[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=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,555 (+3) [b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (152/90) [b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]/// (77/80) [b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]///// (74/80) [b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Bottomless Sea – the Maw - the Kitchens Feat: Rika [/center] [color=DeepSkyBlue]”To make it more enticing? Or it is simply that all the food is bad, and it’s not so much a set trap as it is a… base reality of this place?”[/color] Kemek replied to Link’s questioning of the trap information. It was true, it did not feel like a traditional trap. If someone from his world had made one, like, say, Bowser for example, the food would have been sitting on a fine serving dish in the middle of the room under a grand spotlight. But whether that made it not a trap, or just an even more insidious one, he could not say. There was one other discussion of the curse, and that one was regarding the source of information, which Kamek also interjected himself into. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”As for the reliability of the source of this information… She was a member of the organization 13, which the Master of Masters, who himself has been nothing but helpful I might add, did not have very good words about. Or.... I’m forgetting the specifics at the moment, but their group they share their namesake with did not exactly have noble ends. A gang of nameless shadows seeking to control the heart of all worlds or some other sort of villainy”[/color] [color=DeepSkyBlue]”to put it in perspective without the Master of Master’s words backing me up, our source on this place also suggested it was the best way to reach our goal. Make of that what you will.”[/color] “So it [i]is[/i] safe?” Rika asked, making the rather straightforward assessment that anyone who said this was a good way of going about things had to be lying through their teeth. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I would not say that but- Rika no”[/color] Kamek grabbed her by the hem of her skirt to stop her giving in [color=DeepSkyBlue]”please don't. I know it hurts, but as Sakura said, most of those who are more than mere children have eaten. If something does happen to them, then we will need you and your cannons to carry the day”[/color] Rika nodded very reluctantly at that and then more resolutely responded “Ok. I trust you” [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Thank you,”[/color] the old mage replied with a grateful smile, before addressing the others [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I think it may be best if we hedge our bets here. Half have eaten already, what is done is done. We may as well make it part of our strategy and make it so one half eats and the other abstains. That way if one falls to the curse of food or hunger, then the other group is still numerous enough to still carry the day.”[/color] Things looked like they were going to turn out that way regardless, but making it group policy would hopefully stop any second thoughts on either side (now was not the time for regrets to be getting in the way of things) or bickering between the hungry and the full. Though by the looks of things the source of temptation might not be around for much longer. While the abstainers had talked, Bella had spent some ammunition and blasted a way through the bars separating them and the cafeteria, and the half of the group whom Kamek had spoken of had rushed inside to fill themselves. Or, in some cases, gorge themselves. Bowser managed to outdo even the pig-like behemoths, the king’s naturally voracious appetite coupled with his bouncing up and down and all over the previous room led him to devout great swathes of the not particularly nice but certainly filling food. His son’s consumption by comparison was somehow beaten even by even Mimi, the specter hiding away several times its own volume beneath its ragdoll-like disguise. It wasn’t very clear if it was all being eaten or if it was being stored for later. Having stuff for later certainly a good plan, and it was an idea Jr also had. Or if he was forced to tell the truth that was an excuse to leave the rather stale food on offer behind to go towards the allure of the colorful vending machines. Unlike the others, he really was a child rather than a temporarily embarrassed adult, and thus very much still had a child's palette. And that pallet demanded sugar, which quickly led to a loud crash as the little vandal used his dad's hammerhead to smash open the glass fronts of the vending machines in order to pilfer the contents. This resulted in the boy being mostly fueled by soft drinks (and some soup) instead of the cooking that had been provided to the penniless prepubescent prisoners, potentially turning him into an unintended wild variable in the sudo experimental split of fed and famished. If that hadn't been the case Kamek would have insisted the boy ate something of actual value. He had certainly had to do so in the past. They boy’s liquid lunch did turn up two things of note. The first was a gift box from the vending machine, which contained some outdated piece of fashion that was quickly replaced with a large number of soda cans. As for the second: [color=SpringGreen]”Wow, that's a [url=https://imgur.com/a/29RmKPz]cool bottle[/url]”[/color] was Jr’s reaction to finding the octopus themed bottle in the retro futuristic machine, hauling it out (he’d used a stool from one of the benches to climb up inorder to do his raiding) and then hefting it round to show off [color=SpringGreen]”hey papa, look at this”[/color] [color=FD0000]”Hmmm?”[/color] Bowser looked over from where he had been thoroughly engrossed with emptying the tables to see his son holding the bottle. It was quite the stylish looking one but it also reminded him of the ones that smelled like Bacchus’ breath and of that he did not approve. [color=FD0000]”Maybe let someone else drink that one kiddo”[/color] [color=SpringGreen]”Awww but daaaad”[/color] [color=FD0000]”No buts.”[/color] Bowser replied, before noticing the pile of empty cans around the vending machine [color=FD0000]”Also how how much soda have you been drinking?”[/color] [color=SpringGreen]”... hey Ace! Catch!”[/color] Jr called out to the Ace Cadet, before underhandedly tossing the glowing octopus themed bottle to the monster hunter and then saying [color=SpringGreen]”Hey look, Link got the door open, lets go!”[/color] and hurrying off after the hero, leaving Bowser to sigh, stuff one last morsel in his mouth and then collect his things to follow after those who had gotten a move on already. Rather sluggish at that, because he was very, very full. Jr, with his gift box of cans under one arm and minions at his feet, joined the procession of children milling through the halls that Bowser’s forged key had opened for them (and was eventually caught up by his father (hammerhead and goo can in tow) to receive his admonishment for his diet, which was stern talking to and the handing over a can so the king could sate his thirst) Near the front, meanwhile, Rika popped the winged key back in a pocket and then fished the half a scissor out and asked “anyone want this. As a uh, knife, or something?” [color=DeepSkyBlue]”shh”[/color] Kamek instructed for quiet [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Let's try and avoid attracting whatever monster haunts this floor, yes?”[/color] They found it soon enough. After passing a giant meat processor who’s (smell made the beaked Kamek wish he could close his nostrils even slightly like those with fleshy ones could) they peaked their way into to real kitchen, where they found a grand and grotesque chef hard at work butchering the contents of the hook carried parcels. Or the front runners did. Both the royal koopas had a gaggle of nonspeaking children to contend with if they wanted to get ahead, but there wasn't a great need in their knowledge, so instead they attempted to strike up a conversation or, in Bowser’s case, attempt to reduce the worried looks their, to the kids, monstrous forms were causing ([color=SpringGreen]”Hey, how's it going?”[/color] [color=FD0000]”Don’t worry, we're not going to eat you. We’re already full ha ha… That’s a joke. We’re getting you kids out of here”[/color]) leaving Kamek and Rika up front to ponder how they were going to mitigate their inevitable detection. You did not just miss a swarm of tiny children for long, especially when one of them (Sakura) was shimmying up onto your counters to do goodness knows what. Mirage, at least, had a plan he was going to vocalize and that was to try and knock down the contents of one of the meat hooks on top of the freaky giant butcher. “I can help do that” Rika informed him, raising her guns and teetering just a little as fatigued legs lost some of their support in the process of the change in angle “I think? If I can get a good angle anyway?” [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Maybe...”[/color] Kamek agreed cautiously [color=DeepSkyBlue]”but not quietly. We should keep that in our back pocket, only use it if we get spotted, I think?”[/color] “So like the hand guy? I’ll find a good spot to shoot from then” She replied, before seeking exactly that out, leaving Kamek to slowly and carefully seek out a path towards the other end of the room. Bowser and co were meanwhile only just arriving when Sakura started to execute the finals section of her plan, having only time to take in the monster and asking themselves what the street-fighter was doing before things went horribly right or wrong for her.