Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 71 - Minh T.'s 20th Birthday

“Toadette is not yours to touch.”

The wind of Shiver City’s outskirts stung Peach’s skin like a series of frosty needles. She locked eyes with the two men before her. One was short, dressed in a golden suit that could barely keep its buttons closed, while the other figure, a lankier man, stood cloaked in a fabulous violet getup. They stood motionless in contrast to the shaking princess.

“Blood for blood,” the man in the purple suit hissed.

“I didn’t ask you to bring your men to the festival,” Peach countered, her voice dropping low. “All you needed was a single Bonzai Bill and some planted evidence so that you could take the blame for it.”

“Ah, but you said you wanted a scene,” the man in yellow chuckled. “Was a hell of a scene we gave!”

“If you had just let that little brat pass away,” the taller man added, “we wouldn’t have revenge on our mind.”

“Perhaps…” Peach clenched her throat. “But it was my decision to make. And if you plan to kill Toadette, I will sway the courts to hand down a much harsher sentence for your men. Believe me, there are fates worse than seven years of prison for the damage you caused.”

“Wait, wait, wait, are you actually threatening us?” The shorter man burst out laughing, slapping his knee. “And how do you see that working? You were in on this plan, and we can prove it.”

“My tracks are covered.” Peach flashed a grin. “It’s unfortunate that your grubby fingerprints are all over this, not just those of your big boys. And that’s ignoring past collaborations, as you know.”

“Wah… You’re a confusing broad,” the taller guy rasped, lighting a cigar. “What was the endgame with this staged attack, Peachy? You did it for fun?”

“Don’t even think about another attack. I needed this one to happen, but if another one unfolds on my watch, I will not hesitate to have you tried.”

The men shared a glance. The princess then spun around and disappeared into the blizzard, leaving the two to cackle until they couldn’t breathe.

“Hey, you thinking what I’m thinking?” the shorter man asked.

“The only problem is we need to know where to start.” He exhaled his smoke. “If we’re done being friendly, how about we finally whip out Plan E?”

“Great minds think alike! This so-called ethereal power has been teasing me for too long now.”

***

~ 9 January 2012 ~

The Mushroom Kingdom sat covered under a thick layer of snow. But what was comfortable for Shiver City was a headache for the warmer regions. People who would normally wear the most minimal clothing found themselves bundled up.

The flower girl in the centre of Toad Town was no different. She awoke just as the Sun sent its light into her bedroom. Dressed from head to toe in pyjamas, she donned her fuzzy slippers and rubbed her hands together. She then picked up her metal phone, glancing at the cheerful messages that flooded the screen.

“Can’t even pretend to still be a teen anymore,” she whispered, walking to her winter jacket.

After giving her teeth a good shine, she made herself a simple breakfast. Bacon and eggs had her mouth watering, although she intentionally kept the proportions small. While enjoying her hot meal, she dialled one of the many friends who were reaching out to her.

“You’re something else entirely,” she sighed.

“I made you pure art.”

“Editing pictures of your penis to form the number twenty. It’s certainly original.”

“To be honest,” Captain Toad laughed, “I would’ve guessed Toadette was the older one.”

“A two-month difference is barely a difference.”

“You know that girl’s still playing hide-and-seek with me? Every time I try to just look at her, she’s back out of the castle again. Where could she possibly be this time?”

“You’ve got a brain.”

“Huh?” Toad paused. “She’s still going back to that city?”

“So long as Her Highness allows her to, she’s gonna take the opportunity.” Setting the call to speakerphone, Minh tried to put on her socks. “It’s gonna take so much time for Dane T. to be able to talk again. Having his sister more in his life has gotta be helping.”

“Lucky him,” he scoffed.

Minh zipped up her winter boots, finally throwing on a coat before looking at the weather through her greenhouse. The few bits of snow falling from the sky put a smile on her face as she stared into the warm colours of the sunrise.

“I take it you’re still having a birthday party?” Toad asked.

“I’m never too old for a birthday, according to my mom.”

“What about Toadette?”

“What about her? She’s busy. Let her take care of her little bro.”

“She’s probably glad she’s missing it, honestly.”

“Come again?” Minh nudged the phone closer.

“If I were broke and had no money for gifts, I’d be running away too. Especially if I’m working for the castle. That’s extra embarrassing with a side of disappointment.”

“Hey, she’s working her butt off. Ain’t like I ask for gifts from anybody in the first place. Her being my friend is gift enough.”

“I would’ve guessed the best gift would be her nasty weapons in your mouth.”

“Nasty weapons?” Minh stared into space, remembering how long it’d been since she last tasted her best friend. That very night was the trigger for Toadette’s hectic schedule—the night in which their lips touched for one peaceful moment. “Lemme get ready…”

“Happy birthday.” Captain Toad pocketed his phone and adjusted a headset around his large cap. “Alright, I’m sure there’s nothing going on with those Scapellis after months of silence, but I’ll be damned if I let Peach rant my head off.”

Hours later…

“Yes, Mom, I’m heading there right now,” Minh replied, speaking lightning-fast Spanish with her mother as she trudged through the snowy streets. “I don’t work on my birthdays, so it ain’t like I got anything else planned for today.”

“We’re still preparing everything for you,” her mother said, the sounds of many voices in the background. “Just hang tight until it’s noon.”

“I am freezing!”

“Well then someone shouldn’t have been born four months late. We could’ve given you an autumn birthday, but no, you were desperate to stay inside of me.”

“And what are you gonna do if I go home right now?”

“Have you clean the entire aftermath of the party. How does that sound?”

Minh clenched her fist, her face turning deep red against the white backdrop.

“I’m coming at twelve on the dot!”

“Better arrive on an empty stomach,” her mom chuckled, ending the call.

Though she was bundled up, Minh continued to tremble as she made her way uptown. If nothing else, at least she could say hi to the people of Toad Town to pass some time. The town’s small size led to a lot of familiarity between its inhabitants. Plus, many knew Minh because of her flower shop. It was hard to not recognise that high-pitched, sing-song voice.

“I know you’re in there, Mister Merlon.”

“Merlon is out!”

“Mmm-hmm, morning to you too.”

The more she walked, the warmer her body got. Her feet were especially hot, snug in two thick layers of socks for extra comfort. Combined with her wide boots, the feet were practically being baked. Yet it was a sensation that put a silly smile on the Toad’s face.

I’ll be shocked if my feet don’t have some kind of smell today, she thought. Then again, the socks are just gonna absorb all my sweat. Crossing my fingers that they get a little bit crusty.

While she walked further north, the large castle remained in her view. It had been forever since she last crossed that blue barrier.

Toadette…

As much as she would have loved to admit that Toadette’s unique scent was still in her memory, the four months of not seeing her caused it to completely fade away.

While imagining her friend’s feet, she couldn’t help but look at her own boots. Toadette was known for having feet that could easily whip up a stink tornado. However, Minh needed to exert far more effort for her feet to have even a slightly pungent odour. The gears in her mind began to turn as she wiggled her toes.

“Please don’t give me blisters.”

She gritted her teeth once she exposed her feet to the icy air, her hot-pink toenails nearly chipping from the chill. But they were soon back in her boots. Her socks? In her pockets.

Minh strode through the town. More accurately, she was power walking. Her toes gradually got damper in these tight boots. For most people, the sensation would be utterly sickening; for Minh, it brought a sense of strange satisfaction. The way her toes slid against one another as if they were lathered in baby oil… It was as nasty as it was pleasurable to the Toad, evidenced by her wide grin.

By noon, the girl was panting, desperate for a warm place to relax so that the sweat couldn’t cause her more chills.

“Mom, Dad!” She loudly banged on the door. “Nine degrees below zero out here. In Celsius, that means please let me in!”

Impatient, she simply twisted the knob.

“Happy birthday!”

Minh jumped back, greeted with a houseful of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, a pet Chain Chomp and the very two who created her. Despite her body still aching, she managed to flash a smile for everybody.

“It’s nice to see— Ow!” She nervously laughed as her hand was in the wild pet’s mouth. “Don’t you ever change, Bestia…”

“How are you twenty and still looking like you’re in preschool?” her grandmother asked, tugging at the girl’s lengthy hair.

“Have you seen her?” Her mom snatched her back, squeezing her in a tight hug. “She’s always been a kid at heart.”

Every family member took their turn teasing the florist, and by the end, Minh’s head was spinning. But there remained one relative waiting to have a turn with her—the only Toad of the party to not sport black or maroon hair.

“Gonna kiss me or what?” The purpled-haired girl strode over to her cousin and forced their lips together. “Come on, Minh-Minh, you can’t be this slow now when you’re an adult.”

“I think I’m pretty fast, Sofi.”

The older Toad let out a sigh, her eyes rolling dramatically as if to say, “You’re a liar.” Her rich mocha complexion contrasted sharply with Minh’s pale skin. Violet pigtails bounced from both sides of her cap, which itself was adorned with a single pink heart at its centre. Just as her face of annoyance started to look permanent, it turned into a warm smile, and she erupted into laughter. She suddenly pulled her smaller cousin into a suffocating hug.

“Calm down, dopey. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

“Feeling…is…mutual…” Minh twirled out her grasp.

Minh’s focus landed on a short girl to her right. “Ah, I knew there was someone missing!”

The girl had dark skin, just like Sofia, with sharply angled brown eyes and an abundance of ebony hair sticking out from a pink-spotted cap. Minh could recognise her from a distance just from the cap alone, with the frontmost spot having a flower-shaped cutout.

This little girl closed the distance between her and Minh.

She then grabbed Minh’s face in her hands and planted a juicy kiss right on her lips. Minh’s eyes crinkled, as she could feel the younger cousin’s tongue flapping against her mouth. She sputtered and pulled back, resulting in the girl’s spit dripping down her cheek.

Sofia pushed the eleven-year-old back, trying to wipe the drool off Minh’s face.

“I keep telling Jazz she’s gonna get slapped one day if she doesn’t quit that tongue stuff with family. We just gotta wait for her to learn.”

“Heh, don’t worry…” Minh accidentally gulped their mixed saliva. “She’s just excited to see me.”

“You just love waving that positivity wand everywhere you go, huh? Heh, you’ve got me to thank for that.”

Minh faced the others. “Now then, people, where the heck is my piñata?”

Had Minh been born during one of the hotter seasons, her birthdays would have been all about poolside splashes, just like what many of her relatives got to experience. But even though she couldn’t enjoy dipping her toes in the water, she always had a blast trying to smash open her piñata. And boy was it ever gigantic—so gigantic that it could hold nearly a hundred candies. Still, her family always made sure that cracking it open was no simple task.

“I can do this all day,” Minh shouted, blindly hitting someone in the face with her bat. “Sorry! But you need to get out of my way!”

“You gotta be quicker if you wanna hit it, my daughter,” her mother called out from the sidelines.

Hearing the cheers from her family, she took a deep breath and gave it another go. The bat struck the piñata, but the paper failed to give way. She swung again and again, her body working up even more of a sweat.

With a final swing, she burst the piñata open, and a shower of tiny treats rained. Minh lifted her blindfold to catch her young cousins swarming like ants, greedily scooping up all the caramels and chocolates that were meant for the birthday girl. Well, all except for one. Jasmin remained on the sidelines with the older relatives, with her eyes locked onto Minh yet never making proper eye contact.

You really gotta learn to play with your cousins more, Jazz, Minh thought.

“I can’t carry any more,” one cousin cried out, stuffing his pockets with the falling candy.

“I got a spicy chocolate bar,” one of the girls added.

“And I’m giving you guys ten seconds to run before I snatch back what’s mine.” Minh bared her teeth like a Chain Chomp, nearly busting her ass because of the pet that crossed her path. Upon regaining her balance, she roared and chased her squealing cousins throughout the house.

“Minh-Minh, you gonna take your boots off in here?” her mother asked.

“My feet are still a little cold!”

“It’s not a question.”

Little did her mother know that Minh was not only enjoying the thrill of playing with her younger relatives but also the slick sensation of her feet in these boots. It was as if they were filled with a millimetre of water.

Okay, maybe they’re damp enough that it’s not gonna matter.

The entertainment continued, with Minh’s vaporised footprints staining the tile as she played monster. Hours slipped away in as she bounced from one activity to another with her family. Between playing tag with her cousins and dancing with her father, she felt livelier than she had in the past couple of months. At the same time, the various beads of sweat on her forehead could describe just how fatigued she was. She felt as if she’d just run a marathon. But in spite of her exhaustion, one last tradition awaited her, and she approached it with grace.

“The cake is pretty big this year,” she whispered, barely able to believe her eyes as she gazed at the towering structure. Layers of white frosting contrasted with red toppings.

“You’re a pretty big girl this year,” her father responded, his hands already on her back. Before she could react, he gave her a small push.

But nobody anticipated Minh to fly so far. The sheer slipperiness of her feet caused her to submerge more than just her face into the dessert. Struggling against the thick sea of frosting, she eventually managed to pull her head out and gasp for air. The birthday girl was met with thunderous applause as well as a mouthful of the strawberry cake.

“Are you crying?” her mom asked, laughing as she snapped a photo.

“It’s so sweet…”

“You’ve gotten lighter! Didn’t think you’d be flying so far.” Her dad whistled. “Alright, the kids get to dive in first.”

If only I’d gotten lighter… I shouldn’t be eating this, but if it’s my big day…

Minh grabbed a big chunk of cake and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing as hard as she could. As she ate, however, she suddenly felt something wet on the bottoms of her feet.

Are they getting sweatier?

Then she recognised that feeling she knew all too well. A mouth. The breath, the tongue, the teeth—they all sent alarm bells off in her head. She looked up to find her smallest cousins taking turns licking the cake off her feet, while the adults laughed to themselves.

In an instant, Minh went from being blissfully peaceful to utterly horrified.

Hide your horniness, girl…

Her eating came to a crawl. If she made one wrong move, this already awkward scene was going to become the most embarrassing moment in her life. She couldn’t let out a moan. She couldn’t tell her cousins how good it felt that they were sucking on her feet. And she definitely couldn’t get aroused while sitting in a cake that everyone else was going to eat from.

Yet the tongues tickled. Minh bit the inside of her lip to not laugh, but it wasn’t as if her feet were full of hardened calluses to protect them.

“It’s like cookie dough,” one of the girls remarked, licking along her arch.

Minh began to have flashbacks to various times in her past when she’d been tickled. She recalled her innocent laughter as a small girl, when tickling was nothing but a simple game. Then as she developed, tickling went from innocent to dirty, and she’d indulge in her pleasure several times in secret during junior high and high school. In her recent adulthood, she had her adventures with Toadette to look back on…

The florist had gotten her feet violated in a desert, was tickle tortured by menacing Shy Guys, almost met her end to several Putrid Piranhas in Mushroom City… But the image of Toadette tickling her feet to wake her up one morning was the hottest scenario of the bunch—a scene so intimate that it left her blushing like the vibrant cake she lay upon.

“I’m so glad your feet only touched the edges of this cake.” Sofia snapped Minh back to reality, taking a chunk of the dessert onto her plate. “They smell terrible.”

“Do they?” Minh’s voice was almost breaking.

“You can’t smell your own…? Yeah, they reek. You all smell that, right?”

“My girl is a hard worker just like you, Sofi,” Minh’s father said.

“Puh-lease. I deal with rich people on a busy train from sunrise to sunset. Ten times the work compared to selling flowers to…people who don’t have the privilege of being wealthy.”

Minh was still in the middle of processing the fact that Sofia could smell the stench rising from her feet. Her cousin’s face of disgust warmed Minh’s heart, causing her to develop an unsettling smirk.

“What?” Sofia glared at the cake-covered girl.

“I dunno. If the little ones aren’t bothered by my feet, you’re looking pretty weak right now, cousin.”

“Minh-Minh, are you telling me to lick your nasty feet?”

“I’m not making you do anything.”

All of a sudden, Jasmin raised a hand, as if in class. She blushingly crouched before Minh’s right foot, shutting her eyes. Minh’s big toe disappeared past her lips. Then the other toes began to disappear. She sucked on them surprisingly hard, with her head bobbing up and down so rhythmically.

The girl’s now frosting-covered tongue slithered from between her lips to lap at Minh’s sole. After seconds of slobbery licking, Jasmin stood and disappeared back into the corner she was so comfortable sitting in.

“Hmm, look at that. Even Jazz has got more guts than you,” Minh snarked.

Sofia looked around the room, where all eyes were on her. She shook her head in disbelief as she pushed one of the cousins aside to grab Minh’s left foot. Though much of the cake had been licked off, leaving various trails of saliva on her sole, there was a nice, thick piece of cake lodged between her big and second toes. Sofia looked up, taking a deep breath.

“I hate you all,” she groaned, wrinkling her nose.

Her tongue aimed for the treat nestled between her cousin’s soggy toes, making Minh burst out in laughter. The flower girl’s natural instincts kicked in, and she shoved several of her toes into Sofia’s mouth until the older girl unintentionally sucked on them. The longer Minh’s slimy digits lingered in her mouth, the greener Sofia got in the face.

She was quick to spit the foot out, after gulping the big piece of cake. Amidst the clapping and laughter surrounding her, she shivered. Then, with a grimace, she extended her tongue, showcasing a long and curly hair she needed to remove.

“Okay, you’re strong, Sofi.” Minh quickly rose, rubbing her feet in the cake and scrunching her toes before stepping out. “Gonna get this off my feet, people.”

But when she went into the kitchen where her boots lingered, the first thing she did was stick her feet directly into them. No washing was to be had in her detour, and she returned to the living room to pat her cousin on the back.

“Just fun and games,” she chuckled, kissing Sofia near her lips. “You’ve always been tough.”

“Yep, and don’t forget it.”

As the afternoon turned to evening, Minh was getting ready to go home. She stayed a bit longer to help wash the dishes, humming a tune while her father recorded her.

“Next year, we’re totally getting you more than just a new handbag.”

“I’ve gotten so much from you guys that I really don’t need more.” Minh spun around, her new bag hanging on her shoulder. “Thanks again for this, but feel free to go cheap and get me a card next year.”

“You are a very special child, let me tell you.”

“Proud of it.”

“I take it Toadette’s still busy, huh?”

Minh nodded, her attention now on scrubbing the counters. She watched her face go from cheery to neutral through the reflections.

“No idea when she’s coming back,” she confessed.

“To think that girl’s mother thought she was dead the whole… How you two even managed to pull a ruse like that for six years is insanity. Not like my daughter to carry a lie for so long.”

“I never claimed to have fun doing it, Dad. I just had to for her sake.”

“Four months is the longest you two have been separated. You holding up?”

Minh slowly craned her neck. “I just laughed my butt off while getting my…my body licked.”

“Heh. Point taken.”

“Hey, uncle.” Sofia waltzed into the kitchen. “You guys mind if Jazz and I crash here for the week, or are you gonna make me spend my money at an inn?”

“Well it’s not like being at an inn would drain your wallet,” he said. “But if Minh-Minh wants to give up her room, sure.”

“Ain’t like I’m living here right now,” Minh answered, shuffling over to Sofia. “You two doing alright?”

“Eh, gotta get in some overtime after this week, but yeah, we’re good.”

Minh’s face got more serious. “Is Jazz okay?”

“Why are you making it sound like she just died or something?”

“I’m just saying… It’s year three after the thing with your parents, and we’re dealing with a special child here.” Minh looked around, making sure the younger girl wasn’t near. “After that first year’s drama, I just don’t want anything bad happening to her.”

“Too bad. She came to Toad Town, after all.”

Minh stood with a confused look.

“I’m fucking with you,” Sofia chuckled, punching Minh in the shoulder. “Look, we’re past that stage. She’s not a danger to herself anymore.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Minh sighed, wiping sweat off her brow. “You two should visit me at my shop since you’re in town and all.”

“I will. ‘Cause I gotta make sure my cousin’s prepped for her first boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Minh’s eyes widened, then she backed up. “Sofi, not again.”

“I know, I know, it’s a scary feeling, but you’re an adult now, Minh-Minh. And I’m the perfect love guru as you navigate this difficult time. We’re gonna find you someone to hook up with for life.”

Says the girl who has had fifty boyfriends in the span of ten years…

Just as Minh turned around, she felt a tug on her shoulder. She was then shushed before she could speak, with the smaller girl dragging her closer to the front door. When it was just them alone, she let out a sigh of relief.

“You know I normally don’t like making cards and all, but you are a special occasion,” she announced, her spit landing on Minh’s coat. After handing her the card, she slightly smiled. “Thank me later.”

“Aw, Jazz…” Minh’s jaw remained agape as she read the text. Or rather, she was trying to read it. “Wow, your handwriting never ceases to impress me.”

I am so lucky I’ve reviewed so many essays in school…

The text was complemented by crayon drawings of Minh, hearts and flowers.

Welcome to your 20s, my favourite cousin. I know I shouldn’t go having favourites, but it’s a fact that you’re the best. Sorry if this is a little awkward, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you.

Included at the bottom of the card was another chocolate bar. But this one wasn’t just regularly spicy like the ones in the piñata; it had enough spice to burn Minh’s tongue if she wasn’t careful, something that put a grin on her face.

“You’d think we were dragons the way we’re obsessed about fire in our mouths,” she chuckled, stuffing the card into her pocket. “Thanks, Jasmin.”

Jasmin further closed their distance, wrapping her hands around Minh’s waist and pulling herself in. Minh slowly stroked her hair. Her face slowly got more serious. Just as she went to ask Jasmin a question, her eyes widened. The girl’s smaller hands had somehow ended up on Minh’s butt, and they were squeezing her tightly. Minh backed up, flustered.

“Remember, Jazz, you can’t be all grabby like that. It’s…”

“It was an accident. And I’m fine, by the way.” Jasmin rolled up both of her sweater sleeves to reveal two clean arms. “You can ask me next time and not Sofi.”

“You’ve grown up so fast. Bring that positive attitude to my home tomorrow, ‘kay?”

The walk back to her shop saw the sky with a beautiful mix of sunset colours. Violets and oranges illuminated Toad Town’s skyline while Minh gave additional waves to the passersby. And inside of her winter boots, the cake continued to be smushed and mixed with the steamed insoles. Having the frosting begin to ooze between her toes sent a shiver down her spine.

As she approached the entrance to her shop, she noticed somebody sitting near its door with a hood over their head.

“May I help you?” she asked, her voice softening. “I’m sorry, but my shop is closed today.”

“You know, I wish I looked as good as you do right now.”

Minh froze. The figure then stood, pulling back the hood to show the pink-capped Toad she’d laid eyes on since they were just little girls.

“Happy birthday, Minh T.”

----------

Author’s Note:
I’m glad you’re here for this new arc. I don’t beg for these, but just as a reminder, a great way of showing your appreciation would be giving a review. I wish this site had a proper comment system, but you can always comment on the AO3 version, too.

I personally envision the birthday cake looking like the boss battle from Super Mario RPG—the one that Booster eats in a single gulp. While Sofia is me giving a name to a Paper Mario character, Jasmin is original. It’s shocking how few kid characters the Mario franchise has.

Tell me, does it feel weird not having Toadette starring in a chapter? Certainly was strange for me.