Chapter Text
Sun filtered through the windows of Princess Peach's lavish tearoom, giving the lively chatter in the middle of the room some sparkle. Today was Wednesday, which meant Peach and her friends met up for tea and gossip. None of the six would ever miss it.
The table was just recently set. Barely any of the fruit Daisy brought or the scrambled eggs Birdo made had been touched. Pauline had just begun a story about her old relationship with Mario: “...and then he said: ‘it’s not you, Pauline, it's-a me!’” she recalled, crudely mimicking Mario’s favorite pose. They all knew it was in simple jest and laughed along.
“Oh, isn't that just so him?” Peach giggled.
Toadette, who had just been pouring everyone's tea, chuckled and concurred.
“Yeah. Kinda reminds me of my b—!”
Toadette clamped her hand onto her mouth.
A beat.
“...my ex! Yeah, my… ex said something like that!” she said, in a poor attempt to save face.
The other five stared with varying levels of disbelief and suspicion on their faces.
“Your ex,” repeated Rosalina, her voice soft but still suspicious.
“Yep!” Toadette shrieked, louder than she meant to. “I… I have to go, actually! It's really important!” She declared, hastily taking one of Peach’s cookies.
Peach, bless her heart, reached for Toadette not to grab, but to beckon to stay; “But we just started—”
“Sorry! Enjoy the tea!”
And with that, Toadette was out the door.
A very, very puzzled silence fell over the remaining five.
“That's weird,” said Daisy.
“You think?” replied Birdo, idly moving her egg around the plate, “She never leaves before any of us.”
Peach sighed. “I just hope she's okay…”
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As her friends contemplated her unprecedented leave, Toadette walked. Not home, not somewhere else in the castle, no. She made a beeline for the darker path that led straight to Boo Woods.
Stupid…
She missed him. Just one slip-up and she missed him. It hadn't even been that long. But maybe he would like that, she thought. Despite himself, he couldn't handle Toadette not visiting once a week at the very least. She smiled to herself thinking of his embrace, but little did she know…