July 9: National Sugar Cookie Day
Luigi would say that he is competent in baking.
Of all of his skills, he’d even say it was his second best- right under cooking.
So, in the midst of the Koopa Kingdom’s now familiar heatwaves, he felt it fitting to bake sugar cookies.
And cookies it would be, as he knew they were oddly more popular than cakes for the Koopalings.
It was only a matter of time before his family catches wind of his activities, but even he needed to linger in the pantry doorway- the sheer variety of ingredients always floored him to see.
Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt…
One by one, he settles out measurements into the countertop.
(One by one, small pairs of eyes peer into the suddenly occupied kitchen.)
He grabs a stand mixer and its attachments, setting it aside as he grabs a sifter for most of the dry ingredients.
(Little hands grab each other in excitement, nearly breaking into chatter as Luigi pulls out Wintertime cookie cutters.)
As two ovens are set into a preheat, he adds the ingredients together- making sure to scrape the bottom of the mixer’s bowl.
(A faint scrape of claws on stone signaled the arrival of Junior, but the others were quick to hush him- after all, their mama worked best without interruption.)
The dough is done, and Luigi wastes little time in rolling it out on the counter into an appropriate thickness.
(If he wasn’t too absorbed into his task, he would have noticed the shaking cookie cutters and been able to deduce his husbands arrival.)
He ends up with eight dozen cookies to bake, and does his best to fit them all on the pans the kitchen has.
(The kitchen door opens a little more- enough for a giant snout and its attached eyes to peer into the kitchen as well.)
It’s fortunate that Luigi considered the size of the batch, as the second oven provided enough space for the rest of the cutouts.
(The door opened wider.)
He sets the timer, turns to put away the equipment-
And startled into a yelp as he is met with nine expectant faces.
“DIOS MIO! W-when did you get here?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“You’re making cookies?”
“Can we have some?”
“Can we decorate them?”
“I want mine to have stars!”
“Do we even have icing?”
“Figli! You can calm down- and yes, to all of it!”
A deep chuckle has him whirl around and meet Bowser’s eyes. Even though they are incredibly pretty to Luigi, with amusement making them sparkle and glint, he lets himself pout at them.
“You’re not helping.”
“Wha-“ Bowser sputtered, and Luigi realizes that he took it as not helping to decorate.
It’s not what he meant, but he could work with it. “Oh no. Whatever shall you do.”
The sputters continue as Luigi sashays to the bowl of icing he prepared and pours it into smaller bowls to dye.
“Luigi- love, please-“ And anyone could see the human’s mirth as a muzzle tapped into the back of his neck. Whether it’s because he’s ticklish, or that the display itself is funny to witness, no one knows.
“Will you help me keep our bambinis in line?”
“Of course!”
“And will you not sneak any cookies when I’m not looking?”
“….Okay.”
“Hmm. Junior?”
“Yes, mama?”
“Will you keep an eye on your father?”
The offended sputters of the Koopa King could barely be heard over Junior’s loud “YES MAMA!”
And just like that, as an agent of chaos, the timer rang.
And the rest of the kitchens occupants went to a frenzy.
…
It was a developed skill to set a plate aside for Kamek, and a matter of practice to not react to the stink eye that comes from someone ‘barging in’ his office.
“Saved some for you.” And sets the tray on a clear spot, away from the paperwork that is stacked in front of the Magikoopa.
“Why are some of them trees?”
“It’s wintertime.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Are you sure?”
Luigi pretend to not notice how he sneaks a peak at his desktop calendar. “Yes.”
“If you’re sure.”
And he leaves, satisfied that he completed another holiday ritual.
