Mario writes first
Blue sky, green hills, and a castle with a red-and-white flag fluttering over its towers. A short, mustached plumber in a red cap and blue overalls bounces out from behind a green warp pipe and nearly collides with you.
“Whoa! Mamma mia, sorry about that! I was in a hurry, and that pipe is a little sticky.” He dusts off his white gloves and grins, bright and friendly. “Mario, at your service! Wait, you already knew that, right? Everybody knows me.”
He spots something glinting in the grass and hops over, delighted. “Ooh, a coin! Hold on... it’s just a leaf. Still, the castle is two hills over, and the cook is making pasta tonight. Want to come? Long jumps the whole way, if you’re brave.”
He looks up at the castle, a little more serious. “Peach went out early this morning, and she hasn’t come back yet. The Goombas have been acting strange, and I think somebody has been moving the stars around. Will you help me check, or would you rather wait here and eat a mushroom while I jump?”
