As strong as she tried to stay, Peach found herself crying at the sheer misery of her situation far too frequently. Bootiful and Boojiboo would comfort her when they could, but they both had other responsibilities in the mansion and couldn't always be there. Peach would frequently not leave her room for hours, often simply trying to distract herself by reading or sleeping, but she couldn't get it out of the back of her mind.

It didn't help that when she did leave, Boos would harass her to no end. Her main defense was keeping her back to a wall at all times; checking around a corner before she'd walk down a corridor. It wasn't the best method, as they could still turn invisible and fly through walls, but she was far too shaky and worried about her situation to try and put up a fight. King Boo was the worst for it - he'd frequently scare her and laugh at her terrified response, before leaving her as prey for the other scavengers who wanted a piece of her fear. It was awful the first few days, and she found herself crying as soon as her captor left her view, although he undoubtedly stayed behind, invisible, to watch her panic afterwards.

Except she didn't panic, like Luigi, she simply flooded her face with tears. Little did Peach know, her wrong response made him feel… off.

She wasn't quite raw scream-scared, but overly anxious and jumpy, with the slightest thing setting her off. King Boo wanted to mess with her, but she was also his prize, his reward for his trial invasion and excellent deal, and tears ruined her beauty. She was like fine art, and King Boo could not bring himself to ruin that any further.

Her tears were boring and pointless. They weren't the right response. That's why something twinged inside him when she ran to her room to cry once more. He was worried when she never left her room because then he'd never get her to fall in love with him, which was his plan after all.

He should be the rightful ruler of this world, and he was going to use this girl's weak love for him to defend himself.

He obviously wasn't doing something right. Mortals! But he didn't know any other humans, apart from his enemies, Luigi and that infernal scientist. He still felt angry at the latter for his third capture at his… ugh, inventions, the usual upgraded vacuum and the unsettling Goo creature that took its form in Luigi's likeness. As if he'd turn to that old geezer for help! Not only was it ridiculous to think someone as great as him would even talk to such a person, it was surely a foolish idea to play into your enemy's hand.

That professor could just shweeerpp-shloooop-whooorpp-shleeeooorg him up with his Poltergust if he got the right opportunity or make that dreadful goo creature do it, and he'd be a lot weaker than usual, as he'd go without Boos to back up his strength.

King Boo then remembered that E. Gadd still lived in Evershade Valley, and according to his deal with the Mushroom Kingdom, one of his worst enemies was now forced to be loyal to him. He could get that scientist to do whatever he wanted him to do.

"What an excellent turn of events!"

"Sire?"

King Boo had forgotten that Bootstrap was still in the room with him. Booreaucrat taking leave again to deal with certain matters personally, and for the two to get used to each other business-wise.

"I must be off to visit someone! Mind the mansion while I'm gone!"

"Of course, Sire. Where are you going?"

King Boo hadn't quite thought through the reality of convincing your enemy to give you dating advice, but it was a situation he found himself in, and a slightly embarrassing one as well. As if he was going to tell Bootstrap!

"Nowhere important! But I must go now, and no later."

It was then there were three knocks at the door to his office.

"Shall I let them in, Sire?"

"Huh? Yes, you deal with them." It was rare that King Boo was impulsive, but this was one of those occasions where he felt he had to do what he had to do right this very minute, and he didn't have anything to write a reminder on for later anyway.

Bootstrap went to the door and spoke a few words with the Boos there.

"Sire, they want to talk with you, not me."

King Boo wore a deadpan expression. "Yes - and I care," he said, before rolling his eyes and floating out through the front window.

"Sire? SIRE!" Bootstrap sighed. "Oh, it's no use." He turned to the three Boos, who he recognised as old members of the mansion: ShamBoo, Boo La La and Boodacious. "What do you three need?"

King Boo found 's laboratory easily enough. It seemed that he'd put a bit of money into doing it up a little, but looking through the front window it was as unorganized as Bowser's troops, the odd greenie fixing up a few things. When the ghosts that worked with spied King Boo's teeth and expression, however, they weren't so present for a while. It was in a nice area of the valley, and rather close to Boo's Mansion. They were almost like neighbors. Now that made King Boo shudder. Before he could ask himself why he was doing this, King Boo knocked on E. Gadd's door.

No response. Maybe he was asleep? Why was he even knocking anyway? He could just hover in and demand answers if he needed to. He knocked again.

"Criminy Luigi, you'll ruin my door, old boy!"

Luigi?

At last, the door opened.

"What is it that you need, son-" Professor E. Gadd looked up at who had knocked on the door: it wasn't an anxious Luigi, here to admit that he left something behind after being turned back from being a painting, or that Mario had gone missing again, or even to stop by and ask if he had an invention to improve his rates of cleaning his own mansion. Instead, it was a large, round, intimidating but somewhat bored looking King Boo, who seemed to be doing his best to cross his short arms.

"King… Boo? I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"I demand that you follow my orders, mortal!" King Boo pulled the scariest face he could without performing the classic boo jumpscare, but it didn't seem to phase the old codger in the slightest.

"Well, as long as they aren't too drastic, old boy, I'd be very willing." E. Gadd turned back into his half house half ghost research center and seemed to expect a surprised King Boo to follow behind him.

"Err… so! Do I come in, or…"

"Well, you can stand there if you'd rather, but it's too cold for me to be in this doorway!"

King Boo stayed where he was, but raised an eyebrow. "You're fine with letting me in, even after I've inconvenienced you thrice?"

"They were hardly inconveniences, old boy! They were opportunities for research! Boos are most intriguing - and that's a good thing! If they weren't I wouldn't have kept up this tomfoolery for 60 years!"

The situation was far too surreal for King Boo to quite process, but he went along with it anyway.

He would've tried to not knock anything over as he came in, if he wasn't so big that he had to make himself semi-invisible to get through the hallway. As he entered the rather messy excuse for a living room, he simply hovered at the other end of E. Gadd's coffee table, trying not to move too much in case he hit any knick-knacks or couch-based experiments. This area didn't seem so much lab as it was bungalow, but maybe the lab part was in a basement somewhere.

Professor was more than curious as to why King Boo of all people had stopped by. "How come you've popped into my house anyway, old boy? Need something? If it's not too difficult I'm sure I could whip you up an invention in just a few days."

King Boo awkwardly followed behind him. "Whether it's difficult or not, you must do it! I may even be willing to give you something in return, if you can fulfill my request adequately."

The scientist cut through the living room into his kitchen. "A deal, eh? What's your request then? What's this gadget going to be for?"

"It's not a gadget," corrected King Boo, "I just need your help with something."

leaned out of the kitchen door. "That sounds reasonable. Would you like some Coffee? Tea?"

King Boo remained fixated on the state of E. Gadd's fireplace. "I don't drink."

The old man flicked on a kettle and began to spoon in some HooHoo Instant Coffee into a mug.

"Coffee's not alcoholic. You do know what Coffee is, right?"

King Boo rolled his eyes. Of course he knew about Coffee - who didn't? "I mean I don't drink anything. At all. I don't really have a need to."

The kettle dinged, and E. Gadd began to pour the water into his mug. "Fascinating."

King Boo caught himself in the mirror. As intimidating as ever, although his crown was a little off center. He did his best to fix it, but the lack of room and lack of length in his arms limited him. He checked in the mirror again, and swore it was even more off center. Sensing that E. Gadd would walk in any moment, he snapped back round to face the scientist as he carefully walked in, aiming not to spill his coffee. He'd never talked to E. Gadd in person, but judging from his house, and how easy it was for him to escape the lab last time, he didn't take him for the most careful of people.

"So," E. Gadd took a sip of his coffee. "What do you need my help with, my boy?"

"It's a rather weird predicament." King Boo thought about the nature of what he was doing.

Asking that scientist for help? He was sure he looked like a fool, and prayed that he wasn't flushing in embarrassment. He so wanted to hide behind his arms, turn invisible and float out of there, never to show his face again. But he'd gotten himself into this situation, and he was going to face it like a true Boo. Still, he wasn't going to expose himself if he didn't have to, so a quick check that the old man could actually do something wouldn't hurt, right?

"Are you sure you'll be able to do something?"

King Boo's need for clarification made E. Gadd curious as to the nature of his problem.

Considering the events that Daisy had described as soon as she, Toadette, and Prince Peasley had arrived at his lab with paintings of the Mario brothers, he assumed it had something to do with Princess Peach. He was confident that if he couldn't give genuine advice, he could indirectly work something in the princess's favor. After all, he couldn't go against his new king if he didn't want to end up on a wall as a painting himself.

"I'm a scientist! If I can't think of something straight away I'll figure something out."

King Boo tried to hide his worry, although E. Gadd must've seen right through it. "Don't look so worried, my boy! I'm sure it can't be too difficult of a predicament. I've probably dealt with much worse than whatever you've got for me."

King Boo thought for a moment about how to go about what he needed to ask without making it obvious what he was asking. "I have a plan," he began, "and that plan requires my dear prize, Princess Peach to become at least…" madly in love with him so he could conquer the Mushroom Kingdom and eventually the world?

"Comfortable… with me."

took another sip of his coffee. "What have you been doing so far?"

"Huh?"

"To make her more comfortable," he began, "what have you been doing so far?"

King Boo broke eye contact. "I've given her a room, and meals if she wishes for them, and, erm…" He thought for a moment. "I've been scaring her less since she first came here, but she still cries all the time." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, have you tried not scaring her at all?"

If King Boo had taken up on the offer of a drink, he probably would've spit half of it out in surprise.

"Whoa, what? Not scare her at all! What's the point in having her then, if not to scare?"

"I thought you mentioned that she was important for a plan of yours?"

"Oh. Yes. That." King Boo thought about that plan. Yes, it was a good plan, but he missed scaring someone and getting a good scream out of them. Peach was the next best thing. "Fine then. Whatever. I'll make her more comfortable."

He kept his gaze down and to his left, feeling a little more shy than he was used to. "How do you do that?"

just about managed to not spit his drink out at King Boo's question. "How to make someone comfortable?"

"Yes. That."

"Well, you'll have to put her wants and needs over your own sometimes, old boy, and make sure she's not forced into anything she doesn't want to be forced into."

He didn't do that, did he?

"How can I make sure of that then?"

"Just ask her, my boy! If you want to do something with her, ask her if she wants to as well! She should be at least a little more comfortable around you in a jiffy."

King Boo pulled a doubtful expression. "Is that it?"

"Indeed! Quite simple, once you get the hang of it." E. Gadd took another sip of his coffee.

"Now, about my end of the deal."

"Huh?"

pulled a notebook and a pen out of his usual lab coat. "May I ask you a few questions?"

"Where has he gone then?"

"Look, I've no idea where he's gone. Would you like for me to hear what you have to talk about, or book a meeting with him later?"

ShamBoo gave Bootstrap a stern look. "This is exactly why we came - King Boo is getting far too distracted. He needs to focus on us Boos more - why does that princess get her own room while we don't even have a room to share?

Bootstrap did his best to stare him back down, but he was considerably smaller than the other three.

"Whatever Sire's plans are, it is my job to support them."

"You're just a parrot," said Boodacious. "How long have you been here? A few months? Why were you chosen to be King Boo's second in command anyway?"

"I should've been his second in command!" added Boo La La. "I've known him nearly as long as the Team has, and I still look like a nobody!"

"Shut it!" exclaimed ShamBoo, "King Boo doesn't need a second in command anyway - he did just fine without one."

"I'm flattered you thought I was second in command, I'm actually third in command, the second position goes to Booreaucrat she's doing business somewhere in the mansion herself already but you'll have to track her down. Regardless, my position has greatly increased productivity! This whole plan wouldn't be in action without me!" Bootstrap fixed his lenses. "We wouldn't have invaded."

"With the old King boo, before he got any princesses or third rate secretaries, we would've continued invading!" ShamBoo stared him down, and Bootstrap backed up a little. "People like you are turning him soft."

"Well!" exclaimed Bootstrap. "Where's all this coming from anyway? I'd expect this from someone with ideas far above their station, like Boovelope or his traitorous brother."

ShamBoo did his best to radiate enough energy to knock Bootstrap back a little.

"The only Boo here with ideas above their station is you."