Chapter 14 I'm Possessed!
Was there a better embodiment of the words "gorgeous" and "refreshing" than Sparksville? Lemmy seriously doubted it. Sure, the Mushroom Kingdom boasted its own very real, very obvious type of beauty. And yes, the flora was far less prominent in Sparksville as it was a Koopa Kingdom town. But even with that in mind, Lemmy couldn't help but feel that the place was a sight for sore eyes. The colors popped, caressing the retinas with their rainbow hues. People smiled and laughed. It was like Lemmy was walking down the pathway of a town that originated from an animated musical. He loved everything about it; even the mundane and ordinary looked inviting and rejuvenating when viewed with the Sparksville lens.
"Oh man, this place…" Lemmy smiled, the action stretching his face in ways that even he, the poster child of the happy-go lucky, had previously thought impossible. "I can't get enough of it!" He stopped in place and bounced, landing on the balls of his feet with the lightness of a feather. "I want to move here. Ludwig, when we get you your body back, you and I are moving here right away!"
Ludwig snorted. You'd rather live among the plainsfolk as opposed to in a literal castle where you're served day and night?
"Uh, yeah! I mean, just look at this place! Look at the people!" Lemmy intentionally directed his attention toward a couple walking down the sidewalk parallel to theirs. The smiles on their faces were so contagious they could cause a pandemic of joy. "Everyone who lives in Sparksville loves Sparksville! And I don't know about you, but finding a studio apartment in the most visually appealing town in the Koopa Kingdom would be a dream come true for me."
Hmm, Ludwig said. You do make a valid point. And…you know, being surrounded by visuals this stimulating and colorful would serve as a good basis for inspiration in the arts. Ludwig surged with joy. You know, now that I think about it, moving here would be a good idea!
"It's a great idea!" Lemmy shouted. It was once he did that he noticed that people had been walking beside him. The two of them stared at Lemmy, their jaws dropped ever so slightly and their pupils shrinking in fear. Lemmy frowned, ready to apologize to them and tell them that no, he wasn't crazy. Eccentric and weird yes, but most definitely not crazy. Before he got the chance, however, the people made their getaway. They didn't run (probably realizing that doing so could be taken as rude), but they did sprint. They sprinted without looking back, sprinted while their pupils still remained as small as could be.
Lemmy's heart sank. "Man, I need to be more careful."
Ludwig snickered. You can say that again. A dark pit formed in Lemmy's stomach. It felt…it felt like malice, wickedness, and sadistic pleasure mixed together. You already make a big fool out of yourself as is; you don't need to shout at voices in your head.
Lemmy blinked. "Woah." His shoulder slumped. "Ouch."
Just as suddenly as the pit in his stomach appeared, it vanished. This just left Lemmy to deal with his own bruised ego as well as Ludwig's shock and horror.
Oh my God. Lemmy, I….I'm so sorry. I don't know why I said that; it just sort of…I'm so sorry!
Lemmy smiled, the expression teeny but present nonetheless. "It's okay, Ludwig." Even as he said that, he couldn't help but worry. That was so uncharacteristic of his older brother, even when taking into account the fact that Ludwig had a snarky, sarcastic streak. What was just said was hurtful more than anything else, and the emotions that accompanied the insult only made it worse. Why would Ludwig say that? Why would he feel that?
Unless….oh no. It was the curse. That's what it had to be; there was no other explanation! Darkness was still taking over Ludwig's soul. He was slowly losing himself to the evil that made up the very fabric of a duplighosts's soul (or whatever the demonic equivalent was). Realizing this, Lemmy shuddered. They were running out of time.
Lemmy, why don't…Ludwig paused, as if he wasn't qualified to talk to his brother after the insult that he had just dished out. Why don't we make our way toward a restaurant. You and I both need sustenance.
Lemmy considered this. He wanted to skip the meal and make his way back to the Castle, but he immediately thought about what Ludwig said as they stood outside Sparksville. Ludwig wouldn't accept Lemmy neglecting his physical needs; even with the curse slowly setting in, his concern for his immediate younger brother was as strong as ever. And really, Lemmy was hungry. He didn't even need to think about a specific dish; just hearing the word "food" made him salivate.
Lemmy took in a deep breath. "Okay." He pushed his worries, as well as the out-of-nowhere insult from his brother, to the side. "Let's find us somewhere to eat." He scanned the town, keeping his eyes and nose peeled for anything that would please the senses. He searched for about ten minutes, checking every nook and cranny of Sparksville (which, he admittedly did because he wanted to soak in the sights and sounds of the town). Eventually, he found a place. It was called Georgie's Joint, and like most of Sparksville, it looked lively and appealing. Even just peering through the windows, Lemmy got a really good look at the people enjoying their meals. Said meals appeared…scrumptious. They looked like they could compete with the quality of the food served in Bowser's Castle; food made to cater to royalty! It was a no brainer that this was the place to stop, so Lemmy went in.
"Hi!" The hostess said. "Table for one!"
Lemmy giggled. "Well technically it's two…" Ludwig's alarm told him that wasn't a good thing to say, so he just nodded. "I mean yes! Yes, I'm here all by myself! Just me, no one else! Nobody at all!"
The hostess raised an eyebrow, but the smile didn't leave her face. "Splendid." Within no time at all, she led and got Lemmy seated down at a table. "Myra will be with you shortly."
"Sounds good! Thanks!" Once the hostess left, Lemmy took in a deep breath. Doing so actually brought him back to his childhood. Georgie's Joint smelled of the Castle's kitchen, specifically when the cook prepared chocolate chip cookies and chicken and gnocchi soup for the littlest Koopaling. The smells tumbled together and complemented each other, making Lemmy's stomach rumble as well as bringing up his mood. With smells like this, Lemmy was guaranteed to get a good bite. While eating, he was going to feel warm and content; satisfied in every sense of the word.
"This place looks great!" Lemmy grinned. "What do you think, Ludwig?"
There was a pause before Ludwig answered, one that lingered long enough for Lemmy to notice but not so long that he felt obligated to point it out. It does look sightly. And the smell…good gravy, I haven't smelled such an aromatic restaurant in a while. It's…it's…
"Nostalgic?" Lemmy asked.
Ludwig chuckled. Yeah, pretty much.
It was just around the time that the waitress came by. Once she had introduced herself and got Lemmy's drink order (hot chocolate with whipped cream; what else would it be?), Lemmy took in more of the sights of the restaurant. The walls, constructed of brick, had a very rustic appeal. The lighting also helped in regard; it wasn't too dark, but it wasn't overwhelmingly bright either. Lemmy could look around without feeling like he was staring straight at the sun. The lamps hanging over the tables were a nice touch too. They had different color shades, matching with the theme of Sparksville while also appealing to Lemmy's inner child.
Uh, Lems? Can we look at the menu.
Lemmy gasped. "Oh!" He chuckled sheepishly. "Yes, of course." He lifted the menu, studying the options. He immediately noticed there were a lot of pasta dishes on the menu. What was the word the Mario Bros used to describe stuff like that? Italian? Yeah, he believed that was it. And sure, the Mario brothers would probably eat stuff like this in a heartbeat, but honestly? Lemmy wasn't too thrilled about this. Sure, he didn't hate pasta, but he didn't find it too appealing either. And sure, Mario and Luigi would view that stance as blasphemy to the highest degree. But it was just the truth; Lemmy didn't exactly like pasta.
Ooh, Ludwig mused. That chicken broccoli alfredo looks good. I think we should get that.
Lemmy wrinkled his nose. "Eh…I don't know…" He flipped toward the back of the menu, curious if there was a kid's menu. There was, and to Lemmy's delight, it had one of his favorite dishes listed on it.
"Ooh, grilled cheese!" He smiled as he set the menu down. "That's what we're getting!"
Ludwig laughed, the sound carrying on for a good two minutes. His laughter fizzled out and died in the most saddening way possible. Wait. Lems, are you being serious?
Lemmy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"
Ludwig was stunned. Lemmy…out of all the choices on a menu this loaded with appealing things, you pick the most basic, vanilla, milquetoast dish available. You really think I'm going to sit here and eat grilled cheese; GRILLED CHEESE when I could be eating broccoli chicken alfredo off of the adult menu?
Lemmy blinked. "Uh…well, I did before you said that."
And for good reason! I'm not eating grilled cheese Lemmy; I'd sooner starve!
"Hey! Grilled cheese is awesome; what the heck is wrong with your tastebuds?" He sighed. "But, if you insist…" he picked the menu back up, scanning through the options. He cringed more and more the deeper he got. "No, none of this looks appealing to me!" He shook his head. "I want the grilled cheese, Ludwig!"
No! Lems, I've been bouncing from body to body, not having the physical form that I desperately want to get back to! I've lost my body, voice, and powers; the least I want is to get a decent meal!
Lemmy's heart sank. Valid points, all across the board. He realized he was being selfish; he really should be thinking about Ludwig first.
But….ugh, pasta wasn't going to be pleasant to eat! At least, not by itself. Lemmy wanted to eat something that he enjoyed, something that would nourish his body, give him the energy to keep moving toward Bowser's Castle, and provide him with the joy of consuming something he liked. So…how was he going to handle this situation?
"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked, alerting Lemmy that she was standing next to the table already.
"Uh…" Lemmy thought about this, considering all his options, before a smile grew on his face. "You know what, Ludwig?" he whispered. "Let's compromise." He faced the waitress. "I'll have a grilled cheese for myself, and my brother will have a chicken broccoli alfredo."
The waitress blinked. "Your brother?" She looked around. "I thought you came here alone."
"Oh no. I assure you, my brother is with me." Lemmy smiled. "In fact, he's in my head!"
Silence. The waitress stared at Lemmy, looking taken aback to the enth degree. Ludwig's mood matched her facial expression perfectly.
Oh no! He said. Lemmy, don't! Don't do this!
The waitress slowly spoke up. "He's…he's in your head?"
"Yep!" Lemmy exclaimed, putting on a proud look. "Yes he is!"
"You're…you're ordering a meal for a voice in your head?"
"Yeah!" Immediately after he said that, Lemmy realized what he had just implied. This caused his heart rate to spike up. "Wait, no! No, it's not like that!" The waitress started backing up, causing Lemmy to shout after her. "I'm not crazy or anything; I'm just possessed!"
Saying that, loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear, ignited a horrified reaction from pretty much everyone. The other patrons stared at Lemmy; some with dropped jaws, others while whispering to the people sitting at their table. Lemmy, now seeing fully the hole he had dug for himself, hung his head and sat back down.
Lemmy…
"I know! I know, I'm sorry." He swallowed a lump. "Let's…let's get out of here before the staff kick us out."
With that, he made his way out of the restaurant (taking the time to pay for his hot chocolate and give the waitress a generous tip in the process). Once outside, he looked around. Sparksville all of a sudden looked far less inviting. Plus, Lemmy's still had his grumbling stomach to worry about.
Lemmy cringed. Where was he going to get some food now?