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The S.S. Rosalina was a luxurious pure white cruise ship of over 800 feet long and 90 feet wide. Currently, it held 1600 passengers on board, but it had the capacity to hold 2300 in total. James, Koopin, Shelldon and Klair, were all booked within second class. James did not pack his scissors, or his shoulder guard for once since it would look silly on his suit. He did however keep his satchel on him as hand luggage, while Koopin naturally took along his sparring gear and other amenities. All of the passengers were greeted by the cruise company's official tour guide, a wide-eyed dark-blue yoshi wearing bright island shorts with shocking red hair ruffled on the top of his head. James had rarely seen any Yoshis with hair back on Lavalava Island which surprised him, the same with koopas in his time staying here. "Welcome to the S.S. Rosalina everyone!" said the yoshi. "I'm Muuv and I'll be your guide for what we hope to be a wonderful vacation for everyone of you! I see a lot of cute couples here, even a few frequent cruisers which is wonderful to see! You'll all receive a schedule list of various activities that you are free to participate in to both your hearts' content. The list also has a map showing our route around the islands as well as expected times of arrival so make sure to get those cameras ready!" The above deck was a beautiful thing to see upon first arrival, with many available activities such as a basketball court, an outdoors swimming pool, two tennis courts, and shuffleboard sections to the sides of the ship. All of this was at the stern, the front reserved for quiet leisure and general steerage of the ship. The interior was immaculate, the main centrepiece being a grand staircase for all passengers entering the main doorways.

A gold-cast staircase with an ornate clock envisioned like an astronomer's chart, the stars changing constellations within every minute of every hour precisely. A star-struck chandelier hung above the marble floor, beaming a transcendent aura of light faintly unto all. The ceilings of the corridors leading to first, second and third class, were all of stars upon a navy-blue background, complimenting white walls and a dark sea-blue carpet. Whether these stars were accurate or not was not important to the passengers. The raptor and the three koopas soon found their rooms, transfixed with awe at the celestial interior. Klair and Shelldon were in Room 213. James and Koopin were two rooms down in Room 210. A comfortably large white bed greeted them both, king-size with the fluffiest-looking pillows. The room itself was a pale soothing sight, with soft yellow walls and a dark green carpet. A fine marble bathroom also accompanied it through a doorway opposite the bed. The view from the porthole window, while opaque, was beautiful to see. "Wow this is amazing," said Koopin as he put down his bags. "I can't believe how lucky we are." "Me neither," said James, "god why do you have the best parents?" "I-i-i dunno! They're just awesome that way." "I mean how the hell did they get the money for this?! ...oho right, favour from friends, damn." "Hehehee!" "Oh god this bed is mmmmmmmph..." The moment James laid down upon it, he felt like he was on a cloud, moaning and rubbing himself further into it. "Mmmmmm Koopiiiiiin you gotta try this bed." "Lemme put everything away first then I can rela-AH!" He pulled the koopa hard onto the bed, making him lie down underneath him by pushing his hands onto his shell. "J-james!" "Come ooooooon feel how soft this bed iiiiis...you're gonna be feeling it a few times with me that's for sure." "H-h-hey, stop it, I-...oh my gosh this blanket is like it was made for the stars themselves." "I know right? ...shit I wonder what First Class is like!" "You'll never know with that mouth of yours." "Sooooorryyyy...seriously, I'm trying, it just slips out sometimes." "I know you try, and I appreciate that. I'm amazed you haven't slipped up with my parents." "I really like them Koopin. I don't wanna mess up with them." "You won't. I mean they took you on here with me." "Yeah, about that."

James sat up with Koopin as their backs rested against the comfiest pillows, asking: "What is up with the fact that I'm being treated like royalty, when I'm like the third boyfriend you ever had?" "Fourth." "Wha?" "Fourth boyfriend. Remember, first there was Ballast the bob-omb, then Kristopher the koopa, and then Carl the clubba." "Ahhhh yeah I forget the bob-omb you had once." "And I dunno," replied Koopin, "you're just...you're so good to me. You don't complain about your job or your life, you act so humble around them but you got this...energy in ya that doesn't make ya boring...you know?" "Heh...I've tried to not complain, really this is the best life I ever had in this place." "So how about you? I mean, I know about Daisy but did you ever have anyone else before me?" "Uhhhh...I told you about Mahmoud before right? My first boyfriend?" "Uhhhh remind me?" "Goat guy, mechanic, twenty years older than me?" "Ohhhhhhh...hehehehee, how old were ya for your first time?" "...about...sixteen?" said James cautiously. "...w-wow, really?!" "Yeah, what about you?" "...eighteen." "Hahaha...you know I always love when we're talking about this, and I like to think about how old you were when I was doing something. God, you were just a kid when I was getting my first gay kiss...and more." "Well I hate to disappoint ya but I had my first kiss before you did." "...wait what?" "There was this friend of mine, a boo called Boomer, back in elementary school and we were real close back then. We were just kids, I was like eight or something and...one time we...kissed." "...oh...my god. That is the most adorable thing I ever heard." "R-r-really?!" Koopin blushed hotly as James simpered before cuddling up to him. "Awwwww you were just a kid, kissing a cute little gay boo." "Y-y-yeaaaaah." "Sheesh, my first kiss was like...fifteen, fourteen maybe? And it was a woman so..." "Welp, I win that round so now it's time to unpack!" Chuckling at the koopa, James released him to let him unpack, as he got up to unpack in turn. After getting accustomed to their room, they met up with Koopin's parents to further investigate the ship. Most of the passengers were, naturally, in pairs, and the corridors soon became filled with curious travellers from the young and wide-eyed, to the old and strong-hearted. James' urges to make "love boat" puns were reasonably stifled at such a realisation.

There were many interior areas for entertainment. A dining room, a dance hall, squash courts, two cinemas and a sauna. Klair was extremely excited about the karaoke night in the dance hall, while James immediately perked up at an extremely tempting seminar on weapon defence. Koopin and Shelldon however were more interested in exploring the ship itself rather than take in any of the actual sights. Koopin moreso due to his natural wanderlust, Shelldon moreso for the sake of finding new potential customers or traders. But regardless, the two did eventually enjoy something of the cruise ship itself. Koopin barely resisted the urge to jump into the swimming pool before doing just that, while Shelldon relaxed in the sauna. All in all, there was something for everyone to do. They only met up once again when dinner was served to the passengers at night, the dining room a beautifully elaborate open space full of snow-white tables and cushioned wooden chairs. The four sat together to further relate the events of their first day. "Oh man", said James, "the weapons seminar is AWESOME, I can't believe they even have one! They got hammers, they got sticks, they even had these wooden swords! I mean they said it was all about fitness and coordination, but I'm relearning a lot of neat stuff out of it!" "That's great James!" said Koopin. "Wow it seems like there's something for everyone here!" "I know!" said Klair, "they really do cater for everyone's tastes! I even saw a knitting class, but that's not for me. How was the sauna Shelldon?" "Wonderful," said Shelldon with bliss, "I haven't felt so relaxed in ages." "I thought you were always relaxed," said FG. "I never see you get upset." "Hahaha...I have a lot of patience." "He's my rock," said Klair. "...he is my iiiiiislaaaaaaand-" "A-ah, honey, no, save your voice for the karaoke." "Hahaha, sorry. Will you boys be coming to karaoke too?" "If you get me drunk enough," said FG with a smirk. "Hah! I'm not that bad am I?!" "Oh it's not you, it's everyone else screeching the whole place down that I worry about." "Heehee, fair enough then."

Dinner was a splendid affair of roasted mushrooms and hearty steaks finely braised in a jelly-like sauce, which James especially loved. Koopin attended his mother's karaoke session as did Shelldon and FG after enough convincing. Truthfully she was not bad, her musical education helping greatly in at least keeping a good pitch above most of the other participants. She also met up with her barbershop quartet friends and spent most of the night chatting with them before retiring to bed with Shelldon. All in all the cruise was pleasantly uneventful. Koopin swam in the pool every day, James kept up with the weapon defence seminar, Klair got involved in a rather strange sing-off competition with other fellow karaoke singers while Shelldon stuck by her. He did however get involved in a small quiz tournament as well as try out a knitting class, producing a small scarf for his wife lovingly so. A week later, they had arrived at Yoshi's Island. A magnificent unspoilt land, minus one or two strangely abandoned castle ruins that had been left upon various parts of the isle, it was an emerald paradise of the sea. With three ice-capped mountains rising above a verdant jungle that ringed around the base, it was a perfect island home for the indigenous population, who gladly came out of their huts to greet the cruise ship with excitement. An entire rainbow of yoshis both great and small cheered and waved, welcoming the travellers who soon departed. The ship would dock with the island for three days before it would make its journey towards other islands. Koopin immediately began to narrate the whole story of the island to James, whether he wanted it or not. James didn't mind, he was genuinely fascinated by the original home of the Yoshi tribes, all of whom were especially friendly towards the visitors.

The village they docked at had a well-constructed wooden port for offloading at, and while the village itself was a simple place of sturdy wooden huts, it was a surprisingly lively area. A toad house was here, as well as an item store run locally by a shy guy. Almost all of the yoshis wore barely any clothing, enjoying the wondrous breeze of the tropical seas. James felt a wondrous sense of freedom here more than anywhere else in the Mushroom Kingdom. Yet despite its very tribal roots, it wasn't completely out of touch with the rest of the world thanks to the postal service, and many of the passengers found themselves striking up many a conversation with the locals on all topics. Koopin found himself with three new penpals, while James caught the eye of a few admirers giving him rather naughty winks in his direction. He grinned back politely while sticking close to his koopa. Koopin also explained the various habitats of the island, from jungle to forest, to swamp to snowfield, ending with: "The fact that this island has all of these places within it is a miracle of geographical balance, a beautiful mystery to researchers everywhere for how or even WHY an island has all this. Snowy mountains, sure, swamps are expected, but deciduous AND tropical forests?! It's a huge island but in these tropical waters it's unheard of! But that's the island as we know it today. Any questions?" "Yeah I got two," said FG. "Yes?" "One, what's with the old castle ruins?" "Remnants from Bowser's younger days, he was raised on Yoshi's island by the Grand Magikoopa Kamek before he moved his kingdom elsewhere." "Alright...and two, aren't you on vacation?" "Aw come on, I love my job! It's fun teaching you about places!" "Yeah sure it is." He poked his tongue out at Koopin, who did the same cheekily before the raptor asked: "So uh we gotta find this green hill and some guy named Poochie, right?" "Yep! I've been asking around whilst making some friends, and they pointed me to one guy riiiiight over there."

Koopin pointed out towards one particularly nice-looking hut on the outskirts of the village-sized port. It was somewhat more lavishly-decorated than the other huts were, which would have caught their eye if it weren't for the beautiful pink yoshi female lounging in the sun out front. James unconsciously licked his lips, which Koopin noted with a grimace. "...what?" "You DO remember we're on a couples cruise, right?" "Hey, I can admire other people too right? Besides, she's gorgeous, you wouldn't understand." "Oh really?" "Well, yeah. What, I'm not allowed to admire a pretty girl once a while?" "Long as you keep your tongue in your mouth, yes." "Alright, but only if you do the same for when you see any muscly dudes." "Haha, okaaaay deal." The two smirked as they approached the pink yoshi lying on a towel. She was somewhat in her 30s, wearing only a few bracelets on both her wrists as she smiled up at the raptor and the koopa, not moving as she said: "Hello sweeties! Welcome to Yoshi's Island!" "Thank you ma'am!" said Koopin politely. "Um, sorry to bother you but, do you know someone named Poochie?" "...now how in the world did two strangers like you know a name like that?" "Well, um, my name's Koopin Kennidon and I uh...I'm here to meet him, or her." "Ohhhh YOU'RE the one he was waiting for!" She slowly got up from her towel and bowed politely. "I'm Mareen, pleased to meet you!" "W-wait, YOU'RE Poochie?!" "Hahahaha noooooo of course not! I'm not a fighter sweetie, my husband is!" "Oh...your husband? Where is he?" "He's inside resting up, but he should be well enough to be up and walking. Poooochiiiiie!"

Mareen called out to inside the hut, and soon a hefty stirring came from within. Koopin turned nervous, wondering what sort of creature this Poochie was. A growling rumble made him shiver slightly, before a hefty shadowy mass began to frame the doorway. Raising a huge green hand to its face blearily against the light, was a huge green yoshi, towering at somewhere around 6'7'' tall. "H-holy shit," murmured FG. The green yoshi was a hefty muscular monster, arms full of muscles the size of grapefruits, a bulbous hefty nose beneath clear blue eyes and a barrel chest of white. He wore a pair of black and red shorts only, not even wearing a pair of boots as his feet thickly smooshed the sand underneath. He leaned his arms on both sides of the doorway, taking the pressure off one foot as he looked curiously at the two newcomers. He spoke with a deep voice and a warm smile. "Hey there, you boys need sumthin'?" "U-um...um...u-u-u-uh..." Koopin's face had gone pale, completely blanched like the hot sands of the beach, his mouth struggling to work as James was kept silent in awe at the enormous muscular yoshi. Thankfully, Mareen stepped in to ease the awkwardness. "This little koopa here was lookin' fer you poochie! Koopin Kennidon." "Ohhhh YER the guy who Catherine an' McGoombus talked about. Hahaha...nice to meet you Koopin, heard you got lucky with ol' McGoombus when his back gave out." Despite the yoshi offering a thick green hand, Koopin shivered and stuttered a name. "Y-yo...you're...Y-you...Y-yoshitaka..." "Huh?" asked FG. "H-h-he...Yoshitaka...hoh stars I...I-i-i-i-i-" "Aw jeez," said the yoshi, "come on kid, don't be shy all a sudden." "Lemme guess," said the raptor, "you're like...some kind of famous wrestler?" "Hehehe, yep. Yoshitaka, the Green Mountain." "...ohhhhhhh green mountain, so THAT'S what the riddle meant." "Well I do live underneath one too." Yoshitaka pointed behind him towards the large green hill, huddled beneath the towering ice mountains. "So I guess that works too. ...hey. Kid?" "U-u-uh?"

Koopin felt like the smallest little turtle in the world, hands shaking as he closed them to his mouth for fear of speaking out of place. Yoshitaka slowly pulled the hands away from the koopa's mouth, before slowly lifting him up into his arms like a baby. "A-AAH!" "Hey hey heeeey take it easy...come on. Yer starstruck, that's fine, but you know I'm just a guy like anyone else, right? I live in a hut, I got a wife, and I eat my five-a-day. Right?" "R-right. ...I...I can't believe I...hoh stars you're so strong sir." "Hahaha...you feel better now? Come on, call me Yoshitaka, no sirs or misters." "N-no I...th-that doesn't feel right, y-you're like a legend to me! I-i mean..." He slowly squirmed in the yoshi's grip who soon put him back down before Koopin continued. "...me and my dad, we watch you all the time, you're one of our favourite wrestlers...next to Rawk Hawk that is." "HAH, that windbag? Yeah he's fun to watch, flashy an' entertaining but dangerous in his own right. So you and yer dad watch me huh?" "Mmhmm, ever since you first appeared! I musta been like...five, maybe seven years old? You're...way bigger now." "Heh, so are you kiddo." The yoshi rubbed his thick hand on Koopin's head, making Koopin blush and bite his lip. "Don't be afraid about the fact yer gonna have to face me as a challenge. McGoombus DID warn ya about me bein' a real challenge right?" "Y-yes...yes he did but...hoh stars I can't believe this, I-i-i have to fight YOU?! One of the greatest wrestlers in HISTORY?!" "Hey, it's a step up from a retired boxer and an ol' clown right? But don't think of me as the wrestler, think of me as the yoshi. I don't want you losin' yer focus just cuz yer all starstuck." "I-i'll try...sir." "Hahaha...not gonna drop that are ya?" "No sir, I...I respect you too much, I just couldn't!" "Alright, you can call me sir, if it makes ya feel better. Oh, by the way, yer on the island fer like three days so, take yer time. Not like I'm going anywhere." "Why's that?" asked Koopin. "I hurt my leg in that last match, it's just fixin' up on the mend but doctor said I should be fine tomorrow." "OH, that match with Club Master?! I saw that!" "Hah, yeah?!" "YEAH! That guy was such a JERK, what was up with that rig-lighting he tried to throw down on ya?! You coulda been hurt even worse!" "Hehehe...Glitz Pit rules kid, gotta take 'em as you see 'em." "I'm glad you're getting better. Um...so...will you be okay to fight me tomorrow?" "Sure, you come by here tomorrow afternoon, I'll get a place set up for us. Now go an' enjoy yerself, take in the sights why dontcha." "Y-yes sir! See you tomorrow sir!" "Hah, same to you. Mareen, wanna gimme a hand inside with the lotion?" "Certainly dear!" said Mareen. "Have to keep your big sturdy legs all supple my big poochie." "Ohhhh I know sumthin' else I'll keep nice an' supple." He groped her rear sneakily to make her yelp and giggle, the yoshi wrestler responding with a deep "ruff" like a dog as they went indoors. James smirked and shook his head, looking over to Koopa's rather drained expression. "...you okay?" "I...I just met Yoshitaka...I...he even picked me up like a little baby...oh stars i have to tell my dad!" Before he could stop him, Koopin was off and running straight back towards the village to tell his parents about who he just met. James laughed at his childish glee looking ready to burst, walking casually behind him all the way.

Despite the wonderfully welcoming atmosphere of Yoshi's Island, James and a few other passengers soon found themselves retiring to the ship sooner then everyone else. The day had mostly comprised of Koopin's excitable babble to his parents, talking away with the local tribes over an incredible variety of subjects, and lazily wasting the day away on the beach. The Rosalina, without more than half of its passengers, was disturbingly quiet, yet it soothed James somehow to be in such silent hallways. Traversing most of the upper deck, he was given the chance to explore the ship even further due to the elevator being shut down for maintenance, as he wandered extensively so. He was also introduced to such ideas as the Purser, a gentlemanly boo in an official soft-capped hat who stored and maintained both money and all valuable items for passengers. The staircase on A-deck he passed by the most, being as it was the central entrance of the ship, but he was only ever allowed as far down as D-deck. Beyond that was for crew members only. He even discovered only tonight a lounge where various passengers could relax with a quiet drink and some card games, the walls a very humble green not unlike that of a pool table's green. Eventually, he decided to retire to bed to wait for Koopin, his legs tiring out from such an extensive walk across the cruiser. He had just opened the door to his room before he heard someone fall behind him. "OW!" "Woah, shit you okay?!" He turned swiftly to see a backpack-wearing female koopa lie completely flat out onto the ground, wincing and rubbing her head. Her hair was chocolate-brown wrapped into a ponytail, the raptor slowly helping her up. He still never got over how only some koopas and yoshis had hair. "Nnnngh y-yeah I...I dunno what happened I-...oh no! My contacts!" "Huh?" "M-my contact lens fell out!" She clasped at her left eye and panicked, looking around feverishly at the carpet. "Oh stars I can't see it anywhere!" "Just hold on, calm down, lemme look for ya okay?" "O-okay, thank you."

He gently bent down onto the floor, looking around the area she fell for any sign. It took him a minute or two, but eventually he found a small plastic transparent circle, barely hidden by the carpet's upturned groove. "Theeeere we go, I found it!" "Really?!" "Yep, here ya go." He handed it to her, before the koopa turned away and quickly cleaned it before cautiously putting her fingers to her eye unseen. "Oh my stars thank you! I'm sorry for the trouble." "Hey hey no worries, just be careful alright." "I will, thank you!" She skipped off merrily so, her backpack on her shell bobbing up and down as the raptor chuckled before entering his room. Closing the door, he noticed something had been placed on the floor, propped up against the wall. A dark purple bottle, labelled with a small tag on the bottleneck. "Huh? ...best wishes to the happy couple. Huh, must be a freebie for first-timers, neat! ...Chateau Effrayant...huh, weird how some languages are real similar, wonder how wine in this world tastes." He cautiously uncorked the bottle, but stopped himself in mid-pause before realising that it was too late to stop himself. "Shit I shoulda saved this with Koopin. ...ehhh." He popped open the bottle and began to sniff the rich scent of the wine. It was certainly quite heavy, deliciously so, and the raptor could smell a fine mix of berries within, a rather fruity flavour predictably. "Mmmmmm nice! Blueberry...red...maybe a bit of strawberry even-...huh?" Then he smelt something even more strange in the mixture. Something particularly nutty, which at first he just disregarded as nothing more than wine being wine. Then he smelt it. Almonds. "...why would you put almonds in wine, that makes no sense...wait.......that's not almonds." Alarm bells rang off in his mind. He knew after so many spiked drinks when something was off, a touch of the chemical within. And there was only one reason someone would put chemicals into wine that he could think of. He hastily corked it before running off to find the head kitchen of the ship, someone who could better deduce this than him. Then he quickly double-backed in his mind. What if the one who gave him it was already working in the kitchen?! He decided to play it safe, instead handing it over to the Purser. Quickly finding it beyond the dining room, he found several chefs working away as he popped his head in.

"Uhhhh scuse me?!" "Yes?" said the boo Purser. "Uhhh I have this...bottle of wine an-" "Hahaha, I appreciate the offer but I do not drink while on duty." "Haha no no, sorry, I uh...I'm saving this for my lover and, I don't wanna keep it in my room just in case. Can you hold onto this?" "Yes, certainly sir, name and room number?" "James Campbell, Room 210. Don't open it alright?" "Of course I won't sir, my lips are sealed. Will you want me to call on you to pick it up sometime soon?" "Ahhh don't worry, I'll come round and pick it up myself alrighty?" "Very well, good day sir." With that danger out of the way, he decided to do a little more investigating to make absolutely certain, heading into the kitchen. Steam greeted him everywhere, the kitchen bustling full of white-clothed toads and koopas hurrying about. Sizzling deafened his ears along with the clatter of steel and plastic, the room itself large enough to house 30 people. "Uhhh, hello?" "Yes?!" One particularly squat koopa in a large chef's hat waddled up towards James, the toque hat covering his eyes as he spoke in a strangely familiar accent. "Uhhh I just wanted to ask if anyone here knows anything about wine?" "I weel 'av you know I was a sommelier for sevon years, but why do you ask?!" "Oh, just, got this free bottle of wine today in my room, like, a gift from the cruise company or something?" "...honh? We do not geev free wine to ze passengerz! What are you talkin' about?!" "You don't? Huh, weird, I got this bottle of uh...Chateau Effrayant in my room and I dunno, I thought it was like a first-time-couples gift or something?" "Non! Eet mohst be a geeft from another of the sheep! Zees brand ees not even stored on zees sheep at all!" That confirmed his suspicions for the most part. The telltale tingle of paranoia now only focused on anyone else outside of the kitchen. But he decided not to invite further suspicions and let whoever gave him the suspicious bottle think that their plan might still succeed, answering: "Sheep? ...OH right, yeah, okay then sorry, I guess someone else gave it to us. Sorry for bothering you sir." "No matter, 'ave a good day monsieur! Tonight's dinner weel be a MASTERPIECE! ...UN MOMENT!" The chef stopped him momentarily before the raptor could leave. "You are...familiare somewhat. Do you per'aps ride a mohterbike?" "Uhhhh...yeah actually, why?" "AHA! YOU! Monsieur Campbell, ze new racer in ze Mario Kart races! My son, 'e talks about you non-stop after we saw ze race!" "Hahaha, no way, that's awesome! Aw man...I have a fan?" "In my son, indeed! Ze last race weel be after zis cruise will it not?" "Yeah the uh, Kalimari Desert right?" "Oui! You nearly cost yourself in Yoshi's Valley monsieur!" "Yeah, haha, I did, man that was such a damn pain to race in. Uh, hey, you want me to give your son an autograph or something?" "Really?! Zat would be incroyable! Let me get a pen!" James felt his mood turn a little better after signing an autograph for the chef, scribbling his name on a piece of paper that the chef soon put into his pocket. "Now I mohst git back to work, so I bid you adieu, monsieur." "Yeah you too, thanks man!" "Non problem! Au revoir!" Despite his rather strange exaggerated ways, FG trusted the chef and decided to head back to his room. Having a rising reputation in the Mushroom Kingdom felt good, but he was already nervous about the very idea someone would try to poison him, or Koopin. Or both. Whatever reason it was, either perhaps for his budding fame or some other reason, he intended to find out. All he needed was the right opportunity.