Author's Note:
IT'S A NEW YEAR, YES IT IS! Y'all know what it is, time to answer some reviews:
"Is Jade from Tales of the Abyss gonna act all smug and trollish towards everyone when he shows up? Are Shirou and Rin going to be a couple? (Fate/Stay Night started as a visual novel game after all) are Amy and Rouge wearing their default outfits or the ones they wore in Sonic Riders? Is Phosphora using her Kari Wahlgren voice or her replacement VA in the Smash Bros games? And finally, how do Sonic and his friends remember the events of Sonic 2006 if the events were resetted?"
She will. Rin and Shirou will obviously be a couple. Amy and Rouge are wearing their default outfits. Phosphora is using her Kari Wahlgren voice. And I don't think I'll acknowledge the events of Sonic 06...that game still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So many mistakes...here's a review from a person actually named anonymous:
"1. Is Maria Renard going to appear? If so, will she appear as her younger or older version of herself?
2. Is Annette (Richter's wife) going to appear?
3. Is Shaft going to appear and try to possess Richter?
4. Simon thinks that Alucard is a vampire because Alucard is the son of Dracula and Simon tries to kill him. It's up to Richter to save the day and to also tell Simon that Alucard's a half-vampire half-human, basically a dhampire."
1. Maria will appear as her older version of herself, so she won't look so out-of-place compared to Simon and Richter.
2. Richter's wife will appear in the future.
3. Shaft will appear and try to possess Richter...or someone else.
4. Alucard is an ally of the Richter clan (didn't know this until Roydigs22 pointed it out to me), so I don't know if that's a good idea...
Up next is MaleGunLayla:
"1. Heard about the Philippine episode review, I think the best one would be the 2019 Miss Universe event. FYI Ph won.
2 Reenactment of K-Drqma cliches.
3. If you were to make an OST of this fic, what songs are in it? (Non-videogame ost)"
1. Someone from the Philippines won Miss Universe? Fascinating. I shall find out when the Miss Universe 2019 event takes place.
2. Two of my older sisters watch K-dramas, in their spare time...perhaps I should ask them about cliches.
3. Ooh, good question! Considering the nature of the story, the OST would mostly contain indie songs. I could even throw in some songs regional to Seattle, like songs from the Foo Fighters. They're my favorite band.
On to el pollo campero:
"Any crazy new year shenanigans the smashers will encounter?"
There's gonna be PLENTY of shenanigans early on in the new year, trust me. Last for today is Waddle-Dedede:
"Sonic should learn how to become more serious since he's almost close to becoming an adult."
You're absolutely right, Sonic should start being more serious...I've meant to give him some character development some time ago, but now would be a really good start.
Episode 159: Cocktails
It was now finally time. Now or never. Cloud has waited far too long for this moment, but today, the swordsman was gonna make it count.
For the longest now, Cloud has always wanted to ask Dr. Wily about the device that would bring Aerith and Sora back to their universe. He wanted to know what caused the falling out between Dr. Wily and Professor E. Gadd, and see what the two geniuses disagreed on. Cloud has held his tongue ever since the whole Rathalos incident, and he couldn't afford to hold it in any longer.
The swordsman headed next door to the Assist Tower that afternoon, wanting to hear what Dr. Wily had to say. By no means was Cloud willing to stick around - all he was gonna do was ask his question, and leave. He wasn't the kind of person to entertain someone's presence. But when Cloud entered the Assist Tower...
"Hi Cloud!" Isaac waved to the swordsman, as the Earth Adept was playing a board game in the lobby with Skull Kid. Cloud did a half-smile, closing the door as Skull Kid looked away and sighed.
"Hey kid, how's it going," responded Cloud, trying his best not to look at Isaac as he made his way to the basement. "Can't chat, gotta ask Dr. Wily something important. You wouldn't understand."
"After you're done, would you mind playing some games with Skull Kid and I?" Cloud had a gut feeling Isaac was going to ask that question, as he stopped in place. He turned around to face the Earth Adept, donning his half-smile once more.
"I'm a little busy at the moment - maybe another time, kid," were Cloud's final words as he went down the basement. Not exactly words of confidence, but that didn't matter to Isaac, who was beaming.
"Did you hear that, Skull Kid?" Isaac asked the masked fellow, who simply couldn't care less. "Cloud is going to play board games with me in the future!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's good and all..." groaned Skull Kid, letting out a huge yawn. He never understood why Isaac liked Cloud so much. "...but can we get moving on with the stupid board game already?!"
Cloud entered through the door to the basement, and as the swordsman went down the steps, he heard a loud commotion from down below. Dr. Wily was definitely down there, as Cloud had figured. But there were audible voices heard...one from Dr. Wily, and oddly enough, another from Spyro. Even Hunter's voice was heard.
"What the heck is going on down there...?" wondered Cloud, under the assumption that Spyro and Hunter asked Dr. Wily to bring their respective love interests back to the city. But when the swordsman arrived at the basement, he saw that it wasn't the case.
Hanging around in the basement was Dr. Wily, Spyro, and Hunter...and a fourth individual, a mole wearing glasses and a lab coat. The mole wielded a clipboard, and was scribbling some notes down on said clipboard.
"And then I said, 'Energy tanks? You can't even make it to your mailbox without passing out!'" Dr. Wily told this anecdote, before he, Spyro, Hunter, and the mole were all laughing together. Once the laughter subsided, Cloud felt like making his presence known.
"Hey Dr. Wily," Cloud greeted the inventor, quickly grabbing his attention. Dr. Wily looked over at the swordsman, as well as the others. "It's me again..."
"Ah, Cloud, welcome back old chap!" grinned Dr. Wily; by no means did Cloud like being called an old chap. Sounded too retro to him. "Figured you would find me here, down in the basement. Have you met my new friend?"
"You mean that mole guy over there?" Cloud pointed at the mole, sensing that the mole was friends with Spyro and Hunter. Putting that sixth sense to good work. "Is he some kind of intellectual genius or something?"
"Yes, that is correct - you can call me Professor!" the mole introduced himself to Cloud, with his glasses nearly falling off. Professor smiled sheepishly, as he adjusted his oculars. "I'm all the way from Avalar."
Spyro: Me and Professor go way back...I remember when Sparx and I tried to go on a vacation to Dragon Shores, and we ended up in some place named Avalar. There I met Professor and the others, and we just took off from there! Professor was supposed to send out a big, mean dragon to fix all the troubles in Avalar, but he just got someone better!
Hunter: How did the Professor and I first meet each other? *scratches head in thought* That's a really good question...because quite frankly, I don't know the answer myself.
"That's it? You only go by Professor?" questioned Cloud; perhaps Professor had an extremely embarrassing first name or surname. "You sure you aren't leaving out anything else?"
"Nope, Professor is the only thing I go by!" Professor exclaimed with exceeding pride, before scratching his chin. "Though I do have some monikers people tend to call me, but I'd rather not say them out loud..."
"Uh huh..." Done speaking with the Professor, Cloud reverted his attention to Dr. Wily, needing to ask him his question...but first, he had to ask one question that had just spurred in his head. "...are you and the Professor working on something together?"
"Yes, the Professor and I are working on that device that'll send Sora and Aerith back to their universe," replied Dr. Wily - as he adjusted his lab coat. "It was Spyro and Hunter who suggested that I seek out the Professor."
"We should be finished working with the device by the around of this month," added Professor; that should bid Cloud enough time to get some quality time with Aerith before she headed back. And maybe he could get on good terms with Sora.
"Okay, that's all I wanted to know." Cloud would ask Dr. Wily about his falling out with Professor E. Gadd, but he realized that now wasn't the time and place for such a question. He could always ask in the future. "Just let me know when you're finished with that device. In the meantime, I've got some 'catching up' to do with Aerith..."
Knowing that the device would be finished prior to the end of the month, Cloud left the basement, ready to head back to the mansion. But he wouldn't get that far, for he would soon be greeted...
...by a giant hand that appeared in front of him, in front of the front door. Unlike Master Hand, this giant hand was acting all zany, what with his fingers moving about in a very strange and way. A telltale sign of who this giant hand was.
"Cloud STRIFE, how do you do?" the giant hand greeted the swordsman, who felt like going home already. He didn't have any time for this.
"Uh, it's nice seeing you again, Crazy Hand," Cloud said to the giant hand, looking for a way to get past Crazy Hand only to realize that he had little to no means for an escape. "Thought you might be chilling out at your house?"
"Chilling out, at my HOUSE?! Why would I DO that, when I SOLD my house earlier this WEEK?" Crazy Hand actually sold his house? Lord have mercy on whoever bought that house.
"You sold your house? Why would you even do that for?" Cloud started to connect the dots, when he start to realize why Crazy Hand would be at the Assist Tower in the first place. "If you sold your house, does that mean you're..."
"That's right - I'm the HEAD honcho of the Assist Tower! Muahahahahaha!" All of a sudden, Cloud had a heavy amount of sympathy for everyone in the Assist Tower - sympathy he never knew existed.
Crazy Hand: Master Hand paid a visit to ME last week, asking ME if I wanted to be the head of the Assist Tower! And I was like, "Are you STUPID, of COURSE I would want to rule over that tower!" NOW I can be even closer to the brawlers, and they'll LOVE and appreciate ME more than they do with Master Hand! *pauses* ...in due time, obviously.
"Well in that case, congratulations on being named the Assist Tower head, or whatever," congratulated Cloud, as the urge to return to the mansion grew. "Can you let me out of that door please? I'm sure Aerith is waiting for me."
"Pfft, that SKANK woman can wait, she better know how to HOLD HER HORSES!" replied Crazy Hand; if the giant hand was someone else, Cloud would've smoked him with his Buster Sword. "Why don't you join ME and the others for my FIRST EVER meeting? I'm sure you'll like it!"
"One problem, though...this tower doesn't even have a meeting room. Or at least that's what Master Hand said." Cloud knew more about the tower than Crazy Hand did...so far, Crazy Hand was off to a bad start.
"So THAT'S what Master Hand meant when he said the brawlers will be in attendance...aw phooey. In that case, just help me ROUND UP everyone in the tower. Can't leave a MISSING person behind, hehehe!"
After gathering up everyone in the Assist Tower, Crazy Hand and Cloud took everyone to the meeting room, where the mansion residents were already present. Amazing that the meeting room was able to hold so much people in one open space. Standing at the front of the room was Mario, Isabelle, and Tom Nook, with Master Hand and Crazy Hand behind them.
"Alright, is everyone-a ready?" Mario asked the crowd, as there was a lot of chatter taking place in the meeting room. So much, Mario could hardly hear himself think. "Come on-a guys! Early worm gets-a the worm!"
"Another worm?" Link raised an eyebrow, being one of the few folks who heard Mario's voice over the constant talking. "Like, are they best friends? Because if they are, then that's just messed up..."
"It's the early bird that gets the worm, Mario," corrected Sonic, before tsking away at the plumber while wagging his finger. "Not the worm! Everyone knows worms can't eat! Unless they're monster worms, that is."
"Isabelle, would you like to smell-a my breath?" Mario asked the shih tzu, who looked on in horror as she took a step back. Mario would ask either Peach or Impa for a breath check, but he asked them enough times as it is.
"No thanks, sir Mario, I want to protect my nose," replied Isabelle with an earnest smile, as Mario frowned - only for a certain tanoki to tap the plumber on the side of his left leg.
"I can smell your breath for you, Mario," Tom Nook said to the plumber. Mario knelt down at Tom Nook, and breathed into the tanoki's face. Tom Nook tried his best not to show any signs of disgust. "Good, but not great. Six out of ten."
Fox: Someone is throwing a party this evening. Why is this night in particular so special? Because this party is gonna be organized by whoever's taking control of the Assist Tower, from what I've heard. And that's where I plan on proposing to Krystal, with this ring I got. *reveals ring* It'll be our own coming out party, our debutante. That's what's going to make tonight very special.
"SILENCE!" boomed Master Hand, seeing that Mario did a terrible job at quieting the crowd. All the chit chat and conversations ended in a snap. "Thank you. Thank you all for coming here today, it's a great pleasure to..."
"Okay Master Hand, we get it, you love it when we attend your meetings," Yashiro interrupted the giant hand, playing with fire. His friends looked at the idol singer like he was crazy. Which he was. "You're acting like we had to travel from L.A. just to show up!"
"Whoever said that you could interrupted my meeting and make a valid point in the process? Petey Piranha, get Yashiro outta here!" Petey would follow Master Hand's orders, as he came over to Yashiro with a wicked smile.
"No, Master Hand, I was just kidding, I wasn't being serious..." Too late - Petey caught up with Yashiro, and gobbled him up before opening the meeting room door and spitting the idol singer out, before closing the door back and returning to his seat.
"Anyone else wish to end up like Yashiro?" Not a single word was spoken, greatly pleasing Master Hand. "Very good. Now before I was so rudely interrupted...today, the Assist Tower will have someone in charge - someone who will rule over the denizens of the tower with an authoritative fist of power. Everybody give it up...for CRAZY HAND!"
Slightly fearing for their lives, everyone clapped for Crazy Hand, as the giant hand appeared at the forefront of the meeting room. Crazy Hand would take a bow, if he knew how to do one.
"What's good, my PARTY PEOPLE?!" shouted Crazy Hand, as the applause subsided. Lyn, Midna, and many other assist characters were having their doubts about Crazy Hand already. "Crazy Hand is IN THE HOUSE!"
"Crazy Hand here will also be throwing a cocktail party down the street, for anyone interested," announced Master Hand, as Crazy Hand went around the meeting room giving high fives to everyone. Some gave the giant hand a high five; others kept to themselves, and drew Crazy Hand's ire. "Unlike this meeting, attending the party is perfectly optional. And you don't need to bring anything, either. Unless you really want to."
"I will also being having a party in the same vicinity as Crazy Hand's party, for anyone interested," announced Tom Nook, as Master Hand was ready to accuse the tanoki of one-upping Crazy Hand. "No minors allowed...sorry Timmy and Tommy."
"Welp, off to Crazy Hand's party we go..." Tommy said to Timmy, who nodded his head. A party hosted by Crazy Hand had a strong possibility of disaster.
Tom Nook: By no means am I stealing Crazy Hand's shine...I'm just presenting an alternative to whatever Crazy Hand has planned. Crazy Hand is as erratic as it comes, and I hardly trust him. If Master Hand has a problem with that, then that's his problem, not mine.
"Kapp'n, this is your chance-a to do some carpooling!" Mario said to the turtle, although Crazy Hand's party was down the street, Kapp'n wouldn't give up the opportunity of carpooling for anything else in the world.
"No, I'm good, but thanks anyways," replied Kapp'n, leaving Mario and company shocked with his answer. Any other time, Kapp'n would say yes in a heartbeat! "I'll just...hang out with Link and Zelda."
"Wow I had no idea you were tight-a with those two." It certainly came as a surprise to Zelda, who looked at Link with a curious glance. Link did not pay any attention to the princess, leaving her very suspicious.
"We've only started hanging out recently, it's nothing special at the moment. What, you're saying I can't have human friends?"
"No, I would-a never say such a thing! You, Link, and-a Zelda should go take a ride-a around town, in Link's truck. Would be a nice-a little trip."
"Sounds like a good way to spend our time, though the ball is in Link's hands." Zelda continued to look at Link, waiting for a response from the Hylian, but Link did not do or say a single thing.
"Or maybe you could-a play some games?" Mario was starting to hijack the meeting by asking Kappn' unnecessary questions, and it was leaving Master Hand furious.
"Um, no, I think we're good. We'll probably just stay put at the mansion. Don't do anything drastic, or over the top. Keep things, chill, you know?"
"I Spy is a great-a game to play...though it would work-a better if it was just Link and Zelda. You being the third-a wheel would screw things up."
"If we were to play that game, the three of us, I'm sure we'll find a way to work things out."
Link: Why don't I wanna go? Didn't expect to need a reason, so let me think here. Um. I practically know everyone. From the mansion, to the tower. Even the new guys. I don't like talking about random general stuff in my free time, it gets repetitive over time. And, did I use the word pointless?
Kapp'n: Link is using me as part of his "secret ploy" with Zelda...I know exactly what's going on, I'm just forbidden from telling anyone.
"Crazy Hand, I would like to thank you for inviting me to your party," Pit stood up and thanked the giant hand, confusing him. Crazy Hand hasn't invited anyone yet, nor would he need to - anyone was free to come.
"Oh sure, really didn't give it ANY thought!" replied Crazy Hand, before he took the time to process what Pit had said. "Wait, why should YOU being going?" Just then, someone's phone was ringing...it was Fox's.
"Sorry about that, you guys," Fox apologized as he took out his cellphone and answered the call. Petey was sure to deal with the pilot later, after the call was over. "What's up babe? Talk to me..."
"Fox, is that you?" asked the voice from the phone, it was Krystal - one of two assist characters not present at the meeting. She better be doing something important. Participation matters! "Thought I told you not to refer to me as 'babe' again."
"Whatever you say then...buttercup." Fox could hear Krystal groan very loudly, as the pilot was laughing to himself. Several others in the gaming room were smiling along with him.
"You can be so immature, sometimes...anyways, Rodin and I are just getting back from the gas station. Is the party still on?"
"Yeah it's still on, Crazy Hand is hosting it at some place down the street. It's gonna take place this evening."
"This evening, huh? Well I don't know if I'll be there. Might be feeling tired by the time it starts. This trip nearly took the life out of me..."
"What does she mean, she doesn't know if she'll be there?" questioned Master Hand, accusing Krystal of finding a lousy excuse to not show up. The vixen could be avoiding Crazy hand, for all Master Hand knew. "Fox, tell Krystal to bring her butt over to the party, or else!"
"Fox, and I on speaker phone?" Krystal asked her boyfriend, after she heard Master Hand's voice. Fox laughed sheepishly, eyeing around the meeting room.
"Surprise, surprise...yes you are. In the meeting room right now. We're having a meeting to discuss the whole party. And so Crazy Hand could endear himself to all of us, the best way he could..."
"Does that mean everyone is in attendance?" There was a strong tint of nervousness in Krystal's voice, just now.
"How's it going...buttercup?" Falco asked Krystal, doing his best to stifle his laughter. Krystal groaned once more; she was going to hate it if everyone started calling her buttercup.
"...hello Falco. Okay Fox, take me off of speaker phone. We have to continue our conversation in private. Got it?"
"Heard ya loud and clear!" replied Fox, getting up from his seat as he left the meeting room. Still didn't turn off speaker phone.
Once the meeting was over with, Joker went to the cafe, so he could hang out with Morgana in peace. That peace would come to an end, when Joker's lady friend Makoto showed up. Out of Joker's lady friends, Makoto was the best one of them all. Not even close.
"Hey Joker, I think the two of us should go to that party Tom Nook is throwing," Makoto said to the young man, who was keeping his composure as he checked out something on his phone. "Honestly, that Crazy Hand scares me...I'd never attend whatever event he's hosting. You should come with me!"
"Unfortunately I can't, since King Dedede has me all tied up," stated Joker, putting away his cellphone as Makoto sported an angry frown. "For whatever reason, he ordered six tons of root beer from NME Enterprises, and he needs a certified 'drinking partner' to help him get rid of the root beer."
"Well we're going to the party anyways, whether you like it or not! You have to come to stuff with me. I'm serious! If you're going to be my boyfriend, you have to do boyfriend things. Okay?"
On that remark, Makoto smiled as she left the cafe. Joker looked at the young woman with surprise, as Morgana perked up.
"Oh snap, did she just refer to you as your boyfriend?!" the talking cat exclaimed, nudging Joker in the side with his elbow. "Looks like Makoto wants to go on a date with you! What do you think of that, Joker?"
"Heh, I had a feeling she was waiting to pull off a move..." smirked Joker, as he flexed his fingers. Had to go to Tom Nook's party, otherwise Makoto would be ticked!
Makoto: I've decided that I'm going to start a relationship with Joker. We are pretty close with one another, even more so than anyone else in our Phantom Thieves group, so we have a really good chance at securing love. My big sister will be so proud of me...promise me you won't tell her yet.
Crazy Hand's party took place at a house down the street, and it was only a three-minute drive to get there. (Seventeen minutes, if you chose to walk on foot.) Because Master Hand didn't want Mario anywhere near Tom Nook's party, the giant hand told the plumber to go with Luigi to the party...and yes, Luigi was forced to attend as well.
"Here's the salad-a bowl!" Luigi gave a bowl of salad to Mario...which really was a container with salad, as the two plumbers were on their way to Rayman's house. Luigi had parked his Dodge Charger in Rayman's driveway.
"Thanks-a bro," thanked Mario, as he accepted the container of salad from Luigi. Several servants were entering the house, carrying boxes of food with them; Cappy took note of their attire.
"Not gonna lie Mario, you kinda dress like those servants," the talking hat giggled, as Mario looked down at the tuxedo he was wearing. Crazy Hand forced him to dress up for the party, and somehow Luigi avoided getting the same treatment.
"Hush up, you! This was all Crazy Hand's-a fault..." Not wanting to be stigmatized, or confused with being one of the servants, Mario took Luigi and guided him back to the Dodger Charger, where they would be unseen. "Quick, Luigi, change-a your clothes with mine."
"I don't think your tux-a will fit on me, might-a be too short," stated Luigi, as Mario undressed himself and took off his tuxedo, undressing himself until he was only wearing his boxers. Evidently the plumber didn't believe in wearing a t-shirt underneath.
"I don't care, just do it!" So Luigi took off his overalls and green undershirt, and his gloves as well. "Take-a my jacket." Mario tossed his tuxedo jacket to Luigi, who was taking off his shoes, as the jacket fell unto the ground. "Don't leave-a my jacket on the ground!"
"Sorry bro," apologized Luigi, done taking off his shoes, as he picked up the jacket. "Would've been embarrassing if some-a one ran over your jacket...crisis averted."
Accompanying Makoto, Joker went to Tom Nook's party, which was at a bar. Joker and Makoto weren't the only early arrivals - Researcher Zelda, Doc Louis, Little Mac, Leia, Palutena, Cloud, Aerith, Wario, R.O.B., Ray, Chibi-Robo, Marth, and Lip. Standing near the entrance was Tom Nook.
"Aw, that duck looks so cute!" Researcher Zelda smiled at a duck inside a prize crane, as Cloud and Doc Louis rolled their eyes at the princess. Ray, on the other hand, looked at the prize crane curiously, as the others continued on.
"Hello everyone, glad to see you arrive early," Tom Nook greeted Researcher Zelda and company, as Ray took out a quarter and inserted it into the coin slot of the prize crane. Where did he find that quarter? "We'll just wait out here until the others show up; I've made reservations already."
The Mario Bros stood outside the door to the house, with Mario carrying the container of salad in his hands. Luigi knocked on the front door, with he and Mario surprised by the person who answered the door...Barbara, the barbarian princess.
"Hi Barbara, it's us," Mario greeted the barbarian princess, who had to do a double take at the Mario Bros' attire. Mario was wearing Luigi's overalls, which felt pretty loose on him considering how long the overalls were. Luigi on the other hand had on Mario's suit, which was a little too tight on his body. The pants made it look like Luigi was wearing shorts.
"You boys here for Crazy Hand's party?" asked Barbara, as the Mario Bros nodded their heads. "Well what are you waitin' for, come on in fellas!"
Mario: It's polite to arrive-a early. And smart. Only really good friends-a show up early. Ergo de facto. Go-a to a party really early. Become a really good-a friend.
Rayman: The three of us raised money just so we could purchase a house in Seattle. When we purchased said house, we had hopes of being closer with the dudes from the mansion, and hang out with them from time to time...NOT host Crazy Hand's stupid party.
Barbara: Aw, lighten up Rayman, it'll be a one time only thing! What could possibly go wrong?
Globox: Is everyone from the mansion going to attend?! Don't tell Globox Captain Falcon is coming, Globox is still scared! *runs away screaming*
Rayman: You did tell Globox only a couple of people were coming, right Barbara?
Barbara: Thought it'd be better if Globox found out later, makes it more fun!
So the Mario Bros followed Barbara inside the house, where they would find Rayman and Globox setting up decorations for the party. After greeting Rayman and Globox, the Mario Bros followed Barbara to the kitchen.
"Oh, um, we got some-a salad," Mario said to Barbara, handing her the container of salad. Barbara looked at the container funnily. "Not actual salad, but just-a potato salad. It's the thought-a that counts!"
"It's from the both-a of us!" added Luigi, taking credit for the making and preparation of the potato salad. Mario looked at his brother with a frown.
"No it's not, quit-a stealing my shine Luigi," Mario sternly told his brother, who held his head down in sadness as Barbara took the potato salad from Mario.
"Let's see where we can put this potato salad..." said Barbara, as he looked at the table of food - lots of fancy silver pots and whatnot. Barbara simply placed the potato salad at the end of the table, in the middle, so it wouldn't distract from how fancy and sparkly the silver pots were.
"Oh, you probably want to leave-a the cover on until the others-a get here." Heeding Mario's advice, Barbara left the cover on the potato salad, before moving out of the Mario Bros' way.
Mario: Potato salad's been-a sitting in my car all day. Sun beating down-a on the mayonnaise. I've been dying to use-a that potato salad one day. Just, you never know.
Tom Nook and friends sat a table among themselves, as they waited for the others to come. They were taking part in a conversation to pass the time, while Ray remained at the prize crane.
"Say, Wario, have you and your girlfriend set up a date yet?" Zelda asked the fatso, who was sipping from his glass of lemonade before snorting out its contents, in response to the question. "Her name is Mona, is that right?"
"Yeah, Mona's the name!" replied Wario, wiping off his mouth as he gave a cheesy grin. "We've discussed it over the phone, and we've already set up a date."
"Oh my goodness, when is it?" squealed Lip, with her hands clasped together; Wario looked at the fairy with an inquisitive stare, wondering why she was so interested in his romantic life.
"It's complicated. I would appreciate some space on this...and some privacy. Nobody has ever been this interested in my romantic life before..." Just then, more folks showed up, in Guile, Alucard, Snake, Rex, Pyra, Mythra, Rodin, and a certain fat penguin.
"Well look who it is..." remarked Morgana, tapping Joker on his shoulder, as he pointed at King Dedede. The fat penguin was exuding royalty in every step he took, although nobody cared to notice.
"Surprised King Dedede showed up...thought you said he had some root beer to take care of," Makoto said to Joker as she looked at King Dedede, who took a seat next to Tom Nook. Nearly squashed poor Lip in the process.
"I take it you took care of all the root beer by yourself, Dedede?" Joker asked King Dedede, who was quick to notice the young man. The fat penguin had some explaining to do.
"Not really - I just poured all the root beer down King K. Rool's mouth while he was sleeping," replied King Dedede, before looking at Makoto with a smile bouncing his eyebrows up and down. "What's up, Makoto?" the penguin asked the disgusted young woman.
"Please don't talk to me..." ordered Makoto, having to turn the other way so she wouldn't see King Dedede's face. So much for being friendly, although King Dedede was entirely doing it wrong.
"Looks like everyone is here," analyzed Tom Nook, taking a look around the table. Everyone was indeed here, unless you exclude Ray who was at the prize crane...but Tom Nook saw him from where he was. "Who's up for a drink?"
"That should be unanimous, everyone is ready," replied Guile, as he eagerly slammed his fist on the table, garnering some attention from a few folks in the bar. "Let the drinking commence!"
"I hope you know we're not just doing drinking...some of us have to eat as well." Tom Nook looked towards King Dedede, who was trying to get Aerith's attention until Tom Nook tugged on the penguin's royal robe. "Isn't that right, King Dedede?"
"Uh, yeah, whatever you say Tom Nook!" King Dedede quickly responded, unsure of what he agreed to. He still would've said yes regardless.
Crazy Hand's party had already started at Rayman's place, and the partygoers - from the mansion and the tower - were indulging themselves with food. One of the partygoers was Tiki, who was in line as she eyed at a tray of shrimp.
"You see that line at the top of the shrimp?" asked Sonic, standing next to Tiki, who was about to reach out to select a shrimp. "That's totally feces." Retracting her hand, Tiki grimaced as she walked down the table, with Sonic smiling to himself. "Works every time..."
Meanwhile, while everyone was getting their food, Fox was standing near the front door patiently waiting for Krystal to show up. When the doorbell rang, Fox bum-rushed Globobox, stiff arming the amphibian to the floor as he answered the door.
"Hehe...I knew you'd come around," grinned Fox, when he saw Krystal standing at the doorstep with a container in her hands. "Did you bring some dip?"
"Crazy Hand highly recommended that I bring some dip to the party," replied Krystal, as Fox let her inside the house before closing the door shut. "But just so you know, I'm not staying for long...might feel tired and restless soon. Can't be sleeping on the couch!"
"Fine then, we'll leave when you leave. And by we, I mean Falco." Krystal looked over at the table of food, and spotted Falco filling up his plate with nothing but meat. Talk about a balanced meal.
"No Fox, that won't be necessary - you don't have to follow me around wherever I go. Granted we are in love, but we have to keep our distance."
"Au contraire, Krystal...I can and will follow you around, whether you like it or not. It's gonna pay off too, when we finally get married."
"I never said that I wanted to get married," smiled Krystal, looking at Fox like he was crazy. "Don't you think it's too soon for us to tie the knot?"
"Not at all, but just to change your mind..." Fox dug into his pocket, took out a piece of paper, and unraveled it, revealing a legal document of sorts. "...allow me to inform you that I came prepared."
Krystal: I am taking a chance with Fox, it seems. What's the upside? I remain forever entwined to Fox, babies, normalcy, lots of happiness. Downside? Uh, things between Fox and I fall apart, and I fall into a deep sinking depression.
"Is that...is that some kind of marriage certificate?" asked Krystal, having to take a look at the document in Fox's hand. Wasn't an actual marriage certificate, per se, but it did have "Krystal and Fox McCloud at the very top", in bold letters. "What's that symbol at the top?"
"It's a heart," smiled Fox, as he put the fake marriage certificate back in his pocket, before announcing to everyone at the party: "I LOVE KRYSTAL, YOU GUYS!" Many folks cheered in response, cheering and applauding Fox.
"Oh no...Fox, please cut it out..." Krystal facepalmed as Fox relished in the cheers and applause, doing a couple of bows.
After fixing his plate of food, making sure to steer clear of the shrimp, Sonic would hang out in Rayman's man cave, where Shadow was. Shadow only came the party so he could take a break from Chef Kawasaki's food, and was perfectly fine being lonely until Sonic had to show up.
"Sonic I've been meaning to ask you..." Shadow said to the blue blur, as the two hedgehogs were watching television. "...have you heard anything about this guy called the Seattle Stalker?" Two weeks ago, Sonic would say yes, but the hedgehog had suspended his belief in the Seattle Stalker since.
"The Seattle Stalker?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, knowing that the individual in question was an urban legend. "Who's that, some kind of cheap Marvel superhero? Have you been reading too many comic books, Shadow? Give me a break!" Sonic left the premises, leaving Shadow alone by himself.
"But what about this note I received...?" Shadow took out a note, which had the Seattle Stalker's name on it. And attached to said note, was a photo of what appeared to be a shadowy figure...
Mario wouldn't be the only one from his household at the party, for Peach, Impa, and Lana would come over to the party. Impa was more mellowed out, having loosened up and and getting over her differences with Lana and Linkle; the Sheikah was enjoying a drink in the company of Mario, who was waiting on Peach.
"Golly Mario, I had no idea you were cheating on Peach with that woman," Barbara said to the plumber as she and Rayman approached Mario and Impa, unaware that Peach was somewhere around. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"He's not cheating on Princess Peach, I can assure you," Impa informed Barbara, before the barbaric princess could start some drama at the party. "I'm just...keeping Mario company until Peach comes back."
"Glad that you could make it to the party, Mario," Rayman said to the plumber, always appreciative of the plumber's company. "I know those hands did more than enough to convince you to come."
"I'm just happy to be-a here, place looks great with-a all the lights on and everything," replied Mario, as he observed how the party looked. "Actually looks-a bigger with people in it. It's weird. So...have you guys-a met Impa?"
"Of course we met her, saw her at the Valentine's Day party a few years ago! She wouldn't stop talking about how 'hideous' my hair looked."
"Believe-a me, this is an entirely different Impa - she won't say a bad-a thing about your hair ever again." Impa smirked to herself, as she rolled her eyes - she still thought Rayman's hair wasn't the best.
"I said it before, and I'll say it again - Rayman's hair looks like if a mohawk and a toupee hooked up and produced an ugly, offending child," stated Impa, triggering Rayman greatly with her comments. Just then, Peach showed up, with her plate of food.
"Impa, mind if I speak with you in private?" the princess asked the Sheikah, leading her to wonder what she wanted to discuss with her. Had to be something really important.
"PRINCESS PEACH, MARIO IS CHEATING ON YOU WITH THAT WOMAN!" announced Barbara as she accusingly pointed at Impa, only for Rayman to cover Barbara's mouth and drag her away sheepishly.
"This better be important..." mumbled Impa, getting up from her seat as she followed after Peach. Poor Mario was all by himself...lest Lana wanted to come by.
Aerith: Ray has been at that prize crane for an awfully long time, he has yet to join us at the table! Quite frankly, I don't even know why the three robots bothered to come, it's not like they can eat or drink. Friends tend to do silly things when they spend so much time together...
While Ray was still at it with the prize crane, wasting coins and whatnot, a bartender came to Tom Nook's table with a plethora of drinks. The bartender placed the drinks on the table, as Tom Nook inspected them.
"Excuse me, kind sir, but one of these drinks is supposed to be lite," Tom Nook notified the bartender, before he could walk away. The bartender, realizing his mistake, grabbed the drink he messed up on.
"Sorry about that, I'll be right back," he said to Tom Nook, as he walked away with the drink. Tom Nook went back to looking at Ray, wondering how the prize crane kept hold of the robot's attention...
Back at Crazy Hand's party, where Crazy Hand was bizarrely nowhere to be found, Fox and Krystal were hanging out with Chrom and Raven - a couple who had eloped recently, under the orders of Master Hand.
"When are you two getting married?" Chrom curiously asked Fox and Krystal, with Krystal hesitant to answer. Chrom's hair was fully grown thanks to that NME hair tonic, allowing him to show up to the party without any lost dignity. But he still desired to seek revenge on King Boo.
"Very soon - our wedding will be smooth," replied Fox, giving Chrom the OK hand signal. "Like butter. Mike Myers, Saturday Night Live. But I've been meaning to ask you...how was your private wedding?"
"Just fine, only our close friends and allies from the war were in attendance," replied Raven, remembering her wedding day like it was yesterday. "Robin could've been there, but he had to 'boycott' because of his children..."
"Man, that's got to be the dumbest reason to boycott a wedding. Makes me believe Robin is a deadbeat...you would never boycott our wedding, right Krystal?" Fox turned to face Krystal, who was too reluctant to respond.
"I would never," Krystal responded, only for Fox to lean in close to the vixen for a kiss. Krystal had to pull her head back, pushing Fox away from her. "Cut it out, Fox, now's not the time..."
"Can Globox get anyone anything?" Globox asked Fox and company, wearing a maid outfit. While it was funny to look at, the outfit did fit Globox perfectly.
"I could go for an appetizer," answered Fox. Had to share his appetizer with Krystal, if he wanted to prove his worth as an awesome husband.
"One martini, please," answered Krystal. The vixen was well above the appropriate age limit for drinking, unless her age was a lie.
"Raven and I will take some bagel bites," answered Chrom. Raven was against this, as she looked at Chrom distastefully.
"Globox, your house looks beautiful," Raven said to Globox, after she was done staring at Chrom. Her kind words left a smile on Globox's face.
"Thank you - it was more of Rayman and Barbara's doing, Globox just slept all day while his friends did the work!" stated Globox; at least he was being honest. "Globox will be right back, with your food and drink!"
Globox: Globox didn't really do that much - Globox just slept on the couch and ate chips while Rayman and Barbara painted the walls and rearranged the furniture. *lowers head in shame* Globox is a really bad friend...
Elsewhere in the house, Pit, Geo Stelar, Omega-Xis, and the Inklings were checking out Rayman's spanking new home. Shadow was also there, eating the rest of his food - Bowser had kicked him out of the game room so he could watch something on TV.
"What's the square footage of this house?" Pit asked Rayman, who had walked by, out of plain curiosity. "Only asking this for convenience measures...just please don't ask me what that means, 'cause I don't know either."
"I'd say it's about...at least five thousand square feet," replied Rayman, as Pit's eyes were widened with intrigue. It was quite a big house; Rayman and friends really raised a whole lot of dough.
"Wow, five thousand square feet, that's a pretty big number!" exclaimed Geo, who was easily impressed by every little thing. Omega-Xis really felt like self-imploding right now. "Does that also include the garage?"
"No Geo, that's not appropriate..." Omega-Xis told the teen, shaking his head and sighing. "Stop asking Rayman unnecessary questions, you're gonna bore him..."
"It was just a common question, Omega-Xis...a common, normal question anyone would ask. You're just jealous that I'm being more friendly and sociable than you are. All you ever do is talk crap about me!"
"Rayman, if you and your friends pooled in your money together, then how much did this house cost?" inquired the male Inkling, who wondered how Rayman and friends made money despite not having jobs. Must've robbed a bank or two.
"Not gonna lie, this house looks pretty nice from the inside..." remarked Shadow, before Rayman could answer, as he took a look around. "I'd love to take a look around - just to keep my mind off of a few things." In Shadow's hand was a note...the very note he received from the Seattle Stalker.
"Did someone say they wanted a house tour?" Barbara perked up, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, as she grabbed Shadow's hand and took him away against his own free will. "I can show ya around, laddie! We'll start with the banisters first!"
"I could give you guys a tour of the house too, if you like," Rayman said to Pit and company, who were completely down with the idea. They felt pretty lucky, being with the more sane tour guide.
Earlier today, in his talking head segment, Link mentioned that he did not wish to attend Crazy Hand's party, for he felt like it was pointless. However, after being deemed a "V.I.P." by Master Hand, Crazy Hand forced Link to attend the party, and take Zelda with him. The two Hylians were seated on a bench on Rayman's porch, looking out at the sky.
"Hey, isn't that Kapp'n, fishing at the pier?" Zelda asked Link, as she pointed at a certain turtle near a small pond, fishing away. It was indeed Kapp'n, fishing away and minding his own business.
"Yep, that's definitely him...wasn't expecting him to be here," replied Link; Kapp'n would turn around to look at Link and Zelda, and Link motioned the turtle to turn around, when Zelda wasn't looking.
Kapp'n: By no means was I forced to attend the party, like a few of the others - I just wanted to do some sightseeing. Of Link and Zelda. I love watching couples at nighttime, it's my favorite hobby. *pauses* I shouldn't have said that out loud...
"Kapp'n was out of line earlier, at that meeting..." stated Zelda, as Link gulped nervously, wary of what Zelda would say next. "Saying that he wants to hang out with us...and saying he's been hanging out with us for a while. That was very asinine."
"It's almost like that guy's hiding a secret or something," assumed Link, nervously scratching the back of his head. Kapp'n dared not to look back at the Hylian and Zelda, no matter the urge.
"I know you wouldn't hide a secret from me." Zelda looked at Link, with an earnest smile, and Link nodded his head as he smiled right back.
"Right you are, princess...right you are." Link, still nodding, slowly turned his head away from Zelda, looking to his left.
Rayman was giving Pit and company a tour of his house, as the limbless one was showing some collectible items in his bedroom. One of them happened to be a baseball card.
"This is a Ichiro Suzuki card I received from a guy in town," Rayman showed off his Ichiro Suzuki card to the others, with Ichiro batting as a New York Yankee. "Wasn't a Seattle Mariner on this card, so you could understand why the man gave the card away..."
"Here's to Ichiro Suzuki, a fine Yankees legend!" cheered Geo - unaware that Ichiro only played in New York for three seasons - as he gave a toast with his drink. He then took a sip, only to choke afterwards. Omega-Xis didn't bother helping him.
"You OK Geo?" the female Inkling asked the teen, after he was done choking and cleared his throat. "That was some violent coughing you were doing!"
"I'm good, just went down the wrong pipe...story of my life. Got any ice, Rayman? My throat could use a little healing."
"Of course, I got a whole bag of ice in the freezer," replied Rayman, as he was about to leave the room. "I'll go get you some ice for ya, just stay put!"
"You know what, I changed my mind...how about some Splenda instead?" requested Geo, as Rayman stopped in place and looked at the teen dumbfoundedly. Omega-Xis was too baffled to care.
Meanwhile at the bar, Tom Nook and company were playing party games, after they ate their food. Well, he wasn't really playing, really - he was just observing. The g group was playing a game called Up Jenkins, with Joker leading the way. In this game, one team concealed a small coin in their palm as they slap it on a table with their bare hands, while the other team identified which hand the coin is under.
"One, two, three, up Jenkins!" shouted Joker, the captain of his team, as the other team of Pyra, Mythra, Doc Louis, Little Mac, Rodin, and Makoto, placed their elbows on the table with their hands extended towards the ceiling. "Down Jenkins." The team with the coin slammed their palms face down on the table, as Joker heard a very distinctive clink sound. "Oh, I think I heard the quarter over here."
"Where?" questioned King Dedede, looking over at where Pyra and Mythra were sitting. It was the first time the blades were playing this game, and they were quite amused. Pyra more than Mythra.
"I think it's over on this side," assumed Rex, as he looked over at where Makoto was seated at. He was seated next to Joker, so you could say Rex was second-in-command.
"No, it is definitely under one of these hands," stated Wario, as he pointed at Little Mac and Doc Louis' hands. He was one hundred percent sure he was right.
"I'm sure I heard it on Joker's side," stated Cloud, as Wario glared down the swordsman. How dare Cloud go against Wario's own judgement!
"Absolutely not, it's underneath either Mac or Doc's hands! I have proof, right here!" Wario pointed at his ears, and Cloud paid him no attention.
"Not here. Not here. Not here. Not here." Cloud tapped on the hands of Pyra, Mythra, Doc Louis, and Little Mac, revealing that neither individual had the coin.
"Good thing you didn't listen to me...otherwise we would've been screwed." Wario wiped sweat off his forehead, as Cloud smirked.
"Yeah, talk about a close call..." Cloud sat back in his seat, having been able to prove Wario wrong. Like that was a major accomplishment.
Cloud: Normally I wouldn't do stupid party games...but it's Aerith's last few weeks in Seattle, so I gotta make it count to make her happy. Gotta give it my all.
"It's gotta be either here or here," said Joker, as he pointed at Rodin and Makoto's hands. He stared at Makoto, before taking his finger and pointing...at Rodin. "Not here." Rodin held up his hands...revealing no coin. Makoto held up her hands...revealing the coin on the table.
"Yes, I knew it was there all along!" cheered King Dedede, acting on the fly, as he excitedly shook Joker silly. "I knew Makoto had the coin the whole flipping time!"
"Nice job Joker, you're really good at this game," Makoto said to the young man, who smirked as she tossed the coin to her supposed boyfriend. Joker caught the coin like a G, without breaking a sweat.
"I can read you like a book," remarked Joker, as he placed the coin on the table near him. "You can't possibly hide anything from me."
"We'll just have to see about that..." Makoto smirked even harder, as it was now time for Joker's team to hide the coin.
Meanwhile, Marth and Snake were sitting on barstool chairs, away from the party games as they were enjoying a drink. Snake was minding his own business when a young male college student approached him.
"Yo, Snake, what's up my man!" the student greeted the former spy, shaking his hand with a smile. Marth looked on with confusion, left entirely speechless.
"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" asked Snake, only for a slew of other male college students to appear and greet the former spy. Some shook Snake's hand, while others gave him some dap.
"You're the man buddy - best dude in town!" exclaimed another college student, while Marth was still left puzzled. How did Snake know those students?
Snake: I run a small fake ID company from Mario's car with a laminating machine I swiped from the sheriff's station. It's my own special way of reaching out to the youth.
Barbara continued to give Shadow a tour of her house, as the barbaric princess took the hedgehog upstairs to the second floor. The two were standing in the hallway, where Shadow was banging on the wall for whatever reason.
"Hmm, these studs are way too far apart," the hedgehog analyzed, taking a great deal of interest in the structure of the house, before noticing a nearby door and opening it. "What's in this room?" Shadow asked Barbara.
"That would be our guest room," replied Barbara, as Shadow took a peek inside. Room looked pretty suitable for a guest. "It was Rayman's idea, apparently."
"Why is that window up so high?" As Shadow looked at the window at the very top of the room, Barbara heard the house phone ring, from downstairs. That girl had some very keen hearing.
"Dang it, who could possibly be calling us now? You'll have to excuse me for a second, gotta see who it is. If it's that landlord one more time, I'm gonna..."
"Before you go...was that box already there on the bed?" Shadow asked as he pointed inside the room, at a cardboard box resting on the guest bed. Barbara looked at the box weirdly, squinting her eyes.
"Eh, it's probably something Rayman forgot to unbox. I'd leave it alone if I were you." As Barbara headed down the stairs, Shadow entered the guest room, grabbing the box off the bed. The hedgehog opened it, and saw a note inside, which read...
Beware, friend...the Seattle Stalker is coming for YOU!
"This has gotten insane..." frowned Shadow, as he placed the note back inside the cardboard box and threw the box back on the bed. Someone was totally spying on Shadow, and it was making him unnaturally antsy.
Downstairs, Link and Zelda were inside the house, after Mario ordered the couple to come inside. The two Hylians were chilling out in the living room, soaking in the party atmosphere.
"Close to two hours in, and still no sign of Crazy Hand," remarked Link, as he took a sip from his drink. Thankfully he didn't choke like Geo did. "Poor guy can't even be bothered to show up to his own party! He's pulling a Lara Croft!"
"I don't know about you, but I have the sneaky suspicion that we're being watched..." said a wary Zelda; Link played it cool, as Kapp'n was spying on him and Zelda from the window outside.
"That's weird, I don't feel that same way. Don't know who could be spying on us though." Kapp'n quickly moved over to the window on the other side, after he saw Crash and Coco walk by. Couldn't let himself be seen.
"Is that so? Well I have no idea where I got that uneasy feeling from. I just...feel oddly uncomfortable, for some reason. Kinda hard to describe."
"I'm sure you'll get over it soon." Link looked behind him, at the window Kapp'n was hiding at, and gave the turtle a thumbs up. What was that Hylian cooking up?
Kapp'n: I'm telling you right now, I don't mess around when it comes to spying on couples. *scratches nose, as Captain Falcon exits through the front door* Spying on couples is what helps pay the bills.
Captain Falcon: *points accusingly at Kapp'n* You were spying on me and Nowi this whole time?! NOWI! *runs back inside the house*
Kapp'n:...only certain couples, mind you.
Fox and Krystal were standing at a fireplace, having a word with Ken. Fox was sniffing a few of the lit candles on the fireplace, making out each scent.
"This one really smells like vanilla, check that out," Fox said to Krystal, pointing at a candle in particular. Krystal did not wish to smell the candle, only smiling faintly.
"That's nice, Fox," the vixen replied, not wanting to sniff the candles in a public event such as the party going on. She was above that stuff.
"Say, Ken, you and your family should join us at a Miami beach resort this Christmas. Walking around on the beach, in the winter, wearing sandals...it's a great time."
"I'm pretty sure Ken wants to spend his Christmas with his grandson here, Fox." Ken didn't say that was true, but the fighter certainly wasn't disagreeing with Krystal.
"Eh, you're probably right, they don't allow kids in certain parts of Miami. They are persona non gratis...there. But it's fun. It's an awesome place. You would not believe how low this girl can limbo."
"Heh, I'd sure hope she knows how to limbo, with a loincloth like that!" grinned Ken, as Krystal found the fighter's comments to be mildly off-putting.
"I know right, Krystal can get so low, she could literally touch the ground like she's levitating." Disgusted with the direction the conversation was taking, Krystal grabbed Fox's hand, and took him away.
"I'm sorry, Ken, you're just going to have to excuse us for just a couple minutes," Krystal apologized to the fighter, as she took Fox with him to a spot in Rayman's house where they could be alone.
"Hold up, what's going on, why did you take me here?" Fox and Krystal were as far away from the party commotion as possible, with Krystal resting her hands on Fox's shoulders. The vixen looked into Fox's eyes lovingly, holding her man against the wall.
"Sorry Fox, but...it's just..." Then out of nowhere, Krystal kissed Fox, making out with him as Fox looked shocked and dumbfounded with his eyes wide.
"Woah, where did THAT come from?" Fox had to ask Krystal, after the vixen was done kissing. The pilot was blushing so hard right now. "What are you doing?"
"Don't you know what I'm doing?" Krystal would kiss Fox once more, and Fox had no choice but to take it like man. He wouldn't turn down the opportunity to let Krystal kiss him for anything in the world.
"Yeah, but you could've given me a warning, a heads up." Done kissing Fox, Krystal grabbed her boyfriend's hand, taking him elsewhere. "Where are you taking me now? You're seriously taking me to the bathroom? I thought this is where girls liked their privacy!"
"Just be quiet and come on in..." Krystal took Fox inside the bathroom, before slamming the door shut and locking it.
Falco: So I just saw Krystal making out with Fox, with the corner of my eye. Words cannot begin to express how lucky of a man I truly am.
"Crash, let go of that rug, it belongs to Rayman!" Coco scolded her brother, who was acting like a dog - holding unto a kitchen rug with his mouth and refusing to let go of it, while growling incessantly. The bandicoots would pass by the bathroom door, where Coco heard Fox and Krystal. "Wait, Crash, I think I hear someone..."
"What has gotten into you, Krystal?" Fox's voice was heard from behind the bathroom door, as Coco pressed her ear against said door. Curious, Crash dropped the rug unto the floor as he too pressed his ear against the bathroom door.
"Come on Fox, stop resisting..." demanded Krystal, leading Coco's mind to wonder what the two lovebirds inside the bathroom were even doing.
"No, no, no - you better chill out."
"What am I doing that's so wrong?"
"Let's just go back to the party."
"Just let me fix my loincloth first."
"No, stop it, we don't need a wardrobe malfunction."
"It's just the two of us, why would it matter?"
"I'm just saying...please don't do it, I beg of you."
"Hold me against the bathroom wall, over there."
"I'm not making out with you, Krystal. One time was enough."
"We did it two times, actually. Third time's the charm!"
"You're acting very inappropriate, Krystal..."
"Oh, I'm acting inappropriate? Get out."
Heeding Krystal's order, Fox left the bathroom, as Crash and Coco moved out of the way. Fox just stood there, with a frown on his face and with his hands on his hips.
"Is everything alright, Fox?" Coco asked the pilot, unsure if it was the right question to ask or the right time. Fox exhaled, while nodding his head.
"It's...it's nothing," the pilot replied, as he walked away from the bathroom. Coco knew from Fox's body language that something was up.
Coco: Sounds to me that Fox and Krystal had quite a confrontation in the bathroom...or perhaps Krystal was being too flirty with Fox. I won't know what's up until I see how the next few days unfold.
Ray had done it, his hard work paid off...the robot conquered the prize crane, and won the stuffed animal duck that Researcher Zelda found cute. It was worth all the trouble of wasting away quarters, but Ray finally did it. And now, it was time to be a good Samaritan, and give the duck away.
"Researcher Zelda, I got this for you," Ray said to the princess, who was seated next to Tom Nook, as he showed her the stuffed animal duck. Researcher Zelda was all smiles.
"Aw, how sweet!" the princess gleamed, holding her hands together. "I haven't seen you all night - I was kinda looking forward to hanging out with you."
"Funny you should say that - I was operator that prize crane over there all night, just so I could get this duck. It was well worth the effort, in my opinion."
"Isn't that R.O.B. and Chibi-Robo over there?" Researcher Zelda pointed behind Ray at R.O.B. and Chibi-Robo, both robots seated by themselves and looking pretty lonely. "You really left them all alone..."
"You're right...I should make it up to them." Ray took the stuffed animal duck with him as he headed over to R.O.B. and Chibi-Robo, before showing them the duck. "Look what I got, you guys!" Ray handed the duck to R.O.B. and Chibi-Robo, as Researcher Zelda couldn't help but smile.
Much to Shadow's surprise, there were five bedrooms upstairs - Rayman's room, Barbara's room, Globox's room, the guest room, and a fifth room that Shadow intruded upon, without even knocking on the door. Inside the hedgehog found a Teensie, sitting on the bed and reading a book. We'll just call him Teensie.
"Hey, I gotta ask you a question," Shadow said to Teensie without even introducing himself, as Teensie looked up from his book. "Do you know anything about the Seattle Stalker?"
"I wouldn't know, I've only been in town for just a few days," replied Teensie, having his reading time interrupted. His one chance of solitude, while the party was going on downstairs.
"Some weirdo has been sending me strange messages lately...first, they send me a note with an image, and then they send me a note inside a cardboard box. A box I found in the guest room! How strange is that?"
"I don't know, I'm not really into that paranormal stuff." It was clear that Teensie wasn't interested in Shadow's concerns, which made Shadow quite angry.
"What do you know?" Shadow fired shots at Teensie, who glared at the hedgehog with scorn. Teensie shouldn't mess with Shadow, if he knew what was good for him.
With Zelda having to use the bathroom, Link was all by himself at the moment, patiently waiting for the princess' return. Rayman would show up, having done a tour of his house with Pit, Geo, Omega-Xis, and the Inklings.
"Hate these kinds of parties...they feel so formal and tidy," the limbless hero said to Link, before letting out a yawn and stretching his arms. "Do you want to sneak out back and shoot some hoops? Meet me outside in two minutes."
Rayman: The basketball court we have outside isn't much to be proud of...it's pretty old and beat-up, and the concrete is starting to erode a little. But if playing on that court makes me feel like MJ, then so be it...
Finished with her bathroom break, Zelda returned to Link, where she would find her boyfriend stretching. Seemed very out of place.
"You stay here and have fun, because I'm going to go out back and shoot hoops with Rayman," Link said to Zelda, as he stretched his arms to the side. "Might have to take off my tunic, just in case."
"Okay, but don't be out for so long...Kapp'n might come for me," replied Zelda, as Link stopped stretching and looked at the princess with a paranoid look.
"Kapp'n? Coming for you? What for, does he have a bone to pick with you or something?" Seeing how concerned Link was, Zelda found herself giggling.
"I was just pulling your tail Link, no need to be so afraid." As Zelda continued giggling, Link would giggle along with her, albeit nervously.
"If you ever need my company, just come outside and give me a holler. Rayman might hold me up all night. But I'll take him to school regardless."
"Don't get ahead of yourself...have fun!" Done stretching, Link headed outside, as Zelda walked away. The princess would find Krystal, standing alone by herself. "How's it going, Krystal?" Zelda asked the vixen.
"Not too good..." replied Krystal, who was looking pretty down on herself. Unaware of the situation, Zelda sympathized for the vixen, resting an assuring hand on her. Away from Zelda and Krystal, Pigma was at the table of food, coming for another round of food, when Barbara popped up next to him.
"Did you get a chance to try Mario's homemade potato salad?" the barbaric princess asked Pigma, holding up the container of potato salad. Pigma was delighted by any kind of food, no matter the quality. Standards meant nothing to that pig.
"Fill 'er up!" squealed Pigma, as Barbara poured the contents of the container unto the pig's plate.
Mario: Barbara thinks that I brought home-a made potato salad and I just picked it up-a at the supermarket. It's funny. I wish I could make-a potato salad that good. It's just-a potatoes and mayonnaise. Two simple ingredients. *looks behind himself at Krystal* There is some-a thing up with Krystal...
Link and Rayman were playing basketball outside on the court, and as Rayman stated, the concrete on the court was eroding. Also outside was Fox, chilling against the wall of the house with one hand in his pocket...and the other hand holding the wedding ring he planned to propose with.
"What's the matter with Fox, wasn't he chilling with Krystal earlier?" Rayman asked Link, as he was bouncing the basketball on the chipping concrete. Had some great handles, too.
"Beats me, but I'm positive Fox will get over it soon," replied Link, as he saw Fox letting out a sigh. "My ball."
Shadow: As I just learned from Teensie, Crazy Hand was never supposed to attend the party...Rayman was ordered by Crazy Hand to set up the party and have as many people as possible to come, as a way for Crazy Hand and Master Hand to discuss some things in private without any interruption. While I enjoyed the party, to some extent, I still have my suspicions about that Seattle Stalker loser. Would it be wise to ask Crazy Hand about him?
Both Joker and Makoto had a great time during Tom Nook's party, with the two friends playing party games and whatnot. With things winding down, Makoto asked Joker if she could speak with him in private.
"So what's up?" Joker asked Makoto, the two standing together near the bar entrance while Tom Nook was paying the bill.
"I want us to make it, I want a fresh start," replied Makoto - turns out the young woman was serious about pursuing a relationship with Joker, just as Joker figured.
"That's awesome, I'm down for it. What do we have to lose?" Makoto knew from the very beginning Joker wouldn't turn her down.
"Great! But in order for us to make it, there can't be any secrets between us. Nothing to stand between us."
"I didn't do anything...well, save for that whole incident with my teacher, Miss Kawakami, but she was super desperate."
"I'd be desperate too if I worked as a maid during nighttime hours..." Suddenly, Makoto's phone rang, and Makoto quickly answered. "Hello? Hi, Princess Peach! How's the cocktail party coming along?"
"Uh oh, Joker - looks like Makoto's got feelings for ya!" Morgana said to the young man, smiling as he nudged him from his side. "It was only a matter of time!"
"Settle down Morgana, nothing's been set in stone," Joker said to his black cat, while Makoto was on the phone with Peach. "We've only planted a seed...it has yet to grow and blossom. Can't be too excited just yet."
"Okay, I'll let him now right away," Makoto said into the phone, finishing up her call with Peach. "Will do. Okay then. Goodbye." Makoto ended the call, placing her phone back in her pocket.
"Something went down at the cocktail party, I assume?" Joker asked Makoto, assuming that Crazy Hand was up to no good. If only he knew Crazy Hand never even showed up...
"No, just some trouble afoot..." replied Makoto, recollecting the information Peach told her. "You haven't heard of anyone named...the Seattle Stalker, have you?"
Done with the party, the Mario Bros would return to their homes, riding in Luigi's Dodge Charger. Peach informed Mario she was staying behind, telling her husband she'd take Impa and Lana back in Mario's vehicle. The fact that Mario trusted Peach to drive his vehicle was quite remarkable.
The Mario Bros wouldn't head back home, however...driving in the backseat was Fox, Falco, and Krystal, with Falco sitting in-between Fox and Krystal. Neither of the three felt like walking back to the mansion.
"Our first fight..." remarked Fox, like it was some kind of noteworthy milestone in his relationship with Krystal. "If this is about what happened in the bathroom, there was no place to cuddle..."
"I feel sick..." mumbled Krystal, as she held her stomach. Maybe she ate too much food at the party. Or maybe, it was something else...
"You didn't have-a any of the potato salad, did you?" Mario asked Krystal, hoping his potato salad wasn't the thing that made Krystal sick.
"We were good when our relationship was lowkey, you know, when everyone was wondering if we were really in love. It was very exciting. Maybe it was a mistake to make our love known in the public eye."
"If that's the way you feel, Krystal, then you have hurt me greatly."
"Please don't cry...I don't feel like crying myself."
"I'm not going to cry. I feel like it but I am not going to. Why don't you just take that stupid marriage license I idiotically made and tear it up into a million little pieces?"
"It was a fake marriage license, and besides, it was a waste of time for you to even make that thing and print it out."
"You're not feeling yourself, Krystal - did I upset you in any way?"
"I'm...tired. I'm tired. Had a long day. And I didn't eat enough. And, and, that's all. That was it."
"That's all, you didn't mean it? Just making sure..."
"That's all. I didn't mean it. That's all. I'm just saying I didn't mean it."
"I love you Krystal..." Fox uttered in a romantic way, letting the vixen know he still had feelings for her.
"And I love you, too...Fox," responded Krystal, albeit not with much as confidence she wanted to have.
"Don't break up you guys, you're great together," Falco encouraged Fox and Krystal, wrapping his arms around the both of them. Both Fox and Krystal looked at the avian pilot, who removed his arms in an instant.
Falco: In spite of whatever happens down the road, I still got to see Fox and Krystal make out...guess you could say I was one of the lucky ones.
With the cocktail party winding down, Peach and her lady friends were ready to leave, as Peach, Impa, and Lana were gathered near Mario's car. Peach had spent much of her time at the party discussing important things with Impa, and poor Lana was left out.
"You're going to tell Mario about this Seattle Stalker creep once we get home, right?" Impa asked Peach, who was frantically looking for Mario's car keys. If she lost those keys, she'd be screwed beyond measure.
"I'll tell him as soon as I possibly can," assured Peach, before digging into dress, where her bra was...and pulled out the car keys. "Ha, knew those keys were hiding somewhere! Phew..."
"Just so you know, Lana, Linkle, and I won't be staying around for long. We were supposed to leave a few months after Calamity Ganon's defeat, and we've greatly overstayed our welcome. We'll see what we can do until the end of the month, and then leave for good."
"Sounds swell. Sorry I'm wasting your time, and holding you back from returning to Hyrule. But this should only be a minor blip on our radar. Good thing I found out just in time!"
First it was Sonic who was aware of the Seattle Stalker, and now it was Shadow and Peach. Who could be next?