Friday.
1 PM in the afternoon.
Lucidia stared at the colourful, cartoonish box cover. It featured a dinosaur eating a delight of oatmeal and mixed-in dinosaur eggs.
She read the ingredient list. Then, she set the empty carton down with a thump.
Papyrus, Flowey, and Chara enjoyed their bowls of cereal too much to notice the lack of chill.
The rosy-cheeked flower took the sugar content to the next level by shaving a bar of chocolate every time they run out of their preferred garnishing. They could get away with it because of their now-plant form. They technically thrive on simple sugars.
“Papyrus,” said Lucidia, “This is your favourite food?”
He nodded and continued stuffing spoonfuls of oatmeal into his mouth. He’s still in his pajamas since that’s the only clothing article to fit his size.
“Not pasta?”
Flowey rolled his eyes and groaned. “Sheesh, EVERYONE thinks it’s pasta. Okay, I don’t mean to be rude, but this is too much. Pasta is his SECOND most favourite food. He discovered that later thanks to Frisk. They took everyone on a night out to a restaurant and then it was history.”
The flower wrapped his vines around the cereal packaging and pulled it back to his side. “This? This is his first favourite. The stuff he grew up on as a kid.”
In the most straight and deadpan manner, Lucidia pointed out: “But it has candies in them.”
“THAT’S THE FUN PART!” said Papyrus. “THE CRUNCHES OF DISCOVERY WITH EVERY SCOOP!”
“Your choice of comfort food rivals my husband’s.”
“WHAT ABOUT MISTER MAGUS?”
“If left to his own devices, Mezil makes terrible, terrible, dietary decisions.”
Flowey patted a vine on Papyrus’ arm, “Don’t mind her. Lady Lucidia has reeeally high standards when it comes to food. Everything has to be as original as possible. The only box cereal in this house are cornflakes.”
Chara nodded. “When I first arrived here, this entire mansion is devoid of candy. After a lot of searching, I discovered a small bag of chocolate chips at the back end of the fridge. And they’re for baking. Also it was untouched for months. Finished that in three days.”
They waved the bar of chocolate. “See this here? Special order on my allowance. I’m the chocolate landlord of this house!”
It confused Papyrus even more. “BUT THIS OATMEAL IS GOOD FOR BONES. LOTS OF CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D.”
“But it has candies.” Lucidia insisted, “I question the use of candy as a part of a main meal. Sweets should only be part of a dessert course and in small quantities. There are so many other means to achieve the same level of nutrition.”
“I am letting you go off the hook this time because you’re a guest, Papyrus. But while we live under the same roof, I would keep this as a special treat.”
Leaning closer to Flowey, Papyrus asked: “I RESPECT HER HIGH STANDARDS. BUT, WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THIS PARTICULARITY?”
“I should ask YOU,” the flower boy huffed. “Apparently Chara’s looping exorcism had something to do with the old man’s ‘terrible decision’.”
“OH! THAT’S RIGHT. MISTER MAGUS HAD JUNGLE CURRY, WHICH GAVE HIM A VERY BAD TIME IN THE TOILET. IT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VIOLENT AND COMPLICATED RITUAL.”
Chara stared in disbelief. “Are you telling me that I got tortured by the Smiley Trashbag because Mister Time Traveller is intolerant to curry?!”
“WHO’S THE SMILEY TRASHBAG?”
“Your brother.”
Papyrus responded, “OH. YES, UNFORTUNATELY.”
“Do you now understand why I’m so strict?” said Lucidia. “Mezil has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, therefore his digestive systems are more sensitive than the general populace. Yet, he’s determined to keep making choices that are detrimental to his health.”
“What… exactly are his food sins?” Chara just had to know.
“Anything with excessive spice such as Jungle Curry. He loves the fire a bit too much. Also, he can’t properly digest edibles with high levels of fat. Like that dreaded microwavable macaroni and cheese. It tastes awful and I’m horrified to discover that it was once a semi-regular part of his diet.”
“Alcohol is another major offender. The gastritis kicks in faster than drunkenness. Whenever he gets roped into binge drinking, expect half of the contents to eject upwards. And he would be in pain for the remainder of the day.”
The rosy cheeked one snickered. “He’s sooooo banned from Grillby’s.”
“Ahuh,” Flowey added, “Banned. Forever.”
Lucidia gathered that Ebott Town’s bar establishment was notorious for greasy foods. Indeed, she wouldn’t let her husband go there if she could help it.
Most of the time he’d have enough discipline to not sabotage himself. ‘Most’ was the keyword. There were moments when he gave into his strange cravings and paid the price.
Hmm… Mezzy should’ve been up half an hour ago. He needs time to dress and eat. Maybe I should wake him?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a surprise pat on the shoulder.
“Yo, Lucy!”
It’s Cenna in all her cheerful spunk. Seeing her again brought much joy in Lucidia’s heart. They hugged each other for a brief moment.
Papyrus dropped his spoon as he jumped out of his seat. True to their previous life’s training, Chara managed to catch the stray cutlery before it messed up the floor. They then placed it back into the half-eaten bowl of oatmeal.
He rushed up to the Vanquisher with the eagerness of a puppy: still adorable and innocently charming despite everything.
“Cinnamon Roll, you’re okay!” Cenna cried out. A hearty hug followed soon after. “God, I was so worried about you. How long have you been up?”
The two updated each other. In the meantime, Lucidia decided that it’s time to check up on her husband. It’s possible that he overslept.
She excused herself and slipped out of the dining area. The sapphire lady traversed the shortest path of portals to the bedroom.
Gaelic stalked the entrance, aided by crutches. At the very least, he kept his clothes on… unlike that incident in a different timeline when he stripped himself naked from sheer drunkenness.
“You should be resting,” Lucidia huffed.
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The snake placed a finger on his lips. “Me tongue be tasting Determination in the air.”
Her irritation soon turned into worry. When she touched the door, she detected unnatural levels of that time-bending power.
Flakes of red wisps escaped from underneath the gaps. Gaelic’s cautious instincts compelled him to step away.
“Do ya need help?” he asked.
Lucidia shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Please head down to the dining hall to entertain the guests. Distraction is required.”
“Yes, m’lady.”
Gaelic hobbled to the nearest shortcut and vanished through it.
Alone, the sapphire Seer faced the entrance of her bedroom. This place of loving solace had become a radioactive den of evil.
Her Eyes of power lit up. As she levitated off the ground, the air bent and ripped around her into a protective sphere.
Lucidia twisted the knob via telekinesis. Pushed the door open, knowing full well what awaited her.
Corrupted Determination spewed forth. Bleak red spikes threatened to kill, but the force of her protective sphere pushed the flow aside like water to rock.
This foulness doesn’t belong to my husband.
There is only one source of this stench…
She floated into the room. It’s dark. Those heavy curtains had never been drawn ever since Mezil Thyme claimed this place as his refuge.
Mezil sat up on his side of the bed without his shirt. Gone were his default nut-brown irises, replaced by an ominous ruby sheen.
Square on his abdomen, a red bolt of lightning glowed bright. Ever mocking, ever taunting. It declared ‘I will haunt you forever from the depths of Hell’, seared into his body’s weakest point.
They had purged every other Mark except this. It’s a ‘gut punch’ in more ways than one.
“Mezzy?” Lucidia called out.
No response.
How she wished to reach out for her love. Alas it’s still too dangerous to touch him.
Even if the corruption does not melt away her magical being, Mezil might lash out on defensive instinct.
Again, she whispered. “Mezil, my light and dark… come back to me. Please, don’t fight the Persona alone. I am here. We are all here. Waiting for you.”
His lips moved, trying to speak. Yet no words could escape.
“Follow my voice. Let my song be your guide.”
So Lucidia sang as the beacon, the lighthouse, the guiding light in a maze of the blind.
Slowly yet surely, the crimson glow faded.
Mezil coughed and gasped for air. Drastic it may be, that’s the surest sign of safety.
The wife lowered her shields and grabbed the water bottle by the bedside. She helped her husband take some much needed sips.
Once he settled down, Mezil grumbled: “I still can’t erase that stain from my SAVES.”
“The one with Persona’s curse?” she asked.
“Nngh. What else?” He drank some more. “I went to the Hub to train. Thought I could draw in enough Determination to shatter it once and forever. Instead--!”
Mezil slammed his fist down on the mattress, frustrated beyond words.
“Did you try to retain the world inside yourself again?” asked Lucidia.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Mezzy dear, your Psychia cannot withstand that. When I came into this room, you’re a nuclear reactor in meltdown. Our analysis confirms that it takes someone like Uncle James to break that curse. God bless his soul.”
“And…” The wife glanced to the side. “The only person with his capacity is Frisk. Perhaps it would be wiser to wait?”
Shaking his head, Mezil breathed out a long sigh. “They may not pass. Then, there’s the matter of Ebott’s seraphim. This curse is a weakness. Though I cannot guess how it could be exploited… my experience tells me it’s a risk.”
“I understand.” Resting her cranium to his forehead, she said, “But please, take care of yourself. Not just because it’ll give us the best chance of victory… but also because I love you.”
He held her close for a much-needed embrace. “Sorry,” Mezil whispered.
“It’s fine.”
Lucidia cherished every moment. If they had more time and privacy, she would have given him comfort. Alas, this isn’t the case. They had to hurry down to the dining area before anyone grew suspicious.
She turned on a lamp and helped her husband change into his distinctive tailcoat uniform. They’re stylish, but they take a while to set up.
“Could you bring me my cane?” he asked.
In one flick of her finger, Lucidia opened the storage case and pulled the ebony cane close.
Mezil held it horizontal to the mirror. He then twisted the top side to pop a hidden handle off its locks.
That’s not an ordinary walking tool: it’s a sword concealed inside an icon of fanciness.
After examining the edges, he locked it back in its sheathe. “It’s still sharp.”
“Not surprising,” Lucidia stated. “You’ve not engaged in a sword duel for a while now. And I hope you’ve polished off some of your rust with Grandpa.”
Mezil clicked his tongue. “Who do you take me for? Of course I did. Chara may not be as skillful as the Persona, but I’m not taking any chances with Frisk.”
She giggled. “That child is really something else, hm?”
The original Gungnir founded some of the most effective weapon arts in the land. When new laws limited the ownership of weapons, the craftier ones masked their arts as dances.
Those who understood their true purpose became some of the world’s most efficient killers.
Hair, combed. Coat, straightened. It’s time to meet the gang.
It started off with Gaelic planting a facepalm at Papyrus’ question. What a turn of events.
“Cor Blimey, how the heck ya think I’m a scallywag mangy dog?!” he exclaimed. “Oy ya city slickers seriously need to know there be more than cats and dogs in this world!”
Papyrus then asked: “IF YOU’RE NOT A DOG, THEN WHAT ARE YOU?”
“A snake, lad! Y’know, the scaly ones with no legs that slither on the ground? Forked tongue like mine?”
“I THINK I REMEMBER SEEING ONE IN ‘PEEK-A-BOO WITH FLUFFY BUNNY’. EXCEPT HER HEAD WAS A LOT FLATTER. AND GREEN. WITH A YELLOW BELLY.”
“Guessin’ that she’s a typical green vine snake. Cannae say fer sure, since artistic liberalism be a bane to accurate representation. Bah. So tame. Pythons win anytime. Have ya ever seen one o’ them? They grow meters!”
“WOWIE!”
While Gaelic educated Papyrus about the wonders of the natural world, Cenna scooted up close to the couple. That grin. Oh, she’s a cheeky little fox.
“Sooooo Mez. You’re looking kinda pale.” She asked, “Did you end up contemplating on the ceramic throne again?”
The grizzled knight grunted in annoyance.
“What is it this time? Curry? Shoddy processed junk food? Or did you steal a shot of whiskey on an empty stomach?”
Mezil brushed the badgering aside. “Doesn’t matter. I need to have my lunch now. Then we’ll start the meeting.”
“Aww c’mon you’re no fun.” She then walked off to grab her lunch from the kitchen. Soon after, Cenna returned with a big helping of fried rice. Chowed it down as if she’s in her own home.
There’s never a dull day with Cenna around, Lucidia thought. There’s either comical teasing, critical discussions, or violent screaming matches. To think that this girl could rile up her ever-stoic husband.
It may be strange, but she appreciated Cenna’s brand of rude wake-up calls. That lady won’t take nonsense and she’s not afraid to express it.
There were times when Mezil treaded a darker path. There’s only so much family members could help, more so for a man defined by his determination. He needed correction as much as anyone else.
Flowey waved in good cheer. “Howdy!”
Chara just glanced up and said, “Greetings. Wanna eat?” They then shaved more chocolate on the last quarter of their meal.
“Good afternoon,” the old man replied. “What’s for lunch?”
The ex-prince answered, “You got two choices. Boring ol’ fried rice, or fun oatmeal with dinosaur eggs!”
“Oh?” Mezil picked up the box and recognized it right away. “This is nostalgic. Reminds me of my schooling days.”
Papyrus exclaimed, “IS THIS YOUR FAVOURITE TOO?”
“Favourite? No. But it’s a part of my childhood diet.”
Cenna and Gaelic both grimaced at the statement.
“Eeew, I hate oatmeal,” said the young spunk. “No offence everyone. Give me fried rice any day!”
Gaelic tossed in his own opinion. “Rice fer me too. Ah prefer me oats with just honey and milk, thank ya. Especially if that honey came straight from a wild hive. Comb and larvae included. Mmm~~”
Now it’s the flower childrens’ turn to cringe. In a deadpan manner, Chara said, “Warning, warning, we have a baby eater in the room.”
“Are you from the jungle or what?” said Flowey.
Gaelic laughed at their reactions. “Prefer the forests, to be honest. But ah could live in the thick o’ the jungle ‘till ah turn to dust if I have to.”
Leaf, meet face. Face, meet leaf. “More crazy people. Great.”
“This box is empty,” Mezil stated. “Do you have another one?”
Lucidia felt her sockets twitch at the corner. “Mezzy, do not.”
Too late. Flowey grabbed a new box from the counter and started tearing the lid. Papyrus wasted no time setting down a spoon, a bowl, and a jug of hot milk.
The wife sighed at the sight.
Her husband, the head of the Magus Association, decided to have candied cereal for lunch… which was actually his breakfast.
Hmmm… there’s nothing in the ingredient list that would cause him to rush to the loo. I guess I have no choice but to accept. For now.
He could tolerate sugars better than me at least. Ah, I didn’t have the heart to tell Papyrus that his beloved Queen’s pie was too sweet for me. If she cut the sugar content by half, then it’ll be just right.
It’s quite a curse to be sensitive to sweets… At least Mezil enjoyed it.
I should start my meal. It’s getting very late.
Lucidia joined the lunch with her own savoury choice of fried rice. Served a portion for Gaelic too, since she knew he hasn’t eaten yet. Grandpa’s cooking is the best.
She watched her husband interact with the merry folk around him. Seeing the natural recluse enjoying the melodies of life warmed her heart. Mezil needs friends who’d keep him on the right path. Not that he’d openly admit it ever.
I want to keep this timeline.
I want him to make friends without worrying about betrayal.
I want him to be silly. To laugh free. And to eat whatever he wants at any time, with or without consequence.
Last bowl, finished. To his wife’s dismay, Mezil turned to the flower children and asked: “May I have seconds?”
“Mezzy!!! Mind your blood sugar levels, please! It has CANDIES in them!”
Maybe one day, we can walk together in the light without burning to ashes.