Episode 246: ProvingGround

While the Smash Mansion was looking for a man of the mansion, with the efforts of the search committee, the Assist Tower themselves were looking for a man to lead. Taking up on Master Hand's initiative, Crazy Hand's assistant Serena kickstarted a race for the man of the tower, handpicking five candidates - Dr. Wily, Dr. Wright, Mr. Resetti, Alucard, and Ghirahim. You'd think that Serena would be fully invested in finding the right man for the job...

...but sadly, that wasn't the case. Being busy doing other things around the tower, Serena found herself sidetracked in her search, as the time to make a decision was inevitably looming. It was only a matter of time before Crazy Hand returned from his "vacation", so Serena had to find a man of the tower soon.

"If you ask me, this tower doesn't need a man to rule over us," Midna offered her two cents to Serena, who was busy adjusting a painting in the tower hallway. "Winning the job would be like losing your mortgage!"

"Why do you say that, Midna?" Serena asked the imp, as she walked down the hallway with Midna closely following her. "It would be a great title to have."

"Yeah, like anyone would want to be Crazy Hand's pack mule...I don't see how you could put up with Crazy Hand. Are you holding in a lot of stress? Or is it..."

"Shh...I hear something." Serena came to a stop, as she heard some bickering nearby. Pulling her head close, Serena looked inside the nearby room...

...and saw the five candidates - Dr. Wily, Dr. Wright, Mr. Resetti, Alucard, and Ghirahim - all arguing with one another. If Serena had to guess, it was about the man of the tower gig.

"Who are you to talk about poor leadership?" Dr. Wily shouted at Mr. Resetti, pointing his finger in the mole's face. "You're the most annoying person in this building!"

"And you're just a cranky old man!" Ghirahim shouted at Dr. Wily, grinding the mad scientist's gears while he smirked to himself. "One with very suspect qualities..."

"Says the demon lord who has his tongue out ninety percent of the time," grumbled Alucard, who found Ghirahim's demeanor and behavior to be very off-putting. "No dignified man would ever stoop so low to do that."

"Um, can I get you five to stop arguing with one another, please?" Serena meekly asked the five candidates, speaking so low that nobody could hear. Midna sighed, having to take matters into her own hands.

"SHUT UP, THE WOMAN IS SPEAKING!" the imp boomed, easily the loudest she had ever shouted (at least in recent memory). The five candidates instantly stopped their endless bickering, as they gave their attention to Serena.

"Must you men argue so much? We don't need you causing a major disturbance."

"We're just trying to sort out which one of us would be the right fit for the man of the tower gig," Mr. Resetti explained to Serena, as tempers slowly died down. "Things kinda got out of hand."

"Mr. Resetti started it, he called all of us losers," accused Dr. Wright, as Mr. Resetti went back to being angry as he growled at Dr. Wright. "Therefore he should lose all of his candidacy!"

"And who are you to determine whether I lose candidacy or not? Let me at him, let me at him!" Mr. Resetti tried to lunge towards Dr. Wright, but Dr. Wily was holding the mole back.

"CAN YOU BOYS SHUT UP FOR JUST ONE MOMENT?!" Midna boomed once more, this time much louder than her previous outburst. Mr. Resetti's anger went away, as a sense of peace and tranquility found its way inside the room. "Look, none of you are ever going to win the job by being this difficult."

Midna: Who do we have, as the five candidates for man of the tower? Let's see...an old mad scientist who's way past his prime; some half-vampire trying too hard to be refined; a mole with anger management issues; a perverted demon lord who's ugly beyond comprehension; and...some boring mayor. Not saying this with much confidence, but I'd much rather take Lloyd Irving over those five.

"I'm afraid that Midna is right," said Serena, as the five candidates started to feel bad about themselves. Except Alucard, very rarely did the dhampir feel anything. "I'm starting to wonder if this man of the tower concept was such a good idea..."

"Man of the tower?" inquired Waluigi, who was lurking by with an attentive ear as he stepped inside the room. "What's this I hear about the man of the tower?"

"You never told him?" Midna asked the five candidates; she was looking most especially at Alucard, who was responsible for bringing Waluigi back home from Cornerian jail.

"It's Waluigi...not like he's supposed to know anything important," responded Alucard, in a half-hearted attempt at defending his actions. Or the lack thereof.

"I thought this man of the tower thing was just an inside joke," confessed Waluigi, who really felt some type of way about being left out. "So you're saying that it's a real thing?"

"Yes - since the mansion's looking for a man to lead them, I imagined doing the same here, at the tower," Serena explained to Waluigi, who was open to the idea of him being the man of the tower. The possibilities for him were endless.

"And the five gentlemen you see here are arguing over who gets the job," added Midna, as she saw Waluigi smiling intently while thinking to himself. Which gave the imp some bad vibes. "But if you ask me, the job isn't worth it..."

"Tell you what - how about I throw my name in for the running?" Waluigi suggested to Serena, as Midna and the five candidates were laughing at the lanky man. Serena just gave a very amused smile.

"I'm sorry Waluigi, but it's too late," Serena apologized to the lanky man, doing her best not to crush his ever-growing optimism. "Crazy Hand will be back soon, and I must pick one of the five..."

"Screw those five, I'm the real deal! Who's the most popular Assist Trophy? ME! Who has proven himself to be an effective leader? ME! Who can you trust to take your daughter out to dinner, and bring her back home safely without any trouble? You guessed it...ME!"

"None of those things are even remotely true - maybe except for the first one," remarked Midna, before looking down at Serena...and seeing the keeper thinking to herself. "Oh boy..."

"You know, today wouldn't be a bad day to do a test run..." Serena thought out loud, with Waluigi grinning as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "...Waluigi, how about this: if you can prove today how effective you can be as a leader, then I'll name you a sixth candidate."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" exclaimed Waluigi, excitedly pumping his fists as Midna and the five candidates just stared at Serena as if she were crazy. "This is my one and only shot, and I can't possibly ruin it!"

"You really want him as a candidate?" Mr. Resetti questioned Serena as he pointed at Waluigi, having low confidence in the keeper's decision-making skills. "Waluigi is a try-hard ladies man!"

"Well if you must know, Mr. Resetti, I've learned a thing or two from my little love triangle incident with Ryo. I am a changed man now - you won't be seeing me acting like a weirdo anytime soon!"

"We'll have to be the judge of that..." Alucard muttered underneath his breath, having no doubt in his mind that Waluigi would ultimately fail. He hoped to see Waluigi be brought down to earth before the end of the day.

"So where do I start, Serena?" Waluigi asked the keeper, more than ready to prove his worth. "Give me something to do, and I'll do it with ease!"


Words cannot begin to describe how overjoyed the mansion residents felt without the constant presence of Master Hand. Residents could carry on with their daily lives without Master Hand interfering with them, and they gained a peace of mind as a result. One could argue that morale at the mansion was at an all-time high, with the residents finding some semblance of sanity.

Master Hand was gone from the mansion for so long, that nobody even cared when the giant hand would return. Every moment, every hour, every day without Master Hand was cherished, and a majority of the residents wished that the good times would last.

But, like many other things, all good things must come to an end. And that was pretty much evident when Tom Nook received a rare phone call from Master Hand.

"What's that? You and Crazy Hand are coming back to Seattle next week?" Tom Nook discussed with Master Hand over the phone, pacing through the mansion. The tanoki passed by several residents, and he could feel how disappointed many of them were. "I'll make sure that Isabelle knows."

"Master Hand's coming back, are you for real?" questioned Ryuji as Tom Nook passed him by in the hallway; the delinquent sighed, digging his hands into his pockets. "Welp, looks like chipotle night is finally over..."

Ryuji: Me and the boys like to do this thing called "chipotle night", where we order as much Mexican food as we can, and just splurge on tacos and burritos all night. Master Hand apparently wanted to ban chipotle night, saying that it was "insensitive" to people like Wario. Not sure what he means by that. So, ever since Master Hand went on his vacation, we've been having chipotle night every other night, and no stomachs have been harmed! *winces in pain, as he clutches grumbling stomach* That was just a really bad cramp. False alarm.

Tom Nook: I got some (objectively) good news - Master Hand will be back at the mansion, next Friday. He said that he and Crazy Hand are coming home from Belarus, after they've grown tired of "charming women" all the time. Whatever that entailed. Master Hand wants me to have a man of the mansion picked out next Friday, so Isabelle and I have some tough decisions to make...

"Yes sir, understood, I'll let her know," Tom Nook spoke into the phone just as he arrived at Master Hand's room, where he saw Isabelle dusting off Master Hand's furniture. "Okay then, Master Hand, see you next week!"

"Master Hand's returning next week?" Isabelle asked Tom Nook, who ended the phone call as he put his phone back in his pocket. "I'm sure the others will be happy to hear that!"

"Oh, Isabelle...your sense of sarcasm never fails to amuse me. Yes, Master Hand will be back soon, and he wants a man of the mansion picked out soon. It'll only be between Link and Cloud, so...just a matter of picking the right man."

"Agreed. But what about Zelda and Mitsuru? We have yet to make a decision on them."

"That is right...we promised to anoint either one of them as the woman of the mansion. We'll worry about Link and Cloud later; Zelda and Mitsuru will be our priority now."


If Waluigi wanted to prove to Serena that he would be a great man of the tower, he had to prove to the keeper that he could get stuff done. And what better way to do that, then to help his fellow tower denizens?

One person that Waluigi believed was in dire need of help was Chef Kawasaki. Chef Kawasaki, as you might now, was a terrible cook, giving the tower denizens upset stomachs with his cooking. More often than not, the chef refused to take advice from others, Cilan included, but Waluigi was determined to change all of that.

"Dang it, I burnt the chili again!" frowned Chef Kawasaki, as Waluigi and Serena entered the kitchen and saw the stove top burning. "Happens every time!"

"What seems to be the problem this time, Kawasaki?" Serena asked the chef; burnt chili was too far of a common sight for her at the tower.

"I don't even know! I put the chili on the highest setting, and it wants to ruin itself in almost ten minutes flat! Absolute madness..."

"Chef Kawasaki, buddy..." Waluigi said to the chef, as he uncomfortably wrapped his arm around him. Chef Kawasaki tried to scoot away, but it was no use. "...you should start laying off on the chili. Nobody here likes it."

"But I promised that one day I would..." With the odds mostly against him, Chef Kawasaki finally admitted fault in his cooking abilities, or the lack thereof. "...you know, maybe you're right Waluigi. I should do something else."

"Right on, brother! Why don't I make a suggestion...why not make some homemade quesadillas?" Making quesadillas sounded simple on the surface, but perhaps not for a guy like Chef Kawasaki.

"Homemade quesadillas? I'm down with that. But the thing is, I don't even know the recipe! Would look one up on the internet, but there's too many know-it-alls on there."

"Well you're just in luck, because I have a recipe myself! It's simple; all you need is some potato chips, and spray cheese. That's it."

"That's not...how you make quesadillas..." stated Serena, as Chef Kawasaki gathered the two ingredients that he needed. Waluigi, disgusted by Serena's ignorance, wagged his finger at the keeper.

"We're making homemade quesadillas, Serena...big difference. Now Kawasaki, now that you have your ingredients, just lay each potato chip down and put spray cheese on it."

"Easy peasy!" Chef Kawasaki did as he was told, squirting some spraying cheese on a couple of potato chips. No way he could possibly mess that up.

"I'd suggest doing a few designs, make it look fancy. Once you're done lathering on the cheese, put another potato chip on top of it, and BOOM!"

"Wow, that went a lot easier than I expected!" Chef Kawasaki had just done the task asked of him by Waluigi, glad that he didn't screw things up. "So what's next?"

"Next step is to put those bad boys in the microwave, and put them on for ten to fifteen seconds. Or until the cheese starts melting." So Chef Kawasaki placed the homemade "quesadillas" in the microwave, microwaving them for fifteen seconds. The "quesadillas" were done the very moment Kawasaki took them out of the microwave.

"Good gravy, these are the best homemade quesadillas I've ever made! The only ones I ever made, perhaps, but this is still a big accomplishment for me. Thanks Waluigi!"

"No problem, Chef Kawasaki!" Waluigi gave Chef Kawasaki a thumbs up, before turning around and giving a thumbs up to Serena, who just smiled.

Serena: First time in what felt like forever that Chef Kawasaki didn't burn down anything in the kitchen, so for what it's worth, that's a positive sign. I just hope that with his cooking lesson, Waluigi isn't letting things get to his head...

Waluigi: Aw yeah, I'm straight-up killing it out there! But I still have a lot left to prove. Serena isn't fully convinced, so I have to step up and stay on my A-game. Ghirahim, Dr. Wily, and the rest of you boys...better watch out for the Wah-Man!


Master Hand returning to the mansion was obviously big news, and it was the sort of news that Mario had to be filled in on. So the search committee stopped by Mario's house, to give Mario a quick heads-up.

"He's-a joking, right?" Mario asked Tom Nook and Isabelle, refusing to believe them; the plumber, as you might imagine, enjoyed having his break from Master Hand. "I'm sure he's just-a pulling your tail."

"No, Mario, he sounded quite serious," replied Tom Nook, as Mario looked defeated and snapped his fingers in disgust. "Master Hand even mentioned that he and Crazy Hand grew tired of 'entertaining women all the time.'"

"How is it that Master Hand can get all those-a women to flock to him? He gets-a all the ladies, while I'm down here stuck-a with Peach..."

"You're stuck with who now?" Peach asked Mario as she came from the kitchen, looking at her husband with threatening eyes while armed with a frying pan. The very sight of the frying pan made Mario gulp nervously.

"Heh heh...can't take a joke, can-a you?" Her anger brewing, Peach marched towards Mario, smacking her frying pan in the palm of her hand as Mario backed away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Okey dokey!" And just like that, Peach was back to her usual smiley self, putting her frying pan away as she returned to the kitchen while humming a happy tune. Mario took a deep breath, clutching his chest as his well-being was spared.

"Trust-a me, you two don't want to mess-a with Peach...take it from-a me. She'll make-a you see stuff you really don't wanna see!"

"Hmm, about Princess Peach...we could really use her," remarked Tom Nook, deep in thought as he saw Peach cleaning around the kitchen. "We'll need her for our decision later today."

"Need-a her for what, to scare-a people to death just like she did with me? You want the others to end-a up with PTSD, too?"

"No, not that - it's just that Isabelle and I are going to make our decision on the woman of the mansion today. We're deciding between Zelda and Mitsuru, and while we value your input, Mario..."

"Oh, so you think that because-a I'm a guy, I don't know jack about-a women. Is that what it is, Tom Nook? Well you're sorely mistaken - I know the crap-a out of women!"

"It's not that you don't know women, Mario, it's that we need some female intuition. Princess Peach could give us the intuition that we need."

"I keep hearing my name, what's going on?" asked a curious Peach, as she returned to the living room; although she no longer had her frying pan out, Peach still frightened Mario with her presence.

"Isabelle and I are about to make our decision on the woman of the mansion. It's between Zelda and Mitsuru. We think that you, being a woman, could help us make the right decision."

"I may not be the right person for the job...to tell you the truth, I've been mostly out of the loop in regards to your search."

"Aha! There it is!" exclaimed Mario, using his wife's response as credible evidence of why he should assist the search committee. "Peach has no idea on what's-a going on, so therefore..."

"But with that being said, I'd love to help you with your decision, Tom Nook and Isabelle. I know both Zelda and Mitsuru pretty well, so that's a plus."

"I disagree, Peach knows-a Princess Zelda way more than she knows Mitsuru. Peach has been BFFs with Zelda since-a forever, and as for Mitsuru...they're just acquainted."

"Alright then, it's settled...Peach, consider yourself a temporary member of the search committee!" Tom Nook said to the princess, as a now salty Mario felt completely ignored. "With your guidance, we'll select a woman of the mansion in no time!"

"Oh yay, I get to be a part of things again!" cheered Peach, glad that she wasn't relegated to the sideline like most other times. "Why don't we get started?"

"If that's your call, then sure." So Tom Nook and Isabelle exited Mario's house, with Peach following after him. Mario, still salty, couldn't believe that Tom Nook ignored him.

"Um, hello? You're just gonna leave-a me behind?!" Mario shouted at Tom Nook and company, as he chased after them. "You're gonna need-a me, too!"


Waluigi was going around the mansion, in an on-going effort to prove that he would be an excellent man of the tower. Watching the lanky man's progress was Serena, who was seriously considering adding Waluigi as a sixth candidate. She dared not to tell the tower denizens about it, out of the fear of being judged.

"Tiki!" Waluigi shouted the name of the Manakete, whom he saw in the middle of the hallway. Tiki attempted to run away, but Waluigi reached her in no time, with Serena accompanying him.

"What is it that you want?" Tiki asked Waluigi, trying to be nice to the lanky man. She was holding something behind her back, and Waluigi looked behind several times to see what it was.

"Oh, nothing - just felt the sudden urge to shout out your name. So what's that you're hiding behind your back? Is it a gift for me?"

"It's not for you, it's...it's for Dr. Cortex." Waluigi's eyes went super wide when he heard Cortex's name, which Tiki figured would happen. "But it's not what you think..."

"So it's not a belated birthday gift? Those are the best kind of gifts. Most of the time..."

"It's just something to cheer Cortex up. Wanted to put a smile on his face, after all the hard work he's done."

Tiki: Just found out recently the bad news about Cortex. He must be very upset after losing his candidacy; I know that he had a campaign going on, and he's been doing everything to get everyone on his side. And it all came to a crashing end...so I got him this gift to cheer him up. *reveals gift* Cortex gave me a "get well soon" card for that one time I got sick, so this is a way for me to return the favor.

"Yeah, Dr. Cortex sure is a pretty hard worker," said Waluigi, who knew to give credit whenever it was due. He saw a lot of himself in Cortex. "He's a hard worker just like me! Heck, he even might be more Robbie Rotten than I am!"

"Would you do me a favor, and give this gift to Dr. Cortex?" Tiki asked Waluigi as she handed the lanky man her gift. "I would give it myself, but I don't want Cortex getting the wrong idea..."

"I believe you meant to say...the right idea." Waluigi said this as he smiled and moved his eyebrows up and down, which made Tiki a tad uncomfortable. "Deep down Cortex loves you, you just know it!"

"...I won't say that I do." Tiki acknowledging Cortex's love for her would be huge for Cortex. "Ever since I started interacting with Cortex, all my friends have been giving me a hard time..."

"So what? I interact with Cortex whenever we do our insider trading stuff, and nobody seems to bat an eye...just ignore what I said about insider trading. I don't wanna get arrested."

"It's just that, some people think that I'm too good for Cortex. So when they see Cortex yearning for my affection..."

"Ignore them, they're nothing but haters! I'll tell you what - I'll give this gift to Cortex, and then we can talk about this later. Sounds good with you?"

"You appear to know Cortex pretty well...I suppose I'll oblige." Waluigi's meeting with Tiki could prove to be beneficial, so Waluigi couldn't afford to screw things up.


In the previous episode, Cortex went to Tantalus to speak with Handsome Jack, one week after losing his candidacy. Handsome Jack told Cortex not to worry about no longer being a candidate, and even insisted that the evil genius should seek something much more than ruling over "listless, uninspiring losers".

Did Cortex take those words to heart? Not quite. The evil genius craved to have some kind authority again, and his chances were now completely shot. So he sat in his bedroom with a thousand mile stare, with Uka and Pit keeping him company.

"Wow, it's almost like he's having a staring contest with the air," remarked Pit, taking note of the fact that Cortex had barely blinked. He was gonna get some dry eyes real soon. "I did that before; not sure if it was worth going to the eye clinic."

"I gotta say, this is the most I've ever tolerated Cortex, in a long time," confessed Uka, as Jigglypuff peeked her head inside and saw Cortex sitting on his bed. Taking hold of the opportunity, the balloon Pokemon took out her marker, and drew all over Cortex's face.

"Keep drawing on my face, and you're dead meat..." Cortex said to Jigglypuff, causing Pit and Uka to gasp collectively. Jigglypuff, valuing her life, stopped drawing all over Cortex's face as she took her marker and scrammed.

"HE'S STILL ALIVE!" cheered Pit as he gave Cortex a big, fat hug. Uka was amazed that Pit would have the stones to come in physical contact with Cortex.

"Get off of me!" Cortex shoved Pit away, sending the angel unto the floor. Although Pit was left in some pain, that still didn't erase the happiness that he was feeling. "Of course I'm still alive - you thought I was just some dead, unblinking corpse?"

"I was kind of hoping that would be the case," confessed Uka, leaving Cortex unsurprised since he always knew Uka wanted the worst from him. "You being out of my life would be a huge..."

"Dr. Cortex!" Waluigi informed the evil genius, interrupting Uka as he stepped inside Cortex's room with Tiki's gift. "Hope I didn't come in at a bad time."

"Waluigi? What on earth are you doing here so early?" Cortex questioned the lanky man, his eyes aching slightly from his thousand-mile stare. "We don't do our insider trading business till after midnight, remember?"

"I know, but I have a present for ya." Waluigi revealed the present to Cortex, who didn't seem to look that interested. "Heard that you were down in the dumps!"

"No thanks, I'm not interested in any gifts...I'm over gifts now. Yoshi's gift ruined me."

Yoshi: Felt bad for Cortex after everyone laughed at his speech, and I felt even more bad when he was out of the running for man of the mansion. So to cheer him up, I bought him a foot massage bath, to ease his cares away. Someone told me that they heard Cortex screaming in pain one afternoon...that foot massage bath must be working to perfection!

"But what if I told you...that it's a gift from Tiki?" Waluigi said to Cortex, who immediately did a full 180 in terms of mood. Cortex snatched the gift out of Waluigi's hands, without hesitation.

"Tiki got a gift, for me?!" gleamed Cortex, unable to hide his big smile as he unwrapped the gift to reveal a cardboard box. The evil genius took the lid off the book, and seeing a card inside, which read:

Keep on keeping on. Always keep your head up; there are brighter days ahead.

Your good friend, Tiki

Smiling to himself, Cortex reached inside the cardboard box once more, and pulled out a golden keychain. A small gift, but it was a lot better than Yoshi's foot massage bath.

"It's confirmed, boys...Tiki is infatuated with me!" affirmed Cortex, who was getting ahead of himself; his emotions were at an all-time high. "You can't deny it, Uka!"

"She only wanted to give you that gift just to be nice," said the ever cynical Uka, convinced that the gift came from someone else. "She'd have to be on crack if she fell in love with you."

"How would you explain Tiki being too nervous to give me this gift in person? I should go and give her my thanks!"

"Hold that thought, Dr. Cortex!" Waluigi said to the evil genius, putting his hand out in front of him as Cortex came to a stop. "I gotta give you some advice, man to man."

"Your advice can wait until later. I have some things I must get off my chest to..."

"Hear me out, okay? Whatever you do, don't do the same thing that I did. Don't be a weirdo or a pest, like me - be yourself, be natural!"

Waluigi: Part of being a man of the tower is having humility, and learning life lessons from your mistakes in the past that you could teach to others. Heck, I've taken so many L's in my life, I should be considered the modern-day Socrates with all the knowledge I can provide!

"Meh, I suppose you're right..." shrugged Cortex, returning to his bed as he calmed down and let the emotions fade away. "...I'll just chill out, and thank Tiki later."

"Yeah, that's the way to do it!" Waluigi commended Cortex, feeling like he was making a huge difference for his peers. "Never stoop down to my level." Waluigi would leave Cortex's room, finding Serena standing around in the hallway.

"I assume by the grin on your face that everything went well," Serena said to Waluigi, who was awfully proud of himself. It encouraged Serena seeing Waluigi having so much confidence. "Shall we head back?"

"Yes ma'am! I'll let you lead the way." So Serena led Waluigi back to the tower, with Waluigi getting his super-confident strut on.


Conveniently, the search committee and Peach found Zelda and Mitsuru in the library, as the two candidates were enjoying a conversation with each other. It was there at the library that the search committee informed them of their decision.

"We want the woman of the mansion gig settled before the end of the day," Isabelle explained to Zelda and Mitsuru, after she told the two about Master Hand's eventual return. "That's why we brought Peach here, for some additional input."

"Well, may the best lady win," Zelda said to Mitsuru, whom she held a ton of mutual respect for. Throughout the weeks, Zelda and Mitsuru were always neck in neck in regards to winning the woman of the mansion job, and now it was all coming to a head.

"So good to see you ladies having so much respect towards each other," Tom Nook commended Zelda and Mitsuru, not expecting anything less from either one of them. "Why, I could say the same for Link and Cloud!"

"Alright, people...let's-a do this," said a certain plumber, as Mario showed up at the library to greet Tom Nook and company. He wasn't alone, for he had brought Lucina and Samus with him.

"Um, Mario, we made it clear that we only needed Peach," Isabelle said to the plumber, who was very adamant - in a particularly stubborn way. "Also, why did you bring Samus and Lucina with you?"

"These two are former candidates, are they not? Therefore, they might've seen enough-a from Zelda and Samus to know which-a woman is the right choice."

"This is just another case of Mario being salty over being left out of important decisions," Samus plainly explained to the others, as she was already annoyed with Mario. "Calling it like it is..."

Samus: I'm already out of the running for woman of the mansion. So why is it that Mario came to the workshop, begging on his knees and asking that I give my input for a decision that I don't even care about?

Lucina: Last time I checked, only Tom Nook and Isabelle were supposed to decide between Zelda and Mitsuru, not me, or Samus, or Mario. I'm starting to think that Mario actually misses having authority. Guess being a dad isn't good enough for him.

"Leave us alone, Mario, we got everything under control," Tom Nook said to the plumber, who refused to leave even for a second. "Why don't you take those ladies, and..."

"An obstacle course would be a great-a way to determine the woman of the mansion," Mario wildly suggested, as both Zelda and Mitsuru were amused by the idea. "Whichever woman reaches the end wins!"

"And what exactly would some lousy obstacle course prove?" questioned Mitsuru, as Mario had a sheer amount of confidence that his idea would work. "I'm sure that physical activity is very last on the qualifications for the job."

"Well, it should-a be considered an option...right, Tom Nook?" Tom Nook looked down at the floor, as Mario kept his eyes focused on the tanoki.

"It'll be a last resort option for us...I can say that much," replied Tom Nook, with an answer that would hopefully appease Mario. It seemed to work, as Mario smiled and nodded his head.

"Great! So does that mean-a you'll make me a part of the decision-making process?" Tom Nook couldn't give an appeasing answer for that.

"...we'll see." On that remark, Tom Nook quickly left the library, with Isabelle, Peach, and the two candidates following after him. Mario remained with Samus and Lucina, as the plumber was becoming even more salty.

"Which one of you ladies wants-a to help me set up the obstacle course?" Mario asked Samus and Lucina, who both left the library without saying a word. "Hmm, I wonder if Spyro and-a Hunter are busy right now..."


Chef Kawasaki made several more "homemade quesadillas", using the very recipe that Waluigi had given him. The chef then shared his quesadillas with the tower denizens, watching them consume his creations in the dining room. So far, the reception has been positive.

"I know this is a pretty low bar, but...this is the best thing you've ever made, Chef Kawasaki!" Barbara said to the chef, who was smirking proudly as the denizens were scarfing down the homemade quesadillas. Chef Kawasaki had a huge amount of confidence that he never had before.

"In all fairness, there was no way that Chef Kawasaki could screw these up," stated Shadow, who was eating the "homemade quesadillas" at a more slow, moderate rate. "But still, these 'quesadillas' are actually edible, unlike his other food. So, uh, good job Kawasaki."

"People actually enjoy my cooking..." said Chef Kawasaki, a tear running down his face as he was full of happiness. "...I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!"

"Say, Chef Kawasaki, did anyone teach you how to make these?" Dr. Wily asked the chef, as he was eating a homemade quesadilla. The melted cheese kept the mad scientist wanting more.

"Waluigi gave me a few pointers." Dr. Wily, who had taken a sip of some soda, would spit out its contents as he was left in shock. "It's all thanks to him that I now have the respect from the others that I've always wanted!"

"Er, excuse me for a moment..." Dr. Wily wiped off his mouth with his sleeve, as he left the kitchen. Chef Kawasaki went back to surveying the kitchen, as he was beaming with joy.

Dr. Wily: Waluigi legitimately helped someone? And he didn't cause that person to fail?! It would be devastating if Waluigi were to change for the better...not because it would make him a serious candidate for the man of the tower job. The tower just needs a punching bag to beat up on. We have nobody who would be next in line.


Waluigi was back at the tower, looking to leave a good impression on Serena. The lanky man's next order of business involved him offering some fashion advice to the Squid Sisters.

"Leggings only work depending on what color they are," Waluigi offered his sage fashion advice to Marie and Callie, with Serena looking on and taking notes. "Neon leggings never work, they're too distracting! It's always best to go with black leggings - they never go out of style."

"And you said that black leggings were too 'boring,'" Callie sneered at Marie, who didn't want to hear any of her cousin's crap. But at least the Inkling knew what was up.

"Quick question, Waluigi - what about wearing leggings underneath shorts?" Marie asked the lanky man, challenging him on his fashion acumen. Little did Marie know that Waluigi was always up for any challenge thrown at him.

"That depends on the kind of shorts you're wearing. Leggings under khaki shorts is a great combination. Leggings under jean shorts, on the other hand, is a no-go. I've done it before...never again."

"You wore...jean shorts...with leggings? Great, now I have to get that horrible mental image out of my head..." A disturbed Marie rubbed the temples of her head, as Callie comforted her.

"Aw come on, that's an awesome mental image to have!" Seeing the distress that he inadvertently put Marie through, Waluigi looked to Serena. "That isn't gonna hurt me in any way, will it?"

"It was an honest mistake," replied Serena, as Waluigi let out a sigh of relief. "I know you didn't really mean any harm."

"Hello again, Waluigi," Tiki said to the lanky man, meeting with him and the others in the hallway. Waluigi knew what Tiki was about to ask, as he was grinning. "Did you deliver my gift to Dr. Cortex?"

"Yup! He liked it a lot," replied Waluigi, as Marie got the disturbing mental image out of her head. "Now he believes that you like him...like like him."

"Think I'm gonna be sick..." moaned Marie, covering her mouth and running to the nearest open window as another disturbing image crept into her mind.

"Oh dear, I feared that he would think that..." said Tiki, her hand resting on her face while Marie puked out through an open window a few feet away. "...I don't wish for Cortex to think that I'm his girlfriend."

"Why not? Cortex would make for an awesome boyfriend," stated Waluigi, as Marie was now puking even harder. "He's smart, handsome, and has a way with the ladies!"

"It's just that, I don't want him to get the wrong idea. I appreciate his kindness and all, but..."

"I see what the problem is here...your friends are telling you that Cortex is dead meat! They're the ones holding you back. I'd say, stop listening to your friends!"

"My Kinstones, I can't find my Kinstones!" Tingle screamed from down the hallway, getting Waluigi's attention as the lanky man looked down the hallway like a hawk. "Those Minish must be at it again..."

"Welp, duty calls...think about what I said, Tiki!" Waluigi said to the Manakete, as he and Serena went down the hallway. Tiki kept her lips pursed, unsure on what she should do.


Word quickly spread around the mansion that Master Hand was returning next week, and understandably many of the residents had negative reception to the news. In fact, most of them wanted to do whatever was necessary to keep Master Hand and Crazy Hand in Belarus. One of those residents was Sonic, who managed to reach Master Hand on the mansion's house phone.

"I'm not kidding, Master Hand...somebody got The-Virus-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named," Sonic spoke into the phone, before looking back at his buddy Crash as the two quietly laughed. Link was passing by through the foyer with Cloud, when he saw Sonic on the phone.

"Hey Cloud, check that out..." the Hylian whispered to Cloud, bringing the swordsman's attention to Sonic and Crash. Cloud stood there, as he and Link observed Sonic during his phone call.

"Who tested positive? Uh...Piranha Plant and Petey Piranha...no, they're not showing any symptoms, they're both fine...why are you crying?"

Sonic: Master Hand sure was crying a lot on the phone...dude was acting like he just found out that he had cancer! I'll never understand why he gets so triggered when someone mentions the coronavirus. *pauses, then looks scared* Please delete this footage right now...

"They're both in their rooms, they're not spreading it around," Sonic continued his phone call with Master Hand, as Link and Cloud crept closer to the hedgehog and Crash. "I'd suggest not coming to the mansion until both Piranha Plant and Petey are..."

"I'd like to speak with Master Hand, if you don't mind," Cloud said to Sonic, who was startled to see the swordsman and Link standing by. Sonic smiled innocently, as Master Hand was still crying over the phone.

"That's all I needed to say, Master Hand, catch you on the flip!" Sonic immediately hung up the phone, as he still had his innocent, sweet smile. Needless to say, neither Cloud nor Link were convinced.

"You and Master Hand must've had a fine conversation there. What's this I hear about Piranha Plant and Petey Piranha getting the 'Virus-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named'?"

"You mean the coronavirus? Yeah, both Piranha Plant and Petey tested positive...you just hate to see it." Crash would share Sonic's sentiments, looking down solemnly at the floor as he shook his head.

"How come we never knew about it?" Link questioned Sonic; news about anyone catching the virus should've reached the ears of Tom Nook, Isabelle, and the candidates. "How did they even catch the virus?"

"Piranha Plant and Petey sneaked out of the mansion, to party it up at an abandoned playground. That's where they got tested. They wanted their tests to be confidential, so that no one would treat them as lepers."

"Not only that, but those two are plants! Plants can't catch the coronavirus. So what do you have to say about that, Mr. Hedgehog?"

"The coronavirus is a novel virus...there's still so very little that we know about it."

"Get lost, you two..." Cloud commanded Sonic and Crash, who did as they were told as they ran out of the foyer. Shortly after Sonic and Crash left, the phone rang, and Cloud picked it up. "Hello, Cloud Strife here..."

"Ah, what a coincidence!" exclaimed the person speaking on the phone, Mario, as Cloud let out a silent groan. "I need-a you and Link outside, to check out my obstacle course."

"You built an obstacle course? I know you talked about wanting to lose weight, after all the body-shaming you put up with, but I had no idea an obstacle course was the direction you were gonna take."

"This has nothing to do with-a me losing weight! It has more-a to do with determining whether Zelda or Mitsuru is more equipped-a with being the woman of the mansion."

"Okay, are you sure this obstacle course has nothing to do with you losing weight? Because doing an obstacle has nothing to do with being a sound leader."

"Just come outside, okay? And bring-a Link with you, too. I want to know if my obstacle course-a is legit!"


Link and Cloud were outside, forced to check out Mario's obstacle course. The obstacle course was set up in Mario's backyard, and Fox and Falco were the ones testing it out.

"Mario am I doing this right?" Fox asked the plumber, trying to complete the obstacle course while holding two cups of hot coffee in his hands. The fox tried to make his way over a wall, which was low to the ground but hard to maneuver over.

"Ha ha, I'm one step ahead of ya, Fox!" Falco called out to his friend, much farther ahead as he moved his feet through the tire section of the obstacle course. "Augh, my skin! It burns! Ow, ow!"

"This isn't an obstacle course..." remarked Link; Falco, unable to take the pain, poured the coffee out of the cups he was holding as he shook his hands off.

"Eh, you may be right...it doesn't feel-a Ninja Warrior-lite," agreed Mario, scratching his chin in thought as Falco fell to the ground with his burning hands. "It's never too late-a to add a wall to climb at the end-a of the course."

"Mario, mind if we speak in private?" Cloud asked the plumber, as he and Link led Mario away from the obstacle course. Mario needed to be humbled, and Link and Cloud seemed like the right dudes to get the job done.


With Waluigi's help, Tingle was able to find his Kinstones. Turns out that the Kinstones were in Tingle's laundry the whole time.

"Oh, what would I do without my Kinstones!" Tingle said in the laundry room, as he hugged his bag of Kinstones. Considering how mythical Kinstones were, Tingle must value those medallions a lot.

"And you would've never found them if it weren't for me!" Waluigi said proudly to Tingle, as he pointed his thumb at himself. Mr. Resetti was standing at the laundry room entrance, his mouth agape as he witnessed Waluigi and Tingle's conversation.

Mr. Resetti: Waluigi seriously considers himself as a worthy candidate...can you imagine the humiliation we'd all have to suffer from, if we let Waluigi of all people represent us? The man can't even talk to a single woman without getting his butt smacked! I've witnessed Waluigi have his butt handed to him by those idol singers from Star Records, and I gotta admit, it was pretty funny to see. But it is worth it, having a guy like him be a leader? I mean, I might not be any better...

"Pfft, I could've helped Tingle find those Kinstones myself..." scoffed Mr. Resetti, taking a sip from his mug as he walked away. Seconds later, Tiki entered the laundry room, and Waluigi took quick notice of the Manakete.

"Ah, Tiki, back for more!" exclaimed Waluigi, knowing exactly what Tiki came for. "I know what you want - you're ready to confess your love to Cortex!"

"Ummm...no," replied Tiki, as Waluigi faceplanted unto the floor; Waluigi so desperately wanted to pair Tiki and Cortex together. "I just want to tell Cortex that he has my support, no matter what he does."

"And then you'll confess your love to him?" Waluigi looked up at Tiki, who remained silent as Waluigi brought his face back to the floor. "It's never too late, you know..."

"I'm not confessing my love to Cortex! We're only mutual friends, and Cortex values our friendship very much. Too much, I fear."

"I see what it is...you're just playing hard to get." Waluigi pulled himself up off the floor, as Tiki frowned at the lanky man's assertion. "You're leading Cortex along, just to see how devoted he is to you."

"Am not...I am simply not interested in finding love. Cortex and I are good friends, and nothing more than that."

"Speaking in denial isn't gonna make it any better." Waluigi turned and looked at Serena, who had been taking notes on the lanky man all day. "Can you believe how much Tiki is in denial, Serena?"

"I think you should go with Tiki, and speak with Cortex," Serena suggested to Waluigi, who was perfectly fine with the suggestion. But for one reason only.

"Brilliant thinking! Then, after Tiki says her piece to Cortex, I'll tell Cortex that Tiki is deeply in love with him, and everyone will live happily ever..."

"Noooo...since you and Cortex are good friends, you should tag along with Tiki, and back her up if necessary. She might flub her words."

"She will flub her words, because she would be blinded by her love for Cortex. It'll be hard for her to resist."

"I really want to get this over with..." said Tiki, tired of Waluigi's delusions; Waluigi should be a matchmaker, if he had so much energy for pairing couples.

"Have it your way, Tiki...but you're gonna confess one day. I know it's gonna happen!"


Cloud and Link had a word with Mario, speaking with the plumber away from the obstacle course. The swordsmen hoped to bring Mario back to earth, and prevent the plumber from acting any zanier than he already was.

"Why am I acting like-a this?" wondered Mario, after he talked some things out with Link and Cloud in private. "Why do I feel...upset?"

"If I had to guess, you miss having importance regarding matters related to the mansion," assumed Cloud, as Mario pondered over the thought. "Especially as a former head honcho."

"Well, I've been mostly involved-a with the search committee...they should be asking me for guidance, not Peach! I'm a woman expert!"

"Perhaps Tom Nook and Isabelle wanted a different perspective," said Link, as Mario calmed down and let the vitriol vanish away. "I mean, why would they ask a man who he would want as the woman of the mansion?"

"Because the man in-a question knows how to run-a the mansion. All Peach knows-a is how to run a kingdom, and that's it."

"And ruling a mansion is better than ruling a kingdom?" questioned Cloud, as he had Mario stumped; no rebuttal from Mario could work against the swordsman. "Get over yourself, Mario."

"Okay, I might've been in over my head this whole time...you're right, Cloud, a kingdom is better than a mansion. And ruling a kingdom gives-a you a lot of wisdom...something I don't have."

"But you do have a lot of wisdom, Mario" Link said to the plumber, laying an assuring hand on his shoulder. "You helped loads of people in the past! What you're lacking in is humility."

"Heh, Impa told-a me the same thing...I better start-a working on that."

Tom Nook: Everything is going well - Isabelle and I are close to make our decision, between Zelda and Mitsuru. We have the two ladies with us in Master Hand's room, and Peach will help out as much as she can. The decision will be undoubtedly a pretty monumental one, and I hope that Mario won't cause too big of a fuss...

"Good news, Mario - I finished the obstacle course!" Fox approached the plumber, as he was covered from head to toe in mud. "Almost broke my leg on the tires, but it was worth it."

"That's good, Fox, but I won't-a be needing the obstacle course-a anymore," Mario said to the pilot, who was left disappointed as he, Link, and Cloud walked away. "But thanks-a anyways, for your participation!"

"Wait, so all that stuff I did was all for naught? I almost twisted my ankle for nothing?! You can't do this to me, Mario, this is messed up!"


Cortex remained in his room, smiling at the keychain in the palm of his hand. Had it been any other keychain, Cortex would toss it out the window, but since it came from Tiki the keychain had some emotional feel to it.

"If Tiki really liked you, she'd give you more than just a stupid keychain," Uka said to Cortex, who clipped the keychain unto his lab coat. "Admit it!"

"Uka, it's become quite clear that you don't understand love," replied Cortex, before noticing his pet goose being petted by Pit. "Even Pit knows more about love than you do!"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm the ideal boyfriend!" exclaimed Pit, who was getting a little ahead of himself. "I'm the one who sets the example around here!"

"A pretty mediocre example, I'll say...the fact of the matter is, you're clueless, Uka. Why don't you go ahead and admit that?"

"Dr. Cortex, I'm back!" announced Waluigi, returning to Cortex's room as he brought Tiki and Serena along with him. "Guess who I brought with me."

"Tiki!" Cortex squealed at the top of his lungs when he saw Tiki, only to calm himself and act natural a few seconds later. "I mean...hi Tiki."

"Hello Cortex," greeted Tiki; hearing Tiki say his name always made Cortex feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Did you like your keychain?"

"Why yes, of course! And that note you gave me made me feel better. Whatever bitterness I once had has all gone away!"

"That's good. I just wanted to cheer you up, after what happened to you two weeks ago. Would've given you that gift then, but better late than never."

"It's the thought that counts! No one has ever given me a gift - not my friends, my minions, or even my daught...er, niece, so thank you, Tiki."

"I figured that hardly anyone has ever been nice to you, so I wanted to make sure that you felt appreciated. Since your guardian mask can't do it..."

"Hey lady, I'm trying my hardest!" Uka defended himself, as he snapped on Tiki. "Cortex just makes it too hard on me..."

"Chrom told me recently that you were out of the running for man of the mansion," Tiki said to Cortex, who was too afraid to tell the Manakete all the details. "So I must ask, what happened?"

"It happened the day you saved me from those buddy cops..." replied Cortex, as the bad memories were replaying in his mind. "...Toon Link and Young Link falsely accused me of being a drug dealer, and made me lose my candidacy!"

"They even bought a pack of cigarettes and some money, as evidence," Pit explained to Tiki, undoubtedly knowing for a fact that Cortex was innocent. Cortex could kill an old granny on the spot ancx take her jewelry, and Pit would still think of the evil genius as the most innocent man to have ever lived.

"They claimed that it came from my room, but I know better. They just wanted to see me fall, that's what it is! Ooh, once I get my hands on those troublemakers..."

"Now, now, there's no need to be bitter..." advised Tiki, as she took a seat next to Cortex - got the evil genius all excited. "...what's done is done. You should just focus on other things, and worry about the buddy cops later."

"Yeah, she's right - don't let those Hylians get inside your head!" Waluigi said to Cortex, wanting to offer a couple words of advice. "You can't hold grudges forever. Do you see me seeking revenge on someone, after they've wronged me in the past?"

"You wanted to kill Shulk after he poked fun at your height," Pit said to Waluigi, who was reminded of the incident as he had his lips pursed.

"Lying is not okay, Pit...please don't lie like that ever again. But anyways, Cortex, you can't put all our focus on the stuff that gets you down. Just regroup, and get a new focus!"

"A new focus...a new focus..." Cortex repeated Waluigi's words of advice, before slowly finding the courage to stand up, feeling proud. "...you're absolutely right! I may be down, but I am certainly not out! Nobody can stop me!"

Uka: Imagine having to be encouraged by Waluigi... *snorts* ...Dr. Cortex and Waluigi, those two truly deserve each other. They can be losers together! *pauses* That came out wrong...

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" exclaimed Waluigi, as he gave Cortex a resounding thumbs up. "Try and think positive, like me, and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"I hope you get right with those buddy cops soon," Tiki said to Cortex, not wanting the evil genius to be feuding with Toon LInk and Young Link forever. "But for right now, why don't you take it easy?"

"Quite frankly, I did anything but taking it easy the past few months..." admitted Cortex, taking the time to reflect on his campaign and the hoopla associated with it. "...thank you for the advice, Tiki. And you too, Waluigi...oddly enough, you're almost like a friend I've never had."

"I'll take that as a huge compliment!" gleamed Waluigi, as he and Tiki left Cortex's room. "I'll see you later for that insider trading thing!" Probably not the best move to mention that out in the open...


Mario had a good talk with Link and Cloud, and the plumber - who was salty about not being included in the search committee's decision for woman of the mansion - was in a chipper mood. He was walking through the mansion with Link and Cloud, having good conversation and all that jazz.

"I can't thank-a you boys enough for getting me out-a of my salty mood," Mario said to Link and Cloud, who both felt like Mario had thanked them enough times already. "Why, I almost forgot-a what I was so angry for!"

"You were angry that Tom Nook and Isabelle asked Peach for guidance over you," stated Cloud, as Mario suddenly came to a stop and had a giant frown on his face. "Oh boy, what did I do..."

"Ah, who am I kidding...that Peach can't even decide-a which dress she should wear, every morning. And she wears-a the same one almost every day! Don't know why the search-a committee would choose her over me."

"Mr. Mario...you're right on time," said Tom Nook, as he took a step out of Master Hand's room and saw Mario and company. "Isabelle and I have already made our decision."

"You have? So who's the woman of the mansion?" inquired Link, ready to know who the chosen candidate was. If it was Zelda, the Hylian had all the right in the world to be happy.

"You really want to know? In that case...the woman of the mansion..." Mario and Link leaned in close to Tom Nook, ready to hear the big announcement. "...the woman of the mansion...is whoever we officially name next week."

"So we have to wait like everyone else...I'm fine with that," said Cloud, as Link groaned and Mario face-planted unto the floor. "Nobody likes a good spoiler."

"Yes, yes! We'll make the official announcement once Master Hand is back at the mansion. Only me, Isabelle, Zelda, Mitsuru, and Peach know who the woman of the mansion is."

Link: Tom Nook is out here forcing me to play the waiting game...just who does he think he is, huh? I'm kinda hoping that Zelda got the job...if she didn't, then that's why Tom Nook didn't want to tell me, straight up. But still, he can't just leave me hanging.

Mario: Tom Nook thought-a he was so slick...but he's not all that. Peach knows, and we obviously live-a together, so I can just ask-a her who the woman of the mansion is! Although I don't know-a who I'd be bragging to, if I had such-a information. Spyro and Hunter, they're not worth-a it.

"Ladies..." Cloud said to Zelda and Mitsuru, who both exited Master Hand's room. "...can't wait to see which one of you got the gig."

"Fortunately you won't have to wait...that long," Mitsuru said to Cloud, before looking down at the floor and seeing Mario, still face-planting. "Mario, what's the matter with you?"

"He's probably still angry that he wasn't included in the decision," assumed Zelda, as she knelt down and poked Mario in his neck. Some unintelligible murmuring was heard from Mario, muffled by the floor.

"I think he might be dead. Died from his own dissatisfaction..." Soon Peach came out from Master Hand's room, spotting Mario on the floor.

"Mario, really?" groaned Peach, as the princess came over to her husband and knelt down next to Zelda. "Why must you be like this?" Slowly, Mario lifted up his head, looking at Peach with a weak smile.

"Mind telling me who the woman-a of the mansion is?" Mario asked Peach, expecting the princess to provide an answer...instead, Peach just stood up, and took a few steps back.

"Silly Mario...I won't tell you who it is that easily. You'll just have to try harder next time!" Mario put his face back on the floor, as Peach walked away with Zelda and Mitsuru.

"Please don't get any crazy ideas..." Cloud advised Mario, unsure of whether the plumber bothered to listen to him or not. "...if Link and I can wait, then so can you."

"Wait, why are you speaking for me?" Link questioned Cloud, as Mario was heard moaning. "You don't speak for me, man..."


Waluigi returned to the tower with Serena and Tiki, and upon his return, the lanky man encountered Dr. Wright. Dr. Wright, judging by the look of his face, didn't look amused in the slightest.

"Waluigi...what exactly is this?" Dr. Wright interrogated the lanky man, showing him two potato chips stuck together with melted cheese in the middle. Waluigi grinned, recognizing the culinary creation.

"That would be a homemade quesadilla!" Waluigi happily replied, as a bewildered Dr. Wright peered at the "quesadilla" in his hand. "I taught Chef Kawasaki how to make them."

"I saw this atrocity lying on the kitchen counter. Kawasaki is already a horrible chef, why would you bother giving him horrible recipes?"

"I wouldn't call it a horrible recipe...you know what, how about I just show you?"


So Waluigi took Dr. Wright to the dining room, where the tower denizens were eating the homemade quesadillas, much to Dr. Wright's surprise. Dr. Wright had his mouth agape.

"You were right, Waluigi...those homemade quesadillas are a big hit!" Chef Kawasaki said to the lanky man, who was beaming with pride. "Never have I felt so respected before..."

"This is preposterous!" fumed Dr. Wright, who wanted to throw his glasses on the floor in anger; wasn't worth buying another pair. The mayor turned to Serena, who was standing by. "Serena, are you just going to let Waluigi be a candidate because of some childish 'recipe' he gave to Chef Kawasaki?"

"Hey Waluigi - just wanted to say thank you for fixing my camera," Lakitu came into the dining room to speak with Waluigi, as Dr. Wright's mouth went agape once again. "Why, if it weren't for you, I would've been a goner!"

"Always happy to help!" smiled Waluigi, as Lakitu hovered away on his cloud. Soon Rodin came into the dining room, also wanting to give Waluigi his thanks.

"You really came through for me, in that phone call with Enzo," Rodin said to Waluigi, as Dr. Wright couldn't believe what was going on. "Sure put that little weasel straight! I appreciate it."

"And I appreciate you, good sir!" Waluigi gave a thumbs up to Rodin, who nodded his head as he helped himself to a homemade quesadilla.

"Waluigi, do you have a minute?" Tiki asked the lanky man, having something that she needed to get off her chest. "I just...I'm just glad that you were with me, when I was speaking with Cortex. You really helped get his spirits up."

"Well, I am a people pleaser - gotta keep the peeps happy. But it was nothing. I will say, though, it was a missed opportunity not to tell Cortex that..."

"...we're still friends, and only friends." Grunting, Waluigi snapped his fingers, hoping to make a love connection in the near future. "But thanks anyways, for your involvement...I suppose that it means something."

"I'm sure it does. Lemme know if you ever need anything!" As Tiki left the dining room, Waluigi directed his attention to Serena. "So, Serena, what do you think?"

"I'll be very honest with you, Waluigi..." Serena said to the lanky man, who was rubbing his hands together as he (and Dr. Wright) awaited the keeper's response. "...you have pleasantly surprised me. You did a far better job than I expected you to do."

"Ha ha! That's what I like to hear!" Waluigi leaped up for joy, pumping his fists as Dr. Wright pinched the crown on his nose and shook his head.

"After your strong performance today, I think I can pen you down as a sixth candidate. Wherever you become the job or not will only be left in Crazy Hand's...erm, hands."

"Excellent! Hope that Crazy Hand will see and understand what I'm capable of." Disgruntled with Serena, Dr. Wright stormed out of the dining room, passing by Samurai Goroh.

"You had any of those homemade quesadillas?" Samurai Goroh asked Dr. Wright, who just kept on walking; Samurai Goroh shrugged in response. "Welp, more for me!"

"Crazy Hand only has six men to choose from..." Serena said to herself, as Midna hovered down to the keeper. "...can't be too difficult of a decision for him."

"I saw everything, from the distance," Midna said to Serena, having surveyed Waluigi as he went around the tower - and mansion - doing his thing. "You're not serious about Waluigi...are you?"

"I'd say that I'm...fairly serious. That's good enough for Waluigi." Midna was left wondering what was going in Serena's mind, as she slowly turned her head to Waluigi. Got bad vibes all over.

Midna: I mean, it's not like Crazy Hand has to make a decision; he literally has no idea about this stunt Serena is trying to pull. That being said, I think the tower is spared.