[center][img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b2/Koopa_Troop_artwork.png/658px-Koopa_Troop_artwork.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2]
[b][color=SpringGreen]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1060 (+2) 
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]//////  (83/90)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 7 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (78/70)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 7 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color](76/70)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Edge of the Blue – Bottomless Ocean
Feat: Rika
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Onboard Shippy, Rika was also feeling a little let down by the not freeing monsters talk, considering by all accounts, and her own experience with the unfreed abyssals, she had been even more of an unthinking or feeling monster than Bella. She really had been lucky to wind up where she was now, alive and herself, even if ‘herself’ was something of a mishmash amalgamation of an old turtle's empathy for minions, a raging beast and an Azure navy girl all crammed into what had probably been a mostly empty shell. Maybe that was the thing, as Geralt said. The monsters were monsters to their core, while the beings the abyssal fleet made were shells ready to be filled up either with orders from on high or, unintentionally, to be filled up with friendship.

“I don't know about who we were before, but I think who we are now is pretty great!” Rika said to Bella encouragingly, before sitting down next to her and quietly keeping her company throughout the rest of their trip towards the beacon.

Up on high, the Troop where now alone, save for perhaps one hatted kid, but no-one could ever keep track of her (and Jr was slightly worried he’d never get his hammer back as  a result) and so the key causer of the whole situation managed to avoid the debate raging down below that he’d caused. Or initially did anyway, till Blazermate came up and gave the king a combination of a scolding and a ribbing while healing them all up.

Bowser gave an exasperated put upon sigh at her words, but respected her enough not to blow a fuse in response to her slander. It was generally a poor idea to get on the wrong side of the person helping piece you back together after you’d messed up anyway.

[color=FD0000]”I do not have a bleeding heart”[/color] he grumbled instead [color=FD0000]”and I’ve gotten enough of this from Kamek already”[/color] 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”You make it sound like this isn't the first time he's done this”[/color] Kamek said to Blazermate, before putting two and two together [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Ahhh. The skeletal girl”[/color] before glancing over at his king for explanation

[color=FD0000]”Well excuse me for trying to draw the line at killing kids. Might be the bad guys, but we’ve got to have some standards!”[/color] he insisted in response, somewhat ironically considering a certain mage had very much not been above that back when the king was but a boy.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”What you did went a bit above just that when you got involved with the monster’s dispute”[/color] Kamek pointed out

[color=SpringGreen]”yeah. She was clearly handling it herself,”[/color] Jr added, which inadvertently prompted the king to wonder when he’d gotten more smotheringly protective. He tried to trust that his son could handle himself before all this, but between The Thing from Beyond the Stars and what had happened to Linkle… It was a balancing act with kids and how much you coddled them vs how much you let them deal with things themselves and he’d tipped over to one side too far. Better to find out that he’d tipped that way with some monster than upset his actual kid he supposed.

[color=SpringGreen]”She would have been cool if she hadn’t been so much of a jerk!”[/color] Jr had been saying, unaware of his dad’s thoughts about both him and the girl who might not have been what she appeared, before adding [color=SpringGreen]”I mean who wouldn't want a dad as awesome as you? A big loser idiot that's who”[/color] 

Bowser let out a bark of a laugh and then smiled again after that.

[hr]

Though the wind grew harsher no more monster fights impeded their journey and so soon enough they arrived at the beacon island, which turned out to be the basis of some huge base of some kind. The Atomos set down on the landing pad without issue and then the troop piled out of it and, as quickly as Peach, into the base’s entrance. Unlike everyone else they’d been snug inside the airship when the weather got worse (even if the window was still smashed out) so, the little period of rain they had to dash though was highly unpleasant to deal with.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Remind me to look into getting these uniforms waterproofed,”[/color] the old mage compiled as he tried to ring the water out of his robes once they where inside the building.

Bowser (water retardant ship girl clothes) and Jr (bib/bandana protected by his chin) were more interested in the map Peach had found, which was displaying a 3d layout of what seemed to be a truly titanic and sprawling network of bases that filled the ocean from end to end.

[color=SpringGreen]”Wow, It just goes on and on and on,”[/color] Jr said, clearly impressed [color=SpringGreen]”How many guys does the guy who owns this have under them if they managed to get this built, you think?”[/color] 

[color=FD0000]”Probably not as many as it looks seeing as there where a whole two of em ‘guarding’ this place”[/color] Bowser pointed out, not impressed by the dedication of the minions on display [color=FD0000]”Don't get me wrong, its an impressive gauntlet, but what's it all for? Is there like a main base in there somewhere? A place where the guardian might be?”[/color] he flicked through the map to see if there was anywhere obvious to go.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”There's also the slight issue of what, or more importantly who, we’d have to leave behind if we did go down there”[/color] Kamek pointed out 

“Who? oh. Right. Us.” Rika, who had come in  (supported by her gauntlets) along with the others, asked and then realized what that would mean. Walking through all of that did not seem like something she or Bella could manage (the cruiser might be able to do a fair bit more than Bella, but she knew from her night on the town that she’d tire faster than the others) and Shippy had no way of even making the attempt

The mage nodded and then suggested [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Perhaps it would be best to find out if we are able to be invited down? Know that if we did have to leave people and things behind they’d be safe and sound because we and they are guests.”[/color] 

[color=SpringGreen]”The squid guy outside looked like a skull. You tell me if they are friendly or not”[/color] Jr pointed out while hovering in front of the terminal in his little car and for all intents and purposes playing with the map when no one else was using it.

[color=FD0000]”Well. Yeah. But those two didn't look so tough, so should be easy to find out if they're reasonable bad guys or not.”[/color] Bowser pointed out, though this time he did wait to see if anyone was going to naysay the idea before going at it. 

If no one stopped him he’d stomp back out into the rain, into the tent and loudly clear is throat, snap his fingers next to their ears or do whatever else was needed to wake them up, before, in his best angry boss voice, admonishing them with [color=FD0000]”Sleeping on the job boys?”[/color]

The stern looking dragon turtle in military dress would towered over the pair as he told them [color=FD0000]”You're a disgrace to minions everywhere, we had to dock ourselves and everything!”[/color] there was zero acting going on, the king was genuinely disappointed in these mook’s behavior even if they weren't his, [color=FD0000]”So you’d best be real helpful from here out if you don't want your captain finding out about you slacking off”[/color]