10-03-2015, 02:25 PM
Having decided he wasn't quite as sleepy as he'd originally thought, Zack stepped into what held the closest resemblance to a bathroom. He approached the sink so that he could wash his face, but upon turning the faucet the only thing that poured out was a thick, condensed stream of magma. Zack blankly stared at the lava, watching it exit the tap and then disappear down the drain. He pondered the physics, the reasoning, and the ridiculousness of what he was witnessing all at once, before slowly reaching back over and turning the handle back to the "off" position.
He continued to gaze blankly at the now empty sink. He wasn't so sure what made him say with confidence that he had been transported to another reality instead of being outright killed. He had every reason and then some to believe this was the afterlife, yet something in his mind told him that it just wasn't. Maybe it was his belief there was no way that hell was this stereotypical.
Shaking his head, he turned around and looked to see that there was a toilet and even a bidet in this bathroom. He crossed his arms as a look of disbelief washed across his face. He wasn't sure which of the two was more absurd, because despite the horror that awaited anyone who would use the bidet, the spikes along the seat of the toilet simply looked too ridiculous. What the hell were they trying to prove?
Still, curiosity overwhelmed him, and he gently eased forward. Slowly and carefully he reached his left hand out and pushed the lever to flush the toilet. As soon as he did the lava poured in from all sides of the bowl, swirling like any normal toilet would before exiting out the bottom. Zack simply watched in amazement at the sight, and a genuine smile came across his face. Awesome.
He shook his head and stepped back, then turned and walked back into the hall. As soon as he did, he looked to the left to see a small, brown, armless creature he'd learned was called a Goomba pop around the corner, a look of panic plastered across it's face.
"Don't use that bathroom!" the Goomba shouted at Zack in a hurry.
Zack simply grinned and balled a fist, pointing back at the bathroom with his thumb. "Is that another way you guys mess with visitors?"
"No!" the Goomba replied, beginning to calm down as he saw that Zack was unharmed. "No, we have a Prime-made water supply under the castle we tap in from, but the underground magma pools keep burning into the pipes. It's a constant maintenance issue."
Zack nodded in somewhat understanding. He'd never equated a lava problem to "maintenance," but the creature's logic was sound.
"And the spikes on the seat?" Zack continued to question.
"Okay, that's to mess with the visitors," the Goomba sheepishly admitted.
Zack put his hands on his hips and let out a loud laugh at that one. It was nice to see that at least humor was universal. Still, he figured that while he had a member of the guard here, he'd do what he could to get this group on the right track.
"So, we're trying to find Bowser," Zack changed the subject, and the Goomba tilted it's head. Or really, it's whole body. "We want to help out with the bandit problem in the area, but were hoping to discuss it with him, first. We've been to a few castles, but we don't know this area very well. Where can we go?"
"Lord Bowser? He's here," the Goomba simply replied. "Just a little down the hall. At least he was awhile ago."
"He is?! Great!" Zack balled a fist in his right hand and smashed it into his own left hand in excitement. Finally. "Can, can we go see him?"
"I-I believe so?" the Goomba answered, not really sure of what Bowser's protocol for guests like this would be. "I guess. Let's go see."
The Goomba turned and waddled down the hall, with Zack following after him. They weaved and maneuvered through several hallways and even climbed a flight of stairs. They stopped just outside a somewhat plain looking door. Zack had expected some sort of grand entrance to a lavish throne room, but apparently Bowser didn't both er to put one in all of the little castles.
"Wait here, I'll let you know," the Goomba said, then pushed cracked door to open it and slipped. It decisively shut behind him.
Zack was left standing in the hallway, tapping his left foot against the ground. He stared at the door and wondered how the Goombas made it around this place if doors were actually shut. Surely there was some sort of method they had to keep things efficient, and he hoped he wouldn't be out here long enough to figure it out.
"Come on in!" the Goomba called from the other side of the door, to his relief.
Zack quickly opened the door and strolled in, only to see that the only other occupants of the door were the Goomba and a yellow shelled Koopa.
"Sorry, but our king is in another castle," the Goomba explained, looking a little embarrassed.
Huh. That could get old fast. Zack shook his head and tried to dismiss the disappointment.
"So where can I find him? This isn't the first castle we've been to and missed him," Zack said, throwing his hands up as he spoke.
"Your best chance to to go to the main fortress and try to get an audience with him," the Koopa remarked, walking over to a table as he talked.
"Where would that be?" Zack asked, watching him walk.
The Koopa grabbed a marker and began to scribble on a map that was lying on the table. He circles a few places and drew a few lines, then walked over to Zack with it.
"Here. Take this map," the Koopa said, handing it to him. Zack took the map and held it up, looking at the rough trail the Koopa had drawn. "That should get your group to the main castle. From there you can take care of the rest."
"Great," Zack said as he looked it over. "And thanks."
"We just hope you can help with the bandits. They're a bit of trouble for us on the outside territory," the Goomba responded.
Zack nodded in understanding, stepping back towards the door. "We'll be heading out in the morning, and we'll see what we can do for you."
The two troopers nodded, and Zack left the room.
He began his walk down the hallway, feeling a little more confident about this. They would be helping those that helped them, and that was always a good feeling. Now all he had to do was get some rest, let the others know the plan, and get on the road.
Pausing, he looked at the multiple hallways branching out before him. First, he had to find his way back to the barracks. Maybe he should have asked for a map of this place, too.
He continued to gaze blankly at the now empty sink. He wasn't so sure what made him say with confidence that he had been transported to another reality instead of being outright killed. He had every reason and then some to believe this was the afterlife, yet something in his mind told him that it just wasn't. Maybe it was his belief there was no way that hell was this stereotypical.
Shaking his head, he turned around and looked to see that there was a toilet and even a bidet in this bathroom. He crossed his arms as a look of disbelief washed across his face. He wasn't sure which of the two was more absurd, because despite the horror that awaited anyone who would use the bidet, the spikes along the seat of the toilet simply looked too ridiculous. What the hell were they trying to prove?
Still, curiosity overwhelmed him, and he gently eased forward. Slowly and carefully he reached his left hand out and pushed the lever to flush the toilet. As soon as he did the lava poured in from all sides of the bowl, swirling like any normal toilet would before exiting out the bottom. Zack simply watched in amazement at the sight, and a genuine smile came across his face. Awesome.
He shook his head and stepped back, then turned and walked back into the hall. As soon as he did, he looked to the left to see a small, brown, armless creature he'd learned was called a Goomba pop around the corner, a look of panic plastered across it's face.
"Don't use that bathroom!" the Goomba shouted at Zack in a hurry.
Zack simply grinned and balled a fist, pointing back at the bathroom with his thumb. "Is that another way you guys mess with visitors?"
"No!" the Goomba replied, beginning to calm down as he saw that Zack was unharmed. "No, we have a Prime-made water supply under the castle we tap in from, but the underground magma pools keep burning into the pipes. It's a constant maintenance issue."
Zack nodded in somewhat understanding. He'd never equated a lava problem to "maintenance," but the creature's logic was sound.
"And the spikes on the seat?" Zack continued to question.
"Okay, that's to mess with the visitors," the Goomba sheepishly admitted.
Zack put his hands on his hips and let out a loud laugh at that one. It was nice to see that at least humor was universal. Still, he figured that while he had a member of the guard here, he'd do what he could to get this group on the right track.
"So, we're trying to find Bowser," Zack changed the subject, and the Goomba tilted it's head. Or really, it's whole body. "We want to help out with the bandit problem in the area, but were hoping to discuss it with him, first. We've been to a few castles, but we don't know this area very well. Where can we go?"
"Lord Bowser? He's here," the Goomba simply replied. "Just a little down the hall. At least he was awhile ago."
"He is?! Great!" Zack balled a fist in his right hand and smashed it into his own left hand in excitement. Finally. "Can, can we go see him?"
"I-I believe so?" the Goomba answered, not really sure of what Bowser's protocol for guests like this would be. "I guess. Let's go see."
The Goomba turned and waddled down the hall, with Zack following after him. They weaved and maneuvered through several hallways and even climbed a flight of stairs. They stopped just outside a somewhat plain looking door. Zack had expected some sort of grand entrance to a lavish throne room, but apparently Bowser didn't both er to put one in all of the little castles.
"Wait here, I'll let you know," the Goomba said, then pushed cracked door to open it and slipped. It decisively shut behind him.
Zack was left standing in the hallway, tapping his left foot against the ground. He stared at the door and wondered how the Goombas made it around this place if doors were actually shut. Surely there was some sort of method they had to keep things efficient, and he hoped he wouldn't be out here long enough to figure it out.
"Come on in!" the Goomba called from the other side of the door, to his relief.
Zack quickly opened the door and strolled in, only to see that the only other occupants of the door were the Goomba and a yellow shelled Koopa.
"Sorry, but our king is in another castle," the Goomba explained, looking a little embarrassed.
Huh. That could get old fast. Zack shook his head and tried to dismiss the disappointment.
"So where can I find him? This isn't the first castle we've been to and missed him," Zack said, throwing his hands up as he spoke.
"Your best chance to to go to the main fortress and try to get an audience with him," the Koopa remarked, walking over to a table as he talked.
"Where would that be?" Zack asked, watching him walk.
The Koopa grabbed a marker and began to scribble on a map that was lying on the table. He circles a few places and drew a few lines, then walked over to Zack with it.
"Here. Take this map," the Koopa said, handing it to him. Zack took the map and held it up, looking at the rough trail the Koopa had drawn. "That should get your group to the main castle. From there you can take care of the rest."
"Great," Zack said as he looked it over. "And thanks."
"We just hope you can help with the bandits. They're a bit of trouble for us on the outside territory," the Goomba responded.
Zack nodded in understanding, stepping back towards the door. "We'll be heading out in the morning, and we'll see what we can do for you."
The two troopers nodded, and Zack left the room.
He began his walk down the hallway, feeling a little more confident about this. They would be helping those that helped them, and that was always a good feeling. Now all he had to do was get some rest, let the others know the plan, and get on the road.
Pausing, he looked at the multiple hallways branching out before him. First, he had to find his way back to the barracks. Maybe he should have asked for a map of this place, too.