Chapter Text
Lord Bowser Koopa, 15th king to the throne, single father to his prince and a... so-so ruler to his kingdom.
Well, he tried his best. But the people in his life were leaving him earlier than he would've liked. Losing his parents at a young age, then losing his only partner shortly after their son's birth, the heavy duties of parenthood and kingdom wouldn't even let him grief properly.
Because of that, the king is overly protective and spoils his little heir to no end. His son, Junior, was his one and only family, and Bowser gripped onto that like a lifeline. Truely, between the mundaneness of royalty life, and the tediousness that comes with it - holding meetings, stamping documents and weeks long travels to far off lands - Junior was the only reason he was still smiling.
But he knew it wasn't enough. Bowser dedicated all his time outside of royal duties to dote on his son, but there isn't much time out of royal duties to begin with. And the king soon realised that.. When he wasn't reading bedtime stories, playing sports, or using that meager 20 minutes between meetings to check on his prince, he was lonely. And Junior, when not gripping onto his father's time like an overly excited little puppy, he was also lonely.
Loneliness is one deadly, slow-killing poison. One that Bowser didn't want to wish on himself, or his son.
“Next!” Bowser bellowed, waving his hand. Despite the loudness, his face was a mere blank, tired expression. The same one he wore for the past few hours.
This one walked out of the throne room, stomping his feet. But it was still better than the one bursting into tears and ran outside, before the guards had the chance to offer escort.
Sighing, Bowser slumped his back against his throne, claws drumming impatiently on the armrests. After so many years since his last relationship, Kamek was more than ecstatic to hear that Bowser is ready for a new one. But setting up this whole blind-meeting event with over a dozen ambitious bachelors all clamouring for his attention, that's the last thing Bowser wanted.
The whole situation was absurd, and rather tasteless, even coming from the old advisor's conservative upbringing. But even if Bowser was happy to play along and just pick a partner, like some produce from the market, then these people who offered themselves up to be sold aren't much better. They were more concerned about getting on their king's lap of luxury, rather than about Bowser himself.
“Well? What's the hold up? Call the next one in.” Bowser grumbled, shooting Kamek a glare.
The advisor stood next to the throne, scribbled down some notes with an equally tired sigh. “That was the last candidate, Your Majesty.”
“Is it?” Bowser let out a snort, and quickly pushed himself off the throne. “Thank the Stars, I was about to fall asleep."
“Sire...” Kamek called out, picking up that nagging tone again. He quickly chased after his king, who simply walked out of the throne room without another word. “I thought you were ready to give this a chance?”
“I was ready to give love a chance,” Bowser huffed. “Not a glorified babysitter. If I wanted one, I wouldn't need to put a ring on them.”
“Some of them seem to... genuinely care.” Kamek insisted.
If that's the old man's standard for a successful marriage, it's pathetic.
Bowser rolled his eyes. He continued to stride down the long castle hallway to his personal study. When he looked up to the side wall, and unintentionally caught sight of his family portrait, he froze.
It was an oil painting in golden frame, of him and his late spouse. Bowser remembered posing for the painting for hours, grumpy and tired after the already long wedding. But having his love by his side, hands intertwining with a gentle smile... the final result was perfect. That beautiful moment was captured masterfully, by their very own royal artist.
It's a shame such masterpiece was left like this... covered with dust, colours degrading, and paint peeling off the canvas. It has been on the wall for years, but unlike the other paintings in the palace, it was left uncared-for, since looking at it was like ripping open old wounds. But now that Bowser was finally brave enough to look at it again...
Like how the painting was purposefully abandoned, covered with dust and degraded over time, Bowser's grievances were the same. Faded, forgotten, buried underneath years of mundaneness.
“Sire...” Kamek said, his voice a touch gentler.
Finally pulling his eyes away from the painting, the king rubbed his forehead. “Tell someone to clean the wall. There could be mold underneath it.”
“Absolutely, sire.” Kamek answered gingerly, as he continued to follow Bowser's steps into his study.
The first thing that greeted him was the tall pile of paper on his workdesk. How bothersome, Kamek's stupid meet-and-greet had delayed his usual schedule. Bowser threw himself on his chair, and then waved his hand at Kamek's general direction.
“Go sort it out for me.”
Waiting for the grumbly old man to sort out his papers, Bowser sipped on his cold tea, and looked out of the window. Behind his work desk was the entire view of the royal garden. When he's bored, Bowser likes to just turn around to feel the natural sunlight on his face, and watch the little people below do their thing. Ground keepers raking leaves from the grass, the guards standing around their post, chatting with the servant girls between their shifts. Same old same old.
Across the garden was the east wing of his palace. The past koopa kings sure love their art, because one entire side of the east wing’s wall was a mural, dedicated to King Bowser the First's arrogant looking mug, painted for everyone to see. Everytime Bowser turned his face slightly left while looking out of the window, he was forced to look at that shameless display of ego, and he wanted to roll his eyes all the way to the sky. But with time, the paint started to crack and peeled off the wall, making Bowser the First's face unrecognisable. So using that as an excuse, Bowser could finally cover that gaudy piece of history with white paint.
Bowser looked up along the scaffolding, delighted to see that half of the mural was already covered with a clean, pristine white. It was quite a satisfying view, watching as those two humans ran their brushstroke smoothly, bit by bit across the wall...
... Wait, humans?
Bowser squinted his eyes. Two squishy little men, no shell, no scales and in ragged overalls, whistling and kicking their feet as they worked, with white paint smeared all over their faces. There was a short, pudgier one with a red cap, and a taller one with a green cap.
“You done with that side, Luigi?” Bowser could barely make out the pudgy one's voice. He turned his face, revealing big round eyes, a comically large nose, and thick bushy moustache.
“All done, bro!” The taller one responded. Family genetics were strong, because as he turned and faced his brother, he bore almost the same features, moustache to boot. Blue eyes and rosy cheeks, that give Bowser the urge to squish their little face with two fingers.
Bowser couldn't say that he had met many humans in his lifetime, except for the few representatives from kingdoms over yonder - including an old friend of his, Peach Toadstool. It's not that humans are rare, but none of them ever choose to resign here, where the sky is always gloomy, and the temperature is killing. Because of that, Bowser stared at the two brothers way longer than he would've liked, with the same fascination of a kid, seeing some rare bird perching on a tree branch.
“Sire?” Kamek's voice snapped Bowser out of his trance. The advisor put the stack of paper on the desk, peeking out of the window to see what Bowser was watching. When his eyes met the red and green duo, he let out a quiet 'oh'.
“So they did take the job after all.”
“What do you mean by that?” Bowser asked with raised eyebrows. ”Why didn't you just let the servants repaint the wall? You coughed off coins for them instead?”
“Ah, well, you see... the original idea wasn't to just cover the very important and historical mural with white paint,” Kamek sassed, clearly rolling his eyes behind his glasses. “I was hoping we could restore the mural completely. Giving it some new life? Maybe putting your face on it instead of your great grandfather's, but it seems like you didn't care much for the art.”
“The art can smell my fart, if all it's gonna do is be an eye sore on my castle and cost me a fortune.”
“Yes yes, loud and clear.” Kamek clicked his tongue. “Anyway, going with the original idea, I scouted for some good artists, and these two showed up in my radar.“
“They're artists?” Bowser eyes widened, as he took a look at the duo again. Ragged overalls is not the kind of fashion he expected the conventional artsy types would wear. Art is a luxury afterall, and these two dressed like construction workers.
“Before you raised your voice at me!” Kamek interjected quickly, “it was Lady Peach Toadstool who recommended them. I was quite surprised, I've never heard of them, or this 'Mario Paint Studio' before. But if a classy lassie like her trust in their skill, I thought I would give them a chance -”
“And you didn't pay them a professional commission rate for painting a wall white, did you?”
“Well, n-no... at least, I was sure to warn them that this would be a quick paint job, and they shouldn't bother coming. But alas, if they're willing...” Kamek lowered his voice, as if afraid that the two humans could hear him from all the way over there, through the window. “I suspect that they needed the money anyway... I mean, just look at them.“
Bowser let out a little snort, and he rolled his eyes at the magikoopa's comment. Yet, he let himself be pulled away from work a little longer, and continued to stare outside of his office... this pristine prison cell that he was locked in. He saw the smiles on their faces, and the laughter they shared, dirty, in rags, and baking in the hot sun... but oh so jolly. How quaint, yet, the king had never felt so envious in his life.
“O-O-Oh no... M - Mario! You're pulling too fast!” The taller one - 'Luigi', Bowser took note - babbled.
The platform they were standing on was made out of wood, and raised up and down to the rope-pulling on each of its sides. It's a two person task, and Bowser's cleaning staff often operate these to lift them up along walls and rooftops. The most difficult part: pulling the ropes evenly and in time, so the platform won't lose its balance and topple over.
Something that these two are terrible at.
“C'mon Luigi, work those arms!” The pudgier one - Mario - cheered, pulling the rope with such lively vigour, he didn't notice that the platform he stood on was getting lopsided.
“Slow down!” the other shrieked. Unable to keep up, he frantically held on to the rope for dear life, seeing that his footing was starting to slide with how vertical the platform was becoming. “W-wait, stop! Stop! You're pulling too high -”
“Luigi, you have longer arms than me! How come you -” Red Cap nagged, before letting out a loud yelp, as the platform slipped right off from his feet. ” MAMMA MIAAAAAA! ”
Screaming, the two brothers tumbled off the lift, along with the white paint cans and brushes they were using. Bowser watched them fall out of his vision with widened eyes. With the little compassion left in his cold, jaded heart, Bowser immediately pushed himself off the table and opened the window, looking down with worry.
Luckily for the brothers, below them was a garden.
Unluckily for Bowser, it was his prized flower garden.
Green Cap landed on a cushy flower bed, their exotic colours now all coated in white paint. Red Cap landed, and got his head stuck inside one of the newly trimmed topiary shaped like Bowser himself. Their huge bums also broke a few tree branches on their descent, for good measure. Slightly dazed, but okay, the brothers both pushed themselves up to their feet, and looked around.
Observing the layer of pure white coating everything, as well as their feet, further crushing all the poor, innocent, expensive floras.
“Good heaven...” Kamek let out a long, dramatic sigh, wiping his brows. “My heart was popping right out of my chest! Those two are okay, thanks to your - “
“MY GARDEN!!!” Bowser roared ear-piercingly loud, like thunder in the middle of the bright sunny sky.
Everyone in the courtyard, including the two clumsy workmen, jolted as they looked up high, and saw their king's bloodshot eyes staring back from his office. Even when Bowser was so far away, Luigi coiled up behind Mario, as if he could hide from the Koopa King’s view.
“M - M - Mario?” Luigi whispered, gripping his brother’s arm.
“Yep.” Mario answered, popping his lips. “We’re toast.”
It is a great honour for anyone, especially common working class folks like Mario and Luigi, to be able to step foot into their king’s palace. Most people live their entire life, not even seeing king Bowser’s face once. Going inside the royal courtyard alone was a big deal. And even if the job was - disappointingly - a quick paint job on the castle's walls, Mario still eagerly believed that this is their big chance to turn their life around.
A few decades ago, the first batch of humans migrated to this land of koopas. Lady Peach's family was one of them, and now, she made it her mission to harbour the bond between the two species. It was Mario's silly starcross-lover type of crush on her that secured them a spot on her ship, away from their motherland, and arrived here. Where they could escape poverty, and rekindle the dream of pursuing art, even if it meant leaving everything they knew behind.
Whether they like it or not, King Bowser is now theirs to be ruled over.
Facing the king's imposingness first hand wasn't even the worst part. It was the shame of it all, especially when the royal advisor pulled them over and told them to use the staff washroom to clean up, clearly not out of kindness, but mere courtesy.
When they stepped inside, King Bowser - like a charging bull - ran past them without a second glance, and out into his ruined garden. When Luigi first saw the beastly king's bloodshot eyes, he fully believed that Bowser ran downstairs just so he could murder them. He was glad that didn't happen, but seeing the king dropped to his knees by his paint-coated flowers and started bawling, that was worse.
Rinsing with water didn't help, so the brothers had to address themselves to royalty with Luigi's entire head bleached, and Mario's overalls spotted all over with white. Luigi stood still with his hands gripping his hat, waiting for the older brother to do the talking, like usual. Royal advisor Kamek dropped a few gold coins into Mario's hand, with the same energy their late father used to have, when Luigi came out the first time as an artist.
“Here's for all of your trouble,” the old magikoopa sighed. “And I hope you understand why I'm only paying this much.”
Mario just nodded in silence. It was a miracle that they're still getting paid for this.
“Do forgive His Majesty's rather... explosive reaction.” Kamek cleared his throat, offhandedly waved his cane toward the door, where they could still see Bowser standing outside, staring at the flowers, as the groundkeepers dug them up. “It's quite unlucky you see, that flowerbed in particular has been around for years. They're some sort of memorial to Lord Bowser...”
Both Mario and Luigi winced.
“... After all, the late consort planted those.”
Mario and Luigi winced harder.
“O-oh boy... *abbiamo fatto un enorme cazzata stavolta…” Mario whispered to Luigi, slightly nudging him with his elbow. Seeing Kamek's eyebrow raised at the strange language, Mario immediately snapped back up. “A-ah, si! Kamek, sir, we're so, SO sorry for making this whole mess. Me and my brother can swear with our hearts, we can make it up to you -”
“Oh, don't apologise to me, do that to - “ Kamek paused his sentence, seeing the king's shadow loomed over them. “Ah, there you are, sire.”
The koopa king walked down the hallway with measured steps, slightly hunched over with a grim look on his face. He is so much, much, much bigger to Luigi up close. Moving to a kingdom full of koopas was quite the culture shock, but at least all of their koopa neighbours were around their size. The king looked like he came from another world entirely, with horns like the devil himself, deep crimson eyes, and limbs as thick as tree trunks.
Hearing his advisor's voice, king Bowser turned to face them, while half way toward the stairs. His eyes narrowed down on the two humans... very intense, yes, but somehow, Luigi wasn't as frightened. Those bushy eyebrows gave the king's reptilian face a much needed touch of humanity.
“Why are they still here?” King Bowser grumbled.
“So you have nothing to say?” Kamek asked, before stopping himself with a cough, in case he sounded too accusatory toward the brothers. “I mean... I just thought you would like a last word with them. It was your garden, after all.”
“What do ya want me to do, scold them? I ain't their parent!"
After seeing the two brothers jolted from his loud voice - especially the green one, how he immediately pulled his hat down his face like he could hide underneath it - Bowser forced himself to take a deep breath, and regain his calm. He's a king, he should know better than to lash out on his own people, koopa or not. And just seeing those round blue eyes, and their pitiful size, curling up together like stray animals... something about how emotive humans are, they just tug on Bowser's heartstring.
“Alright... I get it, it was an accident ...” Bowser grumbled that last word throatily, pinching his forehead. “It's... fine , really. Thank you for your work today, and... have a nice trip home, I guess.”
The brothers stopped hunching, shoulders relaxed, and looked at each other. For all the rumours about the king's explosive temper, and his less than graceful attitude, they didn't expect to get out of this blunder scot-free.
“Are you sure, Your-a Majesty?” Mario peeped up. “Is there nothing you want us to do?”
“If you can turn back time and stop yourself from spilling white paint all over my favorite garden, then I would like that," the king snarked. “Or, if you're so noble and adamant to repay me, Sir Red... would you and your brother like to pay for the flowers? They're imports from three kingdoms over, you know. The rarest kind as well.”
Mario shut his lips tight after that, and he looked away, slightly swaying back and forth on the heels of his boots in embarrassment.
But Luigi still wanted to try. He saw the king grieved over those flowers, and guilt was eating him from the inside out. To destroy something so meaningful to someone, because of his stupid clumsiness... If only he could've pulled those ropes quicker.
“I - I... uhm...” Luigi spoke up shakily, and the other three snapped their attention to him, as if surprised that he could speak. “Y-Your Majesty... words can't describe how s-sorry we are... But our brother and I do mean it, when we said that we would like to a-at least... do something for you.”
Bowser's furrowed eyebrows relaxed, and he let out a low growl, as if to encourage Luigi to continue.
“I - I know how much that garden means to you... I mean believe me, my mamma gave me this hat, and I wouldn't know what to do if I ever lose it.” The green human let out a small chuckle, clearing up this tenseness around them. “W-we couldn't give you new flowers, but we can still do a lot of stuff. Trim the garden, wash the dishes... uh, baby sitting?”
Bowser stared back at Luigi with an unreadable expression. At this point, Kamek was making the stank face behind them, just begging the humans to cut the noble act, and be glad that their king was being oh so merciful to them. Strangely, Bowser hummed with thoughts, claws clicking by his side to consider the offer.
“You two are artists, yes?” Bowser asked.
Luigi's eyes went wide, as if he just remembered his own occupation. They're painters by trade, but by gods, it has been awhile since someone asked him about it.
“Yep!” Mario immediately perked up, wrapping an arm around Luigi's shoulders, and pointed proudly at his younger brother. “Luigi here, he's the best painter you could find!”
“Mario!” Luigi hissed, his face turned red in embarrassment, though he couldn't stop himself from grinning.
Bowser raised a brow. “So wait, it's you who does the painting?” He pointed a claw at the green human. “So if the red chump doesn't paint, why is your place called 'Mario Paint Studio'?”
“Mario paints too - “ Luigi tried to speak up, before Mario immediately covered up with a bashful laugh.
“Oh no no, I uh... I do other stuff better than art!” He roughly patted on Luigi's back. “It's more of a family brand, you know?”
“Y-yeah... I do most of the painting, but Mario does everything else. So it is more so his studio - “
”Well no, it is our studio, since our last name is 'Mario' anyway.”
“Yeah... that too...”
Bowser clicked his tongue, long since lost track of the conversation. With another incoherent grumble, he turned around face the stairs, flicking a claw above his shoulder.
“Whichever one of you knows how to draw, come with me.”
Mario and Luigi traded each other a look, before the older nudged his little brother toward the king, despite his nervousness. Luigi took a deep breath, clamped his hands together by his midriff, and chased after the king. He turned around every now and then, begging his older brother for affirmation, making sure whatever he signed himself into was not some deathtrap. Mario was smiling underneath his bushy moustache, holding a thumbs up. The old royal advisor stood in silence, watching him behind those thick glasses with much amusement.
Luigi climbed up stairs that were much too steep for his tiny human legs, trailing behind the king's swaying tail. Whatever he was doing, it felt forbidden. This plushy red carpet on the steps was much too fancy for his dirty boots to step on.
They reached the second floor of the palace, and as far as Luigi's eyes could see, it was one long hallway. Bowser walked past the first archway, and he gave the two guards a subtle glance behind him, addressing the strange human. Then he continued, fully expecting Luigi to follow, and for the guards to let it so. Passing them, Luigi gave them a little hat tip, and he could see the koopas' eyes trailing him underneath their battle helmets with curiosity.
When they entered the second archway, Luigi could tell he was somewhere personal.
On the left were just doors, but on the right were portraits after portraits of koopas. By themselves, with their families, different shapes and sizes, different ages, sitting or standing, but all wear crowns on their head. Framed in luxurious gold, each painting was as meticulously well crafted as the last, and more impressive yet, they were life-size. Royal koopa life-size. They were as tall as three Luigis stacked on top of each other, some were even bigger, if there's more koopas inside.
Luigi wished Bowser wasn't moving so quickly, because all he wanted to do was standing still and admiring the art. By the context clues, he gathered that these paintings were of the royal lineage, of each ruler's milestones like their birth, coronation, wedding, and firstborn. He wasn't just witnessing art, he was witnessing history, paintings that were made hundred of years in the past, and it was an artist's dream came true -
Without looking in front of him, Luigi bonked his head against the koopa king's shell. King Bowser didn't even notice, focused his attention instead on the final painting of this hallway.
It was of a younger Bowser, Luigi noted. He looked mostly the same, but the painter did an amazing job capturing that little shine in his eyes, a detail that was missing from the current king. The younger Bowser was posing, hand in hand, with another koopa Luigi didn't recognise. But by the way Bowser sighed deeply next to him, Luigi could guess.
“You...” Bowser hummed, arms crossing on his chest, trying to look indifferent as he stared at his own wedding portrait. “What do you think of this painting?”
There was some paint peeling off from the canvas, and a layer of dust covering it. They were signs of an uncared for piece of art, and it made Luigi sad.
“I think it's beautiful, Your Majesty.” Luigi answered honestly. “The colours are sharp... the shading was done masterfully... I can even see the individual petals on the bouquet, with the light bouncing off them,”
“Uh huh... yeah... That old koopa knew what he was doing. He painted these portraits all the way back to my grandfather's wedding.” Bowser said with some rare hint of appreciation in voice, before he turned to the human. “Can you replicate this style?”
“W-wha...?” Luigi looked back at the king with wide eyes. “Are you asking me to -”
“Paint me a portrait, yes. A new one.” Bowser gestured to the empty space beside his wedding portrait. “Of me and my son. I've grown tired of staring at this thing for so many years. It's time for a shake up.”
“B-But...” Luigi fidgeted his fingers together. “Your Majesty, I did promise you I would repay you, but this is too important for me to do.”
“Too important?” Bowser snorted. “It's a painting!”
“I-It's sacred!” Luigi fussed. “These are all important paintings of you, of your ancestors - painted by the best of artists, I'm sure! My skill could never match up to... why don't you give this task to the artist who painted the other ones?”
“Oh yeah, the royal painter. He kinda kicked the bucket last year. Us koopas live long, but not forever, ya know.” Bowser offhandedly waved that topic away like it was nothing. “I'll be honest with ya, I'm not much of a stickler for tradition, or fine art for that matter. I don't care if you can't match the quality. I care that I could mark a new milestone of my life on this wall... you get me?”
Quietly, Luigi nodded. By all means, he should feel proud. By some freak accident, this novice of a painter would get to have his art hung here, on the royal palace's wall, along with art crafted by legendary painters, sprawling centuries ago. Imagine how much his and Mario's life could change, flaunting as this esteemed artist, who was hired by the king himself.
It feels unearned, doesn't it? What's a good artist without any struggle? But then again, how could Luigi decline, now that his luck was served up to him on a golden platter.
Taking Luigi's little nod as an acceptance, Bowser continued, “so how long do you reckon this would take?”
“Oh, gee, where do I begin...” Luigi muttered, cranking his neck up high to look at the very top of this very detailed painting. “If you want me to paint something this size... it might take a month, at least.”
“Fair enough,” Bowser grumbled, turning his feet to escort the painter out of his hallway. “Then I'll prepare a room, and a big canvas for you to start... when?”
“Uhm… three days, I think. Mario and I might need to visit the trade market for more paints.”
“Alright, then I'll have your material and travel costs paid off too. And consider this a 20 coins an hour job -”
“W-wait,” Luigi turned to the behemoth, utterly baffled. “Your Majesty, you'll pay us?”
Bowser stared back at Luigi like he had three heads, before he barked out a loud laugh. “Of course I'll pay ya, I ain't a tyrant! Do you seriously think I'll make you work for a month without payment?”
“O-oh wow...” Luigi turned away bashfully, since he couldn't help but grinned at the idea. 20 coins an hour? That's more than the usual three days of labour for him. “You're being way too generous... with me ruining your garden like that, I was willing to do this for free...”
“Still hung up on that, huh?” Bowser laughed again, placing a hand to pat on Luigi's tiny back, careful to not knock the human over the stairs. ”Technically, yer still doing me a favour by painting my ugly mug on a canvas. I'm not savvy with art, but I know how much time that takes to make, ya know?”
“Uhm... yes...” Luigi hummed quietly as he walked down the stairs, before he suddenly peeped. “You're not ugly, sire.”
“What?”
“I - I was saying that I don't think you're ugly... you got nice eyes.”
Bowser went silent for a moment, just processing this sudden compliment he just received. A pleased toothy grin spread on his face, and he hasn’t smiled this genuinely for so long.
“Alright, ya flatterer,” the king said, as he pointed the little painter down the stairs, where his brother should be waiting for him. “Off you go now.”