The Prisma Repaint

Huey's Not Dead, Apparently

[To Mario,
Just... come back to Prisma Island. I... fuck. I forgot what I was going to write. God fucking dammit. Uh we have beef with you and don't need Peach involved. Oh god that'll have to do.

- Roy, technically the best of the Koopalings. As dubbed by me.]

Well... what a twist. Going back to Prisma Island, both a good and bad deal to Paper Mario. The good side, Peach wasn't in mortal danger.

The bad side was the fucking Koopalings. Well, hey, fair on them for being slightly formal about this whole invitation. To just... they didn't know.

Get their asses kicked in by him? Again? To each their own, they reckoned.

"Ah, Mario! It's felt like years, has it not?"

"Dear god Huey! You aren't dead?"

"Woah. You... suddenly broke your nonverbal streak, didn't you? But hey, where's the joy? In knowing that your old pal's not dead?"

"I'll be honest, no clue."

Huey and Paper Mario shared an awkward moment of silence before the former seemed to look around awkwardly. He kinda had to be here, so hey.

No point in being like black paint. For context, that's annoying as hell.

"You know... why here to begin with? I wasn't expecting you to hop back in here all sneaky-like. On some kinda secondary mission? I don't think Prisma Island has been in danger lately."

"I think the Koopalings really want to get beaten by me. Hard."

"...yikes."

Huey backed up a bit, before nodding in the best way his paint-can form could. Wow, this was quite the character arc he had went through.

"Anyway! Should we go ahead and get that done? I... mean... how DO we do that."

Briefly returning to their nonverbal ways, Paper Mario just shrugged and started to walk off.

As expected, Huey started following him like a kitten with separation anxiety, yet not returning to their pocket like he did a few years back.

You never know what's gonna make a paper fellow uncomfortable.

-

[Ruddy Road]

An immediate headache awaited at the start of Ruddy Road.

"Dear actual... wow. I guess our job just became a whole lot easier."

"Wait, what job?"

"Finding Morton. Look, there he is."

Huey turned and... yep. The dark-skinned Koopaling did appear to be standing a few feet down the road, going a bit surprised when he noticed the duo.

Since they didn't approach him immediately, he had time to think. A bit.

'Shit,' Morton had went in his head, 'I'm not in the mood to question how he got here so fast. Uh, now I have to leave a good impression or I'll look stupid.'

Meanwhile, the duo had approached him and just... waited for him to say something.

Politeness existed, even to a guy who's tried to kill you before. It paid off.

Kind of.

"Right! Uh... we... kinda invited you back for, crap, rematches! I-I think!"

"Your voice is new, Morton."

"I-I got some damn speech therapy. Still kind of a work in progress, though... hence th-the stutters."

"Reasonable. Continue."

Both Huey and Paper Mario had the audacity to not insult Morton's less than perfect speech capabilities at the time.

He was able to explain the situation in the end. Each of the Koopalings had set up some kind of tasks for them, and they just had to get them done for them to accept defeat.

So much for unsettled beef. This was cowardly!

Or it seemed so until Morton had spoke further.

"We-Well! Mine is pretty tough, although it's just one. It-It's pretty much hammer tennis."

"Wait, wait. Will yours be on fire this time?"

"Huh?! Paint can, why is h-he..."

"Hold on. They. You got that?"

That's right fuckers. Nonbinary Paper Mario.

"...o-okay. Paint can, why are they talking! They didn't do that before!"

"God knows, Morton. But continue with the hammer tennis idea."

"...yes. It-It will be on fire."

"Oh, now we're talking! Where are we doing this?"

"Crimson Tower. You show up when you do! And no Paratroopa-ing out!"

"You can just say fuckin' chicken!"

The slightly rude comment came from Huey as Morton seemed to run off, leaving him and Paper Mario still in Ruddy Road.

And still utterly confused.

But hey, the intentions here weren't so bad. Flaming hammer tennis? Better than, they didn't know, turn based combat.

So nodding to themself and stretching out a bit, Paper Mario had started to depart for the previously mentioned tower with thoughts in their head.

Things are... already weird.

For a start? Huey isn't actually dead. Good on him, I guess? But he's also not paper, so paint's outta the question here unless he gets squeezec again. Would he even want that?

And then we have Morton. Who's... getting speech therapy. I mean, good on the guy. And hammer tennis with your hammers on fire?! I like his thinking!

I'm starting to get the idea that these rematches won't be a total pain in the ass. But no saying that for sure, yet.

Let's make sure I mean this when I say it.