[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] 3434 (4+)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 10 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (219/100)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (192/90)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 10 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color](119/100)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Limsa Lominscuttle Town - Kanzuki Beach
Feat: Rika
[/center]


Kamek poked the stone platform that had apparently swallowed Link and forced him to fight a gang of dog eared girls with the end of her broom while standing well away from it. Then she sent a shadow clone to wander over it. After that she braved the circle herself. Peered at it. Poked it some more. Gave it a quick sweep to see if that would uncover any hidden runes or something. Then she shot it with a spell for good measure and finally gave up.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well then. This is a bust”[/color] the mage admitted, right before Rika leaned over her shoulder and asked “What you doing?” which gave her quite the start, the mage twirling around to face the ship girl in a moment of panic.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Ah my stars! Rika? You snuck up on me!”[/color] she accused the former abyssal who simply cocked her head and insisted she had not “I’m just light-footed on the water” she explained, before reiterating her question

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well I was investigating… ah it does not matter it's a dead end anyway”[/color] she replied and then turned the question around on Rika to change the subject  [color=DeepSkyBlue]”What have you been up too? I haven’t seen you in a while”[/color]

“Me? Oh I’ve been sailing around. It’s nice to be back on the water and not be in danger while I’m at it” she explained “plus I’ve been checking out all the neat stuff there is in the ocean”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Oh? Such as?”[/color] Kamek asked mostly to make conversation as she remounted her broom.

“Lots of colorful fish, and coral oh and there’s this shipwreck with food walking around in it. I didn’t know that was where food came from. Seems kinda weird to be honest” she said, which raised the mages eyebrow. This she had to see, so soon enough they had scooted along the beach to see the [url=https://imgur.com/QlH3NEF]food based bugs[/url] who made their home in and around the shipwreck.

“Weird aren't they?” Rika said as the bugs mostly scurried away from her loudness

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Somewhat, yes”[/color] Kamek agreed as she landed on the beach next to the shipgirl, before sending a Toadie swooping off to snatch up a [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/bugsnax/images/4/45/Kweeble_sticker.png]kiwi looking one[/url], which came complete with a large spoon for a nose. It struggled in the propeller minion’s grip as the mage poked it with her wand.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well it’s certainly a novelty… you can't speak can you?”[/color] she asked the bug, and only received some pokemon-like calls of “Kwee Kweeble” from it in response [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Seems not. You can never be too careful, you know.”[/color] she explained, before having the minion put it down again, at which point it fled to go hide in a nearby fallen log.

“Wanna see if there's anything else neat around?” Rika asked, to which she got a shrug and a [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Why not, I could do with stretching these old bones for a bit”[/color] from the mage.

As the pair began their search, they managed to turn up no shortage of unusual things. Their shared interest in ambulatory food had brought them to quite the interesting section of beach, a little south and around a leftward bend from the Kanzuki Estate. With no manmade structures to be seen other than that rather aesthetic shipwreck resting on the shore, the igneous rocky outcroppings forming natural walls and wealth of different Bugsnax to be found, made the cove seem more like a nature preserve than part of a resort. Kamek and Rika could watch a [url=https://i.imgur.com/DJCCk4Z.png]Snaquiri[/url] leap from the water to float using its umbrella, or [url=https://i.imgur.com/niJ47s4.png]Crapples[/url] fighting over morsels of food that had washed ashore. When they passed by palm trees they could see crowds of [url=https://i.imgur.com/OjWnb7W.png]Snakpods[/url] just hanging there like bagworms. It wasn’t all fun and games, though; channels of lava oozed gently down the beach from within caves in the porous rock, and irksome [url=https://i.imgur.com/Pf95T7E.png]Grapeskeetos[/url] buzzed around the ladies in a feeble but annoying campaign to drain their juices.

Most interesting of all, Kamek and Rika realized during their tour of Boiling Bay that they weren’t alone. While tourists and beachgoers seemed to give the place a respectful birth on account of its weird and wonderful creatures, a lone [url=https://i.imgur.com/Km29TTU.png]Grumpus[/url] traipsed around the cove busily, using a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Cs1BwNd.png]trap[/url] to gather Bugsnax one at a time. If lucky enough to catch one, the purple-furred stranger went right back to the shipwreck. A better look at the place revealed the presence of a number of tables laden with hastily-scribbled notes and scientific instruments, as well as cages for the critters and some other bits of furniture. Said better look also led to the bizarre discovery that the stranger’s left lower leg appeared to be composed entirely of strawberries, but if the unusual limb troubled the Grumpus at all, they certainly gave no sign of it.

Kamek took the strawberry leg for a strangely localized fusion and that was enough to pique his interest, though the discovery that she seemed to be a fellow academic also had a part of it. Of course, such types were not normally the ones who liked to be interrupted, which could prove a problem to her information gathering. As such, when she politely rapped on the closest thing she could find to a door on the ship with her wand she had with her the same very unfortunate kweeble. Or rather Rika did, carrying the panicked thing under one arm

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Excuse me for interrupting, but you seemed to be someone in the know about these strange creatures? Would you be able to enlighten me about their nature and what you are studying about them?”[/color] she called out with polite interest. 

Floofty gave Kamek an irritated glance, although a little respect and the possibility of free Bugsnax as a peace offering meant that they couldn’t be too bothered. “Hmph! I should certainly hope so,” they grouched, slapping shut the door on a freshly-caught Strabby’s cage. The Grumpus reached out a paw to request the Kweeble. “How refreshing it is to meet someone helpful for a change. Here, I’ll take that. Curious about Bugsnax, are we? Keep whatever wits you have about you and don’t touch anything without my say-so, and we’ll get along just famously, I’m sure.” After they stuffed the living kiwi in a birdcage, with its spoon nose poking through the openings, the Grumpus crossed their arms behind their back. “Floofty Fizzlebean, Gastroentomologist. If that’s too many syllables for you, just know that it means yes, I most certainly can ‘enlighten’ you about Bugsnax. I’m studying them to better understand, and control, the process of snakification.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Oh I wouldn’t dare”[/color] Kamek replied to the insistence she not touch anything, before giving Rika a ‘that goes for you too’ glance after the ship girl had handed over the Bugsnax to the Gastroentomologist. A word both wisely decided not to embarrass themselves failing to pronounce correctly.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Pleasure to meet you, Floofty. I am Kamek, a humble mage, and this is my companion, Rika”[/color] the koopa introduced them to her as they both looked around the rest of the shipwreck of a home.

“Hi” Rika said with a smile and a wave “Nice place you got here. Very… drift woody!”

Kamek gave her a look and then realized Rika was being more or less genuine with her compliment and tried to move past that as best she could [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Yes… well anyway. What was that process you mentioned? Snakification?”[/color] she glanced down at the Grumpus’ mismatching limb and then asked [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Is that what occurred to your leg? If that isn’t a sensitive topic”[/color]

“Yeah what is up with that? It's like a super localized fusion? We’ve never seen that before, right Kamek?” Rika added, tactlessly crouching down a little to get a closer look at the strawberry leg. 

Floofty nodded to Kamek. “Correct. Snakification is the process by which Grumpus biology is overridden by surrogate biological matter following the consumption of Bugsnax. We are what we eat, as they say.” They lifted their leg and moved it, each of the three strawberries bending and flexing just as a normal limb would. “Owing to the difficulty of getting any help from the dim-witted and trepidatious populace hereabouts, I have been experimenting on myself, hence the leg. Snakification occurs one part at a time, and randomly–until now, that is.”

“Until now?” Rika asked curiously, bulldozing over any of the interim questions Kamek had been about to voice about, for example, the how of that situation, or  perhaps more importantly the whys of why you would want to have a food based leg in the first place. 

A smug look spread over Floofty’s face. “Ah, tickled your fancy with that one, did I?” They adjusted their bow importantly. “Indeed. For I have created an invention capable of directing Snakification’s transformative power into a specific part. Behold…” Floofty moseyed over to a nearby table and picked up a [url=https://i.imgur.com/GqeNkb1.png]device[/url] that seemed to be made from a fishing rod, then presented it to their guests. “The Snaktivator. It’s all very intricate and complicated, so I’ll put it in words I’m sure everyone can understand.” They opened the a cage and pulled the Bugsnak Rika gave them back out. “Feed me Kweeble. Poke Snaktivator in foot. Foot turns into Kweeble.” Flipping the device around in their hand, they almost offered it to Rika, but thought better of it and handed it to Kamek. “Well? What are you waiting for? The trial has begun.” With that, Floofty stood with their mouth open, and an otherwise unamused expression.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Are you su-”[/color] Kamek began to ask before she realized it was a very pointless question. Of course she was sure. So instead the mage took the device before Rika could, and crouched down next to Floofy’s foot. 

“Aw” Rika bemoaned not getting the funny device, but that did not prevent her from picking the Kweeble out of the cage and holding the struggling beast out and, sort of, vaguely handing it towards the Grumpus’ very big mouth. 

As Rika hoisted the Bugsnak Kamek had to ask [color=DeepSkyBlue]”So. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the benefit of this, specifically?”[/color] even as she stood ready to engage in the experiment. 

It went without saying that neither of them had any particular qualms about feeding a living creature to this very reckless scientist. Kamek came from a palace where everything had eyes, and Rika saw no reason not to follow her example in this situation. People probably should have not let her fall in with such dastardly influences. 

Rather than reply, Floofty went ahead and ate the Kweeble. The creature got chewed up and swallowed in a matter of moments, leaving Floofty smacking their lips. “Hmm. Terribly sweet,” they mumbled as they glanced down at the extremity Kamek was kind enough to prod with the Snaktivator. Sure enough, the left lower leg suddenly turned into a big kiwi fruit with both ends removed. It just sort of popped in, without any build-up or ceremony. Floofty’s knee disappeared straight into the top as if the missing lower leg was embedded within. “Experiment zero-two, successful,” the Grumpus announced.

They cleared her throat and moved on, as if the matter bore no other significance. “As for your other question, the answer is really quite simple, so I daresay its implications won’t be lost on you. As you see, snakifications ‘remember’ the part that came before, as if imprinted. This allows them to mold to a shape similar to the original. And snakification wears off over time.” Floofty paused as if waiting for their new assistants to start applauding their genius right that instant. “...Which means, even if I were, say, missing a limb, a snakified limb would grow in its place, then revert to the original part over time. It is nothing less than regeneration–of limbs, of organs, of bodies. A discovery that will no doubt rock the world of medicine to its very core, even if…certain people…don’t quite grasp that significance.” 

Kamek blinked behind her spectacles a few times and then had to admit [color=DeepSkyBlue]”You’re right, that is remarkable”[/color] 

Rika scratched her head and then pointed out “Can’t you and Blazeramte already do stuff like that with your magic and her heal beam thing though?”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well, yes. But not everyone has a mage as experienced as I or a fancy medical robot, on call. If these can be farmed then you could supply an entire civilization with near perfect wound and disease treatment in an edible form. That would be revolutionary on its own. Plus there are limits to what we can do, limb and organ restoration wise. We haven't exactly had to worry about limb loss yet for example, so I do not know if Blazermate can cover that”[/color] Kamek pointed out, before asking a somewhat key question in terms of application for their specific needs (i.e. violence) [color=DeepSkyBlue]”How long does the, ah, snakification normally take to wear off?”[/color] 

Barbed words for Rika had been on the tip of Floofty’s tongue until Kamek gently explained the importance of their work. The Grumpus settled for looking indignant, as if her time was being wasted, until Kamek posed another question. “That depends on one’s natural healing rate, independent of any outside restorative effects, but it’s typically about a week,” they replied.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I see”[/color] she replied. Much too long for combat healing, but an impressive rate for anything other than that. If they could get some of these to smash city it could be useful for treating long term injuries there. If it worked on non grumpus’ that was. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I take it you do not know if this works on people who are not of your species yet?”[/color] she asked, a touch rhetorically, before adding [color=DeepSkyBlue]”or if there are any of these bugsnax that would provide beneficial properties on top of the transformation…. Hmmm maybe we could even induce useful effects via fusion?”[/color]  as much as a question as her own musings.

The question took Floofty aback, provoking brows furrowed in indignation. “As if! You must not know what a good scientist looks like. Of course I tested on other species whenever I could get them, and they most certainly do experience similar effects. If you simply cannot visualize such a thing, why not prove me right by trying it for yourself?” Floofty tossed the Snaktivator back to Kamek, treating the device almost as flippantly as their guests. “With my vastly superior two-point-two model nearly complete, I have no further need of version two-point-one. Just let me know if anything interesting happens while you’re playing with it, would you? I’ve got much to do, so if you’ve no further intent to aid me in my research, kindly leave me to it.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I meant no offense. I simply assumed based on your mention of not being able to get help earlier, and your reliance on self testing, that you would have not had access to other research subjects as of yet. That was my mistake”[/color] Kamek apologized to her even as she stashed away the device in her white mage robes.

“That seemed pretty obvious to me” Rika interjected, having not really liked the woman’s tone from the start.

Kamek’s good manners helped to smooth over the perceived wound. “Ah, fret not. In the end it’s only natural, I suppose. All that really matters is progress.” That said, it would seem that Floofty was serious about getting back to their own business for now. The Grumpus returned to their workstation, where they lifted up their new kiwi leg and laid it on the table before taking hold of a hacksaw. Then Floofty paused, and almost as an afterthought glanced the others’ way. “Run along for now, why don’t you? What comes next might not suit you. Later on, however, I might have need of you again, and I may be able to prepare something for your troubles, as well.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”We’ll, ah, keep that in mind”[/color] Kamek replied. If the dismissal had  not made her want to leave the prospect of viewing some self amputation most certainly did. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Come along now Rika, let us leave Floofty to her work”[/color] she said, before swiftly stepping out the door with the ship girl in tow.

“Well that was weird?” Rika said while they were still unwisely close to the self mutilating researcher’s driftwood domicile.  

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Nonsense it was fascinating”[/color] the mage replied with deliberate loudness before saying far more quietly [color=DeepSkyBlue]”She seemed a few coins short of a 1up yes, but no need to let her know that”[/color]

“Oh. Ok then” Rika relpield “Sooooooo. What are you going to do with that thingy then? Because I don't think anyone else would want to turn their leg into food. Right?” 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Probably not, unless they were worried about losing it of course. Which in this line of work does not seem too unlikely unfortunately”[/color] Kamek replied, before explaining that: [color=DeepSkyBlue]”What I am really interested in is how this interacts with fusions. As a targeted delivery mechanism perhaps? Maybe it even works on fusions on its own”[/color] 

“Huh. maybe. So how are you gonna find out?” Rika asked as they strolled along the beach

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well we’ll just have to try it out and find out now won't we?”[/color] the mage replied with a smile

And thus began their own bout of highly ill advised experiments.

On some unfortunate fish.

[center][hider=For Kamek]You have acquired:
[url=https://i.imgur.com/GqeNkb1.png][b]Snaktivator[/b][/url]
A device created by the sharp-tongue gastroentomologist, Floofty Fizzlebean. It is capable of directing transformative power from an outside source while the process is still in progress. Its intended purpose was to control the randomness of the snakification process induced by eating Bugsnax and direct the new matter to a specific region of the body for restorative purposes; however, this also applies to fusion. In both cases the change conforms to the target area to an extent, preserving or only slightly modifying iconic traits, although given the relative strength of fusion the changes tends to ‘originate’ and be strongest at the target area rather than confine itself solely to it. If possible the change is analogous; IE, if the host targets an arm, the donor’s arm will apply. While this pertains mostly to appearance, allowing a greater degree of control and customization, it can also affect what Powers and Strengths are gained[/hider][/center]


Several minutes and a few heavily mutated fish later and Kamek had her answer and it was quite the excellent one. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Fascinating stuff”[/color] Kamek concluded as their experiments wound down, before saying  [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Thank you for bringing me here Rika. This little gizmo was well worth the effort and rudeness from its creator”[/color] to her research assistant.

“No problem” she replied before suggesting “so… wanna head back?”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Seems like a good plan, we need to share our discovery after all[/color] the mage replied. The two set off a few moments later, arriving just in time to meet up with Bowser, Jr and Jr’s new friend Lana as they were all about to join in with the sandcastle building.