[center][img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b2/Koopa_Troop_artwork.png/658px-Koopa_Troop_artwork.png[/img] [b][color=SpringGreen]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,435 (+3) [b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 6 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]///////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (104/60) [b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 6 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]///////////////////////////////////////[/color]//////////////// (39/70) [b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Location:[/color][/b] Edge of the Blue – Limsa Lominscuttle Town [/center] Jr was, to put it simply, not having a good time with being shown up by basically everyone else who was taking part in the fishing minigame but he was too stubborn to give up on his ill suiting fishing equipment. [color=SpringGreen]”Come one come on! Stay still and get spiked!”[/color] jr yelled angrily at the fish as he hauled the fishing spear out of the ocean for the half dozenth time, but they didn't seem inclined to listen. Mimikyu, who had plopped herself on the ships railing to watch the proceedings, looked up at her increasingly angry and tired trainer with concern, before extending a long limb and patting him on the shoulder encouragingly. [color=SpringGreen]”What!”[/color] Jr barked, flailing his free arm in her direction, before snapping out of his building tantrum when she scooted back in alarm [color=SpringGreen]”huh? Oh... uuugh this is just so frustrating”[/color] Jr said, making an excuse rather than an apology as he tapped the but of the spear to the deck and leaned on it, ever so slightly out of breath from the unfamiliar form of exertion. Mimikyu seemed to accept this as the closest thing jr would give to an apology at the moment regardless. She shuffled back along the rail and then cocking her head to one side with curiosity when the boy’s expression suddenly turned to a grin as he looked at her. A few moments later a much bigger disruption came to the fishers as a ball of lightning crashed into the ocean, zapping particularly large fish and stunning or scattering those around it. A moment later the fishing spear sailed down, hitting the now stationary target with ease [color=SpringGreen]”Ahahaha! Gotcha!”[/color] Jr cheered as Minmikyu bounced to and fro excitedly beside him on the banister. A few moments later Jr had hauled his fish out of the ocean and raised it above his head triumphantly. [color=SpringGreen]”Hey. Hey look Kamek! I got one! Isn’t it the best!”[/color] he called over to the mage and minder, who called back some, slightly inflated if still sincere, praise[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well done young master. A grand catch and an innovative solution for sure.”[/color] The prince's haul would remain singular in number, as the last of the fish were caught or fled soon after. Not that Jr had much energy to keep going and so for the rest of the journey he retired to his car, laying back in the seat with his feet up on the side as he watched the sea and slowly fed Mimikyu bits of a pokepuff. While Jr had been having his fishing misadventure, Kamek had been speaking with the grizzled Geralt, who it seemed decided now was as good a time to make proper introductions via the medium of asking personal questions. Namely: the reason why he followed the royal koopas so diligently. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I have served”[/color] Kamek began, before deciding that obfuscating the reality of the situation was somewhat pointless [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I raised Lord Bowser since he was a baby, and I have helped him do the same for his son,”[/color] There was still something left unsaid of course, but explicitly using the F word was not something he had ever done, and he wasn't about to start now. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Also I would not take those spirits as the limit of the King’s armies. The Koopa Kingdom is large and has many subjects and soldiers. We just aren't quite sure where they are right now”[/color] he added in an attempt to defend the king's actual credentials as a leader separately from his own personal loyalty, [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Most of us aren't exactly the most physically dangerous creatures, so his majesty's immense raw power and confident demeanor garner a great deal of loyalty front he minions, one that he repays with a, shall we say, gruff compassion. The royal family are a center of strength that makes the kingdom greater than the sum of its parts.”[/color] Kamek left it at that. Instead of going on about, he turned the direction of their conversation around towards Geralt instead [color=DeepSkyBlue]”You're not the usual type of hero are you? The rest of this group seem rather typical. Plucky. Upbeat. Used to victory. [i]Naive[/i]. Your experiences must be rather different to theirs for you to have clashed as strongly with them over this Maw business as you did.[/color] [hr] The spot of fishing turned out to be the only major event of their trip across the waves, leaving Jr bored and Kamek quietly relieved when they arrived at the two tiered ocean city and docked with its bizarrely empty port. The explanation as to why would come later with the arrival of the ship girls, but first there was the matters of payment for the ride and the question who had won the fishing contest. Both brought up by and then conveniently solved by the captain himself at the same time, when he suggested they hand some of their catch over to him in return for him bringing them across the waves. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”You’d certainly be a good impartial judge for our little contest, though If i might suggest, you could also take size into consideration as well”[/color] Kamek recommended, happy to completely offloaded the responsibility, and potential controversy caused by that choice, of choosing a winner onto their captain. [color=SpringGreen]”Yeah! Mine’s definitely the biggest!”[/color] Jr said, without actually having examined the other two contestants' fish. It was certainly large, Mimikyu had chosen her target well when she'd zapped it, but that also meant the fish was a bit like a cooked meal that had been left alone to cool for several hours when Jr handed it over to be judged. After that they learned a bit about the town, first from Brineybeard and then from a member of the “new navy” who were all apparently humans with ship names and bits attached to them. [color=SpringGreen]”They’re ships, who are also girls?”[/color] Jr muttered his tone indicating that he was trying to decide if the idea was incredibly silly or very cool and that that decision was a very serious one. Regardless of what anyone thought of this unusual naval arrangement, the USS Northampton turned out to be a very useful source of information, dumping a comprehensive list of interesting locations onto Peach when she asked about the city. [color=SpringGreen]”Did she say Airship Deck? We have got to go there”[/color] Jr said enthusiastically when hearing about the eponymous airship station. It was no secret that the troop in general, and Jr especially, loved their airships. [color=SpringGreen]”Wait those aren't also girls are they?”[/color] he added, before imagining what a koopa troop airship-girl would look like with a serious expression on his face before his eyes lit up and he declared that [color=SpringGreen]”I want one!”[/color] [color=DeepSkyBlue]”An airship would certainly be useful, and considering that regular boats are largely antiquated and thus likely in short supply. One of those might well be our best bet if we want to travel around the Blue”[/color] Kamek agreed, missing the context of Jr’s declaration, which consisted of him imagining himself leading an army of airship girls blowing up the mushroom kingdom. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”That said, we are somewhat lacking in funds at the moment, or I am at least, so hiring one for an extended duration might be tricky. I am sure if we put our minds to it we can think of some way to acquire one however ,”[/color] Kamek said [color=DeepSkyBlue]”either by helping out the city, though that might be tricky for those of you who are landlocked if they don't use boats at all or we could try a, ah, more direct ‘recruitment’ method I’ve been intending to test out the viability of,”[/color] He didn't go into more details as Jr butted in impatiently with [color=SpringGreen]”Alright alright. Less words more going to look at airships”[/color] [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Just one more moment young master”[/color] Kamek insisted before addressing the group one last time [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I’d also suggest that, if we split up, we regroup at the Bulkwark hall in, say, an hour? Then we can decide if we want to go straight to this Admiral... ”[/color] Kamek paused and then tried his own hand at the pronunciation of [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Mer-wild Blue-his-win? Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn! Yes. her. Go to her about this whole Maw business or if we’ve seen anything that might be a better method of breaching the depths while we are here.”[/color] After delaying just a little longer to hear any replies he hurried up after Jr, who had grown inpatient enough to wander off, or rather drive, up towards Mealvaan's Gate, which stood between them and the rest of the city. Hopefully they had nothing then needed to declare. [hr] [center] [h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa King[/color][/h2] [b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 248 (+1) [b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 7 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]////////////////////////////////////[/color]/////////////////////////////////////// (36/80) [b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] The Dead Zone - Sundered Avenue [/center] Bowser was joined in his narrow escape from the flood by Blazermate, who took up what was becoming her usual spot atop his back. The newly added tentacruel orbs gave additional spike free spots to stand, but the king had dissuade the shell dwelling squids from blindly harassing her with their tentacles. [color=FD0000]”No. Stop. bad.”[/color] he told them, using his hands to shove the beaks of the squids back into his shell cavities, pulling the tendrils in with them [color=FD0000]”Blazermate’s cool and I’m in-charge so quit it!”[/color] With that resolved he thumped along the side of the cliff towards where the shockdozer had successfully landed after the flood blimp had been taken out by some kind of floaty bosomous specter. What had initially seemed like another instance of the chaos of the deadzone working in their favor instead turned out to be the arrival of an ally in the form of a dead woman who announced her presence and declared herself friendly to their cause while disarming herself in a show of trust. Bowser had no idea who she was, but was entirely nonplussed by her appearance or form [color=FD0000]”SOME OF MY MINIONS ARE GHOSTS, SO IT’S COOL,[/color] he told her as he rejoined the party, right as the ground started to become unstable and denying them even a moment's rest, [color=FD0000]”WELCOME TO THE ARMY GHOST LADY, NOW LET’S MOVE!”[/color] With that, Bowser stomped onward, heading down the street towards the meat mountain that stood in their way. [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5r7OTIh.png[/img] [b][color=Aquamarine]wordcount:[/color][/b] 451 (+1) [b][color=Aquamarine]Midna: level 1[/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aquamarine]//////////[/color] (10/10) [b][color=Aquamarine]Location:[/color][/b] Sandswept Sky (desert) - Divine Beast Vah Naboris [/center] Unfortunately for Midna, she wasn't going to be given the time to poke around and try to figure out what made the giant magical camel tick, as the device’s defenders arrived to expel them, their arrival perfectly ironically timed with Tora’s optimistic comment about the lack of any defenses. There were two of them. One was a giant of a woman, lightly dressed and armed with a scimitar and round shield who announced herself as Urbosa, champion of Hyrule. Behind her hovered a malevolent twisted reflection of the bold and heroic champion, a machine filled with corruption and sporting a mane of red hair that caused Midna to recoil away from both it and the machine she had been about to examine. She could feel the malice dripping off it, unending hatred and dark power melded together into a blighted corruption that could only have one source if it too came from her world. [color=Aquamarine]”Ganondorf”[/color] Midna snarled the words with bared fangs. There was, it seemed, no escaping the ever returning monster. There was no time to question why a self declared champion of Hyrule was fighting alongside this evil as both it and Urbosa attacked as soon as the champion had finished introducing herself. The woman attacked Joker, Torra and Poppi, while the Ganon fragment assailed Sectonia, leaving Midna a choice of what to do that had only one real answer. The fragment of the demon king had to die. [color=Aquamarine]”There's only one evil here!”[/color] she shouted in response to Urbosa's declaration, and then went after Thunderblight. Summoning one of her twilight wolfos from a portal below her she doped down onto its back and spurred it after the arch corrupter, its paws speeding both her and it along the precarious walkways of the drum like room they were in. With a deft leap from her mount Midna landed behind Thunderblight, putting it between her and Sectonia. Power surged through her helm and into her hair, forming a massive glowing arm from her ponytail as she rapidly advanced on the blighted creature. The hand was about half the size of her head, and thus about half of the size of how big it could have gone, but she’d judged speed to be more important than raw power for battling the floating thunderblight. Once close enough her mount turning to the side and quickly slid to a halt while at the same she lashed out with the hand aiming to grab the sword arm of thunderblight and hold it it in place so that the queen could strike it without fear of retaliation. [color=Aquamarine]”End it quickly!”[/color] she called as both she and her wolfos braced for the struggle with thunderblight that was to come.