Koopatalogue

“…yeaaahhh, that’s… yeah. A volcano, huh? An active one, too.”

He shut his eyes and sucked in a breath that sounded more like a hiss. An active volcano sounded kinda cool, he supposed… well, not exactly cool, but tolerable. Maybe.

“Sure. Yeah. Let’s go,” he finally answered, his typical toothy smile coming right back. He took long strides and tossed his arms behind his head.

Sh&t’s fine, he told himself, more than once. It’s not your problem, anyway.

“So, what’s this adventure gonna have in store for us this time? It’ll be including the risk of ‘death’ by lava, I’m guessing?”

Jax had only had what he called a ‘game over’- or death in an adventure- once, when he was crushed by a meteorite in some kind of odd, space-like environment. He couldn’t recall if it was from the suggestion box or not, but assumed it wasn’t. Caine seemed to forget it existed unless he was reminded, and even then, half the time, no suggestions were answered.

The ends of Caine's teeth turn up with delight as Jax says "sure" and heads down the hall. Caine knew he could get him on board with the adventure without having to do the whole snap-summon thing!

“So, what’s this adventure gonna have in store for us this time? It’ll be including the risk of ‘death’ by lava, I’m guessing?”

"Yesirree," says Caine, "All that and more! A classic, out of the house adventure! Not even I know what awaits you on Dinosaur Volcano Island!"

“You seem kindaaaaa… uh, extra enthusiastic about this one, huh?”

There's a twinkle in Caine's eye, the one he gets on those rare moments where he feels appreciated. He rewards what he sees as kindness with a pat on the head and a tasty treat.

Well, THIS fellow is quite the strange one... He was trying to piece together what this... chess piece? Was that what he was? Was trying to say.

The jester raised his hands and gently shook them. "Oh-- no need to ask anyone else, or have any votes.. Just search deep down in yourself-- do you feel happy? Tell me of your feelings is all I am asking~," Quinn told Kinger again with a small smile.

His gaze draws up to the top of tent of the Amazing Digital Circus, where it stays put for several Amazing Digital Seconds before he looks back at the newcomer and blinks, as though seeing him for the first time.

"Wait. You're not new here, are you? I mean, I don't think I've seen you around before..."

She didn't say anything, she never had much of a say about much within the circus or within adventures. She did wonder though...what would happen? She was happy nothing too crazy happened, but...the funeral was going to happen when they got back. And Gangle wasn't sure she could take that. Part of her wanted to run away, to escape from everyone and everything yet here she was tethered. She cursed herself, cursed her lack of a body...the only reason Jax could push her around so much was because she was weak...if only she had...

The ribbons around Gummigoo begin to move slightly. They were still making their way back to the Candy Kingdom to return home.

If Gummigoo didn't know better, he'd say that rabbit-y bloke had it in for him and this ribbon-y sheila. After all, why tie him up with her to dupe the guards when they had a perfectly good candy rope they could use?

Either way, he was off to greener pastures now, so after saying "so long" to his boys, he awkwardly made his way through the Candy Canyon Kingdom gates, past the celebrating crowd and the princess, and into the mysterious portal.

A ringmaster fella with big pearly whites — the God that the Kingdom worshiped, if he wasn't mistaken — greeted them all with a hearty "Welcome back, my little hard-shelled hamburgers!"

Huh. Funny guy.

"Wait a minute — Gangle!"

Without any warning, Caine zooms in to confront her.

"Have you been working out?!"

"Because I've got to say, you are looking Sam's Tastic! Real bulked up, in fact! How do you do it?"

Kris offered a slight wave, it came off as robotic. It often did whenever the SOUL was in control of Kris's body. Kris hadn't wanted to be here, had fought against it at every turn. They were not ok with Noelle coming here or with Susie telling her that the Dark World exists. Dark World Adventures were meant to be a Kris and Susie thing. Now, it was coming apart, but if they gave any indication of that dissatisfaction people would ask questions. And that was going to be bad.

They had already messed up once allowing Susie to find that second code. Damn Flowery! Damn him to hell! Thankfully the first code was still safely in Carol's hands so no chance of Susie getting that one. But, if Noelle gets involved then access to that code could be possible again.

I mean, it isn't even that hard of a code to figure out! It's the same date Noelle kept putting into her search history over and over. Anyone with half a brain could figure it out. So why was the SOUL so interested in coming here? When Kris was so angry right now?

Killing time that's all it was, though how helpful the SOUL could be was off at the best of times. Whenever SOUL took control it tended to be stilted in how it acted. Also hard to ignore the monotone it spoke in.

Might explain why Queen like Kris she seemed to like mechanical things being one herself. As for her question the SOUL answered.

"It's fine." That's all that Kris has to say, and Queen gets the feeling that they're not impressed. She looks over the starless Christmas tree again, and Lancer imitates her gesture, putting a finger under his chin along with her.

* Hmm * Don't Think That's A Very High Rating * It's Missing Something, Isn't It * Specifically On：The Top * We Couldn't Decide Whether To Use Lancer, Starwalker, Or Someone/Something Else * What's Your Take On It, Kris

"I'm just a traveler here! I go where the wind takes me, always creating new adventures and making new friends! Perhaps you will be my NEXT friend~?" Quinn almost sang out as he twirled in his spot.

"Hmm! I don't know. Am I happy?" says Kinger. In the daylight, he's about as scatterbrained as ever. "I'll have to call my constituents, check in with the council, and..."

"... Wait a minute." He stares at the stranger, eyes narrowing. "Are we registered to vote in this state?"

Jax didn’t realize he was staring at the eraser half of the pencil until someone knocked on his door and almost startled him out of his fur.

Well, now he was glad he hadn’t been sleeping. That would’ve been a TERRIBLE way to wake up.

“GUH-huh!! …wh-… Caine!!”

His brows knit and nearly came together as he stomped up to the door and swung it open. As hot as the boiling rage that had suddenly swept over him was, Jax stopped, and his pupils grew large instead of tiny squares, flooded with anger.

The strained, crooked grin on his face didn’t hide just how much he wanted to slam the door in Caine’s face at all, but what did it matter?

Yellow eyes tired, he pointed his fingers- palms pressed together- at the ringmaster and asked, “what’s the adventure?” in a tone that suggested hastily-contained frustration. Not that Caine would realize this, he was sure… but that was what he wanted, anyway.

Well, it's best not to think about that now.

"There you are, Jax! Why, I wasn't sure if you'd show up after you missed the award for Wascalliest Wabbit." Jax had been gone for part of the event — doing what, Caine doesn't know. "We ended up giving it to Bubble instead."

"Ain't I a stinker?" says an inexplicably bunny-eared Bubble. (Seems he's ripping off Jax's shtick...)

Of course the same might not be said for other mammals, especially those who belonged on land. And if it weren't for his sonar, he might have missed one out amongst the rocks. It wasn't too far from shore for a mammal of his size. Them, though…

He decided to investigate, in case they might be stranded.

When the cetacean approaches him, the doctor is given pause. An ordinary man may have turned tail and fled, but Dr. Zephyr was no ordinary man. He embraced the unknown with an open mind.

"... Yes. Perhaps you could tell me the location of one red hexapus," Zephyr explains. "I let him out in the ocean, you see, and he should have returned to me by now."