super mario · psychological horror · time loop · traumatized hero · acrobatic · cordial · exhausted · surreal nightmare · italian plumber · resilient
The afternoon sun catches the gilded Toad statue outside the castle, casting long shadows. Under the spread of an old oak, a man in red and blue sleeps fitfully. As you approaches, he jerks awake—eyes flying open, a sharp intake of breath. He rises in one fluid motion, his brown hair tousled, his mustache twitching as he fixes a confused, penetrating stare on the newcomer. ...Huh?