For the first time since she'd arrived, Peach had gone with Bootiful and Boojiboo to meet some of the other Boos, and they were all currently relaxing in a lounge, including KaBoom who threw a well meaning fit at everyone for not having told him Peach had been living here this whole time. Some had apologized for scaring her earlier (KaBoom more profusely on behalf of any others and promised to extract swift justice to anyone who would dare to scare her again since he specialized in explosives), and others had never scared her in their afterlives, but she currently sat, albeit a little on edge, shuffling cards for another game of Blackjack.

Later, they'd gone into the gardens as Peach had missed going outside, even if there was hardly any sunlight. She appreciated the fresh air and company, and she walked with a new spring in her step, enjoying the flowers, even if they were a little dark for her taste.

Well, that's what King Boo saw as he gazed out of the window again. He'd called in ParaBooler to help him renovate one of the kitchens to make it larger and more functional, rather than just for the pure aesthetic of the mansion. In order to keep all the current rooms where they were, the kitchen would be reduced in size, and that wasn't what he wanted. He looked out of the window, watching her hair flow and contrast with the darkness of the garden. She looked a little out of place, but it also made her a feature in his garden. He knew she was beautiful, but he hadn't quite realized how beautiful she was.

"She's quite the work of art, isn't she?"

ParaBooler looked up from the floor plan she was editing. "She's not a painting in a canvas, Sire."

"No no no, I don't mean that." One of the Boos around her tugged on her skirts, and she twirled in her dress. King Boo watched her and was slightly entranced by her smile, not noticing the slight glow on his cheeks. "I mean that she's…" Wonderful? Beautiful? Perfect? No, those were just what he'd say to lure her in. Keep the smooth talking for later. Remember the plan. "Pleasant to look at."

"She definitely stands out. Is this kitchen for her, Sire?"

Before he could answer, Bootstrap could be heard arguing with Booreaucrat over something until -

"Sire!" Bootstrap clicked open the door and came through, carrying a pile of papers. "I've been working on invasion plans."

"Huh?"

"I apologize in advance, your Majesty, I tried to stop him." Booreaucrat told him defeatedly with a bow.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Sire?" He put the papers down and fixed his glasses. "The princess is in place, and she seems a little happier. If we invade with the plan I've made, we could succeed with relative ease."

"It hasn't been long enough, Bootstrap!" King Boo got up and looked out of the window at her again - she was sitting on a bench, giggling at a joke one of the Boos there had said. He'd never seen her laugh, and the happiness she radiated made him feel lighter the way fear made him feel stronger. "I have my own little project with her to complete first."

"Sire, I…" Bootstrap took a deep breath. He could do this. "Sire, I know you want for the best but some of the Boos are complaining that you're not focusing on the Boos, and the invasion, because you're too obsessed with that... girl!"

The happiness dropped from King Boo's face, before his mouth twisted into a cold, sarcastic smile. ParaBooler and Booreaucrat both decided right now would be an ideal time to step back from him.

"Ah yes, I'm far too obsessive with this girl, aren't I?" He slowly floated over to Bootstrap until King Boo's gaze was right over him. "Like some Boo is far too obsessive with telling me how to do my job!"

Bootstrap briefly caught sight of ParaBooler, who was gesturing at where her neck would be if she had one, in a stop-while-you're-ahead-or-you-might-not-have-a-head sort of way. A glance to Booreaucrat told him roughly the same thing as she mouthed that he should've just dropped it. Bootstrap held his arms up in defense.

"That-that's not what I'm saying, Sire."

"Well that's what I'm hearing." King Boo backed off and turned back to his work with ParaBooler. "Get out."

Bootstrap eyed the papers that he'd just put down. "Sire, my plan, the-"

"I said get out!" King Boo turned back to him. "Who do you think you are anyway? I trial you with the Team and decide to take you on and after only a few months of working for me, you think you know better? Fool!"

Bootstrap didn't need to be told again. He made his way out before King Boo got any angrier. Booreaucrat did not follow until she was referred to.

King Boo smirked as he looked over the floor plan. Bootstrap's office conveniently backed onto where he was going to put the kitchen.

"ParaBooler, I don't think Bootstrap needs quite that much space. How big is he anyway?"

"Not that big, Sire. He's a little smaller than average."

King Boo snorted. "Then I'm sure we can half his office for this kitchen!"

ParaBooler "That would work, Sire."

"You don't mind, do you, Booreaucrat?" King Boo asked curiously.

She took a quick glance at the plans to see how much space would be sacrificed, it really wasn't much, and so long as King Boo could still fit if and when he actually did paperwork himself…

"As long as you're able to still fit when it's the three of us, Majesty. Of course not, please go ahead with your desires." Booreaucrat replied with a bow.

King Boo clasped his hands together. "Then we'll do it! Thank you both for your help."

Sitting on a bench in the garden, Peach was slowly becoming less scared of the Boos in the mansion as she laughed at the jokes Boodonkulous kept telling her. Her hair caught in the light breeze, and she felt quite cool outside in the afternoon.

Bootiful rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. "Boodonkulous! These are awful!"

"That's your opinion! I think Peach finds them quite funny!"

Peach laughed like she hadn't in weeks, because she hadn't laughed in weeks.

"Thanks, you two, for getting me out of my room, that is." She told Boojiboo and Bootiful, and looked out across the valley. "It's nice out here."

Boojiboo hovered next to her. "Are you a little less scared of us now?"

"Yeah! You're all such fun, actually." She paused for a bit. "I feel like I could get used to living here."

"Thank the stars fer that! Don't know if I'd be able ta live with myself if ya couldn't get used to us." KaBoom said with a sigh of relief.

Boofoon hovered upside down. "Are you getting used to King Boo?"

"A little." Peach twirled a small piece of hair around her finger - she'd found herself doing it a little more than usual recently, an old bashful habit she remembered doing often when she used to think of Mario affectionately. "He's being a little bit nicer when I do see him."

Boodonkulous hovered back round a corner they'd gone round so they could perform another joke, but then they noticed the door to the garden open, and no one but King Boo came out. He quickly hid back around the corner.

"I hope you're getting used to him, because he's just come outside!"

Panicking, Peach stood up. "Do you think he wants me?"

Bootiful and Boojiboo each fixed a strand of hair in front of Peach's face, and tucked it behind her hair. "You can do it!" Bootiful cheered.

"He probably just wants to talk with you." Boojiboo offered comfortingly.

"I'll do my best."

"An' remember ta signal me with crossed fingers behind yer back if he gives ya trouble." KaBoom reminded her cheerfully.

Peach giggled before reminding the cowboy Boo in turn, "That shouldn't be necessary, but I'll remember if I need you, KaBoom."

KaBoom nodded and flew off phasing through a bush.

Peach took a deep breath in, and back out again, fixed her skirts and walked around the corner to see him.

"Peach my dear! How wonderful to see you here!"

She was still quite scared of him, but she faked some confidence anyway. "It's nice to see you too."

If it wasn't for the fact that he could sense her fear of him, King Boo would've been convinced by her fake confidence, and it was something he… admired in her, from an objective viewpoint. Nothing more than that. He'd even seen her stand up to the odd Boo in a hallway of the mansion by staring them down, and he found it so impressive that he'd blush a deep blue each time.

She decided to continue the conversation. "How come you've come out here?" She leaned lightly on a nearby garden wall, and looked out into the valley.

"I've been working on a few things, and I…" Thought I'd come and see you? He found himself a little flustered as he figured out his words. "I thought I'd come out for some fresh air."

Peach shivered a little, though whether it was because she was nervous around him or because she'd stopped laughing and twirling around the garden and was instead standing still. "It's quite cool out, isn't it?"

"I'd have to agree, but I quite enjoy this temperature." He noticed her discomfort with the cold. "I'd offer you my jacket, but I... er... don't have one."

She looked at him, and did her best to smile. "It's OK."

Peach's smile made him smile, even if it was probably half-faked. She looked so much more beautiful when she smiled - it radiated and made her whole face light up like the moon. He found himself gazing at her a little too long, and feeling his face heat up, he broke eye contact and stared out into the valley.

He had an idea that part of him wanted to say, but he wasn't sure why. It seemed to go against all his best instincts as the king of Boos, but he wanted to do it anyway.

"If you like, you can…" Can't back out now you've started, he thought. "Come a little closer. I'm… not the warmest, but it might help."

"I…" Something about what he said made Peach curious. She didn't think he'd be warm, nor did she have any idea what he felt like as a Boo, and if it was too different from how the form he took the other evening when they danced together felt. He hadn't been particularly warm then, but she'd expected him to be deathly cold, when he was more pleasantly cool. It didn't sap her heat to be close to him then, however. It couldn't hurt to stand a little closer, right? He hadn't hurt her yet - why would he start now?

"I think I'd like that."

Being a little closer to her, King Boo put an arm around her shoulder. It was then, now even closer than they had been while dancing, that he could smell her quite strongly: she was just like her name, but also slightly flowery. Her hair was smooth against him, and he had a slight urge to feel it, but had no idea how to ask her. It took him a moment to assess his own thoughts, and he blushed furiously once he realized, instinctively hiding behind his free arm for a second. Peach noticed this, but he brushed it off as an unconvincing random hand movement.

"What have you been up to as of late, my dear?"

"Reading, mostly." A strand of hair fell down, and she tucked it back behind her ear. "Some of the Boos convinced me to leave my room for a while, so we played cards for a bit, before heading outside. I wanted some fresh air myself."

Her voice was sweet, and he felt like he could listen to her talk for hours. She did make for quite pleasant company, and for once he was glad that he wasn't trying to scare her.

"What have you been up to? Some of the Boos say you've been out a lot recently."

"I've been visiting a new acquaintance of mine, and today I've been making a few plans for a quick edit to the mansion."

"Oh?" Peach seemed quite interested, as well as a little more comfortable around him. "What change are you going to make?"

"It's just a couple of little ones, I'm adding something to the front yard and editing one of the rooms!" He wanted to babble on about the details but felt a little self conscious. "I'll… spare you the details, but I think you'll like them."

They stood there for a moment, the wind catching in some of Peach's hair, and an arm around her shoulder. He didn't want to leave quite yet, but knew he had business to attend to.

"I best be going, my dear - royal duties to attend to." He slid his hand off her.

"...Of course. I'll see you around, King Boo." Peach watched him fly off back into the mansion.

Eventually, after a few more games with the Boos she was with, she headed back inside herself and up to her room. When she arrived, hoping to sit down and write another letter, she found a large table in her room, with sewing machine, several spools of thread, scissors, several different ribbons and a whole pile of different colored materials, along with a note on top of it all.

Peach!

I heard that you like sewing! I hope this is adequate, but feel free to ask for more.

Giving a quick yawn, she flopped onto her bed. Maybe she could get used to living in this place after all.