Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 75 - The Lavalike Pedicure

“Don’t see why I can’t just use your regular account,” Sofia mumbled, aimlessly waving the computer mouse on the browser.

Minh rolled her eyes, already heading out the room. She ignored Sofia’s quiet comments until the older cousin finally raised her voice.

“Minh-Minh, you got something you wanna say to me?”

“Could you please stop treating me like I’m not that smart?”

“But I’m not.”

“You’re doing it right now. There’s nothing about me that’s worth doing a deep dive on,” Minh groaned. Her cheeks were inflating while her fists tightened. “How can you be so proud of me for not being some promiscuous girl and then act like I’m hiding some secret lover?”

Each time she took a breath, it felt like the air was being snatched from her. The bouncing between slow pants and hyperventilating further drew Sofia’s attention.

“I’m just saying, that picture on Toadette’s phone…”

“We love each other.” Minh gulped. “Best friends since forever. Only difference now is she’s not afraid to be affectionate.”

“You’ve always had a crush on her. For reasons nobody will understand.”

“I have. And?”

“I mean, you like her, and she’s got you showered in hearts and kisses. Even for a girl who stopped at high school, this is basic math, Minh-Minh.” Sofia leaned in. “Look, you can make this easier and just tell me the truth.”

“The truth? What truth have I not told you?”

“I know a sexually repressed girl when I see one, and you don’t fit the bill at all.” Her breath brushed against Minh’s lips. “Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m wrong. Are you and Toadette the real item here? Minh-Minh!”

Minh pushed her back, her voice cracking as she yelled, “Will you quit asking me the same fucking questions I’ve already answered?”

She fought the urge to break down as sobs leaked through her.

“I’m sorry for swearing,” she stammered, sniffling.

Sofia waited some seconds so she could observe Minh’s face.

With a sigh, she pulled her cousin into her arms. Just then, the door creaked open, catching Minh’s attention. She looked through her tears to see Jasmin peeking in, a lump rising in the younger girl’s throat as she watched her reddened relatives.

“It’s okay, Minh-Minh,” Sofia said, shutting her eyes. “I’m the real idiot here. You’re always so honest, after all.”

***

The winter season had barely touched the tropical region of Lavalava Island. Slashing his way through the dense jungles was none other than Captain Toad. His body was drenched in sweat as he looked up at the mighty Mount Lavalava, a volcano that could be seen from afar.

“You’re not set to erupt until a couple days from now,” he said, chugging a bunch of water. “I’ll be in and out by the end of this evening.”

As he ventured into the volcano, careful not to step into the bubbling magma, his thoughts constantly brought him back to one girl.

He could see himself thrusting into her again and again as she screamed for him to go deeper. His balls would vibrate like crazy as he released his seed into her body. Toadette’s braids bounced in every which way, and she let out a whimper once Toad slid his tongue past her trembling lips.

Maybe if I get the girl a present from here, I’ll get closer to that happening, he thought, adjusting his clothing.

The descent toward the volcano’s pit consumed two gruelling hours, with Toad relying heavily on ziplines and a series of spring trampolines to navigate. As he approached the depths, the air grew thicker, each breath more difficult. It was then that he placed a respirator mask over his face, activating one of the two oxygen tanks strapped to his back. Despite the cumbersome load, the twenty-three-year-old treasure hunter continued to march with his head held high, as if performing for an unseen crowd.

I could always make you a necklace from gems, Toadette.

While certain gems and metals would suffice, finding any sort of artefact would be the true prize. They often paid out the best, and even with Peach taking a good slice of the money, it gave Toad a bonus that the other castle staff wouldn’t typically get.

Of course, this came at the cost of his life being in considerably more danger.

Hold on… What do we have here?

Toad found himself staring at a red star-shaped object. Star-based objects weren’t uncommon in the world, but aside from the Super Stars, most tended to be rare. Toad immediately thought of the legend of the Crystal Stars, for this star in front of him sported a crystalline aesthetic. It was the size of a full dinner plate yet was thicker and translucent.

It’d be something if this were just some gift shop toy someone chucked in here.

Before he could grab the star, the mushroom choked on the oxygen, desperately trying to pull the mask off his face. He’d been pushed and ended up tumbling into the stone ground. Once he finally could breathe, he was inhaling incredibly noxious fumes. Unlike a place like Bowser’s Castle, these fumes were very contained to this spot of the volcano. Toad jumped to his feet.

“Who’s there?” he asked, pulling out his machete. “Don’t take me lightly!”

He stayed on alert, carefully craning his head in every direction to catch somebody else. It wasn’t a Putrid Piranha that touched him, that was for sure.

His right arm trembled, and he quickly turned to see a figure looming over him; this figure wore a motorcycle mask and a fitted suit. The stranger grasped his arm.

In a flash this figure ripped the machete from Toad’s hand and aimed it towards his throat. Toad instinctively rolled to the side, frantically searching for another weapon on his person. His heart raced as he realised the only item in his possession was a pocketknife. No gun, no offensive item, nothing to defend himself with. All he could rely on were his wits and his strength, but he knew all too well that a human would have the advantage in hand-to-hand combat.

“Hey, I’m just here for the star,” the figure’s voice echoed, a feminine tone covering it.

“Another treasure hunter, huh?”

“Look, if you just dropped that thing in my amazing hands right now, this could go amazingly for you.”

Toad saw an opportunity and charged at the woman with his pocketknife. She, however, easily dodged his move and countered with a strike from the machete. Toad barely escaped, rolling just in time to avoid a sharp slice. He growled, wiping the dirt off his face.

“Buddy, I’ve got orders to follow for this paycheque, understood?” The woman lifted the machete again. “If we can’t play nice, I truly have no reason to keep you alive.”

Damn it… Where did this girl even come from? Who sent her?

“Never mind. I can tell you’re not a professional treasure hunter.” Toad grasped something within his pocket. “Because if you were, you’d know how this always becomes a competition to see who escapes with what.”

With a shout, he threw a bomb to the ground, blanketing the area with a choking cloud of tear gas and smoke. The woman coughed violently, her sounds cut short by a powerful kick to her chest. Toad’s roundhouse kick sent her flying, and in a rush, he snatched the red star. As he filled his lungs with fresh oxygen, he bolted forward.

Little did he know, the toxic fumes were messing with his sense of judgement as he plunged deeper into the volcano. It wasn’t until he found himself surrounded by bubbling lava that realisation hit him.

“Shit…”

“You think you can get away with doing that to me?” the assailant screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Double shit.” In this part of the volcano, there were various little passageways one could enter. Some were covered by boulders, while others weren’t.

She’ll think to look in those open passageways first.

Toad took off his gear and cap, using his smaller size to squeeze past one of the boulders. After lugging his equipment inside, he ended up in a tight cavern, just big enough for one person. It was enough space for him to sit and take a breather, but he knew deep down that this game couldn’t go on forever.

Each tank had enough fresh air for seven hours. He couldn’t contact anyone in a volcano. Now what was he to do?

“I’m not leaving this place until I’ve ripped that star from your tiny hands, fungus!”

The day kept getting better and better for Toad.

***

“You really don’t need to give us a pedicure,” Sofia insisted, trying to capture her cousin’s attention. “Seriously.”

“I’d like for my day not to end on a sour note,” Minh said. As the evening ticked on, her mood got chippier and her eyes less red.

She pulled over a small table and tossed a blanket over it. She gathered a bunch of nail polishes, scrubs, lotions and oils—everything she knew would be useful. With just a few towels and two buckets of steaming water, the pedicure was ready to commence.

“Jazz, get your butt over here,” Minh sang. “This party doesn’t start without you.”

“Do I really have to?”

Minh simply lifted Jasmin and carried her into her rolling chair. Sofia occupied a sturdier one, and both cousins’ feet were displayed before Minh’s face.

Having already seen Jasmin’s feet the previous day and for much of the morning, Minh wasn’t surprised at how dirty they were. They didn’t have the same dirt that Minh’s usually got from a day of gardening, but they were still stained in various spots; the balls of the feet were noticeably blackened, like somebody had taken their finger to smudge the dirt.

Sofia’s feet were the exact opposite of Jasmin’s in every way. The only thing they shared was the warm hue that came from their soles, reminiscent of the rich tones of ripe pumpkins or apricots. Otherwise, every feature of Sofia’s feet was in total opposition to Jasmin’s.

Minh admired the plump curves of Sofia’s feet. She knew all too well the reason for their impressive strength, but seeing them up close always gave her a little tingle. The bottoms of Sofia’s feet were remarkably clean, with only a few specks of dirt marring their pristine look. A delightful beauty mark on her right foot added a playful touch, with the tattoo of wine grapes on the left foot emphasising that maturity.

While her toes were average in size, they had a delicious meatiness that hinted at their power. Sofia’s foot size sat somewhere between Toadette’s long feet and Minh’s wider ones.

Immediately Minh took to giving Sofia a short foot rub.

If I just act like this is my normal self, there’s even less reason for her to suspect I’m hiding something.

“Wow, Sofi… Your feet are so soft.”

“It’s a lucky week. No calluses or anything.”

“You get pedicures so often that I’d be shocked if you ever got calluses.” Minh inched closer to the foot. “It’s not like when we were kids, just going around barefoot everywhere.”

“The only place you’ll catch me going barefoot is at home nowadays. Jazz, on the other hand, hasn’t caught the memo yet.”

“I shouldn’t be required to wear shoes just to avoid making some rich people angry,” the younger girl mumbled.

“I agree with that,” Minh said. “Wear what makes you comfy. Or don’t wear.”

“The world doesn’t work like that, Minh-Minh. If it did, I’d probably be serving fully naked Toads on the Excess Express. Ew.”

With Sofia’s foot so close to Minh’s face, Minh let her regular breathing do the job of inhaling the aroma. And what an aroma it was.

Even the smell of Sofia’s feet highlighted just how well she took care of them. Instead of a regular foot smell, or an earthy smell or a sweaty smell, Minh’s nostrils were graced with a caramel scent. There might not have been a hint of feet, but its deliciousness made Minh’s mouth water.

She started to rub Jasmin’s feet, but this time, she didn’t need to get close to smell them.

The unmistakable odour wafting from Jasmin’s feet confirmed Minh’s suspicions: she skipped her shower from last night. This was a natural bodily musk without any hint of lotion or cream, evidenced by the rough texture of her feet, which was like asphalt. Minh pondered whether Jasmin’s feet could surpass that of Toadette’s on a particularly hot day, as they were certainly stinkier than Minh’s own.

“Alright, it’s time to soak these puppies,” she giggled, lowering Sofia’s and Jasmin’s feet into their own buckets.

Jasmin fidgeted many times before she could let Minh fully submerge her feet in the water. Even with the temperature only being mildly warm, Jasmin acted as if her toes were plunging into lava.

“No way a spicy snack lover like yourself can’t handle some warm water,” Minh teased, pushing Jasmin’s feet to the bottom of the bucket.

“It’s just the feeling thing again…”

“You’ll be okay.” While waiting for her cousins’ feet to adequately soak, Minh scampered downstairs.

Ensuring all the windows were closed, she started furiously touching herself. Jasmin’s scent was still fresh in her nose, and she let out a moan of pleasure.

Minh then scurried to the shoes, dropping on all fours to explore each one with her nose. Starting with Sofia’s winter boots, she was greeted with the very aroma she had expected: a blend of toasty leather mixed with a hint of caramel sweetness. The slight presence of foot odour only added to her pleasure.

But Jasmin, being the special child she was, chose not to wear boots on that icy day; she opted for sandals—sandals that had clearly seen better days.

This is so inappropriate, Minh… But why do the most inappropriate things feel so exciting?

Minh caressed her face against the rough texture. She even licked the grime that stuck to the sandal, her taste buds igniting with the salty, earthy flavour she loved so dearly. After smacking her lips, she inhaled deeply, her cheeks turning crimson. If Jasmin’s sandal could smell so revolting, her feet surely could rival Toadette’s in their pungency. Minh couldn’t resist taking more sniffs, ensuring her lungs were filled with nothing but stinky oxygen.

Sweet mama… It’s like someone took a bunch of vinegar chips and left them outside on the porch for weeks!

Giving her vagina a final touch through her pants, Minh merrily skipped back up the stairs.

“Now then, where were we?” Minh lifted Jasmin’s feet from the bucket and held up a pumice stone. “Oh right.”

“This is the second-worst part,” Jasmin groaned, bracing herself.

“Nah, it feels good,” Sofia said, splashing her feet. “You’d better use a lot of pressure on that girl’s feet, Minh-Minh.”

“Let’s start from zero before we get to eleven.”

Minh started by softly gliding the stone in circular motions over the heel of Jasmin’s right foot. Jasmin instantly shut her eyes, pressing her lips together to keep from making a peep.

Even with her feet being wet, Minh could still feel their roughness due to how the pumice stone moved across the foot. It was a bumpy ride. While scraping Jasmin’s heel failed to elicit much of a response, things changed once Minh reached the upper half of her foot. Jasmin’s toes scrunched tightly when her cousin touched the ball of her foot, looking like they could easily crush somebody’s finger.

“I think she has more of a tension problem than a ticklish problem,” Minh noted, wiggling her finger along Jasmin’s instep.

That first snicker signified the end for Jasmin.

Minh’s calmer movements gradually increased in velocity. With the pumice noisily going over Jasmin’s wet foot, the girl burst out laughing and tried to retract her legs. Minh refused to let her go, however. She held such a firm grip on Jasmin’s foot that all it could do was move its toes in every direction.

“This is so unfair,” Jasmin screamed, gripping the sides of her chair. “No! Hahahahahaha!”

“What’s unfair is how you treat your feet,” Minh said while she scrubbed the heel. “I like going barefoot, but Jazz, you’ve got enough crust to make a sandwich.”

“Thank you,” Sofia said. “Somebody else has gotta tell her.”

Jasmin wanted so badly to escape. A few times, she made the effort to kick Minh right in the face. To her dismay, this wasn’t the first time Minh had dealt with a ticklish subject during a pedicure. And unlike Toadette, Jasmin lacked speed.

“You should scrub her feet harder just for that,” Sofia advised.

“Hmm… I’d rather play nice.” Minh waited to see if Jasmin would kick her again. Sure enough, it happened in less than two seconds. “Alright, Jazz, you’ve forced me to go up to eleven.”

Minh swung her arm back and forth as if she were sanding a thick slab of wood. Jasmin’s brown eyes grew wide, and she let out a high-pitched squeal. The sound of her cracking voice bounced off the walls of the bedroom, causing her stomach to ache from all the uncontrollable laughter. When Minh lifted her foot, the noise escalated, as this one was far more sensitive than the right. Between the giggles and the smell coming from Jasmin’s feet, Minh was having the time of her life. It took five minutes of tireless scrubbing before she finally placed Jasmin’s feet back down.

Jasmin sat breathless, giggling uncontrollably. Her eyes were moist with tears while her cheeks were flushed.

“Oh God, oh God…” she gasped out between chuckles. “You didn’t have to do that…”

“Don’t feel bad,” Minh said, grabbing Sofia’s feet. “I believe in equality.”

Yet once she started scrubbing Sofia’s soles, there was a strong difference. Sofia didn’t have much of a reaction to the pumice scraping against her feet. She was alert and certainly felt it, judging from how she’d move her toes, but she wasn’t going as crazy as Jasmin.

“Considering you get pedicures all the time, you’d think you’d be the more sensitive one,” Minh said, even using her fingers to tickle Sofia’s feet. “Yet the girl with the calluses is the one who’s dying.”

“Best way to tickle me is to catch me by surprise.” Sofia shut her eyes, sighing from the feeling of her dead skin getting removed.

“You say it like you have recent experience.”

“One boyfriend woke me up every day by tickling my feet.”

Minh’s face remained happy, but on the inside, she was fuming.

You had a perfect boyfriend right there! And you couldn’t hold onto him?

“I’m not really someone who likes being tickled,” Sofia added. “If we’re having a tickle fight, it’s me who’s gonna win.”

“So you’re a tickler and not a ticklee. Got it.”

“How do you know those terms?”

“Because…” Minh’s speed was reduced. “In tenth grade, I knew a boy who told me he had some kind of tickling thing. He wanted me to participate in it and…I turned him down.”

Sofia’s stare lingered on Minh for a while before she shrugged.

“I don’t blame you. I’ve met guys who like some crazy things. You ever heard of a foot fetish?”

Oh boy, Minh, you’d better be on your A-game when it comes to crafting stories.

Minh dropped Sofia’s feet and grabbed clippers and nail file. She began to work on Jasmin’s nails, cutting them and shaping them to a more appropriate level.

“I’ve heard of a foot fetish,” she answered, “but I don’t know what it means beyond someone just liking feet.”

“It’s guys who wanna smell feet, collect stinky socks and all that creepy stuff. I had one boyfriend who told me that I had the best-smelling feet in the world, and I was just like, ‘Um… Thanks?’ Then he wanted to suck on my toes. Yeah, we didn’t last for a reason.”

“First time you’re telling me that.” Minh now dealt with Sofia’s nails. “At least he didn’t say you have stinky feet.”

“But there are some who love stinky feet, and that’s the part I don’t get. You think feet are pretty? Sure, whatever. But when you’re asking to lick the bottoms of my feet—the parts that are all sweaty after I’m done working—you need to be checked into a hospital or something.” Sofia raised a brow, noticing how Minh’s actions seemed less confident. “You good?”

“Yeah, just thinking…”

“Would you date someone who had a foot fetish?”

Minh gulped. “One, again, we’ve got a kid in the room, so let’s stop talking about adult stuff after this. Two, if I love somebody, let’s just say I see no harm if they want to play with my feet. I’d still love them.”

“Hmm… Good. You’re a better girl than I am.”

I’m a way kinkier girl than you could ever imagine, Sofi.

While this conversation had been going on, neither girl knew what was going through Jasmin’s mind upon hearing this. The youngest girl’s toes curled rapidly as she stared at her older cousin.

But now came the part that Jasmin dreaded: the cuticle pushing.

“We can totally skip this part,” she pleaded.

“Be a big girl for me,” Minh said, grabbing her cuticle pusher. “It’s gonna be fine, Jazz. Trust me.”

The older cousin carefully moved the cuticle pusher around each nail. In an effort to calm Jasmin, she would constantly whisper her name.

Jasmin clenched her teeth, flinching at the touch of the cuticle pusher on her skin. Yet, to her surprise, it didn’t hurt at all. She opened one eye and saw that her feet were fine. Minh’s focus was strong, for she took her time to ensure Jasmin wouldn’t yell out in pain. She locked eyes with her younger cousin and softly smiled.

“See?” Minh pushed back the loosened cuticles, eliciting a small gasp of relief from Jasmin.

It only took a few more minutes for Minh to complete the cuticle pushing, leaving both cousins stunned.

“You actually got her to hold still,” Sofia said, gazing at Jasmin’s neater nails. “That’s impressive.”

“You feeling good, Jazz?” Minh asked, rubbing the tops of her feet.

“I think…”

“Girl, just say Minh-Minh did a fantastic job!”

“Okay, you’re the first person who didn’t hurt me while working on my cuticles, Minh-Minh. Thank you very much.”

“No problem.”

Once Sofia’s cuticles were taken care of, Minh painted their nails. Jasmin opted for a stark white nail polish, while Sofia went with black.

“Looking good,” Minh said, giving them a thumbs up.

***

It had been four days since Captain Toad left for Lavalava Island. Patience was slipping through Toadette’s fingers, as she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t yet returned. After all, reaching the island shouldn’t have taken more than a few hours if he had flown there by helicopter or plane. Even if he was still exploring, three days seemed excessive to the nineteen-year-old.

Toadette found herself checking the clock every day, as well as walking through the entirety of the castle to see if she’d bump into him. But no matter how much she told herself he’d be back, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was fishy about this situation.

“Are these little treasure hunts of his normally this long?” she asked, trying to remain calm while Peach’s feet rested on her cap. “It’s my first time dealing with this.”

“The situation is under control.”

“What does that mean?”

“He’s gotten into some trouble on Lavalava Island, from the sounds of it. Hasn’t contacted anybody within the past ninety-six hours,” Peach answered.

That long, and it only took you guys now to realise that something is wrong?

“You guys are going to do something about it, right?” Toadette asked, already anticipating that she wouldn’t like the answer.

“Given the risk of him being inside the great volcano, it will take his buddies a few days to reach the island by boat. We’d let them fly, but air travel isn’t an option right now for that area in particular. Atrocious conditions and all that.”

“Days?” The girl caught herself before she got too loud. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but he might not have days, especially if he’s really stuck in a volcano.”

“It’s a simple theory, Toadette. Not every theory is a fact.” Peach curled her toes. “Believe me, those boys know what they’re doing better than you think.”

“I don’t think they do.”

Peach raised an eyebrow. “What did you say?”

Toadette took a moment to consider her next words. It was a wild idea, potentially suicide. However, she pushed her hesitations aside and spoke up.

“It should take a day to get there by boat,” she said, now unfazed by the pressure of Peach’s gigantic feet on her head. “Give me two days, and he’ll be back safe and sound, my princess.”

“Miss Toadette!” Penelope barged into the room. “You’re not leaving again!”

“Yes, I am.” Toadette paused. “So long as your mom lets me.”

“I’m considering it.”

“No!” Penelope’s face was hot red. “You said you were going to take me to the Great Geek Convention in Neon Heights!”

“Since you were eavesdropping, you’d know that I think I can rescue Captain Toad in just two days. And this little convention you wanna go to is in four. Is that math too hard to work out?”

Penelope froze.

“I’ll be back to take you to Neon Heights, Penelope.”

The child smiled. “Thank you.”

----------

Author’s Note:
It has always been weird to me that the nail area can be one of the most sensitive parts of the body. I’ve experienced what Jasmin fears just with some basic clippers. It’s the pinkie fingers. It’s like they’re begging to bleed.