#just had to get these thoughts out... i do be letting the SPM brainrot simmer like a delicious and painful stew

[dreamyluigi]

i think that luigi having amnesia after the events of SPM might be honestly, like, best case scenario for everyone? especially as far as mario is concerned. he's of the mindset that he can bear the burden of remembering the fabric of reality was unraveling, that his beloved brother was used as a tool in order to achieve the literal end of all things, that luigi was fused with an interdimensional apathetic jester and had to destroy it, not knowing whether luigi would even come out of it alive. he believes he's strong enough to carry both of them.

obviously this isn't good for him. obviously it's an insanely heavy thing to deal with, especially when he can't discuss it with luigi in order for them to both cope and get over the trauma of it all. he can surely talk to peach for some consolation, but it's not quite the same. it hurts so bad, he probably places part of the blame on himself - but if luigi has no idea that he was even involved, that he was a different person entirely and actively working against him - then maybe it isn't so bad. as long as luigi isn't actively suffering, he thinks it'll be ok. that he will be ok.

mario having to fight luigi like that - it would definitely not feel great, he obviously would never want to hurt him, but in a situation like that in which mario doesn't even recognize him (or, alternatively, if he does recognize him, feels no other choice than to try and physically beat some sense into him especially since mr. L comes after him first) he might be able to deal with it a little better (although i think if he doesn't recognize him he might feel stupid and beat himself up over that a little bit later, but i digress). there's nuance to it, but mario is just overall better at handling his emotions.

luigi probably remembers the events up to when he was brainwashed, and the moments when he's with the party in the underwhere/overthere, and remembers castle bleck crew as villains, not including himself. so, if mario was having some bad memories about it, luigi would have the capability to comfort him. hey, bro, it's ok! it's all over now, we saved the world, we saved all worlds! so, please cheer up, ok? i'll make some lasagna!

however, if luigi did remember everything, it would likely shatter him into a million pieces. i hurt you, i attacked you, i almost killed you with a giant robot. i didn't remember you, i treated you like an enemy. i was weak, gullible, susceptible. my mind was so vulnerable that i practically let them control me. i think it would take a lot of time and a lot of them talking about it in order for luigi to really cope with it - but that might be part of the problem. luigi doesn't want to talk about it. he doesn't want to think about how he almost killed the people most important to him multiple times, that he actively assisted in the end of all things. he convinces himself that it was all his fault, even though it absolutely was not.

i don't quite think he'd be like, an active suicide risk, but i think it would take a lot of time for him to recover. i think he'd stop asking mario to take him on adventures. i think he'd isolate himself a bit because what if i just get brainwashed and try to kill you again? i can't take that chance. go on without me. i know i can't go.