Non-HPU: Crater City

[Hlaoroo]

At the question of the possibility of having found the love of his life, Wildfire answered "No." a little too quickly, looked back down at his drink away from the others, and took a sip.

Mordecai simply nodded at Wildfire's answer and returned his attention back to Ryan, "Say, why don't you bring Ted along to the BBQ this weekend? I'll have plenty of food to spare."

"Sounds great!" Ryan enthuses. He crosses to the fridge and checks a sheet of paper affixed by a star-shaped magnet.
"He's definitely not on call so he should be free and I'm sure he'd love to come! He wouldn't turn down the honour of being invited to dine with the mayor." the sea otter adds, returning to the couch.
"How did your meeting with my father go, by the way?"

[SeanWolf]

"Sounds great!" Ryan enthuses. He crosses to the fridge and checks a sheet of paper affixed by a star-shaped magnet.
"He's definitely not on call so he should be free and I'm sure he'd love to come! He wouldn't turn down the honour of being invited to dine with the mayor." the sea otter adds, returning to the couch.
"How did your meeting with my father go, by the way?"

"As I said, really well!" Mordecai smiled, though he did decide to leave a few things out, mainly him and Ryan's father discussing his earlier views on Wildfire, "Last time he was in Thunder Bay, he wanted to help improve our our Elementary School and I wanted to let him know we have decided to allow him to build the greenhouse he suggested. I also informed him we are looking into some after-school activities for the kids to do revolving around said greenhouse. I also asked if he could bring some of his special BBQ sauce this weekend as that stuff was some of the best sauce I ever had."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Well," Julian said, casting a wry glance back at Tigress, "he does seem like a very smart guy." Julian leaned a little towards Allen. "Y'know, I'd thought that we Colossi were as common as cheap SUV's but I'm beginning to get the feeling we're the rare ones around here? Everyone I've seen turns into something different when they get up to 50 metres."

[Deske]

"Don't sell yourself so short, Jules. You're at least a luxury cheap SUV," Gregg quipped from his seat.

[Hlaoroo]

"As I said, really well!" Mordecai smiled, though he did decide to leave a few things out, mainly him and Ryan's father discussing his earlier views on Wildfire, "Last time he was in Thunder Bay, he wanted to help improve our our Elementary School and I wanted to let him know we have decided to allow him to build the greenhouse he suggested. I also informed him we are looking into some after-school activities for the kids to do revolving around said greenhouse. I also asked if he could bring some of his special BBQ sauce this weekend as that stuff was some of the best sauce I ever had."

"Oh, right, you did mention that, sorry!" Ryan apologises, facepawing.
"So, uh... Shall we play a game while we brainstorm plans for helping those girls?" the otter suggests.
"We've got a stack of board games, plus there's the Nintendos in the cupboard under the TV."

[CyberDragon]

"His accent's weird." Tigress announces immediately, Mist putting his hands over his face in embarrassment. Her stare and shout both hold only curiosity with no malice intended, having never heard the accent or associated it with a certain land, but her lack of tact clearly bothers her son.

"You still struggle with English sometimes." is the boy's mumbled reply, muffled by the hands hiding his face. Tigress shows no sign of having heard him and just continues watching the Kaiju outside the car.

"He's from the UK!" Allen said. "I'm not though. I grew up on the East Rim. We moved here when my Uncle got a job with the KDF. It's pretty cool here! If I look over the west ridge, I can see the neighborhood I grew up in!"

"Well," Julian said, casting a wry glance back at Tigress, "he does seem like a very smart guy." Julian leaned a little towards Allen. "Y'know, I'd thought that we Colossi were as common as cheap SUV's but I'm beginning to get the feeling we're the rare ones around here? Everyone I've seen turns into something different when they get up to 50 metres."

"Legends are the most common," Heather explained, "Mostly due to there being so many different kinds of Kaiju that are classified as Legends. Collossi are the second most common, followed by Xenoforms, then Leviathans, then Elders. Anyway, thanks for stopping to talk with us, Allen. We should be going."

"Alright! See ya, Miss Heather!" Allen said, hopping up and down a bit before vanishing in a blur of movement.

Heather started up the truck again and drove a bit down the road before pulling into the parking lot of a small diner. "I'm going to get something to drink. If any of you want to grab a shake or something, come along with me. I promise, you won't be disappointed."

-----------------------------------

"Oh, right, you did mention that, sorry!" Ryan apologises, facepawing.
"So, uh... Shall we play a game while we brainstorm plans for helping those girls?" the otter suggests.
"We've got a stack of board games, plus there's the Nintendos in the cupboard under the TV."

"I'd be up for playing a video game. What do you have?" Wildfire asked.

[DdeeStar]

"He's from the UK!" Allen said. "I'm not though. I grew up on the East Rim. We moved here when my Uncle got a job with the KDF. It's pretty cool here! If I look over the west ridge, I can see the neighborhood I grew up in!"

Tigress falls back into her seat, wondering aloud "UK... that's the Union Kingdoms off England...?" She crosses her arms and looks up at the roof of the car as she tries to puzzle it out.

Mist's hands return to his lap as he realizes his mother's no longer pressing the guest, only a slight embarrassment left. He shakes his head and replies in a whisper "No, no... England is part of the United Kingdoms, you're thinking of the continent Europe. That's where the UK is. They have the accents that everyone loves. Remember chef Ramsay on TV?" He asks softly, head askew as he watches for the sign of recognition. She seems to get most of it, but her expression remains puzzled.

"But the guy didn't sound or act like him at all." She affirms gently.

"Well, not everyone from the same place acts the same... but he was born in the UK too. That's my point." The mage replies as one last attempt to rectify it. She gives a quiet "Huh." and shrugs, attention turning back to the delivery boy as he moves to leave.

"Alright! See ya, Miss Heather!" Allen said, hopping up and down a bit before vanishing in a blur of movement.

Heather started up the truck again and drove a bit down the road before pulling into the parking lot of a small diner. "I'm going to get something to drink. If any of you want to grab a shake or something, come along with me. I promise, you won't be disappointed."

Tigress gives an energetic smile and wave as Allen vanishes, generally happy to have had such a positive interaction. Mist notes the group's farewells and offers a single, subtle wave as he tries to pretend he hadn't noticed the other Kaiju - yet still feeling rude to not wave him goodbye. As they begin to drive again Mist spends the time pulling his cape out from behind him and under the seatbelt to pick at the fabric. His mother spends the same time flicking his hand away from it, a light chastisement in Yasal accompanying each time. "Stop. Stop. Mist. Leave it alone. You're going to rip it." Eventually she just wraps an arm against him and pins him against her for the ride, locking his arms in the grapple. He says nothing, just lays his head against her with no expression.

Upon arrival the pair immediately file out, Mist looking at the diner curiously as Tigress smiles at Heather. "If the prices aren't bad, might as well give it a try. Don't know about you bud, but I'm starved." She jokes to the cat at her side, who just gives a shrug. Quickly she tacks on a question, as though it were a sudden realization. "Wait, if this is a Kaiju-dominant town, what's that mean for the food sizes? Like, is it huge amounts?" There's almost a reverence in her voice as the possibility of massive portions flit through her mind.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"A cheap SUV, Gregg," Julian asked. "Oh, I was hoping to be an old MG Sports car at least."
He heard Heather's explanation and relaxed slightly. It seemed to put him more at ease, the indication being he wasn't going nuts. "I suppose I'm ready for something to drink," he said after getting out. "As my debit card can handle it, I think."

[SeanWolf]

Glancing over at the games in question, Mordecai asks, "You got Mario Kart 64?"

[Hlaoroo]

Ryan snorts in amusement as he hands out controllers and switches on the TV and the gaming system.
"Do I have? Of course I do! Why wouldn't I have THE best Mario Kart game ever? Gentlemen, choose your fighters."
Being a good host, he waits to see which characters his guests will pick before choosing his own.
"You wanna pick the cup since the Mayor picked the game, Wildfire?" he invites.

[CyberDragon]

"Special Cup, 150cc." Wildfire said with a grin as he picked Luigi for his character. "Good luck on Rainbow Road!"

----------------------

"I'm paying, so don't worry about the price. " Heather said, leading the way through the door. A bell chimed upon opening the door, and the large Eagle Zoomorph behind the counter looked up from the dishes he was washing. The flexible corners of his mouth on the back of his beak curled into a cheerful smile.

"Ah! Heather! You're back early!" the eagle said. "Just in time for lunch too! And you brought some new mouths to feed with you! What can I get for you all?"

"We'll take four shakes, Kaiju Medium, and one regular large. Fat Elvis for me." Heather said. "As for food, I'll have a California Burger with Cracked Pepper fries."

The eagle nodded and jotted down the order. He looked up with a smile at the others. "What flavor shake d'you want? We've got loads of different kinds. Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookie Dough, Fat Elvis, Reese's, PB&J, PB&C, Shamrock, pistachio... all sorts." he ran through some of the different milkshake flavors. "As for food, we've got mostly burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken tenders, fries, mashed potatoes, typical American Diner food."

[SeanWolf]

Mordecai simply smirked as he chose Mario as he was very familiar with Rainbow Road then said "May the best kaiju be victorious."

[Hlaoroo]

"Are you kidding, Wildfire? Rainbow Road's the easiest level on here. You literally can't fall off it unless someone shoots you just right. It's Banshee Boardwalk I'm worried about." Ryan responds, wavering for a moment between Yoshi and Bowser before settling on Yoshi.

Mordecai simply smirked as he chose Mario as he was very familiar with Rainbow Road then said "May the best kaiju be victorious."

"Oh, I intend to be." the sea otter grins, letting his competitive side show as Lakitu flies in with his traffic light and the countdown begins.
"But good luck to the both of you anyway!" he encourages, mashing the "A" button a fraction of a second too early, making his kart fishtail as the other characters drive past.
"Aw."

[DdeeStar]

"I'm paying, so don't worry about the price. " Heather said, leading the way through the door.

The larger of the felines grins broadly at the response, her son looking mildly interested as well. "Don't eat too much, we're still going out tonight." Tigress remarks, ruffling his fur as she walks in after her. Mist pauses to hold the door, allowing the others through before making his way to the back of the group.

The eagle nodded and jotted down the order. He looked up with a smile at the others. "What flavor shake d'you want? We've got loads of different kinds. Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookie Dough, Fat Elvis, Reese's, PB&J, PB&C, Shamrock, pistachio... all sorts." he ran through some of the different milkshake flavors. "As for food, we've got mostly burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken tenders, fries, mashed potatoes, typical American Diner food."

Tigress spends a moment in contemplation, fingers tapping against the side of her jaw before she orders "Strawberry? If you've got it? Not sure if those are in season anywhere, but that's good stuff. And just like an entire bucket of chicken tenders would be fantastic." Mist looks to her with some general sign of caution in his eyes, causing her to shake her head and pull him closer to the rest of the group. His ears flick back as he's suddenly surrounded by people again, trying to avoid being any sort of spectacle. Suddenly he realizes his situation and pulls his hat down to his chest, trying to be respectful to the establishment and letting his eyes wander around at the decor. "He'll take a Shamrock and those grilled cheese sandwiches with the long pickles in them, please and thank you." Which naturally only causes Mist more embarrassment as his odd tastes are outed to the entire group, though he simply pretends otherwise and continues looking at the restaurant around him.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Many thanks, good Mist," Julian said, giving his feline friend a head nod as he headed in and waited his turn. "Err, just a Shamrock - provided the green means mint, not Zucchini. Um and a Large Chicken burger, please. Mayo's fine but hold the veg."

[Deske]

"I'd probably pick something more reliable and maybe a little less noticeable in a crowd. Maybe a Honda Civic. Considering how low key you try to be while also not being very low key," Gregg says as he headed into the diner with the rest of the group. "I'll take a bacon cheeseburger, 2 extra patties and extra bacon, please. Can I also get a large side of cheese fries and a Coke with that?"

[CyberDragon]

Mordecai simply smirked as he chose Mario as he was very familiar with Rainbow Road then said "May the best kaiju be victorious."

"Oh, I intend to be." the sea otter grins, letting his competitive side show as Lakitu flies in with his traffic light and the countdown begins.
"But good luck to the both of you anyway!" he encourages, mashing the "A" button a fraction of a second too early, making his kart fishtail as the other characters drive past.
"Aw."

"Hah!" Wildfire laughed as Luigi boosted ahead of the AI racers. "You need to hit 'A' when the countdown hits '2'. No earlier!"

---------------------------

The larger of the felines grins broadly at the response, her son looking mildly interested as well. "Don't eat too much, we're still going out tonight." Tigress remarks, ruffling his fur as she walks in after her. Mist pauses to hold the door, allowing the others through before making his way to the back of the group.

Heather laughed at this. "Your son's a Kaiju. He's got a stomach the size of a small house. The size of a dining room at the very least. I think he'll have room for dinner."

Tigress spends a moment in contemplation, fingers tapping against the side of her jaw before she orders "Strawberry? If you've got it? Not sure if those are in season anywhere, but that's good stuff. And just like an entire bucket of chicken tenders would be fantastic." Mist looks to her with some general sign of caution in his eyes, causing her to shake her head and pull him closer to the rest of the group. His ears flick back as he's suddenly surrounded by people again, trying to avoid being any sort of spectacle. Suddenly he realizes his situation and pulls his hat down to his chest, trying to be respectful to the establishment and letting his eyes wander around at the decor. "He'll take a Shamrock and those grilled cheese sandwiches with the long pickles in them, please and thank you." Which naturally only causes Mist more embarrassment as his odd tastes are outed to the entire group, though he simply pretends otherwise and continues looking at the restaurant around him.

"Many thanks, good Mist," Julian said, giving his feline friend a head nod as he headed in and waited his turn. "Err, just a Shamrock - provided the green means mint, not Zucchini. Um and a Large Chicken burger, please. Mayo's fine but hold the veg."

"I'd probably pick something more reliable and maybe a little less noticeable in a crowd. Maybe a Honda Civic. Considering how low key you try to be while also not being very low key," Gregg says as he headed into the diner with the rest of the group. "I'll take a bacon cheeseburger, 2 extra patties and extra bacon, please. Can I also get a large side of cheese fries and a Coke with that?"

"Two Kaiju Medium Shamrock Shakes, One Kaiju Medium Strawberry, One same size Coke, Chicken Tenders, A Grilled Cheese Sandwich with pickles, One LARGE Chicken burger, hold the veg, A Bacon Double Cheeseburger, Extra bacon, and a LARGE cheese fry." The Eagle recited with a hint of a smirk when he specified 'Large' items. "Coming right up! The Kaiju dining room is in the back through those doors." He pointed a feathered finger at a set of swinging double doors.

"Thanks, Rob." Heather said. She waived at the others to indicate they should follow her, and she led the group through the doors.

The Kaiju dining room was set up in a similar way to the ordinary dining room. There were tables and booths and the bar next to the wall. Rob emerged from the other room behind the counter and started getting to work on the food. The food, of course, was quite literally the biggest difference between the two sections of the cafe. Everything was absolutely enormous! Disguised Kaiju casually sipped milkshakes from ten, fifteen, and even twenty gallon tubs. Mountains of fries were piled four feet high on plates the size of manhole covers. Several people were cutting into burgers that were almost as big as they were. One Kaiju, a child of around 12 years old and in disguise as a golden Labrador Zoomorph, was on his second six-foot tall stack of smiley-face pancakes. Mist would get a clear hint to what awaited him as one customer was digging into a massive grilled cheese sandwich that looked like it contained at least three whole wheels of cheddar in it.

Heather found a spare table that could seat all of them and took the seat on the end of it.

[SeanWolf]

"Hah!" Wildfire laughed as Luigi boosted ahead of the AI racers. "You need to hit 'A' when the countdown hits '2'. No earlier!"

Mordecai just focused on the race, making sure he steered away from the grassy areas*, along with firing a red shell behind him. "Don't laugh too early, Wildfire!" Mordecai smiled, "You may end up forgetting your own tip next race!"


*As a refresher, on DK's Jungle Parkway on Mario Kart 64, if you drive on the grass, you will always get hit by coconuts.

[Hlaoroo]

"I hit it right on time. The countdown was late." Ryan retorts with a grin.
"Outta the way! Star powuh comin' through!"

[DdeeStar]

The Kaiju dining room was set up in a similar way to the ordinary dining room. There were tables and booths and the bar next to the wall. Rob emerged from the other room behind the counter and started getting to work on the food. The food, of course, was quite literally the biggest difference between the two sections of the cafe. Everything was absolutely enormous! Disguised Kaiju casually sipped milkshakes from ten, fifteen, and even twenty gallon tubs. Mountains of fries were piled four feet high on plates the size of manhole covers. Several people were cutting into burgers that were almost as big as they were. One Kaiju, a child of around 12 years old and in disguise as a golden Labrador Zoomorph, was on his second six-foot tall stack of smiley-face pancakes. Mist would get a clear hint to what awaited him as one customer was digging into a massive grilled cheese sandwich that looked like it contained at least three whole wheels of cheddar in it.

Heather found a spare table that could seat all of them and took the seat on the end of it.

The two felines are immediately awestruck, Mist freezing just beside the doorway and Tigress muttering "By the stars..." as she follows Heather to the seat. A huge smile takes her as she rapidly taps her claws against the table, turning around intermittently to scan for any sign of the earlier field-being with their food. The heat energy was curious enough by itself, but the massive quantity was such a joyful sight. Last time she'd had this much... had to be back with the anarchists, though it was nowhere near this well-prepared. Still, the memories were fun to review.

The mage takes several seconds to look around, failing to realize the party is moving on in favor of just taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the food. It was an incredible scene, something practically unimaginable. The only food they'd ever managed in such quantity was instant ramen, and even that was a rare occurrence. And to have anything you want made to order! Anything freshly made! His eyes sparkle with hope looking at the Kaiju paradise, but eventually they fall to a soft despair as he considers just how much it must cost. Even if the diner had stipends or something, the cost of resources alone - ignoring business costs - would make the price match the sizes. And Heather had already said that they wouldn't be able to afford the costs of living. It's not as though his mother could coexist peacefully with others, especially working with them, and he was just as much a danger in his own right. His eager posture drops as he awaits the end of the line, trying to take a seat after everyone else. Still he keeps the smile on his face and hat at his chest, trying to show appreciation. "Thank you so much, Miss Heather!"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Oh, yes," Julian said quietly, as they headed through, "I'd forgotten it could be like this..." He wondered how much he'd be able to eat (still leaving room for dinner tonight) but made an effort to brighten up as he headed over to the table and decided to joke with Gregg. "Note how he wrote down a 'cheese fry? Singular? Think you're getting a two kilo Potato dunked in sauce, mate!"

[Deske]

"Yeah, don't see many diners like this anymore, though there's a couple still in town, but they don't serve this much." Gregg says, gesturing to the plates of food. "I'm hoping they don't make me cut the potato myself," he says, holding up a small butterknife, "Dunno how I'll manage."

[CyberDragon]

Mordecai just focused on the race, making sure he steered away from the grassy areas*, along with firing a red shell behind him. "Don't laugh too early, Wildfire!" Mordecai smiled, "You may end up forgetting your own tip next race!"


*As a refresher, on DK's Jungle Parkway on Mario Kart 64, if you drive on the grass, you will always get hit by coconuts.

"I hit it right on time. The countdown was late." Ryan retorts with a grin.
"Outta the way! Star powuh comin' through!"

Wildfire swerved to avoid the starry Ryan as Ryan's character raced ahead on his way to first place. Wildfire waited until one of his companions was in the lead, then fired. "Congratulations on taking the lead! Here's a present!" he laughed as the blue shell soared down the track.

-------------------------

The two felines are immediately awestruck, Mist freezing just beside the doorway and Tigress muttering "By the stars..." as she follows Heather to the seat. A huge smile takes her as she rapidly taps her claws against the table, turning around intermittently to scan for any sign of the earlier field-being with their food. The heat energy was curious enough by itself, but the massive quantity was such a joyful sight. Last time she'd had this much... had to be back with the anarchists, though it was nowhere near this well-prepared. Still, the memories were fun to review.

The mage takes several seconds to look around, failing to realize the party is moving on in favor of just taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the food. It was an incredible scene, something practically unimaginable. The only food they'd ever managed in such quantity was instant ramen, and even that was a rare occurrence. And to have anything you want made to order! Anything freshly made! His eyes sparkle with hope looking at the Kaiju paradise, but eventually they fall to a soft despair as he considers just how much it must cost. Even if the diner had stipends or something, the cost of resources alone - ignoring business costs - would make the price match the sizes. And Heather had already said that they wouldn't be able to afford the costs of living. It's not as though his mother could coexist peacefully with others, especially working with them, and he was just as much a danger in his own right. His eager posture drops as he awaits the end of the line, trying to take a seat after everyone else. Still he keeps the smile on his face and hat at his chest, trying to show appreciation. "Thank you so much, Miss Heather!"

"Oh, yes," Julian said quietly, as they headed through, "I'd forgotten it could be like this..." He wondered how much he'd be able to eat (still leaving room for dinner tonight) but made an effort to brighten up as he headed over to the table and decided to joke with Gregg. "Note how he wrote down a 'cheese fry? Singular? Think you're getting a two kilo Potato dunked in sauce, mate!"

"Yeah, don't see many diners like this anymore, though there's a couple still in town, but they don't serve this much." Gregg says, gesturing to the plates of food. "I'm hoping they don't make me cut the potato myself," he says, holding up a small butterknife, "Dunno how I'll manage."

Rob got to work fixing their food, accompanied by a petite young adult goat girl. She was a little older than Mist. The two of them fixed the fries and the shakes and the sandwiches and burgers and cheese. It didn't take long for them to prepare the food in oddly normal portion sizes. They were what one might expect from any other cafe.

Then, the goat girl reached up, gripped her left horn, and carefully pulled it off of her head. The inside of the horn was hollow and dark. Rob smirked slightly at the new customers while the two of them loaded the food into the horn. A minute later, they were pulling massive quantities of fries, filling buckets with milkshakes, and somehow managing to remove gargantuan sandwiches and burgers from the horn's opening, despite the opening being smaller than the food being produced.

They were just finishing up when the bell rang, indicating a customer had entered in the other section of the restaurant. "I'll get that. Could you take the food to their table, Amy?"

Amy the goat replaced her horn on her head, smiled, and nodded. Rob went through the swinging door to the other section of the restaurant, while Amy carried the massive plates of food to the group. She handed the plates to their respective customers, then stuck around. "Hey! You guys haven't been here before! You new in town?" she cheerily asked.

[SeanWolf]

Wildfire swerved to avoid the starry Ryan as Ryan's character raced ahead on his way to first place. Wildfire waited until one of his companions was in the lead, then fired. "Congratulations on taking the lead! Here's a present!" he laughed as the blue shell soared down the track.

"Oh come on!" Mordecai laughed as the shell hit him, "Well, I guess I deserved that one, I guess...but don't think you can beat me that easily," he added with a slight grin. Indeed, for as Rainbow Road loaded up and the countdown hit GO, Mordecai quickly hit the boost and, much to everyone's hopeful shock, quickly jerked his character left and hit the jump button, resulting in them jumping off the track and landed on the next set of track*, placing him farther in first place. As he landed, he looked over to the two and smiled as he took a quick bite of chip and dip, though that quick glance did result in his character getting chain-chomped, leading him to utter a few words in the tikbalang tongue.


*Actual move you can do in Mario Kart 64, though if done improperly, you can fly off the track itself

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Indeed," Julian admitted, "this is our first day, so to speak. Might I say you have magnificent balance, carrying all our plates like that? Oh, and I'm Julian. This is Tigress, Mist and Gregg. You've probably met Heather."

[DdeeStar]

Then, the goat girl reached up, gripped her left horn, and carefully pulled it off of her head. The inside of the horn was hollow and dark. Rob smirked slightly at the new customers while the two of them loaded the food into the horn. A minute later, they were pulling massive quantities of fries, filling buckets with milkshakes, and somehow managing to remove gargantuan sandwiches and burgers from the horn's opening, despite the opening being smaller than the food being produced.

They were just finishing up when the bell rang, indicating a customer had entered in the other section of the restaurant. "I'll get that. Could you take the food to their table, Amy?"

Amy the goat replaced her horn on her head, smiled, and nodded. Rob went through the swinging door to the other section of the restaurant, while Amy carried the massive plates of food to the group. She handed the plates to their respective customers, then stuck around. "Hey! You guys haven't been here before! You new in town?" she cheerily asked.

"Indeed," Julian admitted, "this is our first day, so to speak. Might I say you have magnificent balance, carrying all our plates like that? Oh, and I'm Julian. This is Tigress, Mist and Gregg. You've probably met Heather."

Mist's jaw has dropped in his seat, an inspired sparkle in his eyes. That... whole process, it was incredible! And it meant - well, it didn't guarantee lower prices, as they likely are the only providers of such quantities, but still! Julian's greeting gets a quick wave from Mist as his name is said, but he quickly begins to whisper across the table in Yasal. "Did you see that?"

The hungry tiger drags her eyes from the food, not bothering to respond to her own name. "What?" Quickly she starts to scan through the fields of the area, checking the life for any aggressive movements. Her claws dig into the chair's back as she turns in her seat.

"She made food from her horn. The massive food!" He cheers softly. This response leaves her rolling her eyes, falling back into a normal sitting position. Evidently he's not seen anything dangerous, despite his vague outcry.

"So?"

"It's a constructive power! Something that helps! She could feed like, the whole world..." Mist replies softly, amazement in his voice as he takes his food. "Thank you!" Immediately he brings his silverware to the meal, then pauses as he tries to figure out how to politely dine. Tigress has no such issue, gripping the chicken in both hands and tearing monstrous bites out of it.

[Deske]

Gregg looks on in curiosity, "Gods above, amazing," he says, watching the food come out much bigger than it went in. He gave a small wave once it'd be brought over, "Ah yeah, just joined up today actually. Still finding that this place is full of surprises."

[CyberDragon]

"Oh come on!" Mordecai laughed as the shell hit him, "Well, I guess I deserved that one, I guess...but don't think you can beat me that easily," he added with a slight grin. Indeed, for as Rainbow Road loaded up and the countdown hit GO, Mordecai quickly hit the boost and, much to everyone's hopeful shock, quickly jerked his character left and hit the jump button, resulting in them jumping off the track and landed on the next set of track*, placing him farther in first place. As he landed, he looked over to the two and smiled as he took a quick bite of chip and dip, though that quick glance did result in his character getting chain-chomped, leading him to utter a few words in the tikbalang tongue.


*Actual move you can do in Mario Kart 64, though if done improperly, you can fly off the track itself

Wildfire concentrated on the road. While this track was apparently easy for anyone who knew about the shortcut, Wildfire didn't. He had to steer carefully to avoid flying off of the track. "You've got to learn not to shoot straight for first place in these games." He commented as, being in fourth place, he was able to get another spiny shell and fire it forward.

--------------------------

"Indeed," Julian admitted, "this is our first day, so to speak. Might I say you have magnificent balance, carrying all our plates like that? Oh, and I'm Julian. This is Tigress, Mist and Gregg. You've probably met Heather."

"Thank you!" Amy said cheerfully as she finished distributing the rest of the food. "I trained to use my full strength, even when small. And the horns help with balancing plates."

Mist's jaw has dropped in his seat, an inspired sparkle in his eyes. That... whole process, it was incredible! And it meant - well, it didn't guarantee lower prices, as they likely are the only providers of such quantities, but still! Julian's greeting gets a quick wave from Mist as his name is said, but he quickly begins to whisper across the table in Yasal. "Did you see that?"

The hungry tiger drags her eyes from the food, not bothering to respond to her own name. "What?" Quickly she starts to scan through the fields of the area, checking the life for any aggressive movements. Her claws dig into the chair's back as she turns in her seat.

"She made food from her horn. The massive food!" He cheers softly. This response leaves her rolling her eyes, falling back into a normal sitting position. Evidently he's not seen anything dangerous, despite his vague outcry.

"So?"

"It's a constructive power! Something that helps! She could feed like, the whole world..." Mist replies softly, amazement in his voice as he takes his food. "Thank you!" Immediately he brings his silverware to the meal, then pauses as he tries to figure out how to politely dine. Tigress has no such issue, gripping the chicken in both hands and tearing monstrous bites out of it.

Amy smiled at the surprised and amazed expressions on the others' faces. "You're welcome!" She said.

Gregg looks on in curiosity, "Gods above, amazing," he says, watching the food come out much bigger than it went in. He gave a small wave once it'd be brought over, "Ah yeah, just joined up today actually. Still finding that this place is full of surprises."

She smiled again. "Thank you! It doesn't surprise me you haven't seen anything like that, honestly. I think I'm the only Cornucopia left..." Her smile faltered a little, but she regained her composure rather quickly. "Anyway, is there anything else you guys want?"

[Hlaoroo]

The scores were one all. Wildfire had killed on DK's Jungle Pathway but Ryan had known the shortcut through Yoshi Valley. He'd come unstuck with the corners and pits on the Banshee Boardwalk though, and Mordecai had taken the gold. Now it looked as though Mordecai might win the cup. Until he got chainchomped anyway.

Ryan giggles a bit as Mordecai swears.
"Funnily enough, Mister Mayor, that was the only word in Tikbalang I actually know. Not sure where I picked it up tho- Oh, come on!" he objects as he gets chain-chomped, shot with a green shell and zapped with lightning all in quick succession.
"Now, that was just unfair!" he laughs.

[SeanWolf]

The scores were one all. Wildfire had killed on DK's Jungle Pathway but Ryan had known the shortcut through Yoshi Valley. He'd come unstuck with the corners and pits on the Banshee Boardwalk though, and Mordecai had taken the gold. Now it looked as though Mordecai might win the cup. Until he got chainchomped anyway.

Ryan giggles a bit as Mordecai swears.
"Funnily enough, Mister Mayor, that was the only word in Tikbalang I actually know. Not sure where I picked it up tho- Oh, come on!" he objects as he gets chain-chomped, shot with a green shell and zapped with lightning all in quick succession.
"Now, that was just unfair!" he laughs.

Mordecai laughed before shouting, "Ah, for the love of!" as another spiney shell him, followed by a chain chomp, then followed by Wildfire speeding past him.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Almost wish I had horns, then," Julian admitted lightly. "I've been known to drop a few things. But it does show your intelligence," he added casually. "If any others ARE around, a network this size will find them, I'm sure. Even if I'm part of it. But, in answer to your question, this is fine for me. Have to leave room for dinner." He was pretty sure he wasn't kidding.

[DdeeStar]

She smiled again. "Thank you! It doesn't surprise me you haven't seen anything like that, honestly. I think I'm the only Cornucopia left..." Her smile faltered a little, but she regained her composure rather quickly. "Anyway, is there anything else you guys want?"

Tigress gives a small laugh at the first comment, Mist's glare quickly leading her to fake it as a cough unconvincingly. His evident dissatisfaction leads her to roll her eyes and comment "Hey, if we were the only Rakshasa half our problems would be gone. It's ironic. Eat your food." She returns to her meal, but Mist's attention returns to the waitress and other conversations without further comment. The note of training to use her full strength was particularly interesting seeing as she didn't seem to be directly associated with the KDF, and as such he devoted only minor effort to eating in lieu of listening eagerly to the conversation.

[CyberDragon]

The scores were one all. Wildfire had killed on DK's Jungle Pathway but Ryan had known the shortcut through Yoshi Valley. He'd come unstuck with the corners and pits on the Banshee Boardwalk though, and Mordecai had taken the gold. Now it looked as though Mordecai might win the cup. Until he got chainchomped anyway.

Ryan giggles a bit as Mordecai swears.
"Funnily enough, Mister Mayor, that was the only word in Tikbalang I actually know. Not sure where I picked it up tho- Oh, come on!" he objects as he gets chain-chomped, shot with a green shell and zapped with lightning all in quick succession.
"Now, that was just unfair!" he laughs.

Mordecai laughed before shouting, "Ah, for the love of!" as another spiney shell him, followed by a chain chomp, then followed by Wildfire speeding past him.

"Yes... yes! YES!" Wildfire started getting excited. He could see the finish line in the distance. He raced towards it when-

BANG!

"Wha- Oh for the love of...!" Wildfire had hit a fake item block, causing him to crash and a couple of random NPCs to race past him to take first, second, and third place away from him. He had to laugh. "I guess that's how this game goes sometimes!"

-------------------

"Almost wish I had horns, then," Julian admitted lightly. "I've been known to drop a few things. But it does show your intelligence," he added casually. "If any others ARE around, a network this size will find them, I'm sure. Even if I'm part of it. But, in answer to your question, this is fine for me. Have to leave room for dinner." He was pretty sure he wasn't kidding.

Amy smiled again, though her expression was still sad.

Tigress gives a small laugh at the first comment, Mist's glare quickly leading her to fake it as a cough unconvincingly. His evident dissatisfaction leads her to roll her eyes and comment "Hey, if we were the only Rakshasa half our problems would be gone. It's ironic. Eat your food." She returns to her meal, but Mist's attention returns to the waitress and other conversations without further comment. The note of training to use her full strength was particularly interesting seeing as she didn't seem to be directly associated with the KDF, and as such he devoted only minor effort to eating in lieu of listening eagerly to the conversation.

Then Amy shot a nasty look at Tigress when she laughed. She scowled at the Rakshasa for a minute, then packed up the empty trays and started walking away. "Enjoy your food." She said sharply before disappearing through the doors to the other side of the restaurant.

When she was gone, Heather snapped at Tigress. "What was that about?! Did you even think about what you just did? Can't you think for a moment what her being the last of her kind means? Did you imagine what that implies for her parents? Her family? Cornucopia horns are worth a fortune on the black market. The wealthy elite all over the world, even in this country, pay hunters through the nose to get their hands on one." Heather scolded. "We tried to stop them. By the time we learned about the bounties though... Amy was all that was left."

[DdeeStar]

Then Amy shot a nasty look at Tigress when she laughed. She scowled at the Rakshasa for a minute, then packed up the empty trays and started walking away. "Enjoy your food." She said sharply before disappearing through the doors to the other side of the restaurant.

Tigress, upon realizing she's being glared at, just gives some vaguely confused look in return before going straight back to her food. Mist noticing gets his attention to drop from her back to the food, his ears pinning back and tail beginning to flick rapidly as he frowns down at his meal.

When she was gone, Heather snapped at Tigress. "What was that about?! Did you even think about what you just did? Can't you think for a moment what her being the last of her kind means? Did you imagine what that implies for her parents? Her family?[-"]

Tigress looks up with an annoyed sigh, responding with a careless "They're dead, right? Seems like the obvious conclusion." before shaking her head as though the question was ridiculous. Mist opens his mouth as if to say something, then just stops and puts his hands to his face.

["-]Cornucopia horns are worth a fortune on the black market. The wealthy elite all over the world, even in this country, pay hunters through the nose to get their hands on one." Heather scolded. "We tried to stop them. By the time we learned about the bounties though... Amy was all that was left."

Tigress visibly stifles another laugh before responding "Ohhh nooo, I'm completely safe and surrounded by positive influences constantly! Let me tell these strangers my tale of woe for a bigger tip!" The smile falls as she rolls her eyes, concluding "Please. I've spent seventeen years trying to give Mist -"

"Shut up Shut up SHUT UP!" Her son hisses violently in Yasal, jumping to his feet and glaring murderously at Tigress. "I don't know what this is, some, some new plot to get me to give up, but you need to stop NOW. You're hurting people left and right just, just because you CAN! We aren't safe anymore! I -" His glare begins to fall to an almost panicked expression as he realizes what he was going to say next.

Tigress looks completely unaffected by the outburst and doesn't even look away from Heather as she responds. "Sit down, Mist. You're creating a scene." The recruit's eyes quickly survey the room, leading him to slowly sit without further speech, just laying his head on the table with his arms across his face to hide himself. The mother gives Heather an uncaring shrug. "And unless this like just happened she needs to get over it." Mist's claws begin to dig into his arms with that last remark, his muffled breathing almost hyperventilating. Tigress just starts eating again, still maintaining eye contact with an almost challenging spark in her eyes.

[SeanWolf]

"Yes... yes! YES!" Wildfire started getting excited. He could see the finish line in the distance. He raced towards it when-

BANG!

"Wha- Oh for the love of...!" Wildfire had hit a fake item block, causing him to crash and a couple of random NPCs to race past him to take first, second, and third place away from him. He had to laugh. "I guess that's how this game goes sometimes!"

"Yep!" Mordecai smiled as he whizzed past, only to get hit himself with a blue shell, "...and other times, lady luck just takes a vacation..."

[Deske]

"Why? Because you can? Because it's not conducive to a life on the run that you live and she doesn't?" Gregg asked, casually cutting into his burger. He stuffed the bite into his mouth. "I dunno how difficult it is for you to look past the end of your own nose, but eventually you're going to have to if you want to stay in both the good graces of your son and probably anyone else you come across. Though, if today's been any evidence it looks like you're unwilling to care about either." He held up a piece of burger and bacon on the end of his fork, "My compliments to the chef, this is a pretty good burger."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Tigress," Julian advised, "your skills have done you well, so far I think. But through adapting to things, yeah? At least a bit? This is just another thing for you to adapt to, that's all, perhaps? Perhaps Mist can try to talk to her later?" He started on the food. "And Gregg's right about the food, by the way."

[Hlaoroo]

"Gotcha!" Ryan giggles, zipping past Mordecai and Wildfire to claim fourth place.
"I suppose this is fair. None of us are on the podium. Well played though! That was a neat trick, jumping over the edge like that, Mr. Mayor! Have you seen that before, Wildfire?"

[SeanWolf]

"Gotcha!" Ryan giggles, zipping past Mordecai and Wildfire to claim fourth place.
"I suppose this is fair. None of us are on the podium. Well played though! That was a neat trick, jumping over the edge like that, Mr. Mayor! Have you seen that before, Wildfire?"

"Thanks," Mordecai replies as he takes fifth, "It's very tricky to pull off properly but, if done right, you can easily get a early lead...or you can sometimes bounce off the track, which I've done on a few occasions."

[CyberDragon]

"Yep!" Mordecai smiled as he whizzed past, only to get hit himself with a blue shell, "...and other times, lady luck just takes a vacation..."

"Gotcha!" Ryan giggles, zipping past Mordecai and Wildfire to claim fourth place.
"I suppose this is fair. None of us are on the podium. Well played though! That was a neat trick, jumping over the edge like that, Mr. Mayor! Have you seen that before, Wildfire?"

"Thanks," Mordecai replies as he takes fifth, "It's very tricky to pull off properly but, if done right, you can easily get a early lead...or you can sometimes bounce off the track, which I've done on a few occasions."

Finally, Wildfire drives past in 6th place, shaking his head and grinning. "That was fun! Who's going to choose the next cup? Or do you guys want your tails kicked at Smash 64?" the dragon asked with a smirk.

--------------------------------

Tigress visibly stifles another laugh before responding "Ohhh nooo, I'm completely safe and surrounded by positive influences constantly! Let me tell these strangers my tale of woe for a bigger tip!" The smile falls as she rolls her eyes, concluding "Please. I've spent seventeen years trying to give Mist -"

"Shut up Shut up SHUT UP!" Her son hisses violently in Yasal, jumping to his feet and glaring murderously at Tigress. "I don't know what this is, some, some new plot to get me to give up, but you need to stop NOW. You're hurting people left and right just, just because you CAN! We aren't safe anymore! I -" His glare begins to fall to an almost panicked expression as he realizes what he was going to say next.

Tigress looks completely unaffected by the outburst and doesn't even look away from Heather as she responds. "Sit down, Mist. You're creating a scene." The recruit's eyes quickly survey the room, leading him to slowly sit without further speech, just laying his head on the table with his arms across his face to hide himself. The mother gives Heather an uncaring shrug. "And unless this like just happened she needs to get over it." Mist's claws begin to dig into his arms with that last remark, his muffled breathing almost hyperventilating. Tigress just starts eating again, still maintaining eye contact with an almost challenging spark in her eyes.

Heather calmly took another bite of her food. Not looking at Tigress, she spoke. "It was about three months ago. We found her hidden in a closet. She saw the whole thing." She took a drink, paused, then continued. "You abandoning your tribe was your own choice, and it was the right one for you. Your struggles with Keeping Mist safe? That very thing you're trying to keep from happening to him? Amy had it happen to her whole family right in front of her. Her family was taken from her, and I don't think she's fully come to terms with what happened. The fact she can even function is a miracle. There's no telling what would have happened if Rob hadn't adopted her." She set her drink back on the table. "Regardless, if you are going to live here, in this town, where you will have a stable job with benifits and safety from hunters and the ability to be open about who you are, you probably should avoid getting yourself banned from the only establishment in the city that provides affordable Kaiju-sized meals. That means being a little more respectful to the owner's daughter."