Angsty AU or something, I guess. Please excuse me, I am still very new to the Bowuigi community 😭
I read one of your posts and a thought came to my mind. This one is a little cruel and one-sided, but hear me out. Bowser starts to date Luigi only to get under Mario's skin-he does not love Luigi that much compared to Luigi's love for him.
And one day, while Luigi was doing something, he somehow managed to overhear Bowser's conversation with his troops/Kamek about the whole thing- "I never loved him in the first place, anyways. Sure, he's cute, but, if I were to be honest, he's more of a trophy to me."
Ooo, I see your angsty Bowuigi idea and I will respond with some questions/potential ideas I have:
Is Bowser only trying to get under Mario’s skin or is being in a relationship with Mario’s younger twin brother step 1 of Bowser’s new plan of taking over the Mushroom Kingdom?
If Bowser's dating Luigi just to annoy Mario (and doesn’t have any plans of conquering the Mushroom Kingdom at all), how far/long would Bowser be willing to go along with this plan? It’s one thing for Bowser to break up with Luigi after dating him for a few months, but if Bowser dates Luigi for a while (say, 1 or 2 years), there's a possibility that Luigi will ask Bowser for his hand in marriage. And if Luigi does propose to Bowser, would Bowser say yes (which would really get under Mario's skin) or would Bowser reject Luigi's marriage proposal (and maybe even break up with him) right then and there?
Adding on to the previous bullet point, if Bowser says yes to Luigi's marriage proposal, one angsty idea I have is the idea of Bowser leaving Luigi at the alter on their wedding day.
What will Luigi do when he discovers that Bowser never loved him? Sure, he can try to confront Bowser about what he overheard, but if Bowser wants to keep dating Luigi for as long as possible (just to get under Mario's skin), my guess is that Bowser will deny Luigi’s accusations. If that's the case, would Luigi have the courage to break up with Bowser right then and there?
Luigi, show him his engagement ring on his finger: I’m engaged!
Mario, smiling: Mamma Mia! Luigi, that's wonderful! I knew that you and Daisy are meant to be together! I can’t wait to tell our family about this and-
Luigi: Actually Mario, I’m not engaged to Daisy.
Mario, confused: What? Then who exactly are you engaged to?
Luigi: Bowser!
Bowser, kick the door open: Hello Mario…. Should I say…. *smile with his sharp teeth showing* BROTHER!!!!!
Mario: *Scream in high pitch Italian*
Mario wakes up in his bed and realizes that it’s just a nightmare.
Mario: Mamma Mia….. What a terrible dream! Luigi…. Bowser….. engaged…. Well, at least it won’t happen in real life!
Luigi, pop up out of nowhere: Actually Brother, Bowser and I are engaged.
Bowser, smile: And it’s real alright.
Mario: *Scream in high pitch Italian again*
So I want to answer your ask with another ask, anon.
Which of the following would be Mario's absolute worst nightmare:
Personally, I feel like either option 1 or 3 would be Mario's worst nightmare because both of those options make Mario and Bowser relatives in some way/shape/form.
However, option 2 would be really hilarious to see because I can imagine Bowser staring at Mario with a smug grin on his face right before he kisses Mario's significant other.
Luigi, confused: Of course, I’m okay. What makes you say that?
B.Jr: Well, yesterday, I saw you leaving Daddy's room in the middle of the night after drinking some milk and you were a bit limping… and then you facepalm to the floor before my Daddy dragged you back to his room by your ankle. Are you hurt?
Luigi, blush in shock: *sweat heavily* uhhhhhhhhhhhh
B.Jr: Also, what does Daddy mean by “I am not done until you can’t move no more.”?
Bowser, pop up out of nowhere, smirking: Oh Jr., Daddy is just playing “wrestling” with our guest. Let’s just say, your old man knows how to make a lasting heated impression. But don't worry, Luigi is a tough guy, he can handle anything whatever move I make in our boxing ring. *lean down toward Luigi’s ear* Isn’t that right, greenie~?
Luigi, face turning red: Uh, yes, Bowser. Totally.
My favorite thing about this ask is the possible idea that anytime anyone mentions wrestling in front of Jr. now, Jr. (being the kid that he is) is going to mention that Bowser and/or Luigi are "wrestlers."
For example:
*Mario and Luigi explaining to Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. about life in Brooklyn while having dinner*
Mario: *smirks while eating a piece of steak* You know, I used to be a pretty good wrestler back in college.
Peach: *giggles while covering her mouth with her hand* I'm sure you were, sweetheart.
Mario: No, seriously. Out of the 15 people that were in our wrestling team, I was the only senior who made it to the state championship.
Bowser Jr: *takes a sip of his juice* Mr. Luigi is a pretty good wrestler too.
Luigi: *confused* What makes you say that, Jr? I never joined the college wrestling team.
Bowser Jr: Because you wrestled Papa in the middle of the night last month.
*Mario and Peach drop their silverware as they realized what Luigi and Bowser actually did last month. Luigi starts to turn into a blushing mess while Bowser starts to smirk like he's proud of the fact that Mario and Peach now know that he and Luigi are banging.*
So I was playing Bowser’s Inside Story last week and I got this idea for you where everything remains the same except that Bowser and Luigi are forced to team up to stop Fawful after Bowser fails to inhale Luigi and is knocked out cold. With Fawful taking over, both Bowser and Luigi must work together to defeat him, all while Mario and Starlow are trapped inside Bowser’s body.
Throughout their journey, Bowser refuse to help those in need, such as Broque Monsieur, who is stuck on an island. However, Luigi often intervenes, encouraging Bowser to perform acts of kindness and assist others in need of their help.
Whenever Bowser grows gigantic to battle a giant enemy, Luigi cheers for him from a distance, acting as his cheerleader. During their encounters with enemies, Bowser and Luigi collaborate to create powerful duo moves. Surprisingly, they get along quite well from the beginning, forming a friendship together. However, Bowser begins to experience feelings he cannot understand whenever Luigi smiles at him or cheers him on.
But, during the battle against Midbus at Bowser’s Castle, Midbus severely injures Luigi, and Bowser begun to unleashes his fury in response.
Feel free to change however you like, I try my best.
I 👏 absolutely 👏 love 👏 this 👏 idea 👏 anon!
I don't know if it's the idea of Luigi and Bowser having to work together, the fact that this idea can easily replace Starlow with Luigi (at least when it comes to Bowser's side of things), or if it's a combination of a bunch of different things you said (plus the fact that Bowser's Inside Story is a really good Mario & Luigi rpg game), but this is just *chef's kiss* a really fun and cool idea and I thank you for this ask anon. :)
In fact, I want to continue where you left off and add some fun ideas that I feel could happen in this Bowser's Inside Story AU idea.
Ideas are under the cut because y'all know me in that this is going to be a long post otherwise.
********************
So first off, I like to imagine that the aftermath of the first battle with Midbus at Bowser's Castle was when Bowser finally discovered that he has feelings for Luigi. After Bowser threatened the Boos to (and I quote), "heal Luigi in the next 2 minutes or I swear to the Stars and to Grambi above that I will rip out your fucking tongues to the point where your own mother won't even recognize you" and as he watched Luigi sleep and slowly recover from his injuries, that was when everything dawned on Bowser. The weird feeling he kept getting every time Luigi smiled at him and cheered him on was simply Bowser's heart telling him that he wants to be Luigi's boyfriend (and he wants Luigi to be his boyfriend).
For Luigi..., I like to think that it took him much longer (probably right before the final battle) to accept the fact that:
a) Bowser has feelings for him but more importantly
b) he has feelings for Bowser. (I will go more on this whole topic in a little bit.)
While Bowser wouldn't have any idea that Mario and Starlow are inside of him until the end of the story, I like to think that the actual interactions Bowser and Mario do have (like when Mario visits Dr. Toadley for the first time) are relatively civil. Granted, the only reason that these interactions are civil are because of Luigi, but still, progress is progress.
I have no idea where in the story I would put this (maybe when Mario and Luigi reunite at Dr. Toadley's clinic for the first time), but one idea I absolutely love is a sibling conversation between just Mario and Luigi. There are a lot of ways I can go about this conversation, but the main point I'll emphasize is this:
Throughout this adventure, Mario has noticed...a change in Bowser. At first, he didn't know why Bowser was suddenly acting all nice and being willing to work with Luigi (since Luigi and Bowser were technically enemies before), but once he saw all the kind things Bowser did to Luigi after Midbus severely injured him in that first battle, that's when it hit Mario. That was when Mario realized that Bowser has romantic feelings for Luigi. And strangely enough? Mario is okay with that. Granted, it's going to take him time to fully accept this weird relationship, but the fact that Bowser made the decision (by himself) to save Luigi's life just really opened up Mario's eyes.
And Mario's observation is exactly what the sibling conversation between him and Luigi would be about. Mario would point out to Luigi that he can tell that Bowser has feelings for him, but Luigi just doesn't believe his twin (at least for a while). The reason? Luigi has a lot of self-esteem issues.
So first off, let's assume that Luigi does have feelings for Bowser when he and Mario interact for the first time in this adventure. In Luigi's mind though, what if Mario's wrong? What if after this whole adventure is over, Bowser just goes back to kidnapping Peach and forgets all about the moments he and Luigi spent together? How is Luigi supposed to cope with that?
But let's say that Bowser still wants to be with Luigi after everything is over. In Luigi's mind however, it still all comes down to this one significant question: What does Bowser see in him? What in the name of Grambi does someone, much less the King of the Koopas see in him, a cowardly and clumsy idiot who is never going to get out of his brother's shadow?
And pretty much until right before the final battle, that question would be the biggest reason why Luigi is so hesitant and so scared to have feelings for Bowser.
So this paragraph is kind of a last minute add-on (because I thought about it right before posting this), but an interesting idea I have for the final battle would not be Bowser & Luigi vs Dark Bowser, but would instead be Bowser & Luigi vs Dark Bowser & Dark Luigi. While the Dark Star only gathered Bowser's DNA, I imagine that Dark Bowser conjured up a dark version of Luigi (i.e., Dark Luigi) just to make it a more fair final fight (or at least a more fair fight for him since it would've been a 2 vs 1 fight otherwise).
The last ideas I'll talk about here would take place after the final fight between Bowser, Luigi, Dark Bowser, and Dark Luigi. Now, while Bowser was angry when he discovered that Mario and Starlow (and the Toads) were inside his body, Luigi was luckily able to calm him down just enough for Bowser to surprisingly say to Mario and Starlow, "Thank you for helping us..., I guess." (and as much as Mario wants to gloat in the fact that Bowser had to swallow his pride and thank him, he's smart enough to know that doing this will not end well at all).
Time skip to the after credits where we see Bowser laying on his bed. He's not hurt in anyway, but he's just exhausted from having to deal with the repairs of his castle from Fawful's takeover. Fortunately for him, Luigi comes for a surprise visit. Before the two can enjoy each other's presence, Birdley interrupts by suddenly dropping off a package from the Mushroom Kingdom. Note that helping Birdley dropping off the package was one of the reasons that Luigi was visiting. The other reason? Well..., he honestly just wanted to see Bowser.
After Birdley leaves, this is where I see Luigi and Bowser finally revealing their feelings towards one another (since at this point in the story, Luigi would know that he has feelings for Bowser). Since Fawful, Dark Bowser, and Dark Luigi are finally gone (and everything can go back to normal), it makes sense that this would be when they can be able to tell each other that they want to become an official couple.
After this revelation, Bowser remembers about the package from the Mushroom Kingdom and tells Luigi (with a smile) to come open Peach's gift with him. Even though Luigi lets out a chuckle (because he knows what Peach gave Bowser), he gets on the bed and sits right next to Bowser as they open Peach's gift together to reveal the cake Peach made.
Luigi, a college student, is struggling to pay his rent and bills while refusing help from his older brother, Mario, who works as a bodyguard for Peach, the owner of the Toadstool Hotel. As bills pile up and his money goes down, Luigi feels like a complete failure. To lift his spirits, his friend Daisy takes him to the bar at the Koopa Hotel, where they are approached by two men in suits who claim the hotel owner wants to meet him. Anxious, Luigi follows them to a lavish VIP booth, where Bowser greets them. Luigi and Daisy spend time with Bowser, chatting and drinking. When Luigi opens up about his struggles, Bowser offers him a deal: financial security and a lavish lifestyle. In exchange for his loyalty and companionship, as well as being a personal nanny to his son, Jr., Bowser promises to spoil him with a generous allowance and expensive gifts like designer deals. Luigi listens carefully, his thoughts racing. The idea of escaping his financial troubles is convincing, but he’s also aware of the implications that come with such a deal. After careful consideration, Luigi agrees, and their handshake seals the deal, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life—as Bowser's sugar baby. Little does he realize, Bowser is not just a hotel owner but also secretly a mafia leader.
Sorry for taking so long to answer anon! While I do like the idea, I hope you don’t mind that I make a few minor changes (see cut below for the rest of my thoughts because this is going to be a long post):
Because of a different ask I received that made me a little uncomfortable to answer (that pertains to Daisy), I would give Daisy a more minor role. Now don’t get me wrong, I can definitely see her taking Luigi to the bar at the Koopa Hotel (and I do overall like Daisy as a character), but honestly…I also like the idea of Bowser wanting to meet only Luigi instead of Luigi and Daisy. I feel like this way creates more mystery to Bowser’s character in Luigi's POV (since Luigi would have no idea who or why the hotel owner would want to meet just him, a regular person). Plus, when Luigi does meet Bowser for the first time, it establishes the first interaction (and kind of kicks off the relationship) between Luigi and Bowser.
I’m also interested in modifying the idea a little bit in that Mario and Luigi would still be plumbers and living together in a small apartment. I understand this idea might be harder to implement, but hear me out on this: Based on this ask, I’m going to make the assumption that this AU would all take place in the real world instead of the Mushroom Kingdom. In addition, I don’t know if the movie kind of implied this or if it’s more of a headcanon idea, but I can imagine that Mario and Luigi would have a difficult time making ends meet as plumbers. To help make more money (even though it wouldn’t be much), I can definitely see Mario working part-time as Peach’s bodyguard (and part-time at their plumbing company) while Luigi works full-time at their plumbing company. Even though Mario still helps out with the plumbing company, I think that the idea of basically running a company would be really stressful for Luigi because:
a) Mario used to handle all the business stuff before he started working for Peach and
b) Luigi is bad at handling the business stuff nor does he think he’s a good plumber (whether that means because he wanted to be a mechanic or a more personal reason).
And I think that second modification would make the idea of accepting Bowser’s deal so much harder for Luigi. One the one hand, if Luigi accepts Bowser’s deal, then he and Mario can finally stop worrying about whether their landlord will cut off their water supply and they can finally eat something other than canned soap. But on the other hand, Luigi is a human being. He wants to find someone to love and spend the rest of his life with, so if he were to accept Bowser’s deal (someone who he just met, mind you), he would kind of have to throw that all away.
Plus, unbeknownst to Luigi, once he discovers that Bowser is a mafia leader, Bowser’s not going to let him leave. Sure, Luigi wouldn't know any actual mafia secrets, but even then, Luigi wasn't supposed to know that Bowser is a mafia leader in the first place. Also, the other mafias sure as heck aren’t going to stop hurting/kidnapping Luigi once they find out that they can use Luigi against Bowser, so maybe keeping Luigi is the safest thing to do (at least in Bowser’s eyes).
Toadsworth: You’ve been conspiring with the Koopa squad, haven’t you? You’re a fruit!!!
Mario, smiling but confused why he is here: Oh fruit? I like grapes.
Luigi, faking after Toadsworth caught Luigi kissing Bowser in the hallway of Peach’s Castle: I-I don’t like men! Wh-What are you talking about?
Toadsworth, spraying his “Anti-Gay” spray to Luigi: I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!!!!!!
I'm going to count this as a sequel to this ask I answered a few months ago.
So originally, I was going to ask some questions about this ask (like if Toadsworth saying "fruits" is supposed to be an insult to Luigi even though Peach is named after a fruit).
HOWEVER, I'm going to push those questions off to the side because unexpectedly, rereading this question reminds me so much of Phineas and Ferb in the sense that every time Toadsworth catches Luigi with Bowser (whether they're hugging, kissing, etc.), he will try to tell Mario and/or Peach about what he saw, but Luigi manages to hide Bowser by the time Mario/Peach show up.
For example:
Toadsworth: *running to Mario after catching Luigi giving Bowser a kiss in the gardens* Master Mario, come quick! I just saw Luigi conspiring with that vile Koopa in the gardens!
*Mario and Toadsworth run to the gardens only to see Luigi admiring the fountain*
Luigi: *looks up and smiles when he sees Mario and Toadsworth* Hi big bro. :)
Mario: Oh hi Luigi! :) *Looks at Toadsworth* You really should take a vacation Toadsworth. It's not good for your heart to get stressed out like this. *leaves the gardens*
Toadsworth: *stares at Luigi with a shocked expression as he wonders how Bowser could've disappeared so quickly*
*Meanwhile, Bowser (in mini form) is hiding in Luigi's hat*
AU, where everything that happen in the movie remain the same but with Beauty and the Beast’s element:
Bowser wants to make a good romantic impression on Peach, so he decides to enlist Luigi's help. Luigi is literally held captive in an iron cage, suspended above hot lava. Bowser offers him a deal: if Luigi teaches him how to be romantic, he will provide him with a comfortable bedroom and the best food, as long as Luigi agrees to help.
With no other choice, Luigi accepts the offer but insists on one of his condition: Bowser must release everyone from their cages. Bowser agrees and orders his minions to free all the prisoners.
Once free, Bowser keeps his promise by giving Luigi a room where he can feel comfortable and relaxed, though Luigi is still his prisoner nonetheless. In return, Luigi helps Bowser learn how to be sweet and romantic.
The first lesson is about Bowser's behavior; he needs to stop being so angry all the time. Luigi encourages him to act kindly toward his minions with a kind smile as he watch Bowser interact from a far. Next comes table manners. Luigi is shocked to see Bowser munching his food like a wild animal. When Bowser struggles to use his silverware because they're too small (since they were made for Peach to use), Luigi lifts his bowl of soup to Bowser, who copies the gesture. They mockingly cheer and drink their soup from their bowls.
Throughout Luigi’s time with Bowser and helping him, there’s something sweet and almost kind. But sure, Bowser was mean and coarse and unrefined. But now he is dear, but yet that makes him unsure of himself. Luigi wonders why he never noticed this before.
With a glance, Luigi captures Bowser’s attention, at least that is what Bowser thought he saw. When Luigi touch his hand, he does doesn’t shudder at Bowser’s paw. It’s a moment of connection that Bowser struggles to comprehend. He tries to convince himself it’s just a fleeting thought, yet something in Luigi’s gaze suggests otherwise.
But then Luigi’s never looked at Bowser that way before than Peach does.
This feeling is new and a bit alarming to Luigi, and who’d have ever thought that this could be. True, Bowser is no Prince Charming, but there’s something in him that Luigi simply didn’t see.
There is one additional lesson that Bowser wants Luigi to teach him: waltzing.
However, Luigi has never waltzed before and isn’t sure how to teach it. Luckily, Kamerk offers to instruct them both, as he knows a lot about waltzing. But first, they need proper attire.
Later, Bowser lets out an annoyed huff as his suit feels constricting after getting dressed. Just then, Luigi appears at the top of the grand staircase, and Bowser gasps in awe.
Luigi looks beautiful in his sparkling emerald green ballgown, complete with gloves. As they face each other, both sporting slight blushes, Bowser cannot believe how pretty Luigi looks and how well the gown suits him.
They are then led to the ballroom, which Kamerk has decorated with purple drapery and three bouquets of piranha plants to create a romantic atmosphere.
As they stand in the center, Bowser bravely inches closer to Luigi, wrapping his left arm around Luigi’s waist. Luigi gasps silently before placing his hand on Bowser’s right hand.
Kamerk summons instruments to play and begins instructing them on how to waltz properly. The music starts, and Bowser takes the lead, guiding Luigi around the ballroom. As they dance, they make eye contact as instructed by Kamerk, but Luigi's nerves jolt when he notices Bowser staring at him.
In Bowser’s gaze, Luigi sees a softness and gentleness that surprises him.
There may be something there that wasn’t there before.
Pretty bold of Bowser to ask Luigi for romantic advice when there was no evidence in the movie to suggest that Luigi would know anything about romance. 😆
In all seriousness though, this is actually a really cute idea, anon! :) When the movie came out in 2023, I remember there being a good amount of movie Bowuigi fan fictions on Ao3, but I don't think I've seen a Bowuigi fan fiction that has both the movie elements and Beauty and the Beast elements (keep in mind that my hiatus pertained to both Tumblr and Ao3).
I'm also curious as to who would be Gaston in this AU idea. My first guess would be Mario, but honestly...I don't know. I know movie Mario hates bullies and would stand up to Bowser, but I don't think he's the type of person to be so willing to kill Bowser. I would honestly lean more towards Peach as being Gaston in this idea because throughout the movie, she was the one so determined to stop Bowser and his plan.
Also, I love the possible AU idea that Luigi is having a good time with Bowser while poor Mario is having a panic attack about finding his brother and the terrifying thought that Luigi could very well already be dead. 😆
Luigi: *is enjoying himself for the first time since becoming Bowser's prisoner*
Meanwhile...
Mario: *every time he sees a Toad* HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER?!
Luigi: Can you pass me the salt for me, please daddy?
M&L’s Dad and Bowser: *all reaches for the salt*
Dad:........
Bowser:.......
Extended family:.......
Mario: *fainted in Italian*
Dad, look at Luigi, wide eyes: Son......
Luigi, sweating and freaking out: DAD, WAIT, I CAN EXPLAIN!!!!
Peach, confused af: *look at Bowser* Why did you grab the salt? You’re not his daddy.
This ask is one of those times where I really wish I had the ability/skills to draw out this scene because I can easily imagine Bowser having either of these two reactions:
He's either just as mortified as Luigi is.
OR
While Luigi hides his face in embarrassment (while also turning as red as Mario's hat), Bowser stares at everyone with a dumb smirk on his face like he's proud of the fact that Mario and Luigi's entire family now knows that he and Luigi are banging.
And I honestly do not know which reaction I like better. 😂
Also, Peach, my girl, you are literal BFFs with Daisy (the person who would most likely ask you whether you and Mario did it after every date you two have), how has she not already told you about the other definition of "daddy?"
