Chapter 16 Blue Moonlight

Jasper opened his eyes. Looking over at the clock, he saw that it was already one in the afternoon. He groaned, feeling as though he had wasted his entire day. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to form a good plan for the few hours in the day he had left. He put his hand up to the gem, squeezing it as he did. It felt so comforting, and yet… something felt off about it. It felt colder than usual. The warmth that it had previously caused him to feel wasn't as pronounced. It was still there, of course, but with how weak it currently was, it was almost like it was beginning to fizzle out.

Curious, Jasper sat up in bed and removed the gem from his neck. He squinted at it, trying to see what was the problem. It took a second and a heavy round of squinting, but he saw that it looked a little darker. The shade of purple wasn't as shiny or eye-catching, and it appeared that there were some little patches of dark cloud festering under the gem's surface. Looking and holding this anomaly made him tremble. He wanted to turn away from this sight, for it actually did a good job of freaking him out.

He eventually shook his head, putting the gem back around his neck. The fright that this sight caused him didn't mean anything, right? It probably didn't mean there was anything wrong with the gem. Even if there were, the positives that this gem had provided far outweighed the negatives. He was going to keep this gem close to him and not let it go. He was going to wield it as the powerful koopa who he had become. He wouldn't give it up if his life depended on it.

Knock knock knock. "Room service!"

"Come in!" Jasper sat fully upright in bed, smiling as a goomba came into the hotel room, carrying his breakfast on his head. Or… lunch, he supposed? It was one in the afternoon, after all. Deciding to push the technicalities to the side, he just looked over at the food. Even though it was covered, the smell still made him grin. It almost smelled like steak. Yeah, yeah, definitely steak.

"Thank you," he said to the goomba.

"Of course!" the goomba turned toward the door. "Enjoy, mister!"

Once they left, Jasper let out a breath. He chuckled, feeling as though everything was working out for the better. Coming to this hotel, which was regarded as one of the best hotels in the kingdom, was a really good choice on his part. Heck, it could probably be considered the best choice he ever made! And the fact that he found a way to get here without paying a cent… man, hypnosis was such an OP power and he loved it!

Smiling, he uncovered his breakfast… lunch… BRUNCH! That's what it was. He uncovered his brunch, smiling when he saw that it was, indeed, a steak. It was clearly a ribeye, which was one of the best cuts in Jasper's opinion. Cooked to perfection, with loaded mashed potatoes and a side of poison mushrooms on the side, it made his mouth water. This was so different from the meals he ate in prison and the meals he ate in Bowser's dungeon. In a way, he kind of deserved to feast on such a good-looking plate.

He picked up the fork and knife and began cutting in. Oh, Mama, it was so smooth! The knife cut through the steak like butter; there wasn't any place where he got stuck. He smiled when he cut the first bite, and his mood only got better when he stuck it in his mouth. "Oh my God." He felt like swooning. He almost didn't even want to touch the mushrooms and the potatoes, because he knew they would be inferior. Really, when put next to this glorious ribeye, the only purpose those pathetic little food items served was to decorate the plate.

Needless to say, Jasper was smitten. He felt like he was in Heaven, chewing on this very expensive cut of meat. Once he was halfway done with the steak, however, his mind got to thinking. Obviously, eating steak wasn't an all-day activity, so he needed to find something to do. This was especially the case because he wasn't sure if the hypnosis spell he had put on the hotel staff would be permanent, and if it wasn't, then they would be after him pretty quickly. And sure, because of his new powers, that wasn't the biggest deal. It would be more annoying than anything else, but even with that said, Jasper was not in the mood to feel annoyed.

So, he needed to figure out what to do today. He thought about this long and hard, running through every possible option. Eventually, he realized that he had a desire within him that was stronger than anything else: a desire to drink. Would that be okay? Would it be uncool to drink so early in the day, so soon after rising out of bed? Five o'clock was deemed drinking hour for a reason.

Jasper spent a lot of time thinking about this, probably more than he needed to. After a little bit, he chuckled and put on a smile. "You know what? Fuck it," he said out loud. He wanted to drink, so he was going to make his way down to the nearest bar. He would drink to his heart's content, appreciating the fact that he was now free and could do such a thing. He would get absolutely wasted, not caring about anyone or anything!

After he finished his brunch, of course.

…

With a full belly and a smile on his face, Jasper made his way around town looking for a bar. He saw quite a few bars along the streets, but none of them really struck him as "the place." There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with the ones he saw, they just… well, he wanted a place where he felt comfortable. A place where he could just sit at the bar a drink, a place where he could get hammered and possibly talk to some of the people who were at the bar with him. It didn't need to be anything fancy; just a small, out-of-the-way bar that could cater to his cravings.

After searching for a little bit, and after dealing with his frustrations piling up, Jasper finally found "the place." It was called The Lazy Troopa, and the outside had this sort of "old-timey" aesthetic. It wasn't too grand or too sightly; in fact, thanks to the fact that it was just tucked in the corner, away from prying eyes, gave it a sort of humble vibe. This was a place that would welcome anyone who could find it, a place where anyone could relax and have a good time.

It was perfect.

Jasper stepped in, observing his surroundings. It wasn't very busy; in fact, except for a few stragglers, the place was almost empty. Jasper kind of expected this though, as again, it was still early in the day. And hey, it was actually kind of perfect, as Jasper wouldn't have to deal with the commotion a crowded bar usually boasted. He could just sit back, relax, and chug down a beer, exactly like he hoped he would.

So, he took a seat at the bar, two seats away from a hammer bro working on what looked to be a fuzzy navel. Jasper drummed his fingers on the table as he waited for the bartender. He also felt his gem once more. He frowned while doing so, as it somehow felt even colder than it felt while he was in the hotel.

"What can I get you, bud?" asked the bartender, a purple-haired dragon koopa woman whose smile showed off the perfect row of teeth.

"Just get me a beer," Jasper said.

"Okay. What kind of beer?"

"I literally do not care; just get me something that will help me forget about my troubles."

"Gotcha." The bartender turned around, grabbed a bottle, and placed it in front of him. Jasper picked it up, studying it. Apparently, it was a brand called Blue Moonlight. Opening it up and taking a sip, Jasper immediately noticed how strong it was.

He smiled at the bartender. "You, my dear, have exquisite taste."

The bartender laughed. "Thanks." She looked over at the hammer bro, whose fuzzy navel had been completely consumed. "What anymore, sir?"

The hammer bro burped. "I woo…" he cleared his throat. "Another fuzzy navel. In fact, why stop at just one; why don't you get me six!"

"Six?" The bartender looked taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, your job's not to question," Jasper spoke up with a smirk. "If this guy passes out and dies from alcohol poisoning, that's on him, not you."

"Eh, I can see your point," said the bartender. "Six fuzzy navels coming up!"

With that, the bartender got right to work. Jasper resumed drinking his beer, letting the taste wash over him. He thought about everything while drinking, how everything had been working like a charm ever since he got the gem. It… it was almost scary, in a sense. Surely, there was a limit to the stuff he could do, right? Surely, there was one person in this world who would see what he was doing and put a stop to it, right?

Jasper snorted when he had that thought. Even if that was the case, it wasn't something he should worry about. The future didn't matter right now. All that mattered was the present moment, where he was trying to drown himself in an ocean of beer and satisfaction. He took a long gulp, counting his many blessings. Really, with how many positives that were piling up for him, he almost didn't have to think about the negatives at all.

"Rough day?"

Jasper blinked and looked at the hammer bro, whose first fuzzy navel was completely gone. "Are you talking to me?"

The hammer bro nodded. "You… you…" he burped again. "You look like you've been through the wringer."

Jasper snorted again. "Says the guy who's slurping up fuzzy navels like fruit smoothies."

The hammer bro chuckled. "I know, I know. I don't exactly have things all to… to… together either." He leaned back, immediately falling out of his chair because it didn't have a back. Jasper held back his laughter as he got back into his seat. "But you… you look like everything is going wrong for you."

Jasper chuckled as he took another sip of Blue Moonlight. "Oh, you don't know how wrong you are." He put down the bottle, feeling immensely satisfied at the clang that echoed through the bar when he did. "Life is pretty good as of right now."

"Oh." The hammer bro frowned. "That's weird. I'm usually an excellent judge of character." He looked down at his empty glass. "Maybe I need to lay off the drinks…?" He thought about this before shrugging. "Nah, that can't be it." He picked up his second drink and began chugging it down.

Jasper laughed. He chugged down the rest of the bottle, feeling disappointed in the fact that it had disappeared so quickly. He asked for another bottle, and immediately started chugging that too. His goal was to get wasted, after all, and he didn't even feel tipsy yet.

"So, if you aren't… uh… if you aren't having trouble, what's your deal?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow and looked back at the hammer bro. "What makes you think I have a deal?"

"Because it's one thirty and you're here in this bar." The hammer bro chuckled. "Call me crazy, but I highly doubt that's the sign of someone who has it all together."

Jasper smirked and gave him a sideways glance. "You are one of the most nosy strangers that I've come across in a while." He frowned. "Granted, I haven't really interacted with any strangers in a while."

"Really?"

"Mmhm." Jasper tapped his fingers against the bar surface again. "My life has more or less been in the shitter for quite a while…" his frown got deeper. "But you know what? That's neither here nor there." He took another sip of beer. "My life has experienced quite the turn-around. No use dwelling on the past when the future is looking so bright." He chuckled. "I mean, that's what alcohol is for; to help you forget about the past."

"If only it were that easy," the hammer bro said as they started working on their third drink. "I've been here since twelve thirty trying to drown my sorrows and I still don't feel all that fuzzy inside."

Jasper sniffed. "Sounds like a personal problem." He looked at the label on the bottle, and without much thought, started to pick at it with his nails. "But it doesn't matter. Eventually, the past will be forgotten. It won't matter anymore." He paused, thinking about what he was about to say long and hard. "I mean, it doesn't matter to me."

The hammer bro raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really." Jasper looked at one part of the wall behind the bar. He thought about his past, how shitty it was, and how it all stemmed back to one specific event. He held back a growl, trying to tell himself that this was nothing to worry about. All his troubles were in the past, after all. They didn't matter next to his awesome present and even better future.

"Huh. Okkkaaayy…" The hammer bro sounded like he was just a second away from going clunk on the floor. Even with that said, he still reached for his fourth fuzzy navel and started drinking that. "Man, I wish I could be like you. Not giving a damn about your past, just looking forward and not letting anybody hold you back from living the good life."

"Yeah, I am a pretty good role model," Jasper said, the statement only partially sarcastic. He took another sip, realizing that he was almost done with this bottle too. Sighing, he placed it back on the table, telling himself to take it easy with this. He drank to forget, but his name wasn't included on the things to forget list.

"You know, now I'm wondering," said the hammer bro. "I… I want to know what your past was like." Jasper raised an eyebrow and looked over at them, noticing that they smelled so much of the alcohol they were consuming. "What is so shitty about it? What led to you becoming so good about forgetting about the bad and focusing on the good?"

Jasper sniffed. "Well…" he reached his hand up to the gem, squeezing it before he decided to explain. "I met a girl. We acted stupid, and I ended up going to prison because of what I did to her."

"What you did do to her?" The hammer bro, despite his drunken state, actually looked a little worried. "You, uh… you didn't… you didn't… well, you know…"

Jasper shook his head. "No no, everything that happened between us was consensual." Jasper gritted his teeth, squeezing the gem even harder. "No, what happened was that she thought I wronged her, and she went to the police about it."

"Oh." The hammer bro was silent for a little bit before chuckling. "She sounds like a bitch."

"Yeah," Jasper sighed. He drank some more, officially finishing his second bottle.

"Well, if that's the case, I'm proud of you." The hammer bro chuckled some more, the sound kind of getting on Jasper's nerves. "You managed to pick yourself up and turn your life around. I think that living well is the perfect way for you to get back at your ex."

Jasper hesitated. "If… if you say so." He thought about that sentiment, thought about it long and hard. He supposed there was some merit to that statement. Living one's life well was a good way to get revenge, if what Jasper heard from self-help books and motivational speakers was to be believed. And on some level, he felt that that was the case. He knew that living a good life would be the perfect way to show Bowser that he couldn't bring him down.

But that was the thing. As good as this was for Bowser, who put him in prison for life, it wasn't the best thing to do for Opal, who ruined his life. He wanted to do something to her, something awful. He had thought about her nonstop for the first few years of his being in prison for the first time, and so there had to be something for him to do with her. There had to be something he could to really get revenge on her, to make her pay for every horrible thing he had done to her.

When Jasper had that thought, he stopped. He sat still for a few minutes before putting his hand on his gem again. A smile grew, starting out small but getting bigger the more he thought about this. He now realized that he had the perfect way to make Opal pay. She ruined his life, so now, he was going to do the same for hers. By ending it.

Jasper chuckled, growing excited at the thought. "Yeah, I don't think living well would be good enough in Opal's case…" he stood up. Grinning like a maniac, he started making his way toward the exit. His excitement grew exponentially. When he found Opal, he was going to kill her. He was going to kill her and throw her corpse in a dumpster.

"Uh, sir, are you going to pay for your beer?"

Jasper stopped. Oh. Right. He turned back toward the bartender. He held out his gem, which glowed red. "I don't need to pay," he said with a soothing voice. He noticed the glassy sheen appear in her eyes. "I don't need to pay for my beer. Everything is okay."

The bartender stared at the gem. "Everything's… okay…" Jasper pulled the gem away from her, concealing its light. She smiled at him. "You're right. Your drinks are on the house."

Jasper's grin returned to his face. "Yes. Yes, they are." He looked back at the hammer bro. "If you don't mind buddy, I think you shouldn't…" he stopped. He noticed that his "buddy" had passed out, with drool escaping from their open mouth as they lay unconscious on the floor. Jasper chuckled. "Yeah, that looks about right."

With that, he made his way toward the exit, ready and excited to find Opal Flamewright.