Daisy's Grand Ball

Act 1, Part 2 (Mario)

His smile beamed as he skated backwards. Though he was going the same direction as everyone else, he had his back turned as he held his hands in his pockets. This was fairly easy to him, as he played hockey in roller skates numerous times. Just watching everyone have fun made his heart hold high in his chest. Mario, the sweet and optimistic plumber, couldn't help but take a few seconds to observe everyone in the ballroom. Examining the way they held themselves up was intriguing to him. Very much a people watcher, he was.

Humming to the song, he shut his eyes for only a moment, before looking out into the crowd. His smile was evident, until he spotted a familiar figure dressed in blue and purple clothing. She was tall, and skating with someone. Her face was lit with joy as she came into Mario's full view, Luigi grasping onto her hand as he slipped up a couple of times. The woman would only tense up her grip and pull him back on track, as a laugh would exit their mouths. His face softened as he stared at the tall one. She was dressed so beautifully tonight, more beautiful than usual at least. The gems in her hair glistened as the dress she wore ruffled with the movement. Part of him felt bad for seeing her in such a way, as Princess Peach was giving him countless hints of affection toward him. Mario couldn't help but draw near the space princess however. There was just something about her that was so immaculate, despite all of her internal flaws that he would soon get to know.

Suddenly, he felt a harsh shove into his side, throwing off his balance a bit. Being thrown into the wall, an ugly laugh was heard shortly after his fall. The larger man responsible for this, pulled over next to him, grabbing his hand and yanking him back on his feet. After regaining his posture, Mario glared at him annoyed. "Really Wario? You can't go one second without pushing me around?"

The shorter chuckled, "Bahaha! What?? It's been a while!! I just had to give you a little bump to jog your memories back! Eh?" Wario said rather loudly, giving him a light punch in the arm.

Mario only jumped again, rubbing his arm a bit before rolling his eyes. "Even if you didn't push me over, I still would've had your familiar stench in my nose," He grinned mischievously, sticking out his tongue at him.

This only made him laugh, "Oh I see? You know, you have been getting better at your comebacks old friend. I can say that I'm a little proud of you for that!" He said, his gold tooth shining as he smiled.

Wario was one of the few people who didn't seem to appreciate Mario as much as everyone else did. He was always treating him as a close friend, rather than someone to look up to. Roughhousing every time they'd meet and spitting out names to one another really seemed to grow the relationship that Mario never quite had with his brother Luigi. Though it was a lot to handle at times, he still loved Wario for who he was and how he treated him. It was a tough-love type of friendship. One of the few he's ever been a part of.

The conversation continued on against the wall up until the song ended. There was a short silence until some slow music began to play, red lights brightening up. They soon began to change colors slowly, creating a tint of every shade on everyone's faces.

"Alright everyone, find your lady, your gent, or your non-binary friend! We're about to rock to the first slow dance of this party. Make it count!!" The same opening voice roared through the speakers. Just then, Ashley rolled over to the duo, and looked at Wario with a smirk. Looking at her for just a moment, he turned his head back to Mario to voice his goodbyes for the time being.

"That's my cue, good luck chump!!" He called as Ashley pulled him away onto the rink that the floor has turned into. Leaving Mario alone on the side, he watched as everyone began to pair up into their own couples. This gave Mario a little bit of anxiety. He was the star of the kingdom! Shouldn't he be one of the first people to find a girl to dance with? Mario fiddled with his mustache, while frantically looking for someone free. But they were all being taken up so quickly! That was all until he laid his eyes on that woman again, parting ways with Luigi. His heart leapt at the sight. This was his chance.