[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjY2LjEyMjZlMi5UV0Z5YVc4LC4y/joystix.monospace.png[/img][/center]
[center][color=ed1c24][b]Level:[/b][/color] 1
[color=ed1c24][b]Day/Time:[/b][/color] Day One; Evening
[color=ed1c24][b]Location:[/b][/color] Erion - Forest headed to Odin's Castle
[color=ed1c24][b]Word Count:[/b][/color] 664 (w/o character quotes)
[color=ed1c24][b]Tag:[/b][/color] [@DracoLunaris][@Etherean Fire][@Simple Unicycle][/center]

Before, running would have made Mario feel like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. When you weighed 300+ pounds of fat and had to run around saving princesses and trying to fit your fat ass down grimy drain pipes, life was a living Hell. With his power hammer on his shoulder, running was a breeze. He felt as though he could run forever feeling the cool breeze on his warming skin and filtering through his cotton clothes. The forests of Erion were refreshing, although, still apprehensively, Mario would look up every once and awhile to make sure the trees didn’t have faces. What a disturbance it would have been to realize that he never left the Forest of Illusion and this entire scenario was one big illusion. Mario shuddered a little. What a nightmare that would have been…

There was a loud thumping noise behind him and when Mario peered over his shoulder, he saw nothing but a massive boulder bouncing after him. His blue eyes shrank and his armpits could have exploded with sweat when he started running faster. What the hell! Where did that boulder come from? He hadn’t a clue that it was tied by a psychic string to Fish Girl.

Mario nearly cleared the tree line when the boulder finally stopped and he staggered, dropping his hammer to lean over on it as he caught his breath.

[color=0072bc][b]“They said this forest was treacherous all right,”[/b][/color] he muttered to himself.

Mario brushed the sweat from his brow as Fish Girl called for his and the rest of the team’s attention. She wanted them up in the tree? Mario tucked his hammer away into that fancy pocket dimension of space most video game characters had. He faced the tree and squatted before using his jumping ability to spring with an audible [i]boing[/i] sound up onto the first branch and then to the next one. He made sure to sit on the lowest branch from the rest of the crew since if he went any higher his weight would probably caused a branch to snap.

Mario’s dark brows shot upwards when Naija mentioned the rock. He glanced down at the boulder and then back up at the fish.

[color=0072bc][b]“That was you?!”[/b][/color] he exclaimed in disbelief. He swore she was trying to kill him.

Fox demanded his attention next. The pilot made the red plumber blush a little as he stroked his ego. Well, it was obvious right? He was the greatest hero in Nintendo. If Mario could get any bigger in his blue suspenders he just did with Fox’s observation. Mario raised his arms, flexing his muscles as he swelled with pride.

[color=0072bc][b]“No problem. [i]Smashin’[/i] is what I’m made for,”[/b][/color] Mario gloated, using Smash as a slang term to refer to the Smash Arena.

Mario gave Garrett a narrow-eyed look of disbelief at his comments about pickpocketing or more than likely stealing anything out of the castle. He was a thief wasn’t he? Mario had just remembered and reminded Garrett:

[color=0072bc][b]“Hey pal, just focus on the battle. I don’t wanna be the only one fightin’ some Demon Lord just because you got sticky fingers.”[/b][/color]

It didn’t seem like anyone else had any comments to add and so Mario added: [color=0072bc][b]“I know I’m strong, and a legend (he added that with a smirk), but we’re a team. I’ve been on many teams and I appreciate what everyone contributes. I feel honored to have the chance to work with other legends such as Fox and Garrett, and to meet a boulder-toting Fish Girl (did he already forget her name?). I intend to give Odin a smashin’ of his life to not only protect the other teams, but to protect this one. So let’s go smash somethin'!”[/b][/color]

Mario held up his iconic peace sign again with a big grin before then thumbing over his shoulder at the giant looming figure standing at a balcony.

[color=0072bc][b]“Oh and by the way, is that him?”[/b][/color]