Characters Alive: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi, Birdo, Bowser, Wario, Waluigi, Mona, Pauline.
Characters Dead: None

Dress Shoes on Marble Tile

Day One

9:43pm

Crowded into the living room of the cabin, full from dinner, all the twenty-somethings were conversing.

"How have you been Toadette? I haven't seen you since high school." Empress Rosalina, leader of the Cosmo Kingdom, the farthest north kingdom of the planet, asked.

Toadette smiled, tugging at her hijab slightly. "I've been doing good. Life has been a little bit hectic lately since I started working full time again. The kids don't like staying with Toad's parents so much. Toadbert is such a mama's boy still."

"I'm glad to hear that Toadette. I'm so happy that you and Toad are doing so well. He's going back to nursing school again, I hear?"

"He is starting in the fall again. He's so excited. But enough talk of me, I've heard so much of you from the news." Toadette laughed pompously.

Rosalina felt the back of her neck start to burn. She had been a big figure in the gossip world lately. Of course the news didn't care about her kingdom's military accomplishments, or how she had diffused a three centuries old tension- on the verge of war, between her kingdom and Isle Delfino. The tabloids only cared about the alleged affair between herself and Luigi. The articles would tell about how one of Rosalina's stewards-who had since been removed from her staff, caught them entangled under the sheets. It would go on to say how they had forced the steward to absolute secrecy or else he taken out.

"Yes, I've heard so much about me from the news too. Stuff I didn't even know," Rosalina laughed- hiding all the hesitancy in her voice, "and of course they never even think to mention how I've recently become a General either. So rude."

Luigi- who had been eavesdropping on the ladies conversations, sat recollecting the past year's events. They had come to find each other during times of trouble. Rosalina- in the middle of her Peace Treaty Agreement with Isle Defino. Luigi- finally breaking free of the gang boss dubbed King Boo, taking nothing but his love for heroin with him. His stomach lurched at the memories. The lies he had to tell to Daisy about how he got those new track marks. 'Bug bites,' he would say. The lies he had to tell to the gang about how he looked eerily similar to the Princess's boyfriend. 'Merely a coincidence,' he would say. When him and Rosalina finally found each other they saw something in each other that no one else could. They were two people who were so broken that when they came together they formed one non-broken heart. Their affair wasn't a love at first sight ordeal though. It started slowly, with a drink together at a Royal gala. Slowly it progressed into something more scandalous. The tea parties turned into dinner dates which turned into something more than they ever could have imagined. The night that when Lumalee walked in on them changed everything. And sure enough no sooner than a week later they were the talk of the Kingdoms. The accusations were true- give or take a few facts, but Rosalina and Luigi had decided to deny everything. Deeming it would be better for themselves that way. Rosalina could continue being a respected leader, and Luigi could save his relationship with Daisy. Deciding to quit seeing each other romantically took a toll on the pair. The demise of their dalliance led them to distance themselves, which ultimately led them to quit seeing each other all together.

Daisy- who had been leaning on Luigi, could sense his discomfort, picking up on only the tail end of Rosalina and Toadette's conversation. "Hey," she cooed, turning so she was facing Luigi, "don't listen to them. I still don't know how the media comes up with all that stuff. It's absurd!"

Luigi squeezed Daisy's hand. He felt almost criminal lying to her. She poured all her love unto him, but he felt as if he could quite reciprocate anymore. He remembered the day Rosalina made the first public announcement since the day the article went public. She had waited and hoped that the drama would quiet, but the paparazzi ate up the inattention, causing them all the more attention. She had prepared a speech that drew spectators from all over her own kingdom, and then some. She was calm and collected the day of the deliverance. She stood tall on her palace steps as she spoke to a nation.

"There has been recent assumptions about mine and Mr. Luigi Mario's relations. I am here to put these rumors to rest. Our relationship is purely professional and nothing more. Thank you for your time."

She retreated up the palace steps. Locking herself in her bedroom- like a hormonal teenager, she did a lot of thinking- and crying. So much crying. She cried until her eyes were puffy and she was out of breath. And then she cried some more. Rosalina knew she shouldn't have been crying over something so juvenile as a boy, but it seemed that they understood each other so. Around him, in a world where she had to be seen as a solid brick wall, she was allowed to crumble.

Luigi did a lot of thinking- and or crying, in the days following the speech. Of course he couldn't break so easily in front of Daisy as to not raise suspicions. He wanted more than anything in the world than to scream, and cry, and above all he wanted to relapse- spending countless nights staring at the ceiling in a cold sweat, trying to ignore the ever growing desire that made his entire body ache. But he couldn't falter. He could only smile and act like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Hey!" Daisy squeezed Luigi's hands hard, "I told you not to think about it."

"I wasn't," Luigi lied, "The Princess's meal was just so good. It's making me sleepy. Hahah!"

"Good, now go get me a drink please."

The high pitch of Luigi's laugh raised suspicions in Daisy, but she brushed it off. Daisy knew that Luigi would never betray her like that. When she had learned of the alleged affair she was heartbroken. The thought of Luigi laying with another woman- giving all his love to another woman, made Daisy furious. She threw all of his clothes out her bedroom window, watching them flutter down to the castle garden. Landing in the cactus garden, some in the peacock enclosure, others in the koi pond. She burned his books next, tearing each page out one at a time; when she was done ashes had blackened her hands, and tainted the white marble tiles of the foyer. Then, in realization of her actions, she wept. What had she done? She was so sure Luigi was going to leave her that she couldn't calm down until he rocked her back and forth, and assured her that he wasn't going to. Then she started apologizing. She felt like she had apologized a million times. She promised to replace all his books and more- buy him a whole library full. She wanted to make everything right again. Luigi declined her offers, telling her that it was okay. He continued living as if nothing had ever happened.

Daisy almost felt bad as she watched Luigi fuss over her drink in the kitchen. She should be doing that for him. He did know how to mix it just right though. Waiting for Luigi's return Daisy watched and listened to the merry laughter and tales that filled the room. It seemed like just yesterday's they were all just children running wildly through the Princess's ballroom whilst their parents talked business in the maps room. It was hard to believe that they now performing their parent's duties, something they once claimed to be so incredibly boring.

"Here love," Luigi said, handing her a candy coloured drink. Just the way she liked it.

She threw her arms around him in thanks as she ate the decorative cherry, "oh thank you Boo-Boo."

From across the room they heard a distinctive chuckle that belonged to none other than Yoshi. Mario and Luigi's childhood best friend, the long haired entrepreneur lounged with his arm slung around Birdo. His cheeks were red with the happy glow of intoxication, as he had finished one too many drinks that night.

"Whacha!" Yoshi mocked, "whipped much? Weeg?"

With little hesitancy Luigi flipped him off, "Birdo has you so wrapped around her finger you can't say anything."

They both threw their heads back in laughter. "What can I say," Yoshi said, "I'm a man of few desires."

"Hey remember that time in highschool," Luigi started.

"At that party?" Yoshi asked, sensing where this story was going.

"With those twins,"

"In the back of the Subaru,"

The boys laughed at their fond memory. All the while Daisy failed to notice her grip on her glass had tightened to the point that her knuckles were white. Ever since the incident Daisy never felt up to parr. She was inadequate and weak. She didn't like to think about it, but if the accusations were true, what did Rosalina have that she didn't? Even if she knew it wasn't true, thinking about it made Daisy's stomach turn.

"I'm going to bed," she told Luigi as she stood up.

"Is everything okay?" Luigi asked concernedly. She had barely touched her drink.

"Yeah," she smiled meekly, kissing him on the cheek, "my head just hurts."

"Do you want me to help you to bed?"

Daisy shook her head and bid herself goodnight, knowing tomorrow would bring a better day.

Day One

11:53pm

While most everyone had seen themselves to bed, there were a few who were still awake. They sat around, in the light the low burning fire, passing around a bottle of who knows what, letting the amber liquid take them elsewhere.

Without some much as a grimace Rosalina took a swig from the bottle, and handed it to Luigi on her right.

"You do this often Starr?" Bowser laughed, noticing Rosalina's uncharacteristic behaviour.

She arched her brow, knowing that the one and only King Bowser himself was only 14 when he took his first drink. It was some sort of political meeting, and while their parents were talking business and all the others were playing some sort of tag in the ballroom, being so much older than the others Bowser and Rosalina had grown accustomed to sneaking off to gossip and play, or in this instance drink a bottle of scotch Bowser had swiped from the bar. Rosalina herself was only 15 at the time and had little experience with alcohol, and the champagne she had had did not compare to the scotch. It didn't take more than a few sips before the redhead and the blonde were a mess of giggles, the alcohol taking quick effect on their small bodies. And now 14 years later, it seemed like they were doing the same thing. Passing around a bottle to be able to laugh at nothing in particular.

"How long do you think it'll be until Yoshi 'll start snoring?" Luigi asked the group, nodding to Yoshi who was sat deep in the couch with half lidded eyes.

"I'd give him about ten minutes,"

They all had a good chuckle before settling into a comfortable silence once again. They were all tired and were in desperate need of sleep, but fought against it with every part of their body. This was the thing they missed about being children. It was nice to be able to be with your friends without it being a political affair. It seemed like the only reason they ever saw one another anymore was because one of Bowser's states was on the verge of war with one of Daisy's, or there was an upcoming election in one of Rosalina's provinces. So they sat, enjoying each other's company, passing the bottle of Drambuie to the left.