#adreadfulaffair

[simiansmoke]

@kingdomsandkoopas cont.

"Eh?" Junior asked with surprise as the other grabbed him. "Uh..." he gulped and finally decided to throw some fire ahead, burning a good amount of bushes.

It wasn't as impressive as Bowser's power yet, but it was powerful. Junior was strong on his own, at least, he was practicing to be as strong as his own father. "Would that be alright?" he asked.

A low chuckle escapes him as he lifts the fire spouter under the arms and aims him towards the dense thicket of dried brambles. Goombas probably made nests in there...how tragic for them. Once the flames at the child's maw dwindle down and rise again as trails of smoke, Dread meets the inquiry with a smile that had wormed its way into the corner of his mouth like a coiled snake yet disturbed. "Most impressive ~ " He tuts, gesturing towards the small area of impact as it burned to others rapidly and grew in both size and speed. "A little goes a long way, it would seem."

Prepared to tuck the Koopaling back under his arm and be on his way, Dread pauses when a scent unlike the burning brambles drifts along a slow and sour night breeze at their backs. A scent like sweat and fur he'd tasted before...seasoned with alarm and the faintest hint of coconut oil. He has to part his maw to let his tongue rest partially between his jaw's fangs so that he could fully waft in the old familiar smell. Seemed he might not need the croc after all...if he got what he wanted without even involving the child's father, then there would be no need to give that sack of Kremling shit ANYTHING.

Having lifted up off the ground for a moment or two while pin-pointing the direction they would be able to expect their guest from, Dread finally falls forward and sets the prince down on his feet. "...it would seem we're being followed. But with that power of yours, I'm not concerned ~" He adds, giving the Koopa's shell a friendly little swat to urge him forward a step or two. "Go ahead and warm the coals up, I've got your back ~" And with that, Dread pads past the Koopaling to submerge in a section of yet-burned brambles, his fur blending in to the darkness and smoke. He fully disappears once he closes the deep red glow of his eyes.

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

Not a moment later does DK arrive over a hump in the path, galloping alongside the stretch of burning thicket as if he were searching for the source. When he finds JR standing there, he seems less confused about where the fire came from and more so why Bowser's kid is out in the middle of the Darklands so late. "Kid-? That you?"

As he draws closer, the more blurry things get, but it's not hard for him to judge a koopa based on color schemes. "You finally get loose too? Hey, stretchin' your legs is fine and all, but maybe you shouldn't do it this far from your Dad's place?" Not that he could talk considering he was supposed to be a cell right now. But he had ways of getting out of cages before; why stop now? Granted he probably should have stopped now as of at least for the night seeing how drained he was still feeling from the earlier over-wishing stunt Bowser had pulled, leaving him sluggish.

[simiansmoke]

@kingdomsandkoopas

Upon hearing DK, the young prince was about to speak. He knew that the whole star thing sounded pretty fake, then again he just fell for that dumb pinky promise. Either way, he got surprised as Dread jumped and attacked DK out of nowhere.

Junior yelped and gasped with worry. "HEY!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" the koopa prince demanded to then stop containing himself, deciding who was the enemy, breathing fire at Dread.

He's quite pleased to find DK out in the middle of no where... sans the stupid big turtle that kept blocking his attempts at getting revenge. Though, tunnel vision had been his undoing earlier which resulted in said big turtle's body bashing him into space when he'd been trying to engage the Kong prince solely. Tunnel vision now ignored the little brat he'd brought out to the wasteland - and it earns him a fireball in the face. Snorting viciously to rid the embers out of his nostrils, Dread swings a snarl towards the koopa prince...betrayed by yet another prince.

The fury of it encourages him to fling an arm out and slam the little turtle. He couldn't risk losing him to distance, however, so Dread settles for bashing down despite the spikes on shell. His callouses can take the prickles. Shoving his weight down partially against the little koopa, he leans down to snarl loudly at the pinned prince.

"STAY OUT OF THIS-"

A resounding 'oof' occurs when DK's fist lands suddenly on the larger Kong's cheek, sending him flying backwards away from the kid, though the force of his initial attack can't possibly be good for the smaller creature's well being. Canines flashing fury, DK bellows at the deflected Kong, stepping over Junior partially in a protective manner that ends with him on his back legs, chest bared. "FIGHT SOMEONE YOUR OWN KIND!"

As Dread collected his bearings, including scratching off singed fur around his face, DK side eyes the kid below him with a sway...he didn't have the energy for this fight, but he couldn't let the kid face the defected Kong alone.

"H-hey! You ok? You gotta get back to the castle...I won't be able to hold him long..."

As if overhearing them, Dread stomped forward, knuckles digging in to the dry earth. "He's not going ANYWHERE-" A snarl is commanding, letting the koopa kid know if he even tries to run there'll be consequences. "AND NEITHER ARE YOU-" Hitting the ground hard enough to launch into the air, Dread sails towards the two on the ground with fists clasped together in a hammer aimed downward towards DK's open palms raised hastily overhead in a shield that might not stop the blow, but at least will stop it from reaching the kid under his shadow.

[simiansmoke]

@geniusdonkey

"I'm sorry, what? Robotic? Dread? UH?!" Now this was new to him. So far he knew, that guy wasn't a robot... ... ... was he?

Well, it might not have been too obvious from afar. But up close? Fur had a less sleek texture than the chromium limbs the Kong sported. The force with which the wall gave way when he trapped the little donkey in place also bespoke of the alterations, though the most telling sign was the lack of blood caked into fur that he so often sported.

"Hnnm. What? Surprised to see me again, little donkey?" He huffs, tossing the wild mane that remained on his organic head back as metallic fingers rose to grip a light blue jaw and turn it from side while a beam of light from a false eye scanned the creature before him up and down until satisfied. "I bet you think you're so very smart...leaving me up in my base like that without a word ~ well, I have to say...I'm hurt. And that makes me want to share the feeling..."

[simiansmoke]

@infxnatum

"First you call me weasel, then rodent. Both of which are two different things, weasels are mustelids not rodents. And I'm actually classed as a procyonid. So if you don't want to be called a lemur, then get it right, scrub." This brute had brains, he just didn't care most of the time. "A workout."

"...I'm merely drawing the conclusion that your odor gives off a wild array of beast musks, because whatever spawned you decided to sleep with half the jungle before doing so."

Deadpan insult issued, Dread shifts, not as comfortable with lunging at a foe on two feet, so he idles for the moment to size the potential meal up. Probably not worth the trouble...

"Tch. That's what all my troops say before I break them."

[simiansmoke]

@geniusdonkey cont.

The sound of the weapon being activated made his sensitive ears perk for a second in fear due to how sensitive they were to the loud noise. Panting, realizing the cannonball went past him onto a tree just made him yelp, feeling more in panic as he ran. He felt as he wanted to cry.

“ HELP!! ANYBODY!! ” Tadano called as he ran, panting and sweating, hoping somebody could come to his aid. It was clear that he seemed to be on his own.

The sound of that blasted gun is getting on his nerves. His palate is too pure to consider adding croc to the menu, but that doesn't mean he won't rip the fucker's back up until he looks like a fresh water fillet.

Naturally camouflaged in the gray darkness of the forest floor, he observes a panicked creature bound past without so much as notice him. It's not much to think about...like seeing a squirrel scamper by and up a tree.

It's only when he pads up to the other tripped on the ground thanks to a local root does he raise a brow and start to circle the hyperventilating rabbit. "Has anyone ever told you your best quality would be shutting the fuck up?" The low growl hardly sounds menacing, more so irate and without a care in the world like an afternoon nap. "Because you know...whatever chases you has ears , like it or not. Every choice you make that's not shutting your mouth is an invitation to gutting you."

[simiansmoke]

@geniusdonkey

Tadano got surprised to be picked like that. The donkey felt also surprised as the other examined him, though he didn't mind, in fact, right now he only wanted to feel safe considering all he had to go through.

"I met King K. Rool and he tried to kill me with his big gun thing... then this guy, a strange ape like called Dread took me away from the crazy croc but this guy was... ... eating pieces of Kongs... literally... it seemed like he killed other Kongs... I... felt he would kill me as well or something... It was so rare..." he explained nervously.

It wasn't like he wanted to find out Tadano had anything done to him...but he is definitely in the market for catching any minor scratch on the other's face, even if it was from grazing a prickle vine on his walk through the jungle. Because it would give DK the wherewithal to simply break the croc's jaw the next time their paths crossed - no formalities and name calling. Just straight up annhilAPEtion.

Puffing in both disappointment and relief when the donkey gets a clean bill of health, aside from being a little too sweaty, DK let's him slide off his palm until his feet are back safely on the ground. However, the other's next admission blindsides him, so much so that his fur all but flares up, and he leans in partially wrapping himself around the other like a shield as his gaze sits on a nervous swivel.

"That can't be right... Dread is-" A bit lip calms the quiver that threatens him as flashbacks to the night he and the Koopa king set upon the coconut crystal's host island. Bashed against a tree...hands laced with nostalgic menace moving from punched gut to an inquisitive spot on the prince's thigh-He shakes his head, meeting Tadano's gaze with something less furious than before in the wet browns of his eyes.

"He's supposed to be imprisoned on one of our islands. You're saying he's here?! How could that even-" Then he steels himself hearing about what the donkey saw. If it really was Dread and not some ...other kind of Kong eater, then he'd truly gone unhinged.

"Look... it's not safe here. I'll walk you to the nearest warp pipe." No doubt Dad had to know about this- ...since he'd been gone. There was no way DK was about to risk time to go relay possibly old news. He had to find the threat and deal with him - immediately.

[simiansmoke]

@kingdomsandkoopas

Junior couldn't help but to grab tight from the other as he noticed this one jumped all the way down from the balcony. The tyke gasped and felt the big fall on the ground followed by how fast this one began running. Junior wondered really who this guy was. Was he really doing the right thing going with this ape? He sense something was off, but still remained quiet. Soon, hearing what he said, made him gasp.

"AH- uh... heh, t-thank you!" Junior replied, somewhat nervously.

Still trekking along in the underbrush, Dread offers the stunned Koopaling a smirk over his shoulder. "You don't sound convinced ~"

As they neared the tail end of the bramble thicket, Dread figures he could help send another message to the castle now that they were far out of immediate reach. Turning his shield of a hand into a scoop, he tugs the prince free of his hair and draws him around to the front to peer down at him.

"...you surely have some power in you, right? I wouldn't mind seeing..." Maybe a little Koopa breath burning the brambles from them to the kingdom would help those idiots follow them to the drop off location. "Or ~ are you too young for that sort of display~?"

[simiansmoke]

@kingdomsandkoopas cont.

The way the other reacted at him made him feel somewhat concerned. Something was definitely off. Looking up at the ape made him feel strange and even with some fear. Why? Who was this guy? A gulp and some sweat came to his face as he pondered, trying to get some answers with no avail. As he was called to climb on, he gasped, out of his thoughts.

"R-right, right!" Junior said, thinking he couldn't betray this guy now that he made a 'pinky promise' with him. He hopped onto him and grabbed tight. As they moved away from the castle, he looked at it as it seemed each time far from where he was. "Let's hope I am not doing a mistake... papa..." Junior mumbled with concern.

Having dealt with his share of army brats in the past, Dread can appreciate the prince's unnerved silence. It does not go unnoticed, rather, he bathes in its sobering scent - a mix of fresh perspiration and knowing one's worth and how it staggered in comparison side by side with a greater threat than one's own might.

With his cheek cooling on stone, the addition of the prince climbing on briefly causes a sink that grinds his face into the castle floor, though it's as short lived as his loyalty to the Kong kingdom. Rising as if he didn't have a Koopa nesting in his mane - so none the gentler, he wastes little time except to spare a glance back into the other's room to ensure there were no loose ends to trim before he hops over the side of the balcony the same way he'd arrived, though not before dropping a small bagged something onto the balcony's ledge for the prince's caretaker to find later before starting his scramble down..

With a pelt of dark gray like the smoke of a wildfire, his back and untamed mane blend in well to the stone of the tower. If the prince had wanted to know how he'd gotten there still, he could see as much with his own eyes. He can also see just quick and efficient the Kong was, because once they'd hit the ground - it's running. Well, galloping anyways towards the nearest ground cover - an elongated patch of brambles that would help push them further out into the Darklands without being spotted by the occasional air-borne guard.

As branches from the thicket reached out to snag at dark fur, Dread slows his pace momentarily, a large palm rising to check on his passenger. He leaves his hand half tucked over the Koopa like an extra layer of shell against the brambles. "You're quite the ambitious one, tagging along...I've heard it claimed that ambition is the tell-tale sign of strong ruler."