06-25-2015, 05:47 PM
Zack just grinned in response, looking at Miranda, at the crowd, then back at Miranda in a quick motion. Suddenly, he drank the rest of his drink at once, keeping the glass in his hand as he closed his eyes for a second, taking in the strong alcohol. He then cleared his throat, and grinned once again.
"Be right back."
Without waiting for a response the Ex-SOLDIER was on his feet, and headed over to the bar. He stepped between a normal, human looking customer and a plant that was placed in a very odd place, right on one of the bar stools. Zack shrugged it off to strange local customs. He'd seen enough of them over the years.
"One more, please," Zack said as he leaned his right arm against the bar. "Need the strong stuff today."
The bartender laughed and took his glass, walking off to pour a refill. While he did that, Zack scanned the crowd, looking for the right person to talk to. He certainly didn't expect it to come from behind him though.
"Another prime in the steppes? This place is getting popular."
Zack turned and looked at the giant plant, noticing it had something roughly resembling the shape of a normal bipedal body. Instead of a head, though, it had a giant red and white bulb, but it also had a mouth on that bulb. Zack blankly looked it up and down for a second. Huh. Just the same, he shook his head and regained his composure. He was fishing for information here, so he needed to roll with some of the odd sights he was going to see with some grace.
"Well this place is starting to lend itself to it," Zack replied, turning to face the plant as the bartender returned and handed him another drink. "Lot going on here these days."
"I'll say," the plant agreed. "So what brings you to the realm of the Koopas?"
"Heard a rumor about some bandits," Zack explained, bending the truth just enough to pry some information from this guy. "I go here and there, do a little of this and that. Like to help people and get rewarded for it."
The plant laughed in amusement. Or maybe it was a scoff of disgust? It was too hard to tell.
"The bandits have hit a lot of people around here, made life hell in a place where it was already...well, hell," the plant nodded. "Bowser could tell you more, though."
"Bowser?" Zack asked. "Who's that?"
"What are you, a new prime?" the plant replied incredulously. "Bowser rules the Koopa Kingdom underground, here in the Steppes. He's the one who looks after us all, but some things aren't enough to make his radar, I guess."
"That's why there's good Samaritans like me," Zack agreed. "So Bowser might be looking for a way to eliminate these bandits. Where might I find him?"
"Beats me. Can't promise he'll think anything of them, anyway," the plant replied.
"But if they came from another verse...he just might." Zack pressed him a little bit harder.
"You're right there. Bowser has multiple castles across the land. He could be in any one of them. At least the soldiers there can point you the right way," the plant nodded back.
"Thanks, man," Zack grinned, raising his glass.
"Cheers, prime," the plant replied back, taking his glass in a leafy appendage and clinking glasses with the lost Ex-SOLDIER.
Zack turned and walked away from the bar, shaking his head in amazement. He slid back into the seat across from Miranda, that mischievous smile still plastered on his face.
"Want to fight some bandits?"
He didn't give her much of a chance to answer, instead continuing his explanation.
"Rumor has it, there's a group of bandits tearing through this place. So this guy Bowser runs the Steppes, and I'm thinking I might be able to discuss lending a hand with thinning the crowd out with him. Only problem is we've got to find him...and them. But you're pretty good in a fight, so the help might be nice. What do you think?"
"Be right back."
Without waiting for a response the Ex-SOLDIER was on his feet, and headed over to the bar. He stepped between a normal, human looking customer and a plant that was placed in a very odd place, right on one of the bar stools. Zack shrugged it off to strange local customs. He'd seen enough of them over the years.
"One more, please," Zack said as he leaned his right arm against the bar. "Need the strong stuff today."
The bartender laughed and took his glass, walking off to pour a refill. While he did that, Zack scanned the crowd, looking for the right person to talk to. He certainly didn't expect it to come from behind him though.
"Another prime in the steppes? This place is getting popular."
Zack turned and looked at the giant plant, noticing it had something roughly resembling the shape of a normal bipedal body. Instead of a head, though, it had a giant red and white bulb, but it also had a mouth on that bulb. Zack blankly looked it up and down for a second. Huh. Just the same, he shook his head and regained his composure. He was fishing for information here, so he needed to roll with some of the odd sights he was going to see with some grace.
"Well this place is starting to lend itself to it," Zack replied, turning to face the plant as the bartender returned and handed him another drink. "Lot going on here these days."
"I'll say," the plant agreed. "So what brings you to the realm of the Koopas?"
"Heard a rumor about some bandits," Zack explained, bending the truth just enough to pry some information from this guy. "I go here and there, do a little of this and that. Like to help people and get rewarded for it."
The plant laughed in amusement. Or maybe it was a scoff of disgust? It was too hard to tell.
"The bandits have hit a lot of people around here, made life hell in a place where it was already...well, hell," the plant nodded. "Bowser could tell you more, though."
"Bowser?" Zack asked. "Who's that?"
"What are you, a new prime?" the plant replied incredulously. "Bowser rules the Koopa Kingdom underground, here in the Steppes. He's the one who looks after us all, but some things aren't enough to make his radar, I guess."
"That's why there's good Samaritans like me," Zack agreed. "So Bowser might be looking for a way to eliminate these bandits. Where might I find him?"
"Beats me. Can't promise he'll think anything of them, anyway," the plant replied.
"But if they came from another verse...he just might." Zack pressed him a little bit harder.
"You're right there. Bowser has multiple castles across the land. He could be in any one of them. At least the soldiers there can point you the right way," the plant nodded back.
"Thanks, man," Zack grinned, raising his glass.
"Cheers, prime," the plant replied back, taking his glass in a leafy appendage and clinking glasses with the lost Ex-SOLDIER.
Zack turned and walked away from the bar, shaking his head in amazement. He slid back into the seat across from Miranda, that mischievous smile still plastered on his face.
"Want to fight some bandits?"
He didn't give her much of a chance to answer, instead continuing his explanation.
"Rumor has it, there's a group of bandits tearing through this place. So this guy Bowser runs the Steppes, and I'm thinking I might be able to discuss lending a hand with thinning the crowd out with him. Only problem is we've got to find him...and them. But you're pretty good in a fight, so the help might be nice. What do you think?"