[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6W7bqko.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2]
[b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,662 (+3) 
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 14 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (141/140)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 13 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (159/130)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 12 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (138/120)
[b][color=Aqua]Rika: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aqua]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (122/80)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] The Under - Mercy Dreams
[hider=warp locations]
[s]
Central hub: Smash City Alcamoth
Accessible locations:
Peach’s castle
Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Lumbridge
Twilight Town
Kosm’s Beach
[/s]
[/hider]
[/center]

While they were waiting for the rest of the team to group up, Kamek found himself inexplicably drawn to the book that Robin Goodfellow had been using and reading from. The same one that seemed to have driven him mad from revelation. He had had trepidation about that before, but for some reason the potential cursed nature of the tome held less of a concern for the mage after his fusion.

As it turned out, there had been nothing to fear. It was true, the book did, when he looked it up, contain himself, but it was hardly a complete summary of his life, more of an entry in a bestiary. Indeed it contained nothing about his illustrious career in villainy pre his king’s delivery via stork for example, something he definitely had. 

Having suffered zero sanity damage, he then proceeded to flick through it for other entries of note, such as said king, and then attempted to look up Mario, only to find he was not present. Indeed, the book seemed to only contain people and things they had encountered in the prison, which was interesting and odd. As was the way that an entry for a ‘Raziel’ appeared when Therion rejoined the group, sporting a new look, one very reminiscent of the features of the individual in the entry.

He headed over to meet the man, relaying the information about the book to him, and then others via pearl, as well as hearing the thief’s analysis of what they could do about the safe. Namely that without a key, brute force was their only bet.

[color=FD0000]”Shoulda gone for muscle in the first place”[/color] Bowser told his advisor, before he promptly kinetic strike module the safe across the room. This did not open it, but it did dent it a bit, which prompted the king to insist [color=FD0000]”See, a bit more of that and we’ll have what’s inside!”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”yes, well, if whatever is inside is not utterly destroyed as well”[/color] Kamek muttered irreverently, before sighing and leaving his king to it.

As for the other of the human pair’s question that she asked once she arrived, namely about being ready to leave, Jr’s reply to that was [color=SpringGreen]”Yup! I am one hundred percent ready to blow this joint, coz I am beat”[/color]

Indeed that really did go for all of them, except maybe Rika who still had energy from somewhere. Possibly the same source as the lollipop she stuck in her mouth once she learned that they were done fighting and getting a ride out of the dungeon. Specifically they were headed up to dirtmouth for a rest, and though the town wasn't exactly the greatest place to camp down for the night, it was, probably, safe. More so than places unknown or actively turned against them by a consul, so up there they went.

The stag beetle transportation was somewhat unorthodox, but only somewhat, and though a bit bumpy it did the job. Said jostling also helped Bowser, who spent most of the journey biting the safe to try and gnaw it open, resulting in it having a bunch of dents and holes in it by the time they arrived.

Up top they were finally freed from the cold stagnant dark and into the cold fresh dark of the night time air at the surface. So only a moderate improvement. Entirely neutral actually given that the past sundown state of the surface was an indicator of how late it was, one which reminded the Troop that they had not actually eaten dinner yet, and so rather than bunk down at once, they set out in search of somewhere to buy a meal.

Unfortunately, though the town was not entirely abandoned due to the miners, said miners where not exactly the most picky of eaters, and so the best they could find was a stall operating out of the back of a chuck wagon operated by one Bang Ersandmash

“Bilimy, don’t you look famished in a half, chewing on a chunk of metal of all things” the man said as soon as he saw Bowser, who was still gnawing on the safe that did not look anything like a safe any more, before launching into a sales pitch “well then step right up, you've come to just the right place for some top quality nosh. I’ve got coronation chicken sandwiches if you want sumin light, or a classic fish n’ chips or a steak and kidney pie if you want sumin more filling. Though for a big guy like you, I could whip up a full breakfast for dinner. bacon, fried egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, hash brown, grilled tomatoes, the works!” 

[color=FD0000]”Deal”[/color] Bowser replied at once upon hearing that list

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Sir, we don’t even know the price yet”[/color] Kamek began to point out, but his king would have none of it

[color=FD0000]”I heard bacon and that’s enough for me. So fry it all up chef guy, and give it to me stat. Give me two even”[/color] he said to the man, before adding [color=FD0000]”and make us some of the other stuff too while you're at it. Pair of pies, two helpings of chips, and … nah skip the sandwiches but the hot stuff, give us the lot”[/color]  

“Blimy, what an appetite. Don’t you worry, I’ll av your supper done in a jiffy” Bang replied with delight, turning on ovens, stove tops and fryers galore to service the king’s ravenous hunger, only to be interrupted by Kamek asking [color=DeepSkyBlue]”One moment, what do you have on your menu that’s vegetarian?”[/color] 

The man looked affronted at the very notion, asking “You what? Does it look like I’m serving rabbit food here?”

Kamek breathed in. Breathed out. Then rather than take this floated up in the air so he could look down upon the chef, then leaned so his beak was near to pecking the man’s nose and [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I am the one with the money, so find me something on that little menu of yours, or we’ll have a problem”[/color] while mana flowed loosely around him, causing him to radiate directionless, formless power.

“Aright alright, lay off it. It ain’t the time for you, but I can do you a cream tea, with scones and the like” Bang replied, holding up his hands, not wanting to get in a fight. At least not with otherwise paying customers.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Very good”[/color] the Mage replied, as he floated back down and retook a more typical demure posture, yet also looking very smug. 

At least up until Rika, having seen all this go down along with the other two (more taken aback) troop members, piped up with [color=Aqua]”ooh, ooh, I wanna try”[/color] before pointing the barrel of her gauntlet embedded rifle at Bang and demeaning he [color=Aqua]”Gimmy all your sweet stuff!”[/color] 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Ah, no, young mistress there are limits please do not directly threaten the man”[/color] Kamek told her, floating up again and using his want to gently lower the gun for her, before offering Bang a sincere if rather ironic apology [color=DeepSkyBlue]”I’m sorry, I seem to have set a poor example. Please do continue, and also let me pay right away so there are no more misunderstandings”[/color] 

“I… right. That’ll be … 300 gold?” Bang replied carefully, which got him a look to which he responded “what you think it's easy getting bacon and fish up here? I gotta make a living come on” resulting in a sigh and a shrug from Kamek, before he forked over the gold

“Pleasure doin business with you” Bang said as he raked in the gold, before getting back to his cooking. 

Soon enough the troop had been served their exotic meals, which for the most part were greasy and fatty, but at the very least filling, and after a hard day of violence and terror, that was more than enough. Probably not worth 300 gold mind, but it was enough. Kamek, soothed by sorely missed tea, was in no mind to complain however, and so they left without incident, finding their way back to the area the team had decided to squat in.

Having just eaten they weren't quite ready to pack it in for the night, but they also were not in a state to do anything productive either. Jr attempted more repairs on his clown car, but dirtmouth wasn’t exactly somewhere with a bevy of spare parts on hand, and his mind was much too tired anyway. So instead he and Rika ended up playing with some of the games that had been looted from Porky and not gifted to the orphans.

Kamek had less issue getting to sleep, so ironically it was Bowser who was the productive one, waking Kamek back up again with a loud crash as he delivered a flurry of blows, kicks, and tusk goarings to the safe which finally gave up the ghost and snapped open, revealing its contents: a [url=https://i.imgur.com/GgrxPc8.png]formless, seething mass[/url] that defied identification.

Not that the king didn’t try, fail, and then try and pass off the question as to what it was to his advisor [color=FD0000]”Kamek, what is that thing?”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I have no idea. And working out what it is can wait till morning. Goodnight sire”[/color] was the mage’s sleepy grumpy reply, before he promptly rolled over and went back to sleep.

[color=FD0000]”Huh”[/color] Bowser replied, before thinking a bit, and then instead of going to get some sleep, went over and joined his kids for some late night gaming.

They lasted about 30 min before they too were all out like lights.