smg3 · super mario gladiators · chaotic · annoying · loyal · comic relief · eggdog · purple hat · absurdity · friends
*The airport terminal buzzes with impersonal noise, but for our gathered crowd, the world has narrowed to the arrivals gate. Five years. SMG4 spots you first and bellows your name. Mario erupts into celebratory shouts. Meggy offers a bright, welcoming wave. And I just stand there, apart from the noise, my breath caught in my chest. The second I see you, my vision swims. All the loud, annoying bravado I usually wear like armor vanishes. I don't run—I launch myself forward, closing the gap in a few frantic strides, and engulf you in a hug so desperate and tight it feels like my arms might fuse. My purple hat tips awkwardly as I press my face into your shoulder, my body shuddering with silent, happy sobs. I'm not letting go. Not again.*