#sunsetfinchfics

Music faded away as the woman chased after the tall, lanky figure until he stopped dead in his tracks and quickly spun around to face her, clenching his fists.

“What do you want from me, lady?” he spat, glaring at the elegant, mysterious woman, “Can you just leave me alone?”

“I just… want you to come back with us,” she spoke gently, trying to ease the purple-clad man.

“For what?” he hissed, “It’s not like anyone even cares about me, you know. Not my friends, not my family, nobody!” the man shouted. He slowly turned his gaze from the tall woman, glanced at the ground and muttered, “You’re lying, Rosalina…”

“Waluigi,” she pleaded, “What is making you think this way?” Rosalina placed her left hand on her chest, taken aback by his sharp words, “I’m sure they all care about you very much… You are important to all of us…”

“Ha! Oh yeah?” Waluigi asserted, his eyes darted back at her and dug his gloved hands in his pockets, “And what makes you think that?” he challenged her with bitterness, “I have been constantly mocked left to right, nobody is there for me when I need them, and none of my friends and family take me along, not even my brother. I feel like I’m not wanted by anybody!”

He heard her gasp quietly at his claims, sensing a bit of shock from her. “So, tell me again, Rosalina…” he slowly approached towards her and continued to scowl at her, “How am I even important?”

Rosalina paused to think, collecting her thoughts as she saw him stop, standing a few inches in front of her. She looked briefly at him, trying to summarize her explanation as best as she could. “Many reasons that I can’t describe… people do care about you, Waluigi,” she repeated, “including your brother. He just wants to protect you.”

She analyzed Waluigi, which he’s starting to become perturbed by what she’s saying. ‘Was there someone telling him all of these things?’ Rosalina thought to herself, ‘Or are his negative thoughts taking over him?’

Rosalina doesn’t know much about Waluigi’s past or what he went through. In actuality, she doesn’t know much about anyone’s past either. But she acknowledged well enough to recognize all of her friends since her visit, and Waluigi being one of them. She’ll do anything in her strength to keep them all together in one piece, or at least make them feel better from their troubles.

“May I ask who was saying all of these horrible things to you?” she asked worriedly.

“Hah! Like if I’ll tell you!” Waluigi scoffed, showing off his stubborn behavior.

“Please, Waluigi…” Rosalina soothed, “we were talking about things just fine back at the party… can you please tell me?” She heard a loud, exasperated sigh coming out from him.

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll tell you, okay?” Waluigi grunted, “Sometimes it’s the past that gets to me, sometimes it’s just me. It’s… a long story,” he admitted, shrugging his problems off for a moment, “Besides, if people do think I’m important or cared for as you say, then why can’t they just show it? And why would my brother hide things from me?” he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows, “He knows I have potential.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons,” she replied and sighed heavily, “I know that my advice won’t phase you much, your friends and family do love you,” Rosalina continued, “because they see you as a wonderful person and they value your presence, even I think you’re important.” She saw Waluigi loosening himself from his agitation, growing a bit curious on her persuasion.

His thoughts are racing through his mind. ‘Does she really mean it? Is she telling the truth?’

“You hold so much merit, even if you think you don’t. You’re humorous, you’re skillful, I sense strong capabilities in you.” She dozed off a bit, lightly tapping her index fingers together and focused back on him with sparkles in her eyes, “I’m… grateful for knowing you since I got here.” She blinked delicately, “You mean so much to me, Waluigi. You deserve all of the great things in life.”

Waluigi’s eyes widened a bit as he snapped back to reality and caught on. Did she compliment him? He hasn’t heard anyone flatter him like that in years. And knowing her, she’s modest and mature enough to not betray others. He got to realize how much worth she sees in him, regardless of his poor attributes.

“Oh, I apologize for startling you like that, I haven’t given advice like this in a while,” Rosalina confessed softly, “if you want some time for yourself, then you are allowed to.” She slowly turned away from him and closed her eyes for a moment, “Perhaps I’ll take my leave and let you have time for yourself for a while. There’s no rush. I’ll wait for you to get back.”

“Wait!” Waluigi called, watching Rosalina halt from her direction and twist around to face him with concern. He felt a slight blush burning across his face, took off his purple hat and started fiddling with it, “I’m sorry about what happened earlier,” he groaned apologetically, “I’m surprised that you’re actually being… patient with me this whole time. So… thank you.”

Rosalina gasped as her pale cheeks faintly reddened by his hospitality. “Of course. Despite your flaws, you truly have a heart of gold,” she responded warmly, “Do you still want to stay here or would you like to come back with us?”

Person B chucked sinisterly at Person A’s sorrow, “I pretended to be friends with you just to get Person C’s possessions. I can’t believe you were so gullible to notice!“

Person B leaned closer to Person A, grinning at their torment, “Oh, Person A... you should know that Person C never needed you in the first place. They only needed you to solely be their partner in crime, and they actually regret taking you along because you keep messing up!”

Person A gasped in disbelief, hoping that Person B is playing mind games with them.

“But... but... that can’t be true...” Person A murmured, feeling a lump on their throat and sharp stings on both of their palms.

“Just look at how Person C is doing without you...” Person B pouted mockingly, “They don’t even know that you exist anymore. Heck, they hardly mentioned you since you came to visit them!”

Memories of Person B and Person C rushed into Person A’s head, varying from early childhood to fun and joyful events that they all had together. Person A shifted their eyes away from Person B, feeling on the urge of tears.

“You’re right...” Person A sniffled, their voice beginning to crack, “I really shouldn’t be here...” They hung their head as they slowly accepted defeat, finally realizing that they have nobody to depend on.

Person B laughed maniacally at the heavens as the sky turns grey, dark clouds forming and rolls of thunder began to drum immensely.

“Know your place, Person A,” Person B got up, backed away and pointed their weapon at Person A, to which at this point they don’t take a glance or react to Person B’s threat. Their misery already took over their consciousness, ready to receive their fate.

It’s evening, and a sharp, painful sensation overtakes the palms of his hands. He could feel his own rapid breathing and his heart began to race.

“Well, we’re here!” Rosalina exclaimed as she stepped inside the hotel room, turned the lights on, and gently drops her packed bags near the front door.

“Weheh. Yeah! We sure are! Heh heh.” Waluigi replied as he drops his bags alongside hers. Negative thoughts rush into his mind as he stares at his own bags. He tries to shake his head in denial, hoping he would get rid of them, but they keep coming back to him.

“It was nice of Mario to invite all of us on the road trip, isn’t it?”

Rosalina’s gentle voice snapped him back into reality for a brief moment before the stinging pulse stabbed his palms yet again.

“Oh! Oh yeah! Of-a course! What-a great guy my cousin is-a, right? Weh heh heh.” Waluigi dug his fingers, attempting to counter the pain, ‘Ahh, fanculo! Perché non sarà questo smettere?!’ he thought blatantly to himself, hoping he won’t draw blood from his palms like last time. He heard a random door close beside him, agitating him a bit, ‘I guess she’s in-a the bathroom to change. Terrific.’ He sighed heavily and glanced at his hands, to which he realized that he did pierce some blood out of him through his gloves.

“Fuck,” he uttered, anticipating that he didn’t curse loud enough for Rosalina to hear.

Suddenly, Waluigi listened to a loud creak, and turns out that it was Rosalina opening and closing the bathroom door behind her, wearing her dark teal, knee-length babydoll nightgown.

“Aren’t you going to change as well?” Rosalina asked.

He gawked at her, noticing how pretty she is, “Ohh…” then he peered at his hands, stunned by how bloody his gloves are, “Ohh!” then he glanced back at Rosalina with confusion, “Ohh?”

“You… can go inside if you like. There’s no rush,” Rosalina reassured him, “Unless you plan on sleeping in your usual attire.”

“What?! Pssh! Nah! Waluigi guesses that he’s going to change no—”

“Wait… is that blood? On your hands?” Rosalina inspected with astonishment.

Waluigi shifts his eyes, tries to hide his semi blood-covered gloves, quickly ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut. The thoughts rushed into his head returned, leaving him with distraught and uncertainty. He looked at himself in the mirror; the pain that aches within his palms once again.

“Agh! What’s the point?” he uttered coarsely to himself, glaring at his throbbing hands, “What if she won’t even like-a me and she’s pretending to be nice just to keep-a my mouth-a shut?”

He ignored the battered emotions as he unbuttons his black overalls and took off his signature hat, aggressively tosses them aimlessly out of the bathroom, and swiftly shuts the door. He turns back to the mirror, watching his own thin, lanky frame, leaving him with his purple long-sleeve shirt and black bob-omb imprinted boxers. He leans closer and glares at his own reflection, mentally disgusted at himself, specifically by his own appearance. He sighed abruptly as he rolled up his left sleeve and flicked his wrist with his right index finger, thinking about how tremendously skinny he is, and he washed his small blood-stained gloves in the process.

For the moment, Rosalina was waiting on him, worried on why Waluigi is taking so long in the restroom.

Suddenly, Waluigi paused as he heard a soft, gentle knock on the door, for which he knew it was Rosalina.

“Are you… okay?” Rosalina asked.

“Ehh… yeah! Uhh… no? I-I-I don’t know… yes?” Waluigi stammered, trying his hardest not to crack his voice, feeling something stuck in his throat. ‘Ah, shit! I hope-a I don’t end up crying again!’ he thought as his rapid breathing gradually returned.

Everything was silent for a brief moment.

“Please come out… please…” she replied. She can sense by how afflicted he is more than he does himself.

He ruffled his wavy hair in frustration, for he had no other choice but to step out.

“Alright, alright… I’ll come out,” Waluigi grumbled, now feeling that lump in his throat that he didn’t want to happen, especially not in front of Rosalina. ‘Oh no… not-a like this…”

Slowly, Rosalina watched the doorknob weakly turn sideways, hoping to see if Waluigi is okay. Then, she finally saw him come out of the bathroom and gasped, “It you!” Rosalina exclaimed as she stared at his black bob-omb boxers, for they look aesthetically pleasing. ‘Oh my goodness! They sure look nice on him,‘ she thought, feeling a little warm smile coming up on her face.

“Heh heh… yeah! It-a me! Yeah…” he was about to glance away, trying not to let her notice the sorrow on his face until he noticed something was up, “Wait, uhh… what are-a you looking at?” he asked in a puzzled manner.

“Oh! Um. Nothing!” she quickly replied, ‘I hope he didn’t see me look at his boxers…’ she thought as she covered her face in embarrassment. Soon she heard loud, rapid breathing, sniffling, and then, a grievous cry. Rosalina uncovered her face and realized that the crying came from Waluigi, who was sitting on the floor while covering his eyes.

“Oh no! What’s wrong?” she cried, waiting for a response, “I didn’t do anything wrong… did I? Umm… do you want to—” she saw him turn his head up to look at her; his face was red due to how hard he was crying, “Uhh… sit down on the bed to make yourself comfortable? You can’t sit down there forever, you know…” she cooed.

Waluigi sniffled, “I can try,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. Then he felt something pick him up from the floor, soon to realize that he was levitating by Rosalina’s wand powers, “Hey! Put me down!” he yelled as he was gently placed on top of the bed.

“There you go,” Rosalina said as she sat on the bed next to him, “So, what happened?” she asked softly, “Why were you crying?”

Waluigi frowned, picked up his hat from his left side and buried his face onto it, “Don’t-a worry about it,” he quickly murmured.

”No! Please!“ She exclaimed as she grabbed Waluigi’s hat and flung it away from him, “Whoops! Didn’t mean to do that. Anyway,” when she continued, she saw his eyes turn away from her. She spoke softly, “Everything will be okay…”

“Wait, what?” Waluigi blurted out in confusion, “But you just-a threw my hat! How can–”

A lot has been going through his mind, especially when he wanted to know if anyone even cared about him, but when reassured him, he felt that she genuinely meant it.