a can of beer from the fridge, then wandered off, muttering under his breath. O'Chunks headed down the hallway next to the living area. Probably towards the private workout room.
Mr. L and Dimentio turned to each other. They went back to laughing.
"Watch that song be a train wreck!" Mr. L laughed.
Dimentio smiled. "I can see it already!"
They kept laughing until a certain assistant cleared her throat. She gave them both a disapproving look.
Claiming the fifth Pure Heart had been strange, to say the least. All heroes defeated King Crocus with the help of Thoreau. The king's defense involved changing into a rose-like creature, face covered and all. However, using the right techniques, they defeated him easily.
Of course, at the last minute, the Floro Sapiens explained their plight: the Cragnons had been polluting their water and King Crocus went insane. As if aware the whole time, a film crew of three Cragnons burst into the room. "CRAGLEY HO!" The director exclaimed. "Emergency special report from the floro front lines! Environmental pollution drives Floro Sapeins mad! Whither will they rampage?"
After that, the Floro Sapeins agreed to stop kidnapping the Cragnons. In return, the Cragnons had to stop polluting the river. It was a happy ending to a rather twisted and tragic tale. Mario felt glad for them, but this wasn't his world, so it was a detached kind of joy.
When they returned to Flipside, however, they all noticed Tippi had been acting a bit detached as well. "Tippi?" Peach said. No response. Tippi looked around, confused, but she didn't seem to notice any of the heroes. "Tippi!" Peach tried again.
Suddenly, Tippi turned to Peach. "Wha?"
"What's the matter, Tippi? You seemed a little out of it there..."
"Well..." The Pixl began. "Didn't you just hear something?" Everyone traded glances, then shook their heads. "No? Alright then. It's just that...For a second, I thought I had remembered something very important."
They took the elevator down to the second floor of Flipside. The group began to head towards Merlon's house. After a moment of hesitation, Mario spoke up. "Hey, everybody?" The others turned to him. The man in red sighed. "Honestly...I'm starting to feel a bit tired."
"Oh come on!" It's only the afternoon!" Bowser jeered, then paused. "I think. It's hard to tell time around here. Things look the same a lot of the time."
"That's because we're only here during the mornings and afternoons," Tippi informed. "It is starting to get late, however..."
Bowser groaned. "Ugh. Fine. We can make a pit-stop, but only for supplies and everything! But if we wake up and the world ends, I'm blaming you."
Mario became silent once again. For once, he let Bowser lead them around the city, gathering supplies. They let Saffron, the nice chef on the lower floor, mix their supplies up to turn them into an improved dish. After handing Bowser a Snow Cone, Saffron said, "Don't eat it, sugar. It's meant for any foes you come across the way." Glancing towards Mario, she muttered, "Although...you have a Fire Burst? You look like you could use some Spicy Soup, hon."
The others turned to Mario, as if noticing his plight for the first time. Mario stuck a hand in each of his pockets, then shook his head. "No Fire Burst. But thanks anyway, Saffron."
After checking into a nice Flipsider's inn, the three heroes prepared for bed. Mario agreed to share a room with Peach, much to Bowser's dismay. When they turned the lights off, Mario had trouble falling asleep. His thoughts always wandered to his endless amount of responsibilities. How had it come to this? It felt like only yesterday when he was just a humble plumber who helped save his girlfriend's life from a crazy ape.
"You can do anything you set your mind to, Mario. You're amazing!" Pauline once told him when he expressed some of his doubts to her. But could he really save all worlds? He was just one man.
"Mario?"
He flipped over. "Yeah, Peach?"
"Ignore what Bowser said back there. There's nothing wrong with taking a break if you need it."
Mario sighed. "Yeah...I know. But I can't help but wonder...what if he's right? The world is getting closer to its end and here I am, taking a nap. Some hero, huh?"
The princess frowned. "Even heroes need time to rest."
"But I can't! Everybody's lives are at stake! Luigi..." Mario sighed. "I don't even know what's happening with him. It's been so long. What if he's already dead?"
"Don't talk like that!" Peach cried. Lowering her voice, she added, "He could be alive still."
Mario rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. If he's alive, he's probably being held captive. Or he's already brainwashed."
Another tense silence. Mr. L came up again. Why did he look so much like Luigi? He also spoke with an American accent, but Mario could've sworn he heard a faint nasal sound. Almost as if he was from Brooklyn too...
It couldn't be possible. Unless...
Mario flipped over and sighed. "Go to bed, Peach. Please."
"But-"
Just then, the door opened a crack. Both heroes could make out the silhouette of a large koopa king. Mario sighed and waited. He prepared himself to be told the last thing he wanted to hear right now. Shut up, Red. Nobody cares about you or your stupid brother! When Peach is Queen of the Darklands, she won't have to deal with this anymore!
Instead, the exact opposite happened. Softly, Bowser said, "You both need to get to bed. We can't save the green guy-and our Kingdoms- if we're too tired to stay standing..."
Mario and Peach looked to each other, surprised. They nodded. Mario whispered, "Thanks, Bowser."
"Don't mention it. See you in the morning," He almost shut the door before yanking it back open. "And remember. What I said just now? In this inn? It stays in this inn." Then he shut the door. It was much easier to fall asleep after that.
The next week had been blissful and surprisingly easy. Count Bleck announced he had been studying the prophecy and he couldn't see any signs that they needed to act soon. As a result, they were all given a week to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. At first, Mr. L found this a bit suspicious, but his intuition instantly kicked in. You're thinking too much. Think of the Count. Everything you do is for the Count. (It was a bit strange, considering his intuition sounded a lot like Nastasia this time...)
So, Mr. L found it wise to just do what the Count said and the rest would fall into place. The next few days were fun since he could just do whatever he wanted with his friends, but they were also confusing. Without the threat of the heroes looming over them, Mr. L had another problem to deal with: his relationship with Dimentio was changing. He loved his smooth voice, the various similes he thought of, and the poems he wrote him on occasion. However, he loved his touch the most. His embraces made him feel warm. Sometimes, they slept in the same bed together, and the man in green felt safe. However, the kissing was easily the most fun and exciting.
As a result, Mr. L had been talking about Dimentio to anyone who would listen and the others quickly began to get tired of this talk. Count Bleck was too polite to say anything, though there was a sorrowful look in his eyes at times, almost like pain but not quite. Nastasia listened patiently at first, but after hearing about Dimentio several times, she would change the subject whenever he started to mention the jester's name. O'Chunks had stopped taunting him about his sexual orientation overtime, but whenever he started to say something, Mr. L would be the one to change the subject; he didn't want to hear any insults.
Even Mimi, the hopeless romantic, started to get sick of this. "Hey, um...L? I get that you and Dimmy are dating now, but can we puh-lease talk about something else?"
However, despite all of this, Mr. L was in denial. It was all so he could know more about his past. That was it. Then he would think back to the warmth he felt whenever he was with him. His cheeks would grow hot, his heart would race, and he would daydream again. He would get a strange feeling inside and he wanted to just be with him...
No. He definitely did not feel that way towards him.
And then there was one night when the man in green couldn't deny it anymore.
Mr. L and Dimentio were together again in Dimension D. The magician smiled, stroking his cheek. "Where to, my love?"
The mechanic tried to keep a straight face, but he blushed anyway. "H-How about a sky full of stars? I-I mean, it's raining now, so we can't go anywhere in the real world, so…"
The jester nodded. "A sky full of stars it is!" With that, he raised his arms and the dimension changed to fit the appearance of what the man in green described.
A beautiful night sky above them, stars sparkling like diamonds. A wide, open field. A gentle breeze passing them by. The wind was a bit cold at times, but Mr. L didn't mind. Dimentio was back in that human-like form again, the one that he showed when they went dancing together. He was wearing a purple sweater this time. That was fine too.
The two laid in the grass. After some small talk, Mr. L remembered the bottle of wine he bought that day, not for myself, but for an occasion like this one. "So, you know Tristan? That cashier guy? Well, the other day, I got a bottle of wine from him, BUT it took a lot of persuasion for Mimi to-"
"Really! How enthralling!" Dimentio interrupted, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Mr. L furrowed his brows. "What?" He asked, confused.
"Oh, nothing. Tell me more about how handsome he is and all of the flirting that you inevitably did with him. I'd love to hear it, L."
The man in green frowned. When he first came to Castle Bleck, Mr. L saw Dimentio as an enigma. The jester seemed to be happy in general, always smiling and messing with others. Now, he was beginning to see that he was more than just someone who felt endless joy. He had moments of anger, sadness, and even jealousy. Still, it was a bit jarring to see these changes happen so fast. "Dim, I barely know him. Besides, he's straight."
"I bet you would be all over him if he wasn't," Dimentio said, turning to look at the stars.
Mr. L sighed. "Well, even if we were somehow together, that relationship wouldn't last long. I'm a servant of the Count. He's an outsider."
"Hmm…" Dimentio murmured. Still not convinced.
The man in green sighed. "He's not you."
Dimentio was silent for a moment. Then he flipped over onto his side, leaning on the weight of his elbow. "Alright...what's my favorite color?"
Mr. L was taken back. "What?"
"You said it yourself. You barely know him. So, let's see if you know me. Favorite color?"
The mechanic sighed again. "Purple. Yellow is a close second."
"Favorite flower?"
"Roses."
The jester grinned. "Alright, I've been going easy on you. Now, tell me this, L...there are thousands of Castle Bleck residents. Which resident irritates me the most?"
Mr. L flipped onto his back, looking at the stars. "Oh, that's a tough one." He thought hard about it before turning back to his boyfriend. "Nastasia."
Dimentio grinned. "And why do you think it's her?"
"I don't know...I remember you mentioned that when you first came here, she had you write a thousand essays to prove your worth. She did the same to me too, you know."
The magician laughed. "That is true."
Mr. L grinned. "So, tell me, Dim...was I right?"
Dimentio had a blank expression for a moment before his usual smile came back. "Very close. She is my second least favorite."
"Well, then who's your least favorite?"
His smile faded and he turned away. "N-No one important...just a Koopa who owes me money, that's all…"
The man in green sighed. He knew that Dimentio was lying, but he didn't feel like pressing him. He decided to change the subject. "So...what do you want when all worlds end?"
Again, Dimentio thought about it. Finally, he replied, "I want my own castle, a safe place for everyone who has ever been broken down or beaten. No fear, sadness, or heartache. Only happiness."
Mr. L frowned. Whenever he talked with the others about the New World, it was always happy thoughts. However, a wave of sorrow overcame him as a painful realization occurred to him for the first time. He looked back to the stars. "That...sounds nice, Dim."
The other man turned. "L?"
The mechanic frowned, still watching the sky. "Dimentio, what's gonna happen to us when we live in the New World? Are we still gonna talk to each other?"
"Of course we will," Dimentio said. His tone was soft and kind.
"B-But...my family. Your dreams." He leaned back on his side. "W-Will we even be a part of each other's worlds anymore?"
Dimentio looked at him intently. Finally, he took both of the mechanic's hands and placed a kiss on each one. He rubbed them softly with his gloved hands. "Yes. We will. I promise."
Mr. L smiled. "D-Do you mind taking off the mask, Dim? I just realized that I've never seen you without it…"
Dimentio was silent before patting his hands. "All good things to those who wait, my love." He stroked his cheek before learning forward and kissing him again. His lips were so soft and warm. This time, Mr. L returned the favor, leaning forward. Deeper into the kiss. No need to ask for any information. He already had everything he needed. He knew enough.
Then, at some point, Mr. L had kissed Dimentio so hard that they lost control and toppled onto the grass. They laughed and there was a nervous pause. The man in green was now on top of his boyfriend. Dimentio stared back at him with alarm in his eyes. The mechanic knew that if he didn't have that mask on, he would be able to see him blushing and badly.
The man in green smiled. He stroked Dimentio's masked cheek and ran a hand through the right side of his hair, the jet black side. It was so soft, just like his kisses. Mr. L smiled and leaned down, continuing the kiss. Soft, warm lips.
That night, Mr. L couldn't deny it anymore. He was falling in love.
The man in green was reading a book, thinking of the night before again and again. He tried to keep a neutral face, but he couldn't help but smile. He couldn't wait until he got to see Dimentio again.
"Man in green, the Count requires your presence," A voice said.
Mr. L looked up and noticed a Koopatrol there, waiting for him. He nodded, set his book down, and followed. In the hallway, he ran into Dimentio as well. The man in green leaned over to whisper to him. "What do you think the Count wants?" Dimentio replied that he could not say, which either meant he did not know or could not say it. The mechanic had a feeling it was the former.
When they both arrived, Count Bleck stared at them with a critical look. Nastasia was by his side, of course. Mr. L had the impression early on that she was his sole confidante. But she didn't speak, so to him, it looked like she was more of a submissive secretary.
"Let me guess. We're in trouble?" The magician asked.
"Not quite," Count Bleck replied calmly.
"Then what did we do?" Mr. L asked.
"I hear you two have established a romantic relationship."
His eyes widened. Mr. L sat up straighter and asked, "Who told you!?"
Count Bleck glanced at Nastasia. She answered, "Mimi. O'Chunks. Some goombas and koopas. A few Magikoopas."
The man in green slumped back in his chair. "Oh. So everyone basically."
"Pretty much." Nastasia gave a rare smile. "Did you really think you could tell Mimi something and not have it spread around?"
Mr. L sighed. "Is that all? I wasn't aware that was against the rules around here." Silence. The man in green looked at Dimentio, who seemed strangely stiff. Nastasia was back to frowning, as if a smile was never there. Count Bleck frowned. The mechanic sighed. "Sorry. I was just worried. For a second, I thought you were going to-"
"No, I'm not banishing either of you. I don't care if you are both men."
Dimentio seemed thrown off. "Really now?"
"I only care about how you two treat each other," The Count answered.
Mr. L blinked, now confused. "Of course. I understand that, but we're-"
Just then, Dimentio burst out laughing. "Oh, Count! Of course we'll treat each other well! Won't we all? This time next year, we'll be living in a paradise of your own design!"
The Count narrowed his eyes. "Yes, but-"
"But what? You're worrying too much!"
The jester kept laughing until Mr. L kicked him from under the table. "Dimentio, would you quit? Just listen for once!"
The magician smiled. He stopped laughing, but he patted Mr. L on the back. "Oh, L. You're so cute!" He turned to Count Bleck. "But honestly. What were you wanting to accomplish with this? We're dating now. Of course we'll treat one another well!"
"Dimentio, please!" Nastasia said, raising her voice. "One would think you'd learn how to talk to your superior by now."
Count Bleck placed his hand on Nastasia's shoulder. She looked to him with confusion. Staring directly at Dimentio, the Count spoke in a clear and concise voice. No one could've missed his words. "I'm sure my father thought the same thing when he married my mother."
Dead silence. No one was laughing now. Dimentio stopped smiling real quick. His face became neutral, neither freezing nor burning hot. Mr. L asked softly, "What happened, Count?"
"He beat her," Count Bleck replied. "Of course, when times were good, they were very good. But the marriage was still arranged. Mother tried to deal with him the best she could and I got along fine. I only became the target of his physical abuse when I made a serious mistake. Then again, he made me feel as if I was nothing a lot of the time. Maybe that was why I tried so hard back then." He let out a long, tired sigh. "After that...Mother got older and didn't interfere much with my father, even when she knew something was wrong. She had her own way of trying to get through to him, but he seldom listened. And then..." He trailed off.
Mr. L was in absolute shock. He turned to Dimentio, but the jester was quiet for once. He glanced at Nastasia. She stared into space, a glassy look in her crimson eyes. He turned back to the Count. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I would never beat my spouse, even if it was arranged!"
Count Bleck grinned. "Thank you, Mr. L, but your words can't bring me back the girl I lost."
"What happened to her?"
"That is a long story. I'll just say that I lost her and I will never see her again. I see traces of her in a lot of things, but everyone has to wake up eventually. Accept reality, no matter how much we don't want to."
Beside him, Nastasia added, "But we can still change what we do with this information."
Count Bleck closed his eyes, letting out a dreary sigh. "Just take care of each other, both of you. And protect one another with your very lives. The heroes are a troublesome threat right now. I can't say if either of you will lose your lives. I certainly hope you won't, but..." He trailed off again. He turned to Dimentio and looked him in the eye. "Dimentio. Mr. L is in greater danger, as both prophecies specifically cite him as the one who will decide how this goes, for better or for worse. Please...keep him safe."
The magician replied, "I'll do what I can."
Count Bleck turned to his more loyal minion. "And Mr. L?"
The man in green asked, "Yes, sir?"
For just a moment, Count Bleck hesitated. Slowly and evenly, he said, "Do not forget where your allegiance lies. I've noticed your self-doubt as of late. You need to stop that. It's time to decide: are you my servant or not? If so, then put this behavior behind you. Work as hard as you're able. You must remember who was there for you in all of your months of pain and confusion."
That stung. The Count was so understanding when Mr. L last showed any trace of doubt in front of him. Still, he was probably right. The mechanic nodded. "Yes, sir."
Count Bleck smiled. "I may give you a chance to get back out there. Don't you fret." To the both of them, he said, "You're dismissed. I'll see you in the next meeting."
Both Mr. L and Dimentio stood and left the room. As the magician floated away away, Mr. L walked out slower. Nastasia went to the door and shut it behind him. The man in green turned back to listen. After a few seconds, Nastasia said, "Count...you didn't have to tell them that much."
"Oh, Nastasia..." He muttered sadly. "I had to. I couldn't bare the thought of looming over them like my father did to Timpani and me...but I can't let them make the same mistakes I did."
Timpani. What a lovely name.
Mr. L closed his eyes and sighed. He felt awful for the Count, but there was nothing he could do about his lonely past. The only way he could make up for it was to work as hard as he could. Looking up ahead at Dimentio, he thought, "And I'll keep you safe. That's my promise." That was his last thought before he caught up with his love.
A/N from 4/19/20: Okay, so I just remembered that in this story, I made Mario and Luigi related to anti-facists (possibly La Resistenza) and...That's kinda badass. I'm not gonna lie. BUT! I did rewrite one significant scene and even made new content entirely for one part. Which means L and Mimi playing UNO had to go. Kill your darlings, man. Also, the old chapter title was crap, so A Sky Full of Stars it is.
Looks like this one came out quicker than I thought it would! Inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany's, I wanted to include a song in this fic. Originally, L was gonna be singing Bella Ciao by himself, quietly and slowly, while playing the guitar. Dimentio would creep up on him, listening in while invisible. My DA shows this. I changed it because that just didn't feel right, for whatever reason. As much as I wanna paste the lyrics, Fanfiction won't let me without getting on my case. So, here's a couple links to the song on Youtube:
Italian: watch?v=TnUuNvr2Tc8 (this is how I see Marco sounding)
English: watch?v=CDuZ_n_0H9I (Lillian's version, without the Anti-fa part of course)
Mr. L's voice is really distinct, so neither of these sound like him. However, the song is featured in La Casa del Papel. I don't watch the show, but the second singer (Berlin, I think) sounds a lot like him in my opinion.
Next time is gonna be really intense. Just you wait. Until then, I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! ;)
-Colorful and Free
