A Plumber and his Assistant

It was no secret to everyone in the Smash Mansion there was a close relationship between Mario and Isabelle. Some would call their meeting fate: Mario could be seen as the leader of the fighters, the voice of reason. As such he was involved in many important matters regarding Super Smash Bros., from organizing holiday events to bailing out one of the fighters if they were dumb enough to get arrested. Which happened more often than one would expect.

All of that work was tough on one person, so he clearly needed a lot of help. And being an assistant to Villager back in Smashville, Isabelle was perfect for the job. She wasn't afraid by any task, no matter how big or daunting. She was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, if a bit naive. And most of all, she had an endless amount of kindness and empathy for everyone, and could put a smile on anyone's face.

It was mere accident that the two became roommates in the previous tournament. It happening twice was no mistake.

"Coming close to this tournament's first year anniversary," Mario said as he dusted off his overalls, finished with tonight's battles. "We know what we're doing, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Mario!" Isabelle chirped, following him with a clipboard. "Reservations to Popstar Buffet have been made! The whole place is empty, and there's enough room for everyone."

"And all the expenses?" Mario asked.

"All taken care of," Isabelle answered.

"Importing food from all over everyone's homes?" Mario asked.

"It's been going swimmingly!" Isabelle said. "We have native food coming from Hyrule, Planet Popstar, Galar, PNF-404, Yoshi's Island, Corneria, Green Hi-"

"OK, I get the idea," Mario laughed. He took a seat on his bed, while Isabelle plopped herself down on her's. A moment of silence fell upon the two, and the shih tzu noticed Mario started gazing off into space, obviously deep in thought.

"Anything wrong, Mr. Mario?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm just... reminiscing I guess," Mario answered. "It's been quite a few years since we first became roommates."

"It has, hasn't it?" Isabelle said, remembering the time they first met. "I remember being pretty excited to be sharing a dorm room with the one and only Super Mario. And now here I am, his friend and assistant!"

"That you are," Mario chuckled. "Things have been getting really hectic, and I'm not sure if I would have been able to keep my sanity without you around here. You've been a big help, you know?"

"It's what I do!" Isabelle chirped. "And aside from being something of a leader to everyone in the mansion... being with these people has been nothing short of magical."

"As someone whose been here since the beginning, I wholeheartedly agree," Mario nodded. "Yeah, the fighting's cool and all, but I think what I like most is everyone being apart of my life. They've become something of a family to me in some form. I can't really picture myself without them now."

"Even if there are a select few that can get on our nerves," Isabelle giggled.

"Yeah, those are the exceptions," Mario returned a laugh. He looked at the time, 9:30 PM.

"Wanna grab something from the kitchen for dinner?" he asked.

"Sure," Isabelle said. "I am feeling a little bit hungry."

With that, the plumber and his assistant went downstairs to partake in whatever was on the menu tonight.