[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6W7bqko.png[/img] [h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2] [b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,091 (+2) [b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 10 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (251/100) [b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (218/90) [b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 10 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color](146/100) [b][color=Aqua]Rika: Level 5 [/color][/b] [color=Aqua]////////////[/color]////////////////////////////////////// (12/50) [b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Smash City Alcamoth [/center] Despite not having been a part of Nadia and Hat kid’s race, or even really knowing that was what they were doing, the moment the pair happenstantially blasted past the troop the prince headed and heeded the siren song of speed. The hovering clown car hit the deck as its kart wheels deployed, and he was off, the electric motor whirring as he sped after the pair. Or, well, mainly after the hat kid really, the pair of kids engaging in a very disruptive kart race through the mall, sending people scrambling to the side to dodge out of the way of the racers. He wasn't the only one to just start moving without question, and Rika found herself chasing after them more out of the instinct that if you saw allies running either to or from somewhere then you should join up with their advance/retreat if you wanted to be useful/live. Then once her conscious mind had caught up with her instincts she just found herself enjoying the exhilaration and exertion, finding it good to stretch her body after it had been healed up. The ship girl was the slowest of the lot seeing as it was a land race, but Nadia slowing down and giving up after a bit let her catch up with her and her cargo. [color=Aqua]”Hi there!”[/color] said the girl, her tone as cheerful and sunny as her sundress, as she joined them in walking after the two speeding kids. She exchanged a few words with the catgirl before leaning back a bit so she could introduce herself to Omori [color=Aqua]”Oh you’re Kamek’s new friend right? Or something? Either way I’m Rika, it’s nice to meet you!”[/color] After a bit of walking they caught up with the two racers and their victory juice boxes at the base of the central elevator that had turned out to be the finishing line. Said elevator turned out to be a rather weird affair truth be told, but rather than be freaked out like Nadia Jr just took it as someone's overly thematic lift ripped from who know where and plonked into the heart of the city by Galeem (he also thought whoever made it might have been trying a bit to hard too fit to whatever robot spider theme they had) while Rika lacked in so much context that for all she knew this was entirely normal. Her simple yet appreciative comment of [color=Aqua]”Neat!”[/color] made the ship girl’s state of mind on the whole affair perfectly clear. On the other hand when it came to the familiar presence, she found herself a bit embarrassed truth be told, especially by Nadia’s comments of concern that made her realize she herself hadn’t really thought about where Bella had been since they got back, let alone New Southern. Now that she was, she hoped that the nihilistic princess had found at least some small comfort away from the dreadful island she had been freed from Galeem’s influence upon. [color=Aqua]”Oh, uh, hi Bella. How’ve you been?”[/color] she asked, awkwardly raising a gauntleted arm and waving one of her wrist strapped hands as a greeting. Turned out she’d been taking it easy and giving herself space to process things, and was now looking into maybe becoming an explorer, which if she did, then Jr had some good news on that front: [color=SpringGreen]”Buncha people are riding trains all around the world right now, so if you want places to explore there's about to be a whole lot more of em than the pile we’ve got already”[/color] he informed her as they mused about heading up the elevator. [color=SpringGreen]”Ooo it moves on its own? Spooky. Yeah let’s check it out”[/color] was Jr’s opinion on it once Bella filled them in on what she knew. Unlike the prince, who was mainly interested because it sounded haunted, the actual view at the top seemed nice to Rika, who could relate to Bella’s desire to see new things a great deal. Alcamoth was, she just then realized, extremely contextless to her. A place she had teleported to and from but really had no understanding of where it was in relation to anything else. It was one of the many many gaps in her knowledge she decided she wanted to clear up, and so she nodded in agreement to this plan. [hr] When the kids ran off after the other kids, they had left their elders in the dust at the top of the mall. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Should we, ah, go after them?”[/color] Kamek asked, glancing from her king to the rapidly retreating rapscallions’ rears. [color=FD0000]”Eh they’ll be fine. Got each other and Nadia, how much trouble can they get into?”[/color] Bowser asked over the sound of someone shrieking as a result of almost being run over by a careening clown kart. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Thank badness. Honestly I have never seen the appeal of that whole kart racing malarkey. Puzzles and board/minigames, now that is where it is”[/color] Kamek asserted, stepping off the broom she was halfway through mounting and setting the top down to the ground to use as a walking stick once more. [color=FD0000]”Eh don’t knock it till you try it, and your always welcome to come give it a go you know”[/color] the king offered, something the mage waved off with a [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Ack, no, I’m much too old for that sort of thing”[/color] to which the king just shrugged in reply. [color=FD0000]”Suit yourself”[/color] A few moments of silence hung in the air as they watched the youths race on before Bowser stretched and said [color=FD0000]”Dunno about you, but that fighting worked up an appetite! Wanna hit up a food stall or something?”[/color] [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Sure. Why not”[/color] That was how Bowser wound up getting a seafood snack from a [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vinesauce/images/e/e2/CP2077_Shrimp_Lady.jpg]completely unflappable shrimp lady[/url] who was quick to insist that her suppliers ‘aqua farms’ where oh so much better than “that trash from the sea” despite her stall being half in ruin due to an unfortunate run in with a certain recklessly driving prince. Kamek meanwhile just bit into an apple she had acquired and wondered if the woman had even noticed the incident or if she just rolled with the punches that well as Bowser came over. He had a takeaway box full of shrimp held in one hand from which he skewered a little morsel with a claw of the other and popped it in his mouth before chewing thoughtful and finally swallowing. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”So, how is it”[/color] Kamek asked, curious about the validity of the woman’s claims. [color=FD0000]”Decent but it tastes a bit, uh, ”[/color] he snapped his fingers a few times before Kamek suggested [color=DeepSkyBlue]”artificial?”[/color] [color=FD0000]”Yeah that’s it”[/color] he agreed, before the two lapsed into another silence filled only with the crunching sounds of crustacean and apple being munched down. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”So. What next?”[/color] Kamek asked after a bit [color=FD0000]”I dunno… Wanna see if anyone we know is about?”[/color] Bowser suggested and, once he got a [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Sure why not”[/color] they set off to do just that.