Round 6: Day 15

Luigi

Smash City

Little Sarsaland

Ademir's

1200

In all of yesterday's chaos, Luigi had forgotten that he, Daisy, Edelgard, and Dorothea had a lunch date at Saraslandian steak house Ademir's.

Ademir Bolada was one of the first locals Daisy had introduced Luigi to when he had landed in Sarasaland. Originally brought in as an apprentice to the royal chef, he was the only one close in age to Daisy during their teenage years. What started as an acquaintanceship of convenience became a lifelong kinship as the two grew into adults. Shortly after a series of tragedies saw Daisy take the throne, she gave Ademir her blessing to follow his dream as a restauranteur, as well as a modest loan, believing that his talent was best shared with all of the country, not just the elite.

Like always, Daisy was right. Ademir's steak was the best Luigi had ever had.

Now, the four eagerly awaited their meal, basking in the atmosphere of the softly lit restaurant. Everyone was dressed to the nines, waiting to try a new Edestrian fusion dish the ever-experimental Ademir had invented. Reflexively, Luigi's fingers anxiously pattered on the dark wood of the booth at which they sat. Edelgard was eying him, but he couldn't discern what her expression was meant to convey. Annoyance? Dread?

"By the Goddess Edie, you're bearing a hole in poor Luigi," chided Dorothea.

"Is it the finger thing? I'm sorry, sometimes when my mind wanders my tics come out," Luigi explained.

"You forget, we've spent months eating with Claude. He's constantly jumping from one thought to the next with no connection, constantly moving about."

"Isn't he an archer?" asked Daisy.

"One of the best," Dorothea declared, "And he's so even-keel otherwise. You'd never know how wild his mind is until you engage him."

Luigi nodded, his gaze fixating on Edelgard again, whose stare hadn't left Luigi even amidst the conversation. Dorothea laughed, resting her head on Edelgard's bare shoulder.

"Edie, you really have to tell us what's wrong."

Just as Luigi ruminated on how cute the couple looked in their matching strapless red dresses, Edelgard spoke.

"It's just… replacing the cabbage in a fish sandwich with some…sauce?"

Again, Dorothea laughed, but the coo at the end showed genuine empathy.

"Don't worry Edelgard, I've been told Easton Sauce is very good on fish, especially if you like pineapple," Daisy explained.

Edelgard nodded, "I do like fruit."

"You said it was popular with young people, right Daisy?" Luigi added.

"Yeah, and the way Ademir's fallen in love with Edestrian cuisine, he thinks he's found gold."

"And we're the perfect taste testers?" Dorothea added, flashing her winning smile.

Light chuckles were had by all. Dorothea rested her elbows on the table, resting her head in her open palm.

"That'd be a fine job, wouldn't it? Royal taste tester? You get all that fine food…?" she mused.

"You'd also be at risk of being poisoned," Edelgard snapped.

"Well yes but," Dorothea cleared her throat, her voice taking on a dramatic air, "I'd take that particular flavor of arrow to the heart any day for you, my love."

Punctuating her point with a big, loud kiss on Edelgard's cheek, the fair-skinned woman immediately went beet red.

"What's gotten into you?" she exclaimed, barely able to keep from laughing.

"Blame Yuffie," she said, "I love how affectionate she is with Vincent."

Edelgard rubbed Dorothea's cheek, "And I love how affectionate you are with me."

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen opened, and a large man with a cleanly pressed chef's outfit flounced through with a silver platter propped in an open palm.

"You alright Ademir?" Daisy asked

"Apologies ladies, gentleman," he said, "Had to get the sauce ratio just right."

Luigi nodded as Ademir moved briskly to the table. He, like Ademir, had a perfectionist streak. They'd talked about it over drinks the night they'd met and bonded immediately.

He removed the platter, revealing four fish sandwiches with a colorful sauce barely visible.

"So my distinguished guests, here it is, My take on Edestrian/Sarasaland fusion, in celebration of the new alliance,"

Dorothea, Daisy, and Luigi immediately grabbed sandwiches, taking bites. A yellow sauce ended up both on Daisy's sparkling golden dress and created a yellow spot on Luigi's green suit. As the Sarasalandian royal couple exchanged a glance with a chuckle, Edelgard watched Dorothea's reaction intently.

"It's…" Dorothea said, "Remember when Petra made that fruit drink for Professor Byleth but made too big a batch, so she had to pass it off as she made it for the entire class?"

Edelgard chuckled, "I remember that day well. Her deception was as obvious as the setting sun."

"It's like that but with a zing," Dorothea explained.

"If you speak well of it," Edelgard sighed.

The princess took her serving, nibbling at it. Her eyes widened.

"This is delicious sir!" she said.

"Oh please," he said warmly, "Call me Ademir."

"Well, Ademir, this is delicious and I'm usually not one for such flavor. I will take this back with me to my empire, singing the praises of the great empire of Sarasaland and its fine cuisine."

Ademir bowed in recognition, skittering away as quickly as he came. At that moment, Dorothea and Daisy's communicator buzzed simultaneously.

"She's still boasting," Dorothea and Daisy said simultaneously.

Luigi and Edelgard gave their beloveds the same befuddled look.

"We hit up the arcade after Peach and I's business was done and entered a Tekken 8 tournament. Mostly schooled some kids, but Yuffie swept me in the winner's bracket and then beat Dorothea when she climbed her way up from the losers' bracket," Daisy said.

"How was Captain Syrup?"

Daisy waved a dismissive hand, "She got swept both times, but her heart wasn't in it. She and Waluigi did some dancing game the entire time, so she was happy."

Just as Luigi opened his mouth to respond, Edelgard asked the dreaded question.

"Speaking of tournaments, how has your training been coming along?"

Luigi's eyes narrowed, "Do you all still train together?"

Edelgard shook her head, "Unfortunately business with the Askr alliance has kept us away from Smash business, and will for the foreseeable. Rest assured, however, we have been training and are ready for…whatever comes."

Luigi nodded, the words getting caught in his throat.

"I've heard…rumors."

Dorothea's eyes lit up, "Rumors? Do tell."

"He's been training with Altair, the assassin. Heard he was stabbed in the Achilles Tendon and still won."

Both women on the other side of the booth, who'd seen their fair share of war, winced.

"He and Sephiroth are tough," Daisy said, "But you've been putting in the work. You can do it."

"I agree," Dorothea nodded.

Edelgard's eyes suddenly lit up, "There's also the dissolution of the Brawler School to consider."

Luigi raised an eyebrow, beckoning for Edelgard to continue.

"We have all seen the future in which Garreg Mach dissolves," she explained, "It broke some of us, it empowered more of us, and the same problem belies Quinn. You, however, have a sturdier base, so you have the advantage."

Once again, Dorothea had rested her chin on Edelgard's shoulder.

"I love your speeches so much," she purred.

The four shared a laugh. Daisy and Dorothea immediately began to speak about whatever video game tournament they wanted to attend next, using terminology Luigi couldn't hope to understand. Luigi's mind began to drift to Quinn.

Quinn

Smash City

Wuhu Town

The Former Brawler School campus

Main Gym

1300

"Come train with me, bro,"

Master Hart had uncharacteristically quietly made this request of him when the two were wrapping up an event at Rusty's card shop. Much like the public appearance he'd done at the baseball stadium, they had signed things, inundated with questions by nerds. Now, Quinn sat cross-legged on the gym floor in one of the squares for wrestling while Master Hart trained in another, throwing kicks to the beat of Frank Zappa's Night School.

Quinn had reflexively opened his mouth, hoping to compare the current setting and Rusty's shop to heaven and hell respectively, but stayed quiet.

Instead, he took in Master Hart. Since the Brawler School had dissolved, Master Hart had grown a full beard, tying his flowing long hair into a ponytail. However, in comparison to the demonstration that had dissolved his school, he moved more briskly, his kicks snapping with speed and power as if he'd never stopped competing.

Quinn mulled over his words carefully. He'd spent the entire day trying to decipher if this new, more reserved Master Hart had simply been made more introspective by the collapse, or if he was masking incredible sadness.

Hart dug into his pocket and whipped out a remote clicking a button just as the squeaks of The Bellway Bandits began to play, giving way to the drums and flute of While You Were Art II instead. He turned to Quinn as he threw the remote over his shoulder.

"The doctor says I could probably do more standard karate," announced Hart.

A caveman's grunt tumbled out of Quinn's mouth.

"I've got pretty good peripheral vision for a half-blind guy," Hart continued, "Mostly rely on touch for that, muscle memory takes care of the rest."

Quinn hopped to his feet, kicking as high as he could, holding his leg aloft.

"What're you gonna do now?" he asked.

Hart mirrored his motion, smiling brightly.

"Think I'm gonna be like you. Travel the multiverse, teach karate all around,"

"Not the Brawler School style?"

Hart shook his head, jumping into the air and following to a split position. Quinn followed.

"That style belongs to you, now."

Quinn's spine ran cold. Hart must've seen him lock up, because he laughed warmly.

"Look bro, half the of the students are in jail now, and the ones that aren't in jail have friends that are, they just want to walk away, and I understand that, and I have no business teaching the style anymore."

Quinn rolled to his feet, rolling forward into a headstand. Hart followed his lead now.

"Where does that leave me?" asked Quinn.

A moment of silence was all it took for Quinn to start doing pushups on one finger, Hart following his lead.

"In the inner circle with Rosalina and Mario and all those bros. If there's another tournament, you're the closest to the center of the universe, you're the one who'll continue the style,"

Quinn went numb. Hart sounded so flat, so sad, a way he'd never sounded in all the years that he knew him. Quinn basked in the silence, the buzz of florescent lights, the smell of the gym floor, all trying to find something, anything to say.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked.

Hart smiled wide, "Buster Wolf?"

Quinn tried to smile, but he couldn't. There was a blackness in his master's heart that the dutiful student could not wade through. Quinn flipped backward, landing on his feet, Hart mirroring the move perfectly.

"Look, I'm not gonna say my time's up," Hart said, "But you're the future. You're this school's last son."

Now Quinn had laid down for situps, "That's not a ton of pressure or anything,"

Hart kicked his own feet out from underneath him, somehow completing his first crunch mid-air, landing on his back, and continuing the routine.

"It's just a fact bro. The fact is you've gotta fight for me, and if you do that, I'll fight for you. Got it? Show the green man what's up."

30 crunches, then Quinn rolled over, back to single-hand pushups.

"Got it, sir,"

"Don't call me that. Call me bro, we're not master and student, we're bros."

A text buzzed on Quinn's communicator. Quinn flipped to his feet again, finding a text from Mario.

You've got a TV appearance tomorrow morning on Coffee with Cait. You and Luigi, face to face.

Quinn winced.

"Got an interview bro?" asked Hart, a hint of mischief in his voice

Quinn bristled.

"I'm a semi-finalist in these things, bro. I know how these things go on."

"It'll be interesting for sure," Quinn responded.

Quinn groaned. That was supposed to be a thought, not verbally expressed.

"You worried about it?" asked Hart.

Quinn nodded.

"Why?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Quinn snapped.

Hart chuckled, killing Quinn's fury immediately.

"Luigi's a cool guy, it'll be fine."

"If you say so," Quinn sighed.

Another text buzzed on his communicator, this one from Joker.

Futaba wants us all to go for coffee at Bogey's and watch the Custom Robo fights, you in?

All he had to do was make eye contact with Master Hart,

"Whatever it is, go, now."

Quinn nodded, turning on his heel and leaving the vacant gym.