A Nutcracker and the Beast

Chapter 34: Now It's Date Night, Tipple Date Night

"No, I don't believe so. I know I have some Super Mushroom for the drink I'm making for Luigi but no Mini...quite hard to find but I'll see what I can do. Anything else?" Kamek asks, waiting for them to say anything else.

"That's all, just let us know when you have some." Bowser told Kamek, simply nodding and puffing away.

"Now that that's out of the way," Daisy said as she rubbed her hands together, "it's time to put Date night into action!"

"Hear, hear!" Peach and Bowser cheer as they start planning for the ball and how this date night will go.

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"What's this all about?" Luigi asks as Mario carries him to the ballroom.

"Peach just ask me to take you to the ballroom with me - left or right?" Mario said as he came to a stop.

"Left," Luigi directs him as Mario keeps walking, "but why does she need me for your guys' date night?"

"I honestly don't know. One minute she's telling me about a ball they want to plan, the next she wants to do a date night with us dancing. I don't know why she asked us to dress up or why she wanted you there but she wanted you there." Mario told him. Honesty, he knew why she wanted him there since she told him this was a group date night. But Mario had to lie since Mario already told Luigi about his date night with her and didn't want to scare him away from the fact that Bowser was his date. Mario's only job was getting Luigi to dress up in the gold tuxedo they gave him, getting him to the ballroom, and ensuring he didn't know what was going on.

Luigi, on the other hand, was a bit stressed out. Mario and he had been hanging out for the whole day, and then he suddenly asked if Luigi could try on a golden Tuxedo. It was clearly made for a doll or, in this case, for him as Mario lied his way through this. Luigi was still able to tell when Mario was lying as he would start to scratch the right side of his face rather than his left side when he was thinking about something.

"I still think that I should be left out of this. I know it's your date night with Peach," Luigi said as Mari stopped before a door.

"Look, after how sacred you've been about these ghosts you need a bit of fun." Mario said as he watched doubt come to Luigi's face.

"You don't know these ghosts like I do, Mario. It-"

"It's not safe. I know, I know. That's all you've been saying! Just...just go with it. Have a bit of fun- that's all I ask." Mario said as Luigi put on a bitter smile. Maybe a little fun won't hurt him, but there was the fear that the Clockwork Soldiers would come to get him. Luigi looked down and just nodded, going along with Mario's plan like always. It felt odd and sad, but it comforted him as they were acting like brothers. When they entered, Daisy and Peach were talking while Wario stood by a table set up in the ballroom.

"Oh goodie! Your two are here!" Peach said as Mario walked up to her. Luigi just waves at them as he wonders what he should do.

"Um, thank you for inviting me but I don't want to be a b-"

"Oh no! We're not having any of that," Daisy cut him off as she reached for him. She waited for Luigi to get into her hands as Luigi stared at them. He sighed as he left Mario's hands and went into Daisy.

"Princess-"

"Daisy"

"Daisy," Luigi corrected himself, "I glad that you and the other want me to be here-"

"Yup! And it's going to be so much fun," Daisy said, cutting him off again. It annoyed him, but she had a feeling that he would try to get out of this if she kept letting him talk. She placed him down on the table as Peach went behind him on the other side.