Bowsette: A New Life
Chapter 26
An odd "date"
"…and get me some unmentionables while you're at it!" Bowsette growled at the attendant as she finished her measurements. Bowsette waited until the attendant came back with a black dress and a set of similarly colored lingerie. "100 coins for the dress and um… 50 coins for the rest Ma'am." The attendant said shakily as she presented it to the Koopa Queen. She cast her eyes over it and reached over to feel it. It was made of a silklike substance, but Bowsette pulled it hard and it didn't rip so it was probably pretty strong. "Hm. It'll do." Bowsette passed the coins. "Get me 3 more sets of all of it. Another black and 2 dark red. This color." Bowsette poked a dress hanging nearby.
The attendant hurriedly rushed off to fulfill the order. The dresses are likely all being custom made so it takes some time. Bowsette goes into the changing room and comes back wearing the new dress. "So. Pasta Freak." Bowsette sits next to Mario on the bench he had found for trying on shoes. "Do you think she's okay?" Bowsette asked.
"Huh?" Mario had been dozing. "Who… Peach?" Mario yawns. "Wake up dunderhead! Who else could I be talking about?" Bowsette grumbled. "I'm just uh… surprised you-a care is all." Bowsette looked away. The longer she spent in this new world the more she was learning about her other self, and she didn't entirely like the other Koopa Queen's attitude toward Peach. "Of course! Peach is MY possession. She and her kingdom belong to me!" Not that Bowsette would ever admit to anyone that she ever really cared for Peach of course.
Mario sighed. "I don't-a know. It's strange to say but I feel like… like-a she's in way more danger now than she ever was with you." Mario admitted. "But I don't-a think she'll be hurt." Bowsette scoffed. "I don't know where that thing took Peach, but I'll tear that fake of you limb from limb when I find it." Bowsette felt a pit in her stomach. As much as she tried to hide it she was worried about Peach.
"Let's think about what-a else we can do. I can ask-a around where Merlon went." Mario noted. "You do that. We'll never find that thing or Peach without him." As the time goes by and the two struggle to make any further idle chat, Mario looks at Bowsette for a bit and blushes when she catches him staring. "W-What? Stop being creepy you… Ugh." Bowsette sighs. 'Is this what women have to deal with from men all the time?' Bowsette wondered.
Eventually the attendant comes back with the rest of the order. Bowsette gets a couple bags and puts the clothes including her ruined dress into it. At that point the sun is starting to get lower in the sky and Bowsette's stomach grumbles. "Meat. I need meat." Bowsette groans and looks around. "We're supposed to be-a on a mission you know." Mario noted.
The complaint tapered off when another stomach joined Bowsette in making an uproar. "So, you're no better off. Nothing ever got done right on an empty stomach." Bowsette smirked. "Come on Pasta Freak, let's get you some Spaghetti and Meatballs. Or maybe a pizza." Bowsette teased. "Just because I'm-a Italian doesn't mean I want that stuff all the time." Mario lamented, even though it did sound pretty good to him right now.
Following an impulse, Mario surprised Bowsette by suddenly taking her hand. "Okie dokie then. Then we can go to my favorite place." Bowsette was too flustered to respond. 'Bold plumber. Very bold.' She thought impressed. Mario pulled Bowsette gently along down the road toward the Toad Town food court. As they passed some stalls Mario stopped and grabbed some meat on a stick. "For-a you. To tide you over." Mario passed a skewer to Bowsette before grabbing one for himself. Mario paid and continued leisurely guiding Bowsette along.
Finally, the two came up to an Italian restaurant Mario frequented. The two sat down at a table and ordered a pan of lasagna each, which Bowsette insisted on. She wasn't going to share her food with the plumber, no way no how. The server made tracks as soon as he could, like most of Toad Town. "So…" Bowsette began. "Do you always take girls to a place like this?" She asked. "I've-a never really… really…" Bowsette chuckled. "What, never been out with a girl before?" Bowsette was enjoying screwing with the plumber's head.
"Not-a really. I've never had-a that many girls want to date me. They'd be worried about-a upsetting Peach. Even if-a they did, I never had more than one date. Most girls are-a too…" Mario searched for the word. "worshipful." Mario admitted. "We'd go on a date and they'd ruin it when we-a got started. They'd just-a spend the whole time fawning over me. I wouldn't set-a up another. Being a hero has-a it's downsides. Everyone treats you like-a…" Mario tried to explain. "…Like they don't care about you, but what you represent." Bowsette cut in. "Like the only thing that matters is that you're some great figure everyone looks up to, maybe even fears. They don't know what you're actually like and don't care to find out."
Mario was startled and stared at the woman. 'That's exactly what I-a was gonna say.' Mario thought. In his shock though he couldn't say a word, all he could do was just give a nod. "Well. Maybe…" Bowsette choked on the smug response she was going to say. 'Maybe we're not so different after all.' The two thought at the same time. As she was about to say something to salvage the situation, Bowsette swung an arm back…
…and hit the server right in the chest as they were coming to deliver the food. In the split second before anyone could react, the server's arm flung one of the lasagna pans miraculously upright on the table, while the other… The other went straight into Mario's face. Most of the pan and it's contents fell onto the floor almost immediately, but there was still plenty now caked onto the plumber's face.
The server put the other pan down while apologizing frantically, but neither was paying any attention. Bowsette froze at the sight… and then started laughing. Mario wiped what he could out of his eyes only to find his 'date' laughing at his expense. "Urgh… you think-a that's funny huh…" Mario said, Bowsette laughing too hard to pay attention. "Well…" Mario grabbed as much lasagna as he could off his face and flung it at the woman.
The projectile hit the She-Koopa right in the chin, abruptly stopping her laughing. "Did you just…" Mario responded by reaching over to the pan, grabbing a bit of piping hot lasagna, and throwing it at her. This one ended up in her hair. "Oh plumber… it is ON now!" Bowsette responded in kind, grabbing some lasagna, and tossing it at Mario, knocking his cap off.
The other patrons that hadn't already beat a quick exit at the sight of Bowsette when the two had entered could only sit and watch as both of them engaged in an impromptu food fight. The food they were throwing was hot but since the two were used to holding and throwing white hot flames at each other this was little different from throwing snowballs. What puzzled everyone the most was that both were smiling and laughing at each other's expense.