Murder XIX: Trouble in Paradise

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Koopa, Yusuke. He's the Koopa King - apparently, that is what dragon-turtles like to be named."

Whether Alesha corrected him out of genuine concern it might offend Bowser or because she simply didn't want to deal with his next tantrum was unclear.​

Episode One:
Plaza Peril!

"You know...maybe Gamera here can help me out. If I could get you to plead your case, maybe we'll be free to go." I-No gave Bowser a smile. "What do you say, big guy? You in?"​

Bowser sat silently for a moment with his arms crossed, not exactly being too keen when it came to working with the good. Though, after a good thirty seconds or so of silence, Bowser reluctantly nodded. "Fine! But none'a you twerps go gettin' any ideas. Like I said earlier, I ain't about t'be pals with any'a you."

"Huh?" One of the guards looked at the little radio on his person, which began to make noise. He lifted it up, listening, before saying, Roger that." Putting it back he looked at the inmates. "It's trial time."

I-No smiled at the group. "Showtime." She left the cell, everyone else escorted behind her into the courtroom. The judge sat at the bench, and in the plaintiff's seat was a Pianta attorney and none other than Kirari herself, watching you all with that same smile on her face.

"I'll try to make this quick," she said, her tone making it clear this has all been decided.

"I'm sure you will," I-No replied with a smirk, sitting at the defendant's seat. The officers have everyone else fill up the audience seats.

"Now then," the judge began, clearing his throat. "The defendants sit charged with the crime of vandalism. How do they plead?"​

"My clients plead not guilty, Your Honor."

"I see. And Mister Luigi sits charged as the main instigator of this criminal organization. How does he plead?"

"Not-a guilty!" The younger Mario brother stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Finally, Mister Bowser is charged with being the mastermind behind the attack on Isle Delfino one year ago, as well as evading arrest. Bowser, How do you plead?"​

"Guilty! Erm… I mean not guilty!"

"Well then, would the defense like to present their opening argument?"​

I-No stood, taking on an air of professionalism unseen earlier. "Your Honor, my clients were brought to Isle Delfino on a plane against their will, crashed onto the runway, and arrested for crimes they didn't commit! We have witnesses who saw both Luigi and an imposter that can attest for us. Forcing my clients into a trial without due process is shameful, and I demand you let them go free!"​

The Pianta lawyer stood, walking to the front of the courtroom. "That was a lovely speech, Miss, but unfortunately it amounts to nothing. You see, all witnesses at Delfino Airstrip this afternoon don't remember ever seeing anything in the account!"​

"They could've been lying!"​

"We ran them through a lie detector test!"​

"Damn!"

The lawyer produced a disc from his jacket pocket. "What's more, Miss Momobami here has a video that is solid proof of guilt of everyone! I would like to submit this film into court record."​

"Let's see it first," the judge motioned for the bailiff to put the disc into the court TV, which he did. As the footage started playing, it was clear this was surveillance footage around Isle Delfino. Things seemed normal at first: a hotel by the sea, an amusement park, a harbor...but then, as it changed to a windmill, you could see someone covering it with goop.​

"Wait a minute!" Yumeko said in shock. "Th-That's…!"

The culprit turned around, revealing their face.

"Gon?!"

The camera changed again. Now, Alesha could be seen on a beach, overlooking a group of goop creatures as they attacked bystanders. Another change, this time to a bay, where Yamishiro was polluting the water. The footage changed again and again, showing everyone involved in causing trouble one way or another. Even Mary could be seen at one point, working together with that monster from before. Finally, the footage landed on Shadow Luigi, painting an L on a wall with his brush. He turned around, and laughed, having spotted the camera. Pressing a button on the paintbrush, his blue hue disappeared to reveal…​

...Luigi, in his normal green outfit. He brought his paintbrush over his head and swung, and the camera went to static.

I-No stared in silence, then leaned back in her chair. "Well...we're fucked."

Kirari stood. "Your Honor, the security cameras I paid for all over Isle Delfino have caught all these criminals on tape. I'm afraid there's no other explanation."

"I'm afraid you're right. Unless the defense can explain this tape…"​

"...I got nothing." I-No did stand, however. "But even so, if I may make one request. There are children in this group, who were probably manipulated into helping. Won't you please give them a lighter sentence?"​

"Unfortunately, everyone will receive the same punishment. I sentence you all to clean up the mess you made on this island! Including you, Bowser!"​

"That's a load'a mushrooms! I wasn't even with these twerps when it happened!" Bowser shouted, angry that he had to clean up other people's messes. He wasn't a plumber like Mario or Luigi, after all.

"But you were here one year ago! And you have yet to face any charges! Consider this an extension of that sentencing! Now, you'll all be sent off to Delfino Plaza first! The hub of our humble island needs to be cleaned up first and foremost!" He brought his gavel down. "Court dismissed!"

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

Luckily, it turned out you were already in Delfino Plaza, as the courthouse was located just to the east of town square. As everyone was escorted out the next morning, the officers handed them all FLUDD machines and a map of the plaza.

"There are three areas covered in goop," they explained. "The Lighthouse east of here, the Statue at the south of town, and the Tanuki Hut to the west. Clean that all up and come see us when you're done. But no funny business-we'll know if anyone's slacking off."

These guards then proceeded to station themselves at the entrance to the courthouse. Huh. Looks like they won't be watching too closely.

I-No watched them with a sneer. "Protectors of the peace my ass." Turning to the group she frowned. "Sorry I couldn't get you out. That damned video...I hadn't expected that!"
​

"I don't understand how that's even-a possible. We've been together this entire time! Not to mention that we just got here like an hour or so ago." Luigi said, still confused by these events in general.
​

"I swear, it's that damned Momobami. She's definitely got some tricks up her sleeve. I'd try to help more, but I'm afraid I need to be off-I got a note to head to some sort of rendezvous. Time to meet this boss of mine." She sighed. "Watch me completely forget who it is when I leave. Take care, everyone!" With a wave goodbye, I-No was off.

"Take care. I'm-a sorry that things had to be this way." Luigi said, clearly feeling sorry for the poor witch, even if he was the only one in the group who did. She tried her best to help them, and that was enough to earn at least a small amount of respect from Luigi.

Once I-No was out of the way, however, Yumeko stepped forward. "Oh no. She was definitely lying."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused by what Yumeko meant.

"You didn't see it? Her tell was kind of obvious." She clasped her hands together. "I-No would tap her right index finger when lying, like this." She demonstrated, tapping her own right index finger on her hand. "She did that earlier, in the plane. When she was talking about helping us enjoy paradise, I noticed her tapping her finger on her guitar. And she did it again in jail, saying she couldn't remember anything. I thought maybe it was just coincidence, but she did it just now, too, when apologizing. What, did none of you notice?"
​

Shantae, who had been relatively quiet throughout the ordeal (mostly out of shock from that video and the fact that she simply had nothing to say) shook her head. "No. And I'm usually good at telling when people are lying too." The half-genie said, eyeing Risky Boots with that particular statement.​

"Well, I've always had a knack for perception...or did I? I'm not too sure…Either way, this is turning into quite a fun little trip, isn't it? So unpredictable…"

"It's so exciting."

Just like that, though, Yumeko was back to normal, as if she hadn't changed a bit. "Well, I'm going to explore a little. I'm sure those officers won't mind, right?"

With that, she was off towards the market. You could follow her, or go other places, such as:

• The Shine Gate, the large structure in the center of town
• The Delfino Ferry, which are boats that take you to other small islands nearby
• The Bell Tower, which houses the town bell
• The Delfino Cafe, where it looks as if its owner needs some help

Then there's the Tanuki Hut, Statue, and Lighthouse, which all need cleaning up.

Starring:


@Archmage Jeremiah as Risky Boots (Shantae)
@Bucky as Honoka Kousaka (Love Live!)
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Tony Stark (The Superior Iron Man)
@Crow as Ernesti Echavalier (Knights & Magic)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Kars (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
@dark as Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone)
@Glostechk as Tsuyu Asui (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Gummi Bunnies as Maria Ushiromiya(Umineko no Naku Koro ni
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Toshinori Yagi (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Jeremi as The Fourth Doctor (Doctor Who)
@Kaykay as Hina (Hinamatsuri)
@Kentucky as Peter Parker (The Amazing Spiderman)
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)
@Leon Moretti as Nagihiko Fujisaki (Shugo Chara!)
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day: The Musical)
@Mari as Yamashiro (KanColle)
@Mason Moretti as Starlow (Mario and Luigi series)
@Midnight Maiden as Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
@Minerva as Ritsuka Fujimura (Fate/Grand Order)
@Otto as Talon (League of Legends)
@ShiroKiyoshi as Kusanagi (Phantom of the Kill)
@Takumi as Yato (Noragami)
@thatguyinthestore as Shantae (Shantae)
@The Myrmidon as Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (Magic: the Gathering)
@Verite as Gon Freeces (Hunter X Hunter)
@York as Ami Kawashima (Toradora!)
@Yun Lee as Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)​

"I'll head to the lighthouse as well!" Luigi exclaimed, following suit behind Yusuke and Alesha. As they walked, Luigi turned to them. "How do you think we're going to get outta this? I mean, that tape looked pretty convincing even though it was-a faked."

---

After thinking for a moment, Shantae looked up and at the group. "I'm gonna go to the cafe." The half-genie stated before doing just that. Really, Shantae could really just use a nice cup of coffee right about now.

---

"I'm gonna stay here at the shine gate." The Koopa King said before crossing his arms and standing in the center of town. He didn't wanna really walk across the entire island for some losers that he didn't care about in the first place.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Yun Lee @Minerva @LuckycoolHawk9 @Otto @York @thatguyinthestore @ShiroKiyoshi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Verite @Mari @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @dark @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Crow @Bucky @Midnight Maiden @Glostechk @Jeremi @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X​

"We'll find food along the way, or visit the cafe afterwards," Alesha answered Yusuke as she snapped out of her muttering, now worried over her companion. The heat of the moment and her rage had distracted her from his needs... she would have to make it up to him somehow. "For now? We clean up this mess... that is the only recourse available to us that will not draw further accusations, Luigi."

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Yamashiro nodded to the strange man (Luigi?) in agreement. She felt relieved that she wasn't the only one that noticed something that wasn't true... at least to her memory.



"I am glad I was not the only one to notice. I certainly do not remember doing anything that was shown there. The evidence presented was very... mysterious."







@Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

"I wish I knew," Yusuke replied to Luigi, frowning. "If only my leader-- friend, Akira were here. He was always quite skilled in coming up with plans for bleak circumstances such as these ones." Hell, he would've even been happy if Makoto or Futaba were there too. He only hoped this group would be as smart as his friends and eventually figure this mess out.

"That would be lovely," the artist said, perking up when the khan would suggest they could get food after they finished cleaning. "But there's no need to rush. I can live off very little sustenance. I'm well practiced in doing so," he said, as if proud of himself for being able to do this. Thanks to spending little on food, he had been able to buy himself many extra art supplies in the past. In his eyes, that was definitely something to be joyful about.

The boy glanced to Yamashiro, realizing he hadn't noticed her before. "Let us hope the truth will be illuminated post haste," he said with a nod. "I'm Yusuke Kitagawa. Who might you be?" he asked her.

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Mari @Crow @Yun Lee @Lighthouse​

 

[Verite]

"Geh?!"

Huh?! What was going on now?!

When the trial went underway, Gon jerked back in surprise when he was the first one to be caught on the film, followed by everyone else wreaking havoc. Indeed, that evidence was pretty airtight, at least from the surface. Though Gon was in no position to object, or anyone else for that matter, he did his best to put the pieces together (admittedly, his best wasn't that great when it came to matters like logic, but he tried his best, dear bless him), trying to draw possible conclusions as to why he had seen what he did.

It was unlikely that the film was fabricated, at least in the way the boy could interpret, considering how real the charges were. Off the top of the boy's head, the most possible scenarios were that they were all impostors who took the shape of everyone there, which was likely after seeing the shadow of Luigi from before, and it was certainly an ability that Gon figured someone with a good concentration of Nen would perform, or the other possibility that the young Hunter was less enthusiastic to entertain, which was that they were indeed the culprits of the mayhem, and the foul play involved in there perhaps had to do with some sort of mind control, which could have explained why people were having memory problems.

But there wasn't anything he could do about it either way. It wasn't as though they were given a position in which they could investigate their own case, so the boy figured he may as well just be glad that the punishment involved menial work over imprisonment, and then work his way up from there. After all, a good day's work led to a good day's progress!

"Alright, then... No time like the present then," Gon murmured to himself when the new day came, equipping the FLUDD machine.

When it came time for everyone to do their share of community service, the boy decided to head for the cafe as well, catching up with the others who also made their way over there. "If we do this just to get it over with, then that's not hard work at all. We need to make sure we do a good job!" Gon exclaimed in response to Tony, before raising a curious eyebrow at Ritsuka. "Coffee? Hmm... I don't think I've ever actually had it... unless hot cocoa counts! Do they have that here? Even though it's... pretty hot out here anyway..."

"What about you? Have you ever had coffee before?" The boy proceeded to ask Maria, feeling more comfortable with her given she was also rather young.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Cafe​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

REPLIES - Delfino Cafe

"Could be worse" Tony muttered, locking and loading his FLUUD "We got community service as a punishment for committing what any lawyer worth his salt would have called an act of terror. We got off easy". Tony pinched the machine's neck between his index finger thumb, slowly analyzing the mechanisms that made up the device's joint. This thing was practically Victorian! A simple ball joint and spring? How could they expect a man like him to work under these conditions! This was worse than getting his first restraining order...
"The real punishment here is having to use this primitive hunk of crap. Honestly... I was building this sort of trash when I was 9...Maybe I could at least grab a decent cup of coffee before I throw myself into the fucking pier..."

And so, Tony made his way off towards the Delfino Cafe, passing Ritsuka along the way

"C'mon kid...might as well get this over and done with..."

@Yun Lee @Minerva

As Yumeko rounded a corner and escaped out of sight, Risky Boots rolled her head and came to meet Shantae's pointed look, not appearing at all fazed by it. At least, no more fazed than she was by everything else.

View attachment 145061

"Now what did I say before the trial? Hm?" Risky grumbled, and easily kept up with Shantae while she swaggered to the café alongside her, "Well...the deck is stacked against us now more than ever, but I'm not about to keel over and accept it; not until I dance the hempen jig," she continued on a bleaker note, "And assuming you're the same Shantae I've always known, it looks like we'll be working together again," Risky glanced across to see Maria run up and join them, and her normal grin returned. "Along with some...new additions,"

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu​

Ritsuka smiled at everyone else as they came to the shop. "Whassup?" She asked as they came up. "You all just needed a cup of coffee too, huh?" She asked

"Geh?!"

Huh?! What was going on now?!

When the trial went underway, Gon jerked back in surprise when he was the first one to be caught on the film, followed by everyone else wreaking havoc. Indeed, that evidence was pretty airtight, at least from the surface. Though Gon was in no position to object, or anyone else for that matter, he did his best to put the pieces together (admittedly, his best wasn't that great when it came to matters like logic, but he tried his best, dear bless him), trying to draw possible conclusions as to why he had seen what he did.

It was unlikely that the film was fabricated, at least in the way the boy could interpret, considering how real the charges were. Off the top of the boy's head, the most possible scenarios were that they were all impostors who took the shape of everyone there, which was likely after seeing the shadow of Luigi from before, and it was certainly an ability that Gon figured someone with a good concentration of Nen would perform, or the other possibility that the young Hunter was less enthusiastic to entertain, which was that they were indeed the culprits of the mayhem, and the foul play involved in there perhaps had to do with some sort of mind control, which could have explained why people were having memory problems.

But there wasn't anything he could do about it either way. It wasn't as though they were given a position in which they could investigate their own case, so the boy figured he may as well just be glad that the punishment involved menial work over imprisonment, and then work his way up from there. After all, a good day's work led to a good day's progress!

"Alright, then... No time like the present then," Gon murmured to himself when the new day came, equipping the FLUDD machine.

When it came time for everyone to do their share of community service, the boy decided to head for the cafe as well, catching up with the others who also made their way over there. "If we do this just to get it over with, then that's not hard work at all. We need to make sure we do a good job!" Gon exclaimed in response to Tony, before raising a curious eyebrow at Ritsuka. "Coffee? Hmm... I don't think I've ever actually had it... unless hot cocoa counts! Do they have that here? Even though it's... pretty hot out here anyway..."

"What about you? Have you ever had coffee before?" The boy proceeded to ask Maria, feeling more comfortable with her given she was also rather young.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Cafe​

❝ Uu~! I was thinking we have a little tea party once we get to the cafe. Sorta like the ones my best friend throws all of the time. It'll be fun to do! ❞ Maria definitely sounded excited at her own idea on what to do at the cafe.

❝ Uuu... I don't think Mama would be happy with me starting early with coffee... plus she always drinks coffee when she's grouhcy, especially in the morning. ❞ She couldn't really think about herself drinking coffee just yet once she heard Gon's question, but tea with all sorts of pastries sounded really enticing to her.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Cafe​

 

[Cromartie Sarkissian]

❝ Uu~! I was thinking we have a little tea party once we get to the cafe. Sorta like the ones my best friend throws all of the time. It'll be fun to do! ❞ Maria definitely sounded excited at her own idea on what to do at the cafe.

❝ Uuu... I don't think Mama would be happy with me starting early with coffee... plus she always drinks coffee when she's grouhcy, especially in the morning. ❞ She couldn't really think about herself drinking coffee just yet once she heard Gon's question, but tea with all sorts of pastries sounded really enticing to her.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Cafe​

"Geh?!"

Huh?! What was going on now?!

When the trial went underway, Gon jerked back in surprise when he was the first one to be caught on the film, followed by everyone else wreaking havoc. Indeed, that evidence was pretty airtight, at least from the surface. Though Gon was in no position to object, or anyone else for that matter, he did his best to put the pieces together (admittedly, his best wasn't that great when it came to matters like logic, but he tried his best, dear bless him), trying to draw possible conclusions as to why he had seen what he did.

It was unlikely that the film was fabricated, at least in the way the boy could interpret, considering how real the charges were. Off the top of the boy's head, the most possible scenarios were that they were all impostors who took the shape of everyone there, which was likely after seeing the shadow of Luigi from before, and it was certainly an ability that Gon figured someone with a good concentration of Nen would perform, or the other possibility that the young Hunter was less enthusiastic to entertain, which was that they were indeed the culprits of the mayhem, and the foul play involved in there perhaps had to do with some sort of mind control, which could have explained why people were having memory problems.

But there wasn't anything he could do about it either way. It wasn't as though they were given a position in which they could investigate their own case, so the boy figured he may as well just be glad that the punishment involved menial work over imprisonment, and then work his way up from there. After all, a good day's work led to a good day's progress!

"Alright, then... No time like the present then," Gon murmured to himself when the new day came, equipping the FLUDD machine.

When it came time for everyone to do their share of community service, the boy decided to head for the cafe as well, catching up with the others who also made their way over there. "If we do this just to get it over with, then that's not hard work at all. We need to make sure we do a good job!" Gon exclaimed in response to Tony, before raising a curious eyebrow at Ritsuka. "Coffee? Hmm... I don't think I've ever actually had it... unless hot cocoa counts! Do they have that here? Even though it's... pretty hot out here anyway..."

"What about you? Have you ever had coffee before?" The boy proceeded to ask Maria, feeling more comfortable with her given she was also rather young.

@Cafe​

Ritsuka smiled at everyone else as they came to the shop. "Whassup?" She asked as they came up. "You all just needed a cup of coffee too, huh?" She asked

Tony felt his skin crawl. He was surrounded by the 3 things he hated most in the world: children, tea drinkers and people who weren't him. Add a terrorist into the mix and he couldn't blame himself for thinking he had died in the plane crash and was, in fact, in hell. Tony turned towards this kids
"Jesus Christ...how old are you guys? 8? 12? I'm guessing 14 tops. How in Kratos' name have you never had freaking coffee?" Tony doubled his pace towards the shop "C'mon kids, Uncle Tony is going to teach you how to live..."
@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee

 

[Mason Moretti]

Episode One:
Plaza Peril!

"You know...maybe Gamera here can help me out. If I could get you to plead your case, maybe we'll be free to go." I-No gave Bowser a smile. "What do you say, big guy? You in?"​

Bowser sat silently for a moment with his arms crossed, not exactly being too keen when it came to working with the good. Though, after a good thirty seconds or so of silence, Bowser reluctantly nodded. "Fine! But none'a you twerps go gettin' any ideas. Like I said earlier, I ain't about t'be pals with any'a you."

"Huh?" One of the guards looked at the little radio on his person, which began to make noise. He lifted it up, listening, before saying, Roger that." Putting it back he looked at the inmates. "It's trial time."

I-No smiled at the group. "Showtime." She left the cell, everyone else escorted behind her into the courtroom. The judge sat at the bench, and in the plaintiff's seat was a Pianta attorney and none other than Kirari herself, watching you all with that same smile on her face.

"I'll try to make this quick," she said, her tone making it clear this has all been decided.

"I'm sure you will," I-No replied with a smirk, sitting at the defendant's seat. The officers have everyone else fill up the audience seats.

"Now then," the judge began, clearing his throat. "The defendants sit charged with the crime of vandalism. How do they plead?"​

"My clients plead not guilty, Your Honor."

"I see. And Mister Luigi sits charged as the main instigator of this criminal organization. How does he plead?"

"Not-a guilty!" The younger Mario brother stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Finally, Mister Bowser is charged with being the mastermind behind the attack on Isle Delfino one year ago, as well as evading arrest. Bowser, How do you plead?"​

"Guilty! Erm… I mean not guilty!"

"Well then, would the defense like to present their opening argument?"​

I-No stood, taking on an air of professionalism unseen earlier. "Your Honor, my clients were brought to Isle Delfino on a plane against their will, crashed onto the runway, and arrested for crimes they didn't commit! We have witnesses who saw both Luigi and an imposter that can attest for us. Forcing my clients into a trial without due process is shameful, and I demand you let them go free!"​

The Pianta lawyer stood, walking to the front of the courtroom. "That was a lovely speech, Miss, but unfortunately it amounts to nothing. You see, all witnesses at Delfino Airstrip this afternoon don't remember ever seeing anything in the account!"​

"They could've been lying!"​

"We ran them through a lie detector test!"​

"Damn!"

The lawyer produced a disc from his jacket pocket. "What's more, Miss Momobami here has a video that is solid proof of guilt of everyone! I would like to submit this film into court record."​

"Let's see it first," the judge motioned for the bailiff to put the disc into the court TV, which he did. As the footage started playing, it was clear this was surveillance footage around Isle Delfino. Things seemed normal at first: a hotel by the sea, an amusement park, a harbor...but then, as it changed to a windmill, you could see someone covering it with goop.​

"Wait a minute!" Yumeko said in shock. "Th-That's…!"

The culprit turned around, revealing their face.

"Gon?!"

The camera changed again. Now, Alesha could be seen on a beach, overlooking a group of goop creatures as they attacked bystanders. Another change, this time to a bay, where Yamishiro was polluting the water. The footage changed again and again, showing everyone involved in causing trouble one way or another. Even Mary could be seen at one point, working together with that monster from before. Finally, the footage landed on Shadow Luigi, painting an L on a wall with his brush. He turned around, and laughed, having spotted the camera. Pressing a button on the paintbrush, his blue hue disappeared to reveal…​

...Luigi, in his normal green outfit. He brought his paintbrush over his head and swung, and the camera went to static.

I-No stared in silence, then leaned back in her chair. "Well...we're fucked."

Kirari stood. "Your Honor, the security cameras I paid for all over Isle Delfino have caught all these criminals on tape. I'm afraid there's no other explanation."

"I'm afraid you're right. Unless the defense can explain this tape…"​

"...I got nothing." I-No did stand, however. "But even so, if I may make one request. There are children in this group, who were probably manipulated into helping. Won't you please give them a lighter sentence?"​

"Unfortunately, everyone will receive the same punishment. I sentence you all to clean up the mess you made on this island! Including you, Bowser!"​

"That's a load'a mushrooms! I wasn't even with these twerps when it happened!" Bowser shouted, angry that he had to clean up other people's messes. He wasn't a plumber like Mario or Luigi, after all.

"But you were here one year ago! And you have yet to face any charges! Consider this an extension of that sentencing! Now, you'll all be sent off to Delfino Plaza first! The hub of our humble island needs to be cleaned up first and foremost!" He brought his gavel down. "Court dismissed!"

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

Luckily, it turned out you were already in Delfino Plaza, as the courthouse was located just to the east of town square. As everyone was escorted out the next morning, the officers handed them all FLUDD machines and a map of the plaza.

"There are three areas covered in goop," they explained. "The Lighthouse east of here, the Statue at the south of town, and the Tanuki Hut to the west. Clean that all up and come see us when you're done. But no funny business-we'll know if anyone's slacking off."

These guards then proceeded to station themselves at the entrance to the courthouse. Huh. Looks like they won't be watching too closely.

I-No watched them with a sneer. "Protectors of the peace my ass." Turning to the group she frowned. "Sorry I couldn't get you out. That damned video...I hadn't expected that!"
​

"I don't understand how that's even-a possible. We've been together this entire time! Not to mention that we just got here like an hour or so ago." Luigi said, still confused by these events in general.
​

"I swear, it's that damned Momobami. She's definitely got some tricks up her sleeve. I'd try to help more, but I'm afraid I need to be off-I got a note to head to some sort of rendezvous. Time to meet this boss of mine." She sighed. "Watch me completely forget who it is when I leave. Take care, everyone!" With a wave goodbye, I-No was off.

"Take care. I'm-a sorry that things had to be this way." Luigi said, clearly feeling sorry for the poor witch, even if he was the only one in the group who did. She tried her best to help them, and that was enough to earn at least a small amount of respect from Luigi.

Once I-No was out of the way, however, Yumeko stepped forward. "Oh no. She was definitely lying."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused by what Yumeko meant.

"You didn't see it? Her tell was kind of obvious." She clasped her hands together. "I-No would tap her right index finger when lying, like this." She demonstrated, tapping her own right index finger on her hand. "She did that earlier, in the plane. When she was talking about helping us enjoy paradise, I noticed her tapping her finger on her guitar. And she did it again in jail, saying she couldn't remember anything. I thought maybe it was just coincidence, but she did it just now, too, when apologizing. What, did none of you notice?"
​

Shantae, who had been relatively quiet throughout the ordeal (mostly out of shock from that video and the fact that she simply had nothing to say) shook her head. "No. And I'm usually good at telling when people are lying too." The half-genie said, eyeing Risky Boots with that particular statement.​

"Well, I've always had a knack for perception...or did I? I'm not too sure…Either way, this is turning into quite a fun little trip, isn't it? So unpredictable…"

"It's so exciting."

Just like that, though, Yumeko was back to normal, as if she hadn't changed a bit. "Well, I'm going to explore a little. I'm sure those officers won't mind, right?"

With that, she was off towards the market. You could follow her, or go other places, such as:

• The Shine Gate, the large structure in the center of town
• The Delfino Ferry, which are boats that take you to other small islands nearby
• The Bell Tower, which houses the town bell
• The Delfino Cafe, where it looks as if its owner needs some help

Then there's the Tanuki Hut, Statue, and Lighthouse, which all need cleaning up.

Starring:


@Archmage Jeremiah as Risky Boots (Shantae)
@Bucky as Honoka Kousaka (Love Live!)
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Tony Stark (The Superior Iron Man)
@Crow as Ernesti Echavalier (Knights & Magic)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Kars (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
@dark as Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone)
@Glostechk as Tsuyu Asui (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Gummi Bunnies as Maria Ushiromiya(Umineko no Naku Koro ni
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Toshinori Yagi (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Jeremi as The Fourth Doctor (Doctor Who)
@Kaykay as Hina (Hinamatsuri)
@Kentucky as Peter Parker (The Amazing Spiderman)
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)
@Leon Moretti as Nagihiko Fujisaki (Shugo Chara!)
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day: The Musical)
@Mari as Yamashiro (KanColle)
@Mason Moretti as Starlow (Mario and Luigi series)
@Midnight Maiden as Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
@Minerva as Ritsuka Fujimura (Fate/Grand Order)
@Otto as Talon (League of Legends)
@ShiroKiyoshi as Kusanagi (Phantom of the Kill)
@Takumi as Yato (Noragami)
@thatguyinthestore as Shantae (Shantae)
@The Myrmidon as Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (Magic: the Gathering)
@Verite as Gon Freeces (Hunter X Hunter)
@York as Ami Kawashima (Toradora!)
@Yun Lee as Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)​

"I'll head to the lighthouse as well!" Luigi exclaimed, following suit behind Yusuke and Alesha. As they walked, Luigi turned to them. "How do you think we're going to get outta this? I mean, that tape looked pretty convincing even though it was-a faked."

---

After thinking for a moment, Shantae looked up and at the group. "I'm gonna go to the cafe." The half-genie stated before doing just that. Really, Shantae could really just use a nice cup of coffee right about now.

---

"I'm gonna stay here at the shine gate." The Koopa King said before crossing his arms and standing in the center of town. He didn't wanna really walk across the entire island for some losers that he didn't care about in the first place.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu @Yun Lee @Minerva @LuckycoolHawk9 @Otto @York @thatguyinthestore @ShiroKiyoshi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Verite @Mari @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @dark @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Crow @Bucky @Midnight Maiden @Glostechk @Jeremi @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X​

Starlow - Shine Gate

"I'll stick here at the Shine Gate as well. I want to meet some of the Shine Sprites! The Shine Sprites and the Star Sprites used to be very close. I wonder what happened to relations between them."

Starlow followed close to Bowser, making sure to keep an eye on him, in case he made any trouble. She believed that he could behave. At least somewhat.
​

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore

 

[Mari]

"I noticed the part where Shadow Luigi just... turned into Luigi. What if those others weren't us, but Shadow versions of us?"

Ernesti's smile widened.

"That would be so cool! Even better if Shadow-Me has his own Shadow Ikaruga. We'd face each other in an epic duel to the death - robot versus robot, the true one and the shadow, a definite equal matchup!"

@Mari @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse​

"I wish I knew," Yusuke replied to Luigi, frowning. "If only my leader-- friend, Akira were here. He was always quite skilled in coming up with plans for bleak circumstances such as these ones." Hell, he would've even been happy if Makoto or Futaba were there too. He only hoped this group would be as smart as his friends and eventually figure this mess out.

"That would be lovely," the artist said, perking up when the khan would suggest they could get food after they finished cleaning. "But there's no need to rush. I can live off very little sustenance. I'm well practiced in doing so," he said, as if proud of himself for being able to do this. Thanks to spending little on food, he had been able to buy himself many extra art supplies in the past. In his eyes, that was definitely something to be joyful about.

The boy glanced to Yamashiro, realizing he hadn't noticed her before. "Let us hope the truth will be illuminated post haste," he said with a nod. "I'm Yusuke Kitagawa. Who might you be?" he asked her.

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Mari @Crow @Yun Lee @Lighthouse​

The talk of shadow-duplicates made Yamashiro nervous; it sounded similar to what she knew of the Abyssmal fleet. If there existed such duplicates of everyone here, there would certainly be trouble, and a conflict.

She put those negative thoughts aside, though, when a younger male approached and introduced himself. She smiled, bowed, and responded.

"I am Yamashiro; it is nice to meet you Mr. Kitagawa. I hope we find out what really happened, and that we are able to clean the lighthouse quickly!"

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Yun Lee @Lighthouse

 

[thatguyinthestore]

❝ I want to go to the cafe with you too, Shantae! Uu! ❞ Maria figured a small trip to the cafe wouldn't be a problem. Maybe set up a mini tea party there before doing the work that's been placed onto them.

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Minerva @cafecrew

As Yumeko rounded a corner and escaped out of sight, Risky Boots rolled her head and came to meet Shantae's pointed look, not appearing at all fazed by it. At least, no more fazed than she was by everything else.

View attachment 145061

"Now what did I say before the trial? Hm?" Risky grumbled, and easily kept up with Shantae while she swaggered to the café alongside her, "Well...the deck is stacked against us now more than ever, but I'm not about to keel over and accept it; not until I dance the hempen jig," she continued on a bleaker note, "And assuming you're the same Shantae I've always known, it looks like we'll be working together again," Risky glanced across to see Maria run up and join them, and her normal grin returned. "Along with some...new additions,"

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Khan of the Mardu

Ritsuka smiled at everyone else as they came to the shop. "Whassup?" She asked as they came up. "You all just needed a cup of coffee too, huh?" She asked.

"If we keep our heads up then we can get through this." Shantae said, trying to smile in an attempt to brighten the mood a little. When the pirate pointed out that they'd be working together again, Shantae shrugged. "I guess we will be. Things worked out pretty fine last time, so I'm sure they'll be fine this time too. But we do need to keep Maria safe. I promised the poor girl I'd find her mom."

Speaking of which...

"Oh hey! When we get to the cafe, what's say that me you and Risky grab some doughnuts?" Shantae offered to the little girl. Kids liked doughnuts, right?

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.

@Gummi Bunnies @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Yun Lee @Verite @Cafe

---

REPLIES - Lighthouse

Ernesti Echevalier decides to take his mind off the seemingly biased trial. It was a matter to discuss soon.

"The lighthouse is bound to have something!"

@Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Mari @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

"Possibly, yes, they were doppelgangers much like Luigi's lookalike..." Before her comment was done being made, Alesha was always giving Ernesti a pondering expression, cocking a brow at her strange imagination. Well, she was at least right in thinking of a duel, but robots against robots? "Give my clone and I blades over fancy machinery any day - the only proper duel is one done in the way of the Mardu."

@Mari @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore

"I noticed the part where Shadow Luigi just... turned into Luigi. What if those others weren't us, but Shadow versions of us?"

Ernesti's smile widened.

"That would be so cool! Even better if Shadow-Me has his own Shadow Ikaruga. We'd face each other in an epic duel to the death - robot versus robot, the true one and the shadow, a definite equal matchup!"

@Mari @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

Yamashiro nodded to the strange man (Luigi?) in agreement. She felt relieved that she wasn't the only one that noticed something that wasn't true... at least to her memory.



"I am glad I was not the only one to notice. I certainly do not remember doing anything that was shown there. The evidence presented was very... mysterious."







@Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

"Yeah, I guess that it would be best just to-a clean for now." Luigi replied with a slow nod. He just wanted to prove to the residents of Isle Delfino that him and the others were truly good people.

Well, besides Bowser. He's not a good guy.

In response to Yamashiro, Luigi just nodded again. "Yeah... it certainly was a weird video. But... that Kirigi person can alter memories, so maybe she can alter videos as well?" Luigi suggested. Despite the fact that Yumeko called I-No a liar earlier, it was still the best theory that Luigi could come up with. At least for the time being.

Luigi's face turned into one of fear when Ernesti not only said that there being shadow clones of everyone was a possibility, but that it was also somehow a 'cool' idea.

"Wha--no!! No, that's not a 'cool' thing at all! In-a fact, it's very uncool!" Luigi protested. One shadow clone was more than enough. The last thing he wanted was one of everyone else running around.

Once he had settled down from that, the younger Mario brother let out a sigh. "Anyways... what about Bowser? Do you guys-a trust him?"?Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to switch the conversation from shadow clones. He was nervous enough worrying about his own clone already.

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse

---

Starlow - Shine Gate

"I'll stick here at the Shine Gate as well. I want to meet some of the Shine Sprites! The Shine Sprites and the Star Sprites used to be very close. I wonder what happened to relations between them."

Starlow followed close to Bowser, making sure to keep an eye on him, in case he made any trouble. She believed that he could behave. At least somewhat.

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore

Talon | @>>>>Shine Gate
@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @anyone

---

"..."

Talon still didn't buy it, but her sudden change of personality did make her more convincing. He decided to stay quiet for now since she was actually planning on getting him and everyone else out of here.



"I knew that witch was lying... She lost her credibility the moment she talked about deriving pleasure from our emotions!"


Talon also stayed at the shine gate.

"It seems that we're one of the few real criminals among this group... I'm surprised they're not locking us up for good."

He laughed for a moment.

"It'd be criminal to even give us a chance at freedom!"

Bowser let out a hearty laugh in response to Talon.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! And here was me thinkin' that there weren't any other real villains here!" Bowser shouted, sounding genuinely happy for once. "I don't think that we met back in the cell! I'm Bowser, what's yer name?" He asked, happy that there was finally a fellow criminal and not just a bunch of heroes.

When Starlow made her way over, Bowser's smile faded a little, though it was still there a little. "Hey Chippy." "Uhh.. why're you lookin' at me like that?" Bowser asked, having noticed that she was watching him.

@Otto @Mason Moretti @ShineGate​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"If we keep our heads up then we can get through this." Shantae said, trying to smile in an attempt to brighten the mood a little. When the pirate pointed out that they'd be working together again, Shantae shrugged. "I guess we will be. Things worked out pretty fine last time, so I'm sure they'll be fine this time too. But we do need to keep Maria safe. I promised the poor girl I'd find her mom."

Speaking of which...

"Oh hey! When we get to the cafe, what's say that me you and Risky grab some doughnuts?" Shantae offered to the little girl. Kids liked doughnuts, right?

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.

@Gummi Bunnies @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Yun Lee @Verite @Cafe

---

"Yeah, I guess that it would be best just to-a clean for now." Luigi replied with a slow nod. He just wanted to prove to the residents of Isle Delfino that him and the others were truly good people.

Well, besides Bowser. He's not a good guy.

In response to Yamashiro, Luigi just nodded again. "Yeah... it certainly was a weird video. But... that Kirigi person can alter memories, so maybe she can alter videos as well?" Luigi suggested. Despite the fact that Yumeko called I-No a liar earlier, it was still the best theory that Luigi could come up with. At least for the time being.

Luigi's face turned into one of fear when Ernesti not only said that there being shadow clones of everyone was a possibility, but that it was also somehow a 'cool' idea.

"Wha no!! No, that's not a 'cool' thing at all! In-a fact, it's very uncool!" Luigi protested. One shadow clone was more than enough. The last thing he wanted was one of everyone else running around.

Once he had settled down from that, the younger Mario brother let out a sigh. "Anyways... what about Bowser? Do you guys-a trust him?"?Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to switch the conversation from shadow clones. He was nervous enough worrying about his own clone already.

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse

---

Bowser let out a hearty laugh in response to Talon.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! And here was me thinkin' that there weren't any other real villains here!" Bowser shouted, sounding genuinely happy for once. "I don't think that we met back in the cell! I'm Bowser, what's her name?" HE asked, happy that there was finally a fellow criminal and not just a bunch of heroes.

When Starlow made her way over, Bowser's smile faded a little, though it was still there a little. "Hey Chippy." "Uhh.. why're you lookin' at me like that?" Bowser asked, having noticed that she was watching him.

@Otto @Mason Moretti @ShineGate​

"Perhaps... she does seem like quite the spellweaver; that, or she's in league with the shadow figure we met earlier," Alesha answered Luigi with a shrug, "If we remain on the theory of clones of ourselves being under the control of your control, then perhaps she had the videos put together to distract the citizens from her true crimes? If the shadows and daggers are your particular inclination in achieving your goal, that would seem the likeliest means to frame us."

The khan then scoffed at the shorter man's question regarding their newest affiliate, "No, not at all. To trust one who appears to be kin to dragons is a foolish choice, and to trust one who attempted to strike you is even more foolhardy."

​

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

 

[Mari]

"If we keep our heads up then we can get through this." Shantae said, trying to smile in an attempt to brighten the mood a little. When the pirate pointed out that they'd be working together again, Shantae shrugged. "I guess we will be. Things worked out pretty fine last time, so I'm sure they'll be fine this time too. But we do need to keep Maria safe. I promised the poor girl I'd find her mom."

Speaking of which...

"Oh hey! When we get to the cafe, what's say that me you and Risky grab some doughnuts?" Shantae offered to the little girl. Kids liked doughnuts, right?

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.

@Gummi Bunnies @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Yun Lee @Verite @Cafe

---

"Yeah, I guess that it would be best just to-a clean for now." Luigi replied with a slow nod. He just wanted to prove to the residents of Isle Delfino that him and the others were truly good people.

Well, besides Bowser. He's not a good guy.

In response to Yamashiro, Luigi just nodded again. "Yeah... it certainly was a weird video. But... that Kirigi person can alter memories, so maybe she can alter videos as well?" Luigi suggested. Despite the fact that Yumeko called I-No a liar earlier, it was still the best theory that Luigi could come up with. At least for the time being.

Luigi's face turned into one of fear when Ernesti not only said that there being shadow clones of everyone was a possibility, but that it was also somehow a 'cool' idea.

"Wha no!! No, that's not a 'cool' thing at all! In-a fact, it's very uncool!" Luigi protested. One shadow clone was more than enough. The last thing he wanted was one of everyone else running around.

Once he had settled down from that, the younger Mario brother let out a sigh. "Anyways... what about Bowser? Do you guys-a trust him?"?Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to switch the conversation from shadow clones. He was nervous enough worrying about his own clone already.

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse

---

Bowser let out a hearty laugh in response to Talon.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! And here was me thinkin' that there weren't any other real villains here!" Bowser shouted, sounding genuinely happy for once. "I don't think that we met back in the cell! I'm Bowser, what's her name?" HE asked, happy that there was finally a fellow criminal and not just a bunch of heroes.

When Starlow made her way over, Bowser's smile faded a little, though it was still there a little. "Hey Chippy." "Uhh.. why're you lookin' at me like that?" Bowser asked, having noticed that she was watching him.

@Otto @Mason Moretti @ShineGate​

Yamashiro turned to look at Luigi. She didn't know too much about this "video" thing, to think that someone would be capable of manipulating it so much to look so realistic and yet be untrue... still, the other thought of her memories being altered or even erased sounded even worse.

"Regardless, I hope for the best in the end. When we reach the other side of this problem, we will know for sure."

She remembered Kitagawa introducing himself to her just a moment ago; she then thought it would be polite for her to do so this time. She smiled and bowed slightly to Luigi as she spoke again:

"I am Yamashiro. Please take care of us."

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

 

[Crow]

"Possibly, yes, they were doppelgangers much like Luigi's lookalike..." Before her comment was done being made, Alesha was always giving Ernesti a pondering expression, cocking a brow at her strange imagination. Well, she was at least right in thinking of a duel, but robots against robots? "Give my clone and I blades over fancy machinery any day - the only proper duel is one done in the way of the Mardu."

@Mari @Crow @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore​

"I wish I knew," Yusuke replied to Luigi, frowning. "If only my leader-- friend, Akira were here. He was always quite skilled in coming up with plans for bleak circumstances such as these ones." Hell, he would've even been happy if Makoto or Futaba were there too. He only hoped this group would be as smart as his friends and eventually figure this mess out.

"That would be lovely," the artist said, perking up when the khan would suggest they could get food after they finished cleaning. "But there's no need to rush. I can live off very little sustenance. I'm well practiced in doing so," he said, as if proud of himself for being able to do this. Thanks to spending little on food, he had been able to buy himself many extra art supplies in the past. In his eyes, that was definitely something to be joyful about.

The boy glanced to Yamashiro, realizing he hadn't noticed her before. "Let us hope the truth will be illuminated post haste," he said with a nod. "I'm Yusuke Kitagawa. Who might you be?" he asked her.

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Mari @Crow @Yun Lee @Lighthouse​

The talk of shadow-duplicates made Yamashiro nervous; it sounded similar to what she knew of the Abyssmal fleet. If there existed such duplicates of everyone here, there would certainly be trouble, and a conflict.

She put those negative thoughts aside, though, when a younger male approached and introduced himself. She smiled, bowed, and responded.

"I am Yamashiro; it is nice to meet you Mr. Kitsuke. I hope we find out what really happened, and that we are able to clean the lighthouse quickly!"

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Yun Lee @Lighthouse

"Yeah, I guess that it would be best just to-a clean for now." Luigi replied with a slow nod. He just wanted to prove to the residents of Isle Delfino that him and the others were truly good people.

Well, besides Bowser. He's not a good guy.

In response to Yamashiro, Luigi just nodded again. "Yeah... it certainly was a weird video. But... that Kirigi person can alter memories, so maybe she can alter videos as well?" Luigi suggested. Despite the fact that Yumeko called I-No a liar earlier, it was still the best theory that Luigi could come up with. At least for the time being.

Luigi's face turned into one of fear when Ernesti not only said that there being shadow clones of everyone was a possibility, but that it was also somehow a 'cool' idea.

"Wha no!! No, that's not a 'cool' thing at all! In-a fact, it's very uncool!" Luigi protested. One shadow clone was more than enough. The last thing he wanted was one of everyone else running around.

Once he had settled down from that, the younger Mario brother let out a sigh. "Anyways... what about Bowser? Do you guys-a trust him?"?Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to switch the conversation from shadow clones. He was nervous enough worrying about his own clone already.

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse​

Yamashiro turned to look at Luigi. She didn't know too much about this "video" thing, to think that someone would be capable of manipulating it so much to look so realistic and yet be untrue... still, the other thought of her memories being altered or even erased sounded even worse.

"Regardless, I hope for the best in the end. When we reach the other side of this problem, we will know for sure."

She remembered Kitagawa introducing himself to her just a moment ago; she then thought it would be polite for her to do so this time. She smiled and bowed slightly to Luigi as she spoke again:

"I am Yamashiro. Please take care of us."

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

"I'm sure you'll see what I mean when you see Ikaruga and I in action," Ernesti grins at Alesha.

"Ah, since we're introducing ourselves, I suppose I should introduce myself, since we will be cooperating in the long run. My name is Ernesti Echevalier, Commander of the Order of the Silver Phoenix and the next head of House Echevalier," Ernesti bows, "pleased to meet you all."

When Luigi asked if they trusted Bowser, Ernesti replies, "there's an old saying - the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Do you think something else is going on with Bowser right now, Luigi? Such as him not being the enemy of our enemies?"

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse​

 

[Kaykay]

Tony felt his skin crawl. He was surrounded by the 3 things he hated most in the world: children, tea drinkers and people who weren't him. Add a terrorist into the mix and he couldn't blame himself for thinking he had died in the plane crash and was, in fact, in hell. Tony turned towards this kids
"Jesus Christ...how old are you guys? 8? 12? I'm guessing 14 tops. How in Kratos' name have you never had freaking coffee?" Tony doubled his pace towards the shop "C'mon kids, Uncle Tony is going to teach you how to live..."
@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee

"That means you're paying, right? I never did get that water so coffee'll do."

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Cafe​

 

[Verite]

❝ Uu~! I was thinking we have a little tea party once we get to the cafe. Sorta like the ones my best friend throws all of the time. It'll be fun to do! ❞ Maria definitely sounded excited at her own idea on what to do at the cafe.

❝ Uuu... I don't think Mama would be happy with me starting early with coffee... plus she always drinks coffee when she's grouhcy, especially in the morning. ❞ She couldn't really think about herself drinking coffee just yet once she heard Gon's question, but tea with all sorts of pastries sounded really enticing to her.​

Tony felt his skin crawl. He was surrounded by the 3 things he hated most in the world: children, tea drinkers and people who weren't him. Add a terrorist into the mix and he couldn't blame himself for thinking he had died in the plane crash and was, in fact, in hell. Tony turned towards this kids
"Jesus Christ...how old are you guys? 8? 12? I'm guessing 14 tops. How in Kratos' name have you never had freaking coffee?" Tony doubled his pace towards the shop "C'mon kids, Uncle Tony is going to teach you how to live..."

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.​

"Eh? Your mom wouldn't like it? Hmm... Adults do seem to really like coffee for some reason," Gon replied to Maria curiously, crossing his arms idly as he pursed his lips, before turning to Tony.

"Pretty much, yeah," he said in response to the man inquiring about his age, not seeming to be bothered all that much by his seemingly condescending demeanor like Shantae was, if only because he didn't have the capacity to be annoyed by it, "And I usually don't need it. The moment I wake up, I'm already fired up! So it'd seem like a waste, right?"​

"That means you're paying, right? I never did get that water so coffee'll do."​

"I mean, the water from the FLUDDs tastes pretty good! Even though it hurts a little when I try to drink it..."

@Kaykay @thatguyinthestore @Archmage Jeremiah @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Minerva @Cafe​

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Rita Hanson- Day One

Rita had been right. God, she hated that she had been right about that. Hmmm.... she considered her options, but with everyone going to the café and the lighthouse, she headed over to the statue with the newly acquired FLUDD.

" Okay, Rita. You got this. How bad could this goop be?" She asked to mostly to herself.

@Yun Lee @Statue

 

[J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X]

Episode One:
Plaza Peril!

"You know...maybe Gamera here can help me out. If I could get you to plead your case, maybe we'll be free to go." I-No gave Bowser a smile. "What do you say, big guy? You in?"​

Bowser sat silently for a moment with his arms crossed, not exactly being too keen when it came to working with the good. Though, after a good thirty seconds or so of silence, Bowser reluctantly nodded. "Fine! But none'a you twerps go gettin' any ideas. Like I said earlier, I ain't about t'be pals with any'a you."

"Huh?" One of the guards looked at the little radio on his person, which began to make noise. He lifted it up, listening, before saying, Roger that." Putting it back he looked at the inmates. "It's trial time."

I-No smiled at the group. "Showtime." She left the cell, everyone else escorted behind her into the courtroom. The judge sat at the bench, and in the plaintiff's seat was a Pianta attorney and none other than Kirari herself, watching you all with that same smile on her face.

"I'll try to make this quick," she said, her tone making it clear this has all been decided.

"I'm sure you will," I-No replied with a smirk, sitting at the defendant's seat. The officers have everyone else fill up the audience seats.

"Now then," the judge began, clearing his throat. "The defendants sit charged with the crime of vandalism. How do they plead?"​

"My clients plead not guilty, Your Honor."

"I see. And Mister Luigi sits charged as the main instigator of this criminal organization. How does he plead?"

"Not-a guilty!" The younger Mario brother stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Finally, Mister Bowser is charged with being the mastermind behind the attack on Isle Delfino one year ago, as well as evading arrest. Bowser, How do you plead?"​

"Guilty! Erm… I mean not guilty!"

"Well then, would the defense like to present their opening argument?"​

I-No stood, taking on an air of professionalism unseen earlier. "Your Honor, my clients were brought to Isle Delfino on a plane against their will, crashed onto the runway, and arrested for crimes they didn't commit! We have witnesses who saw both Luigi and an imposter that can attest for us. Forcing my clients into a trial without due process is shameful, and I demand you let them go free!"​

The Pianta lawyer stood, walking to the front of the courtroom. "That was a lovely speech, Miss, but unfortunately it amounts to nothing. You see, all witnesses at Delfino Airstrip this afternoon don't remember ever seeing anything in the account!"​

"They could've been lying!"​

"We ran them through a lie detector test!"​

"Damn!"

The lawyer produced a disc from his jacket pocket. "What's more, Miss Momobami here has a video that is solid proof of guilt of everyone! I would like to submit this film into court record."​

"Let's see it first," the judge motioned for the bailiff to put the disc into the court TV, which he did. As the footage started playing, it was clear this was surveillance footage around Isle Delfino. Things seemed normal at first: a hotel by the sea, an amusement park, a harbor...but then, as it changed to a windmill, you could see someone covering it with goop.​

"Wait a minute!" Yumeko said in shock. "Th-That's…!"

The culprit turned around, revealing their face.

"Gon?!"

The camera changed again. Now, Alesha could be seen on a beach, overlooking a group of goop creatures as they attacked bystanders. Another change, this time to a bay, where Yamishiro was polluting the water. The footage changed again and again, showing everyone involved in causing trouble one way or another. Even Mary could be seen at one point, working together with that monster from before. Finally, the footage landed on Shadow Luigi, painting an L on a wall with his brush. He turned around, and laughed, having spotted the camera. Pressing a button on the paintbrush, his blue hue disappeared to reveal…​

...Luigi, in his normal green outfit. He brought his paintbrush over his head and swung, and the camera went to static.

I-No stared in silence, then leaned back in her chair. "Well...we're fucked."

Kirari stood. "Your Honor, the security cameras I paid for all over Isle Delfino have caught all these criminals on tape. I'm afraid there's no other explanation."

"I'm afraid you're right. Unless the defense can explain this tape…"​

"...I got nothing." I-No did stand, however. "But even so, if I may make one request. There are children in this group, who were probably manipulated into helping. Won't you please give them a lighter sentence?"​

"Unfortunately, everyone will receive the same punishment. I sentence you all to clean up the mess you made on this island! Including you, Bowser!"​

"That's a load'a mushrooms! I wasn't even with these twerps when it happened!" Bowser shouted, angry that he had to clean up other people's messes. He wasn't a plumber like Mario or Luigi, after all.

"But you were here one year ago! And you have yet to face any charges! Consider this an extension of that sentencing! Now, you'll all be sent off to Delfino Plaza first! The hub of our humble island needs to be cleaned up first and foremost!" He brought his gavel down. "Court dismissed!"

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

Luckily, it turned out you were already in Delfino Plaza, as the courthouse was located just to the east of town square. As everyone was escorted out the next morning, the officers handed them all FLUDD machines and a map of the plaza.

"There are three areas covered in goop," they explained. "The Lighthouse east of here, the Statue at the south of town, and the Tanuki Hut to the west. Clean that all up and come see us when you're done. But no funny business-we'll know if anyone's slacking off."

These guards then proceeded to station themselves at the entrance to the courthouse. Huh. Looks like they won't be watching too closely.

I-No watched them with a sneer. "Protectors of the peace my ass." Turning to the group she frowned. "Sorry I couldn't get you out. That damned video...I hadn't expected that!"
​

"I don't understand how that's even-a possible. We've been together this entire time! Not to mention that we just got here like an hour or so ago." Luigi said, still confused by these events in general.
​

"I swear, it's that damned Momobami. She's definitely got some tricks up her sleeve. I'd try to help more, but I'm afraid I need to be off-I got a note to head to some sort of rendezvous. Time to meet this boss of mine." She sighed. "Watch me completely forget who it is when I leave. Take care, everyone!" With a wave goodbye, I-No was off.

"Take care. I'm-a sorry that things had to be this way." Luigi said, clearly feeling sorry for the poor witch, even if he was the only one in the group who did. She tried her best to help them, and that was enough to earn at least a small amount of respect from Luigi.

Once I-No was out of the way, however, Yumeko stepped forward. "Oh no. She was definitely lying."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused by what Yumeko meant.

"You didn't see it? Her tell was kind of obvious." She clasped her hands together. "I-No would tap her right index finger when lying, like this." She demonstrated, tapping her own right index finger on her hand. "She did that earlier, in the plane. When she was talking about helping us enjoy paradise, I noticed her tapping her finger on her guitar. And she did it again in jail, saying she couldn't remember anything. I thought maybe it was just coincidence, but she did it just now, too, when apologizing. What, did none of you notice?"
​

Shantae, who had been relatively quiet throughout the ordeal (mostly out of shock from that video and the fact that she simply had nothing to say) shook her head. "No. And I'm usually good at telling when people are lying too." The half-genie said, eyeing Risky Boots with that particular statement.​

"Well, I've always had a knack for perception...or did I? I'm not too sure…Either way, this is turning into quite a fun little trip, isn't it? So unpredictable…"

"It's so exciting."

Just like that, though, Yumeko was back to normal, as if she hadn't changed a bit. "Well, I'm going to explore a little. I'm sure those officers won't mind, right?"

With that, she was off towards the market. You could follow her, or go other places, such as:

• The Shine Gate, the large structure in the center of town
• The Delfino Ferry, which are boats that take you to other small islands nearby
• The Bell Tower, which houses the town bell
• The Delfino Cafe, where it looks as if its owner needs some help

Then there's the Tanuki Hut, Statue, and Lighthouse, which all need cleaning up.

Starring:


@Archmage Jeremiah as Risky Boots (Shantae)
@Bucky as Honoka Kousaka (Love Live!)
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Tony Stark (The Superior Iron Man)
@Crow as Ernesti Echavalier (Knights & Magic)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Kars (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
@dark as Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone)
@Glostechk as Tsuyu Asui (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Gummi Bunnies as Maria Ushiromiya(Umineko no Naku Koro ni
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Toshinori Yagi (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Jeremi as The Fourth Doctor (Doctor Who)
@Kaykay as Hina (Hinamatsuri)
@Kentucky as Peter Parker (The Amazing Spiderman)
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)
@Leon Moretti as Nagihiko Fujisaki (Shugo Chara!)
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day: The Musical)
@Mari as Yamashiro (KanColle)
@Mason Moretti as Starlow (Mario and Luigi series)
@Midnight Maiden as Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
@Minerva as Ritsuka Fujimura (Fate/Grand Order)
@Otto as Talon (League of Legends)
@ShiroKiyoshi as Kusanagi (Phantom of the Kill)
@Takumi as Yato (Noragami)
@thatguyinthestore as Shantae (Shantae)
@The Myrmidon as Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (Magic: the Gathering)
@Verite as Gon Freeces (Hunter X Hunter)
@York as Ami Kawashima (Toradora!)
@Yun Lee as Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)​

​

"Hmm. The Market sounds pretty interesting! I think I'll head over there myself. Maybe we can find a good deal on some food while were there!" All Might laughed heartily, following Yumeko to the market as he forgot for a moment that they had no money to spend..

@Marketpeeps @Yun Lee

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

REPLIES - Delfino Cafe

Tony felt his skin crawl. He was surrounded by the 3 things he hated most in the world: children, tea drinkers and people who weren't him. Add a terrorist into the mix and he couldn't blame himself for thinking he had died in the plane crash and was, in fact, in hell. Tony turned towards this kids
"Jesus Christ...how old are you guys? 8? 12? I'm guessing 14 tops. How in Kratos' name have you never had freaking coffee?" Tony doubled his pace towards the shop "C'mon kids, Uncle Tony is going to teach you how to live..."
@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee

"If we keep our heads up then we can get through this." Shantae said, trying to smile in an attempt to brighten the mood a little. When the pirate pointed out that they'd be working together again, Shantae shrugged. "I guess we will be. Things worked out pretty fine last time, so I'm sure they'll be fine this time too. But we do need to keep Maria safe. I promised the poor girl I'd find her mom."

Speaking of which...

"Oh hey! When we get to the cafe, what's say that me you and Risky grab some doughnuts?" Shantae offered to the little girl. Kids liked doughnuts, right?

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.

@Gummi Bunnies @Archmage Jeremiah @Cromartie Sarkissian @Minerva @Yun Lee @Verite @Cafe

---

"Yeah, I guess that it would be best just to-a clean for now." Luigi replied with a slow nod. He just wanted to prove to the residents of Isle Delfino that him and the others were truly good people.

Well, besides Bowser. He's not a good guy.

In response to Yamashiro, Luigi just nodded again. "Yeah... it certainly was a weird video. But... that Kirigi person can alter memories, so maybe she can alter videos as well?" Luigi suggested. Despite the fact that Yumeko called I-No a liar earlier, it was still the best theory that Luigi could come up with. At least for the time being.

Luigi's face turned into one of fear when Ernesti not only said that there being shadow clones of everyone was a possibility, but that it was also somehow a 'cool' idea.

"Wha--no!! No, that's not a 'cool' thing at all! In-a fact, it's very uncool!" Luigi protested. One shadow clone was more than enough. The last thing he wanted was one of everyone else running around.

Once he had settled down from that, the younger Mario brother let out a sigh. "Anyways... what about Bowser? Do you guys-a trust him?"?Luigi asked in a desperate attempt to switch the conversation from shadow clones. He was nervous enough worrying about his own clone already.

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse

---

Bowser let out a hearty laugh in response to Talon.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! And here was me thinkin' that there weren't any other real villains here!" Bowser shouted, sounding genuinely happy for once. "I don't think that we met back in the cell! I'm Bowser, what's yer name?" He asked, happy that there was finally a fellow criminal and not just a bunch of heroes.

When Starlow made her way over, Bowser's smile faded a little, though it was still there a little. "Hey Chippy." "Uhh.. why're you lookin' at me like that?" Bowser asked, having noticed that she was watching him.

@Otto @Mason Moretti @ShineGate​

"That means you're paying, right? I never did get that water so coffee'll do."

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Cafe​

"Eh? Your mom wouldn't like it? Hmm... Adults do seem to really like coffee for some reason," Gon replied to Maria curiously, crossing his arms idly as he pursed his lips, before turning to Tony.

"Pretty much, yeah," he said in response to the man inquiring about his age, not seeming to be bothered all that much by his seemingly condescending demeanor like Shantae was, if only because he didn't have the capacity to be annoyed by it, "And I usually don't need it. The moment I wake up, I'm already fired up! So it'd seem like a waste, right?"

"I mean, the water from the FLUDDs tastes pretty good! Even though it hurts a little when I try to drink it..."

@Kaykay @thatguyinthestore @Archmage Jeremiah @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Minerva @Cafe​

"Uu! Can I get the donuts with sprinkles? Can I? Uuu!" Maria sounded pretty overjoyed. Anything sweet was getting an immediate yes from the young girl.

"Uu... Mama always told me that I shouldn't have coffee until I'm much much older. But my older cousins do drink coffee too... Maybe when I start 5th grade... I can start drinking coffee. My best friend Beatrice always has whatever I'm thinking about anyways! Uu!"

@Yun Lee @Cromartie Sarkissian @thatguyinthestore @Archmage Jeremiah @Verite @Minerva @Kaykay @Cafe​

 

[Takumi]

While having Yato so close and evidently watching over her was comforting, Hiyori felt slightly sheepish from his comment about him typically being the one to get hurt. She smiled faintly, an awkward air about the thing, and rubbed her head with her foot scuffing the ground slightly as she did so. "Hey, it wasn't that bad..." she mumbled, seeming almost embarrassed to have had such a minor injury as hers compared to the shamefully intense ones Yato typically received. But her embarrassment from the comparison was ebbed away by his question as to whether she was alright, leading her hand to drop to her side, eyes reopening and mouth falling slightly agape as she gazed at him. After what was probably just a tad too long, she managed a reply. "Ah, yes, I'm fine. Thank you. Yato."

With that, she had intended to reply to Bowser and explain her sentiments, but any intentions of doing so were cut away by their removal from the cell. The trip to the courtroom was an anxiety-inducing thing, and Hiyori found her voice lost due to the events that transpired within it. What the hell...? How could that video exist? None of them had done any such things! Of course, that didn't matter. This false evidence, however it had come to be, was damning. And that fact chilled Hiyori to the bone.

Fortunately, it didn't seem it meant a lifetime in prison, or anything so severe. Instead, it meant cleaning up this odd place they had wound up in, which, Hiyori could live with. She was happy to assist others, and if this goop was causing problems, it would be her pleasure to remove it. But the issue stood: who had framed them? Why? And what was the big scheme behind it? Those were the things about the situation that made her skin prickle.

"..."

Okay. So she really didn't get the whole FLUDD thing. At all. It took a few runs of accidentally squirting people, promptly offering numerous fervent apologies, and unintentionally blasting up off of the ground just enough to make her fall forward a few times to really get how it worked. Yet she was not deterred, remaining near Yato and finally, once she had figured out the workings of the machine, gaining the courage to discuss the matter at hand.

"Yato," she spoke only after taking his hand and giving it a small squeeze, voice gentle but firm. "I'm going to the Tanuki Hut. But first, I need to know..." Eugh. Here it came. The question bothering her since she had discovered that the god was along on this absolutely insane roller coaster of... insanity.

"Where is Yukine?"

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Tanuki Hut(SHORTLY)​

"Glad you're alright." Yato smiled at this, though the smile faded once the time for their trial came.

Yato held back an outburst as the 'evidence' was being held against them, which definitely wasn't true at all! At least their sentence wasn't all that bad, and he was used to a job of cleaning.

Watching Hiyori try out the FLUDD caused him to give an amused snicker, even though he had no clue how to use it himself.

Hiyori suddenly grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze almost caught him off guard, but he quickly regained composure when she asked her question, a serious frown coming to his face.

"Yukine wasn't with me before I ended up on that plane, so he should be back home." he replied, returning the squeeze subconsciously.

"As much as it'd be nice to have him around with us, it's probably for thw best. In the long run I doubt having a Shinki around wouldn't help in a fight like the one from earlier." bringing his free hand to his chin as he said this, Yato's brows furrowed.

"Still, in the unlikely event that..." shaking his head at the unfinished thought, Yato smiled.

"Well, all we're doing is cleaning up some paint, and an Ayakashi attack is unlikely since I haven't seen one since we got here." he rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, he couldn't even use any of his usual abilities anyway, so all he had to protect himself and Hiyori was the FLUDD in his possession.

...

They were doomed.

@Midnight Maiden @Yun Lee @Going to Tanuki Hut

 

[Leon Moretti]

Episode One:
Plaza Peril!

"You know...maybe Gamera here can help me out. If I could get you to plead your case, maybe we'll be free to go." I-No gave Bowser a smile. "What do you say, big guy? You in?"​

Bowser sat silently for a moment with his arms crossed, not exactly being too keen when it came to working with the good. Though, after a good thirty seconds or so of silence, Bowser reluctantly nodded. "Fine! But none'a you twerps go gettin' any ideas. Like I said earlier, I ain't about t'be pals with any'a you."

"Huh?" One of the guards looked at the little radio on his person, which began to make noise. He lifted it up, listening, before saying, Roger that." Putting it back he looked at the inmates. "It's trial time."

I-No smiled at the group. "Showtime." She left the cell, everyone else escorted behind her into the courtroom. The judge sat at the bench, and in the plaintiff's seat was a Pianta attorney and none other than Kirari herself, watching you all with that same smile on her face.

"I'll try to make this quick," she said, her tone making it clear this has all been decided.

"I'm sure you will," I-No replied with a smirk, sitting at the defendant's seat. The officers have everyone else fill up the audience seats.

"Now then," the judge began, clearing his throat. "The defendants sit charged with the crime of vandalism. How do they plead?"​

"My clients plead not guilty, Your Honor."

"I see. And Mister Luigi sits charged as the main instigator of this criminal organization. How does he plead?"

"Not-a guilty!" The younger Mario brother stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Finally, Mister Bowser is charged with being the mastermind behind the attack on Isle Delfino one year ago, as well as evading arrest. Bowser, How do you plead?"​

"Guilty! Erm… I mean not guilty!"

"Well then, would the defense like to present their opening argument?"​

I-No stood, taking on an air of professionalism unseen earlier. "Your Honor, my clients were brought to Isle Delfino on a plane against their will, crashed onto the runway, and arrested for crimes they didn't commit! We have witnesses who saw both Luigi and an imposter that can attest for us. Forcing my clients into a trial without due process is shameful, and I demand you let them go free!"​

The Pianta lawyer stood, walking to the front of the courtroom. "That was a lovely speech, Miss, but unfortunately it amounts to nothing. You see, all witnesses at Delfino Airstrip this afternoon don't remember ever seeing anything in the account!"​

"They could've been lying!"​

"We ran them through a lie detector test!"​

"Damn!"

The lawyer produced a disc from his jacket pocket. "What's more, Miss Momobami here has a video that is solid proof of guilt of everyone! I would like to submit this film into court record."​

"Let's see it first," the judge motioned for the bailiff to put the disc into the court TV, which he did. As the footage started playing, it was clear this was surveillance footage around Isle Delfino. Things seemed normal at first: a hotel by the sea, an amusement park, a harbor...but then, as it changed to a windmill, you could see someone covering it with goop.​

"Wait a minute!" Yumeko said in shock. "Th-That's…!"

The culprit turned around, revealing their face.

"Gon?!"

The camera changed again. Now, Alesha could be seen on a beach, overlooking a group of goop creatures as they attacked bystanders. Another change, this time to a bay, where Yamishiro was polluting the water. The footage changed again and again, showing everyone involved in causing trouble one way or another. Even Mary could be seen at one point, working together with that monster from before. Finally, the footage landed on Shadow Luigi, painting an L on a wall with his brush. He turned around, and laughed, having spotted the camera. Pressing a button on the paintbrush, his blue hue disappeared to reveal…​

...Luigi, in his normal green outfit. He brought his paintbrush over his head and swung, and the camera went to static.

I-No stared in silence, then leaned back in her chair. "Well...we're fucked."

Kirari stood. "Your Honor, the security cameras I paid for all over Isle Delfino have caught all these criminals on tape. I'm afraid there's no other explanation."

"I'm afraid you're right. Unless the defense can explain this tape…"​

"...I got nothing." I-No did stand, however. "But even so, if I may make one request. There are children in this group, who were probably manipulated into helping. Won't you please give them a lighter sentence?"​

"Unfortunately, everyone will receive the same punishment. I sentence you all to clean up the mess you made on this island! Including you, Bowser!"​

"That's a load'a mushrooms! I wasn't even with these twerps when it happened!" Bowser shouted, angry that he had to clean up other people's messes. He wasn't a plumber like Mario or Luigi, after all.

"But you were here one year ago! And you have yet to face any charges! Consider this an extension of that sentencing! Now, you'll all be sent off to Delfino Plaza first! The hub of our humble island needs to be cleaned up first and foremost!" He brought his gavel down. "Court dismissed!"

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

Luckily, it turned out you were already in Delfino Plaza, as the courthouse was located just to the east of town square. As everyone was escorted out the next morning, the officers handed them all FLUDD machines and a map of the plaza.

"There are three areas covered in goop," they explained. "The Lighthouse east of here, the Statue at the south of town, and the Tanuki Hut to the west. Clean that all up and come see us when you're done. But no funny business-we'll know if anyone's slacking off."

These guards then proceeded to station themselves at the entrance to the courthouse. Huh. Looks like they won't be watching too closely.

I-No watched them with a sneer. "Protectors of the peace my ass." Turning to the group she frowned. "Sorry I couldn't get you out. That damned video...I hadn't expected that!"
​

"I don't understand how that's even-a possible. We've been together this entire time! Not to mention that we just got here like an hour or so ago." Luigi said, still confused by these events in general.
​

"I swear, it's that damned Momobami. She's definitely got some tricks up her sleeve. I'd try to help more, but I'm afraid I need to be off-I got a note to head to some sort of rendezvous. Time to meet this boss of mine." She sighed. "Watch me completely forget who it is when I leave. Take care, everyone!" With a wave goodbye, I-No was off.

"Take care. I'm-a sorry that things had to be this way." Luigi said, clearly feeling sorry for the poor witch, even if he was the only one in the group who did. She tried her best to help them, and that was enough to earn at least a small amount of respect from Luigi.

Once I-No was out of the way, however, Yumeko stepped forward. "Oh no. She was definitely lying."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused by what Yumeko meant.

"You didn't see it? Her tell was kind of obvious." She clasped her hands together. "I-No would tap her right index finger when lying, like this." She demonstrated, tapping her own right index finger on her hand. "She did that earlier, in the plane. When she was talking about helping us enjoy paradise, I noticed her tapping her finger on her guitar. And she did it again in jail, saying she couldn't remember anything. I thought maybe it was just coincidence, but she did it just now, too, when apologizing. What, did none of you notice?"
​

Shantae, who had been relatively quiet throughout the ordeal (mostly out of shock from that video and the fact that she simply had nothing to say) shook her head. "No. And I'm usually good at telling when people are lying too." The half-genie said, eyeing Risky Boots with that particular statement.​

"Well, I've always had a knack for perception...or did I? I'm not too sure…Either way, this is turning into quite a fun little trip, isn't it? So unpredictable…"

"It's so exciting."

Just like that, though, Yumeko was back to normal, as if she hadn't changed a bit. "Well, I'm going to explore a little. I'm sure those officers won't mind, right?"

With that, she was off towards the market. You could follow her, or go other places, such as:

• The Shine Gate, the large structure in the center of town
• The Delfino Ferry, which are boats that take you to other small islands nearby
• The Bell Tower, which houses the town bell
• The Delfino Cafe, where it looks as if its owner needs some help

Then there's the Tanuki Hut, Statue, and Lighthouse, which all need cleaning up.

Starring:


@Archmage Jeremiah as Risky Boots (Shantae)
@Bucky as Honoka Kousaka (Love Live!)
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Tony Stark (The Superior Iron Man)
@Crow as Ernesti Echavalier (Knights & Magic)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Kars (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
@dark as Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone)
@Glostechk as Tsuyu Asui (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Gummi Bunnies as Maria Ushiromiya(Umineko no Naku Koro ni
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Toshinori Yagi (Boku no Hero Academia)
@Jeremi as The Fourth Doctor (Doctor Who)
@Kaykay as Hina (Hinamatsuri)
@Kentucky as Peter Parker (The Amazing Spiderman)
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)
@Leon Moretti as Nagihiko Fujisaki (Shugo Chara!)
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day: The Musical)
@Mari as Yamashiro (KanColle)
@Mason Moretti as Starlow (Mario and Luigi series)
@Midnight Maiden as Hiyori Iki (Noragami)
@Minerva as Ritsuka Fujimura (Fate/Grand Order)
@Otto as Talon (League of Legends)
@ShiroKiyoshi as Kusanagi (Phantom of the Kill)
@Takumi as Yato (Noragami)
@thatguyinthestore as Shantae (Shantae)
@The Myrmidon as Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (Magic: the Gathering)
@Verite as Gon Freeces (Hunter X Hunter)
@York as Ami Kawashima (Toradora!)
@Yun Lee as Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)​

He took a big sigh at his current situation, regardless of the outcome, community service wasn't bad. "I wouldn't hear the end of it from Amu-chan if she found out about this..." If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well figure out more about the island and everything, so he headed to The Shine Gate.

@Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @anyonethere​

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

Ritsuka smiled at everyone else as they came to the shop. "Whassup?" She asked as they came up. "You all just needed a cup of coffee too, huh?" She asked

"Zombies drink it to stay sane, so surely it can do the same for me," Risky Boots answered succinctly.

❝ Uu~! I was thinking we have a little tea party once we get to the cafe. Sorta like the ones my best friend throws all of the time. It'll be fun to do! ❞ Maria definitely sounded excited at her own idea on what to do at the cafe.

❝ Uuu... I don't think Mama would be happy with me starting early with coffee... plus she always drinks coffee when she's grouhcy, especially in the morning. ❞ She couldn't really think about herself drinking coffee just yet once she heard Gon's question, but tea with all sorts of pastries sounded really enticing to her.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Yun Lee @Cafe​

"If we keep our heads up then we can get through this." Shantae said, trying to smile in an attempt to brighten the mood a little. When the pirate pointed out that they'd be working together again, Shantae shrugged. "I guess we will be. Things worked out pretty fine last time, so I'm sure they'll be fine this time too. But we do need to keep Maria safe. I promised the poor girl I'd find her mom."

Speaking of which...

"Oh hey! When we get to the cafe, what's say that me you and Risky grab some doughnuts?" Shantae offered to the little girl. Kids liked doughnuts, right?

When Ritsuka approached, the half-genie would smile and nod towards her. "Yup! Well..." Shantae would pause and look down at Maria. She was about to ask if she liked coffee, but Gon asked the question for her, so Shantae simply nodded in response.

When Maria said that she'd never had coffee and that her mother probably wouldn't approve of her drinking it, Shantae simply smiled and shrugged in response. "That's okay. We'll just settle for some doughnuts and milk instead." Shantae said, hoping that they had both of those there in the first place.

Cause Shantae would hate to look like a liar, especially to an innocent girl like Maria.

Then... Tony started speaking. Shooting the man a glare, Shantae tried her best to keep her cool as she gave the philanthropist a piece of her mind. "If they don't want to drink coffee, then they don't have to. Who are you to judge people based on what they drink?" Shantae asked, her tone sounding like that of a teenage girl for a second.

Risky Boots audibly gagged. "Blech, doughnuts? They'll rot your teeth and kill you with how sweet they are!" she wholeheartedly objected, "...literally. Very literally. Heart disease isn't an issue that should be taken lightly, Maria. You don't maintain a perfect bod like mine for two decades by chowing down on sweets! Besides, who's to say these guys will serve criminals? Do we even have any Monies?" Risky inquired aloud.

@Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Verite @Kaykay

@Café
​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"I'm sure you'll see what I mean when you see Ikaruga and I in action," Ernesti grins at Alesha.

"Ah, since we're introducing ourselves, I suppose I should introduce myself, since we will be cooperating in the long run. My name is Ernesti Echevalier, Commander of the Order of the Silver Phoenix and the next head of House Echevalier," Ernesti bows, "pleased to meet you all."

When Luigi asked if they trusted Bowser, Ernesti replies, "there's an old saying - the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Do you think something else is going on with Bowser right now, Luigi? Such as him not being the enemy of our enemies?"

@thatguyinthestore @Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @Lighthouse

"Perhaps... she does seem like quite the spellweaver; that, or she's in league with the shadow figure we met earlier," Alesha answered Luigi with a shrug, "If we remain on the theory of clones of ourselves being under the control of your control, then perhaps she had the videos put together to distract the citizens from her true crimes? If the shadows and daggers are your particular inclination in achieving your goal, that would seem the likeliest means to frame us."

The khan then scoffed at the shorter man's question regarding their newest affiliate, "No, not at all. To trust one who appears to be kin to dragons is a foolish choice, and to trust one who attempted to strike you is even more foolhardy."


@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @Mari @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

Yamashiro turned to look at Luigi. She didn't know too much about this "video" thing, to think that someone would be capable of manipulating it so much to look so realistic and yet be untrue... still, the other thought of her memories being altered or even erased sounded even worse.

"Regardless, I hope for the best in the end. When we reach the other side of this problem, we will know for sure."

She remembered Kitagawa introducing himself to her just a moment ago; she then thought it would be polite for her to do so this time. She smiled and bowed slightly to Luigi as she spoke again:

"I am Yamashiro. Please take care of us."

@Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow @thatguyinthestore @Lighthouse

"What you're saying makes-a sense..." Luigi muttered as gen rubbed his chin. "I just hope that we can stop them before it's too late." Luigi said with a sigh. At least he wasn't doing this by himself. Lord knows he'd be freaking out then.

When Ernesti and Alesha shared their thoughts on Bowser, Luigi shrugged. "I mean... I don't trust him either. Him and my bro are like mortal enemies, after all. But still... if Kiragiri's base really is at that volcano, then I'm afraid that Bowser is our-a best bet." In response to Ernesti's second inquiry regarding Bowser, all Luigi could do was shrug again. "I... don't know. I mean me and Mario have worked alongside him before. He could be working alongside our enemies, sure, but there's no way to-a tell just yet." Luigi said as they continued walking. He wished that he could say more, he did know Bowser better than anyone else here after all. But Bowser seemed genuine back in the jail, so perhaps he was telling the truth?

When Yamashiro spoke again, all Luigi could do in response to her first statement was nod in agreement. "Mhmm. I hope so too." All seemed to be going well for him again, until she said something that really caught him off guard.

"Please take care of us."

"Y-you want m-me t-to take care of you?" The plumber asked, almost stopping dead in his tracks when he heard this. He didn't know what to say to her. He wanted to help take care of them, sure, but saving people was always Mario's thing! Luigi was always the younger brother. Mario was always the one who saved the princess from the clutches of Bowser in the end! But... he also didn't want to let anyone down.

After the silence dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, Luigi finally replied.

"I-I'll try my best."

@Mari @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @Lighthouse

---

"Uu! Can I get the donuts with sprinkles? Can I? Uuu!" Maria sounded pretty overjoyed. Anything sweet was getting an immediate yes from the young girl.

"Uu... Mama always told me that I shouldn't have coffee until I'm much much older. But my older cousins do drink coffee too... Maybe when I start 5th grade... I can start drinking coffee. My best friend Beatrice always has whatever I'm thinking about anyways! Uu!"

@Yun Lee @Cromartie Sarkissian @thatguyinthestore @Archmage Jeremiah @Verite @Minerva @Kaykay @Cafe

View attachment 145071

"Zombies drink it to stay sane, so surely it can do the same for me," Risky Boots answered succinctly.




Risky Boots audibly gagged. "Blech, doughnuts? They'll rot your teeth and kill you with how sweet they are!" she wholeheartedly objected, "...literally. Very literally. Heart disease isn't an issue that should be taken lightly, Maria. You don't maintain a perfect bod like mine for two decades by chowing down on sweets! Besides, who's to say these guys will serve criminals? Do we even have any Monies?" Risky inquired aloud.

@Minerva @thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartie Sarkissian @Verite @Kaykay

@Café

"Of course you can! In fact, we'll get you a whole box." Shantae replied to Maria with a wide grin when she asked if she could get the doughnuts that had sprinkles. She couldn't help but smile at the little girl.

Well, that is until Risky had to throw in her two cents. After shooting the pirate a quick glare, Shantae smiled down at Maria yet again. "Don't mind her. She's just mad because her mom wouldn't let her have doughnuts when she was a kid." Shantae replied, hoping to assure Maria that she would have doughnuts when they got there.

Sure, Shantae may have been lying a tiny bit, but the ends justified the means.

@Gummi Bunnies @Archmage Jeremiah @Verite @Cromartie Sarkissian @Kaykay @Minerva @Cafe​

 

[Husk]

Talon | @Shine Gate
@thatguyinthestore @Leon Moretti @Mason Moretti @anyone​

Bowser let out a hearty laugh in response to Talon.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! And here was me thinkin' that there weren't any other real villains here!" Bowser shouted, sounding genuinely happy for once. "I don't think that we met back in the cell! I'm Bowser, what's yer name?" He asked, happy that there was finally a fellow criminal and not just a bunch of heroes.​

Talon stood there awkwardly as the large anthropomorphic creature laughed. It was quite overwhelming. He smiled slightly and then said,

"I'm Talon, a pleasure to meet you. You look like you'd be a worthy opponent... I'd propose a light hearted duel, but considering our current predicament, that would be inconvenient..."

He looked around for a moment before asking,

"If we make a run for it, do you think we'll be caught? This place is much different compared to the slums of Noxus..."

​