Being a human made it difficult to track the group, but her years of living in secrecy made it easy enough, as the Opera house had countless corners and pillars to hide behind. If no one was specifically looking for her, there was very little chance she would be spotted.
The dark, ominous halls were large enough to blend in to, and she was far enough in the building that it wasn't too busy, but her nerves still stood on edge every time a Koopa passed her hiding place.
Daisy nervously bit her nails as she trailed after the group. She cringed as she knew she had done everything to reassure Bowser that the humans would be gone, yet here she was, her doubt growing with every second she listened in on the group's conservation.
The more she listened, the closer the guests creeped dangerously closer to being hired.
She rolled her eyes nearly every time Kamek spoke to the two, not caring for the turtle with an ego big enough to make any of the stars in the building seem modest. Sure, he ran the place, but his methods of doing so made her blood boil. He was as selfish as they came, especially when it came to the funding.
But, she always shrugged off her anger, as the manager was wrapped around the Phantom's finger, just as everyone else that worked here. If Bowser needed to, he could get rid of him at any time he wanted. The idea of Kamek's constant fear of being disposed of made her snicker.
Daisy shook her head as she snapped back into the present. She frowned as she had lingered behind, barely managing to catch up to the group of three as they stood outside a large wooden door. She leaned forward from behind the hallway's corner, barely being able to make out what they were discussing.
They seemed to be mid conservation of skills and experience of sorts, much of which Daisy chose to overlook, purely for the sake of staying awake. Daisy took note of the occasional nods and responses, and, of course, Kamek's irritating laugh, but brushed over the smalltalk.
"Here? Are you sure?"
Daisy gave her full attention towards the group as soon as the young lady had finally spoke. Other than an occasional, 'yes,' or 'of course,' her father had done all of the talking, even speaking over her at times. The fact that she had spoken on her own accord was interesting enough.
Daisy glared at her intently, wishing she had been listening in on the topic.
"Why not?" Kamek questioned with a shrug. "I'll need to listen for me to evaluate you. Your pops' word isn't enough. But, mine is!" He gave his signature, annoying laugh. "If you wouldn't mind."
Her father awkwardly laughed as Kamek opened the door and let the two in, closing it behind them. It was clear she didn't have a choice but to do what he had asked, whatever that was.
Daisy groaned as she was cut off from any more information, but quickly made her way to the door and pressed her ear against it, attempting to make out any noise from the three. She stood for a few minutes before pulling away.
Nothing.
The young woman contemplated walking away, knowing whatever was going on behind the door was likely just more business talk; information she couldn't care less about, let alone the phantom. She had enough information for Bowser, so she shrugged off whatever was discussed beyond the door.
Besides, it was far too risky to even think about opening the door! If she was caught, she could easily find herself, and the others, in serious trouble. She loved being adventurous, but even Daisy knew when to take a step back and call it a day.
She turned on her heels away from the door, stretching her arms as she began walking away rather casually. It wasn't worth it.
"You aren't locked away."
Bowser's lonely words flashed into her mind, pausing her movements entirely as she gazed over her shoulder towards the mysterious door that lingered in the near distance. It seemed to taunt and beckon to be opened as his words repeatedly echoed.
In his past life, monitoring any changes or suspicious activity was easy. Sure, he maintained his fearful control of the opera house, but that was just a whisper of what he used to be. Now, instead, he was locked away, fearful of the day he would inevitably be caught.
Daisy was his only outlet for the outside world, and his worry was evident. No matter how much he always coated it with anger, he depended on her for reassurance that the Koopalings would be safe.
The phantom was afraid.
She had to admit, two humans showing up at the doorstep of the Dark Lands, looking for work, was as suspicious as anything, especially at a time like this. But, why did it warrant so much fear from him? Why was he so...worried? It wasn't as if he couldn't kill the two. Hell, the two couldn't kill him!
Daisy stopped. The reasoning behind his concern was not a factor. The fact that he was worried was reason enough to gather any and all information for him. She owed him a sense of feeling secure of what was going on beyond his eyes.
She held her breath as she turned around.
Fine, fine, dummy, I'll listen in, Daisy thought to herself with a sigh. Just so you don't throw another one of your signature hissy fits, alright?
Daisy blew her bangs out of her face as she confidently strode back from where she had come. This time, she didn't need to sneak, as the hallway was empty. Her eyes never left the door as she speedily walked towards it, fully intent on finding out what was going on, and whether or not the girl was hired.
She placed her arm against the door's cold surface as her free hand gently held the silver handle, creeping it downward ever-so-slightly. With a slight 'click,' she pushed the door open an inch, letting the light of the hallway fill the dark room.
She cringed, knowing the light was clearly evident, but sighed as the group didn't seem to care or even notice. Two silhouettes silently stood facing the blonde woman, their backs lit up from the hallway's light, making the girl's face light up entirely. It was as if a miniature spotlight had landed on her during her performance, making the two stand in even more awe than before.
Daisy froze as her face paled.
The group stared intently at the blonde woman, her voice now spilling into the hallway. Daisy was not a musical protege, but even she could understand why the two were stunned.
"Shoot," she bitterly muttered as she clenched her hands against the door's handle. "Bowsy isn't gonna be happy about this."
Her voice was beautiful.
Peach's heart raced as she clenched her hands to her chest. It had taken so long, yet ended so quickly.
She was hired at the Dark Lands opera house.
Kamek seemed skeptical all throughout his intrusive questions. He asked of their background, history, and intentions, even going so far as to ask extremely personal questions. Peach knew of the war between Koopas and Humans, but hadn't expected his questions to be so...blunt.
He seemed wary of their intentions and was clearly skeptical of their position in the war.
Spies weren't uncommon on both sides of the war, so Peach brushed off his bluntness and knew it wasn't personal. She understood the terrors of war, and didn't hold him accountable for his doubts. She would be lying if she said she didn't have any...biases or worries of Koopas.
Yet, all of that changed as soon as he asked her to sing.
The idea of war had melted away the second he had asked and was instead replaced with the language of music. Instead of an interrogation, the two sat in silence as Peach had sung, easing away any doubts the party had held.
And, with that, she had been given the lead human role. She was overjoyed, but knew the opera house had very...limited options when it came to human casting.
But, she wasn't one to complain. After all, her and her father had a place to stay for the time being.
Kamek had taken Peach to a small, elegantly-decorated room, filled with a large mirror that took up an entire wall of the room. Several dark pillars occupied each corner of the room, and a large bed, clearly made for large Koopas, decorated with a thick, dark blanket, as well as pillows, sat in the center. A large vanity rested beside it, and was black and decorated with a golden rose pattern.
Countless bottles of perfume and several brushes sat orderly on the vanity, leaving just enough room for one to get ready. Out of all of the chaos that was in the Dark Lands, this orderly little table felt out-of-place and made the girl smile.
It was refreshing to have something feel...planned.
Peach gently brushed her hand across a few of the golden brushes, feeling their expensive bristles tickle her palms. She had never been around, let alone even felt, anything near this expensive. Was this what it was like to be wealthy? Buying such unnecessary things such as perfume and makeup? She envied such a careless lifestyle as she removed her hand from its surface.
Peach sighed as she pulled out the single chair and sat down in front of the vanity's mirror, taking in the image of herself in the mirror. Her hair rested over her shoulders and remained silky. Yet, her clothes were...questionable. The fabric was cheap and scratchy, but it was all she could afford.
She did not look like she was suited for this opera house.
She twisted her hair, feeling a pinch of insecurity the more she evaluated herself. She really didn't look like she was suited! She was human! It was a surprise that the furniture could even accommodate her! Did they...expect a human?
A sudden, quick nock echoed off the large room, startling Peach up from the chair and away from the vanity's mirror. After a few moments, the dark door opened, revealing a small koopa with a blue shell, his hands filled to the brim with a neat stack of papers that obscured his view.
"Evening, miss!" The koopa called out with a squeaky voice from behind the papers, wobbling his way into the room and closing the door with his foot. He fixed his grip on the papers before speaking from behind them. "I hope I'm not disturbing-"
As quickly as he had entered, the Koopa stumbled forward over an out-of-place book, hopping for a few moments, before throwing all of the papers in the air as he fell. A loud, squeaky yelp filled the room as Peach rushed forward to catch a handful of the papers. Most of the sheets slowly drifted to the floor as the horrified Koopa sat up and rubbed his head.
"Well, I'd lie if I said that wasn't distracting," Peach said with an awkward smile as she handed the Koopa the small stack of papers she had managed to grab. "But, I suppose some company is refreshing now and then. Are you okay?"
The Koopa sighed as he grabbed the girl's hand and clumsily stood up. Peach fumbled with his surprising amount of weight, but quickly composed herself as he released her hand.
"I'm okay," he reassured with a sigh. "But, your script isn't."
Peach's face paled as she gazed around the room, realizing all of these pages belonged to her. She bent down to her knees, picked up a random sheet, and sure enough, it was a script. She gulped, imagining having to memorize so much.
The Koopa gave a small laugh as he noticed Peach's worry.
"Nono, miss! Most of that is what others say. You don't speak too much. Mostly sing," he reassured with a shrug, ignoring Peach's confused expression. Why wouldn't a main role speak? "They just thought that you should overlook the whole plot, yanno? For you to 'get into character.'"
"That's very thoughtful," she cautiously stated as she stood back up, leaving an awkward silence as the two glanced at the papers surrounding them.
After a few moments of silence, the Koopa smacked his hands together before grabbing one paper at a time, gazing at the page number, and putting it in order. He clumped together 10 pages before Peach sighed, bent down, and helped her company.
The Koopalings were nearly dying from laughter as they leaned against the wall for support. A few of them sat on the floor, grabbing their stomachs as they wheezed between laughs.
They faced a large window hidden within the mirror, showing everything that had just happened. The Koopalings were unable to stop laughing as they replayed the memory.
The group's laughter would calm down for a moment, then get even louder when someone snickered and remembered what had just happened, causing an outbursts of laughs to fill the hall. They sat there, laughing, long after the two inside the room had cleaned up the paper, leaving the woman sitting alone as she stared at her sections of the scripts.
"That was...awesome!" A small Koopa with rainbow hair cried out as he clutched his sides.
"Yanno, that was meant for the lady, not that clumsy idiot," another deeper voice pitched in, recovering from laughing.
"So what? Was pretty funny." Junior shrugged.
The group's laughter suddenly stopped, all except for the rainbow-haired Koopa's, as another silhouette stood next to the collapsed trouble makers. His gaze was enough to shut the group up.
"You fools truly find something this childish and trivial...entertaining?" The pompous Koopa questioned, tapping his foot in disapproval. Lemmy was elbowed in the side by Wendy, instantly silencing any trace of laughter.
The Koopas gazed at each other.
"Whadya mean, Ludwig? That was comedy cold! You blind or somethin'?" Roy questioned.
Ludwig scoffed. "I am clearly able to see your idiocy! Father may disapprove of the human, but don't interfere with her contribution to her part. She mustn't mess up if this is going to be successful." He glared at Junior specifically. "We face enough trouble without you gremlins interfering."
The rest of the Koopas groaned, knowing he was clearly the only one who cared about whether or not this play was considered 'good.'
"What? Are you bein' serious?" Junior questioned as they quieted down. "Dad's super angry! Messin' with her is the least we can do. Maybe even scare her away, yanno?"
Ludwig scowled.
"Father may be...unhappy, but he won't interfere with this act's success. As long as she stays in line, father is unable to touch her." He paused as the other Koopas groaned, not happy that the human would be stuck around. Shaking his head, he continued. "Father may be a brute, but he will patiently wait for a reason to dispose of her. You pestering the play's progression is not helping her or our father."
The Koopas sat in silence for a few minutes, digesting what their brother had said. Would their father really play so...fairly? Of course, the disappearance of a new actress would bring up suspicion of the Phantom, and lead Koopas to venture beneath, so it would be smart to back off and let her month of fame go by.
But, since when did their father play by rules? Why was he so cautious with a human? Rules never stopped him from...disposing of others that threatened their safety.
Wendy rolled her eyes. "You've always been a major buzzkill," she mumbled. "But, you, like, have a point."
Ludwig smiled, his expression cocky and pleased; he knew he was right.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. A stupid idiot is bound to be right sometimes," Morton grumbled as he crossed his arms. "But what do we do now then, huh?"
"Perhaps do what father actually ordered you fools to do?" Ludwig questioned with a roll of his eyes. He would happily do their jobs for them, but he was already far too occupied with actual work, regarding the theater.
They all stared blankly, knowing that they weren't going to do what they were told for much longer.
"Yeah, yeah. We gotta watch the girl, huh? Make sure she doesn't get into trouble? I guess that isn't too boring," Iggy stated with a sarcastic shrug. Ludwig nodded in approval. "And shouldn't you be off doing your musical...stuff? Seems like we aren't the only ones slacking, huh?"
Wendy snickered as Lugwig's face morphed into annoyance. He stared at each Koopa, hoping someone would defend him. Meeting stares of amusement, he turned back to Iggy with his claws clenched.
"I - Well - I needed to check on-" his words were flustered and choppy as he tried to defend himself. After a few moments of trying to form a full sentence, he threw his arms up in the air. "Fine! Fine, fine! I'm off," he stated bitterly, stomping in the direction he had come from. His mumbling was loud enough for the Koopas to hear, but the words he used flew right over their heads.
Once he had turned the corner, the Koopalings rolled their eyes in unison.
"It's not like we weren't, like, watching her," Wendy stated with a shrug. The other Koopalings nodded in agreement as they turned away from Ludgwig's shadow in the distance. "We were just...yanno...making it interesting!"
"Yeah!" Lemmy chimed in with a grin. "It's not like we were going to lose her! What's wrong with having some fun?"
Roy sighed. "Speakin' of fun. I'm done here," he muttered as he stretched his arms. He hopped up and took off in the direction Ludwig had wandered off in. "You nerds have fun."
They all mumbled in agreement as they calmly walked away from the secret window, abandoning their duties. They had done their job, in their eyes, so they headed off to focus on their own personal activities.
Peach sat alone on the large bed, staring at the single sheet of the script in her hands. She attempted to read through the words, but found herself having to reread the page over and over, as she would blank out and forget everything.
The words she tried to process were replaced with the conservation she had had with Kamek and her father, and even the sass of their guide. She played the situation through back and forth, analyzing what had happened, and why it had happened.
Why had she been so...fortunate? Why was this so simple?
The further she searched for an answer, she was met with more questions.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered. "I should be happy. Why am I worrying over something like this?"
With a grunt of frustration, Peach flopped backwards onto her bed, releasing the sheet of paper to her side as she stretched. A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her as she leaned into the luxurious fabric, eager to have a suitable bed for the first time in months.
She didn't realize how tense she had been.
Peach pulled one of the large pillows out of its place and hugged it gently. Its silky surface quickly pulled her worry away and replaced it with a thick haze of exhaustion as she leaned her cheeks into the pillow's embrace.
And with that, she was asleep, but she wasn't alone.
A/N: Part three done! I'm getting so antsy to post these chapters because I have so many answers to the questions that're brought up! Hopefully you guys can wait! Thank you so much for reading! If you've enjoyed, it would mean the world to me if you reviewed!