[Deleted]

Wandering around the Life Sphere became a droll chore after a doing a few laps. Aside from the dangers outside of the Life Sphere, there was little to be concerned about, and jobs were quick. This was far from Benny's lifestyle of choice. His priorities were different, without need for combating a random bandit or monster not part of a quest. On top of all that remained the intricate buildings strewn about the residential district. All of them were static, organized, and above all made claustrophobia seem like a fine terror to have in the night. Yet, the lion was content with his living situation. Sure there was no water flowing about his home, nor was there the gentle bounce as a river bend shifted the boathouse around. All he needed was his good old boathouse.

The one sitting in between two buildings and looking out of place among the rest of the neighborhood.

By now his neighbors had grown used to the idea of the massive beastkin occupying the space between. It was not his fault his home warped itself into the residential district upon the man's arrival on Li. Not keeping himself a hermit within his own home had been a blessing as well, and the outside was quite comforting in its own right. So was this lawn chair thing Benny came across and opted to use at his leisure. All that mattered was the seating arrangement held the lion's weight. He yawned, the gaping maw of sharp teeth revealing themselves in a bestial echo. Lips smacked together as a pleased grin etched up the man's face. Typical, but his powerful hand scratched his abdominal region out of instinct. Perhaps his musclebound body resting in a lawn chair was a good view for somebody.

Or someone was disturbing his nap. Benedikt did not concern himself with such trivial nonsense, however, as few in their right minds dared to harass a man of his size and strength. In fact, broad shoulders maneuvered back and forth, the man aligning his body into a more cozy state of being. Nice dreams were much appreciated. Yet, the lion's nose curled, as though a strange scent rose within his nostrils. Might just be another resident cooking a filling meal. That sounded like a plan for later! Was that something poking at him from underneath his chair? No, that cannot be the case. Maybe his nerves were shot after all these years. The lion began to snort, finding his body unable to keep itself at ease.

"Huh uh wha whasssh that now...? Who's shellin' me tings?"

[heirtothemonado]

Bowser Jr flew through Brightwing Lane in the Clown Car, quickly making his way home. Although it was kind of confusing. Since Papa's castle was in the Market, he rarely had to go though here, and he was getting a little lost. Rounding the corner, his eyes fell on something.....honestly unbelievable. There was a houseboat sitting in the middle of the block. No water, just...a boat. But that's not what stopped Jr. in his tracks.

On the lawn, in an almost-too-small lawn chair, was the biggest lion he'd ever seen. Period. Now Jr was only...slightly familiar with lions in general, since he had never been to the Sand Kingdom, and Papa never bothered to take photos, but he was pretty sure  that a lion's arm wouldn't be the same size as Jr.'s whole body. Intrigued by the sheer size of this lad this lion in general, Jr maneuvered over to his front lawn.

It didn't look like the lion noticed him yet, but still Jr crept closer. He looked friendly enough. Getting out of the Clown Car, he slowly walked toward the lion and tried to work up the nerve to talk to him. Maybe he could help him find his way home.

"Umm....Hello?" Jr started nervously. "Uhh...My name is Bowser Jr and.....I've gotten kind of lost. C-can you point me toward....B-black Market?" Jr tried to act calm, but the fact that this guy was almost twice as tall as him and could probably squash him flat if he was in a bad mood made that kinda difficult

[Deleted]

His wide maw expanding into a yawn, not unlike the animal he was meant to be. Lips smacked together as feline eyes began to flutter open. "I don't know no... black... colored market... ting. Maaan I was out," Benny said, shifting onto his side in order to begin transfer to an upright position. The lawn chair creaked, as though it were going to give way at a moment's notice. Yet, through some miraculous occurrence, the groggy lion managed to place himself into a sitting position without consequence. Elbows soon rested on knees, another yawn emitting from his throat, "Oh boy... what time is it by the way?" Visual observation became possible as soon as his eyelids gave the light permission to enter.

And, in the previous moment or another, the round face of a turtle like child was revealed.

"BAAAH wha-where'd you come fro-AAGH!" The lion, having lost any sense of balance, reared backwards and flipped onto the ground on the other side of his chair. How he managed to do a full flip was anyone's guess, his chin resting on the side of the chair. A moment passed as the lion grew silent. Yet, this was not even worth calling a scratch, the man shaking his head back and forth to pull himself together, "Dang... I woke up on the wrong side of tings, didn't I? Heh heh." His hand curled into a mighty fist, using it as a crutch to push his body off the ground and reset his position on the chair. Benny, in the time it took for him to reclaim his throne, realized the poor stranger was still there.

A curious hum escaped the beast's throat. This guy was not someone he was familiar with, and by the way this little guy spoke, he was on the young side of things. Resuming his elbows resting on knees positioning, as he did when he awoke the first time, he continued, "Was kinda sleepin' there, kiddo, don't think I quite got all that. You was lookin' for the, uuuh... some kinda market? Or sometin'? And..." The beastkin paused again, this time glancing about the immediate yard and the street beyond. Nobody else was nearby enough to warrant an additional party. Even some form of parent was gone from this scenario. Maybe this kid did not come with a mother or father? Asking was a better option, a concept even the dimwitted lion was able to comprehend.

"Sooo who exactly are ya? Don't look like someone tryin' to sell me stuff. Got a parent around, or... uuh... you know."

[heirtothemonado]

Jr slowly crept up to the sleeping Benny, not entirely sure if he had heard him or not. He was waking up at least. As Benny let loose a colossal yawn, Jr stood right in front of him so he'd know who was talking to him....

And proceeded to nearly jump out of his shell as Benny shouted in surprise.

"ARGH! Don't do that!" Jr yelled, even though he was reacting more to the sudden loudness then anything Benny did. Man this guy was scary looking...…but...it didn't seem like he as going to hurt him. He looked as surprised as Jr did, actually. And now that the surprise had worn off, he looked pretty friendly. Forcing himself to calm down a bit, Jr introduced himself again.

"My name is Bowser Jr, although pretty much everyone calls me Jr. I,uh…..I don't really know my way around this area, and I've gotten kind of lost..." Jr awkwardly shuffled his feet, in a combination of shyness and intimidation "And no, I....don't have a parent around. Papa's over in the Black Market. You know, that shady-looking side of town with all the shops? That Black Market. Do you know how to get there from here?"

"Also, ah, no, I don't have anything to sell to you, unless you want to buy some slightly-out-of-date food."

[Deleted]

"Junior? So you're named after yer dad or sometin'? Heh heh heh," the man said. A chuckle rumbled in the lion's throat as he crouched lower. From his sitting position he was able to go so far, but his lowered height was enough, and there was little need to force the apparent child to crane his neck in order to speak. Everything about the little guy seemed on the stubby end. Observing Bower Jr.'s demeanor some more noted the honesty in the kid's words. Right, kids got lost often, and even Benedikt recalled his getting lost in different towns as a child. Well, even now he gets lost.

But this whole Black Market deal was another thing altogether. Sounded as though the Life Sphere had a criminal problem, but a guy trying to raise his kid did what he needed in order to survive. In addition, the lion was not in the mood to hunt down a villain and beat the living snot out of him or her anyways. Scratching at his mane, the over sized beastkin forced the gears to spin, "Can't say I have been tat way, sorry kiddo. Eeer, more like I got an idea, but ain't got a clue exactly where. Also, don't worry 'bout sellin' me any food. Tink I was still asleep. BAHAHAHA!" A slight wheeze rushed through the man's voice as he laughed, leaning backwards before catching himself.

Yet, the problem was still brazen and took the form of a chubby little thing. Benny was not going to leave a little kid just wandering around by himself. Even he was not dumb enough to let that happen. Standing up from his lawn chair, the lion squat down to continue the conversation. Leaving the grin on his face, he continued, "Well, name's Benedikt, kiddo, but call me Benny! Or Ben. Tat works too. Tell ya what, I got nothin' ta do around here, and I ain't gonna leave you alone. How's about we head out in a minute and find the Market?" Feline eyes scanned the area once more. How come nobody else found this kid and helped him out?

Maybe everyone was just being a jerk. Some were like that. As he waited, risen cheeks and bright eyes awaited the kid's answer, tail swishing back and forth. Last time he got to watch over a kid was, well, a while ago, and that was back on his home world.

[heirtothemonado]

"Yeah. I'm named after my Papa. Maybe you've heard of Bowser?" Jr said. It was unlikely his father's name was going get him anywhere with this guy, but he should still let him know who he was. The lion leaned down to level with him, which was a relief for Jr. His neck was getting sore looking up at him. 

"...Oh. Well, if you don't know where it is, I can find my way..." Jr said sadly. He started to walk back to his Clown Car before her heard the lion call out "....You'd really do that?" Jr looked Benny over. He looked strong, that's for sure. And if anyone could protect him if someone got in the way, it's would be him. Jr wasn't sure why, but he already felt safer with Benny around. Papa had always taught him to be wary of strangers, but this guy looked pretty trustworthy, jolly even. Jr had a feeling that they'd  get along just fine.

"Alright Benny! Let's get moving!" Jr said, getting into his Clown Car again, this time with excitement. "...….I still don't know where we're going." Aaaand  there goes his excitement, replaced with utter confusion. This is why you use a map, Jr. "I don't suppose you know which way it is?"

[Deleted]

The lion went into his gear grinding thoughts for a moment, considering whether he had everything. It was one of those habits he force learned to get himself into back home. Especially after that one time he locked himself out of his boathouse, requiring a somewhat amicable thief to unlock in exchange for getting the poor guy out of trouble. However, his home's door was locked already, Benny having done so before he took a cat nap. His massive chest heaved with a dumb chuckle, "Yep! Let's go kiddo!" Standing to his full height, the beastkin turned and started to head off with Junior.

Although, there was the matter of where the Black Market was still hung in the air. Scratching at his short mane, the lion's ears flattened, "Uuuh ... I tink it's ta way we're goin'. All I know, but just stick around me and I'm pretty sure we'll find it." In fact, sticking with the overgrown feline might have been the better option, as the Black Market tended to attract shady people. Something the beastkin grew to remember in the seconds coming. Despite this, the kid seemed innocent enough, and causing trouble in the Life Sphere out in the open was a not so smart idea.

Not that it will stop Benny at times.

"So uuuh ... you mentioned a, Bowser or somethin'? And he's your Papa," Benny started, growing quiet and allowing his thoughts to trail off. Right. He did not know what having a father was like in of itself. Any small doubts the lion had regarding their destination began to float away, as this kid had family to get home to. By no means was Benny going to take that away from Junior. The heavy thud of the beastkin's footsteps drew the man out of his quick trance, shaking his head, "Don't tink I heard of him though. Is he who we're supposed ta get ya to? I'm not very smart, but you can try explainin' ta me and I might figure it out! Heck, we might see him wanderin' nearby and get you home more fast!"

[heirtothemonado]

Jr headed off with Benny as they left the boathouse. It wasn't hard to keep up with the large cat while he was in the  Clown Car, but he couldn't imagine trying to keep pace with Benny on foot. He wasn't exactly Koopa the Quick, after all. Although the question remained of where they were going, Benny's plan seemed to be as good as anything he could come up with "Alright, Benny. I'll try to keep up with you. Hopefully we find it soon"

"I'm no surprised if you haven't heard of Papa. He used to be a big deal, but now we're more or less confined to the Market. Papa rules the Koopa Clan, but they're....not exactly well respected now. Doesn't help that most of the police are Toads, and we kinda have a history with them." Jr explained. Perhaps if he told Benny about Bowser, something might click in the lion's memory. Maybe he did see him before, but just doesn't remember.

"Papa makes due with what he as. He spends a lot of time at the stadium though, so I'm usually left to take care of myself a lot. Not that I mind, I've had to do that often enough." Jr said. Then he hastily added "That doesn't mean he abandons me! He just has a lot on his plate right now." Jr didn't want to give Benny the wrong idea about Papa. Jr couldn't ask for a better dad. But with the amount of work he had to do, it made sense why Bowser didn't have as much time as he used to.

As they walked, or in Jr's case, drove, the houses of Brightwing Lane slowly gave away to the shadier stalls of the Black Market. Looks like Benny's plan was going in the right direction. The pair wandered past a stall that looked like it sold some simple foodstuffs, a bit of a rarity considering the condition the farms were in nowadays. As they walked past, a small growl could be heard from Jr's stomach. Sounded like he was hungry. He'd spent so much time looking for a way back home, he hadn't eaten today!

"Benny? I'm hungry" Jr said, trying no to sound like he was whining. "Can we buy something from that stall?" 

[Deleted]

Benny gave a shrug, "Heh, never heard of ta Koopa ... uh ... clan stuff until I gots here ta begin with! Not gonna say a ting about it since it ain't, well, not really my place ta say. 'Sides, havin' history with each other isn't a pretty ting, I know." Wow. Already the whole issue between these Koopas and Toads sounded a little too similar to issues between humans and beastkin back home. Part of the man still wished he was smart enough to understand politics, because oh boy was that an entire situation the lion had less than nothing when it came to that kind of knowledge.

Listening to this kid, however, made a few things click. Not one hundred percent in the good way either. Making due with what someone had? That hit far too many buttons. Just like the terrible old days when the lion was a reckless cub making things difficult for his ever working mother. Perhaps the man grown used to such a condition. Even as a sturdy, powerful beast of a man, Benny needed to pay attention to his own inventory. There was a difference between eating a lot for sustenance and just eating because he enjoyed food. The latter was a luxury he could only afford during his coliseum days.

And those days he needed to keep tucked far into his memories.

"Sounds like he knows what he's doin' though! I mean, yous don't seem too bad, so yer father is probably doin' something right," the beastkin said. Really, this Bowser guy was already sounding better than the father who sired Benny. Leagues better. Glancing down towards Junior, the beastkin's ears flattened as he shifted his attention to the open air. Something else stirred within this little guy, another concept Benny was all too familiar with as well.

Or at least, the man figured as much. Having to take care of oneself alone remained one of the loneliest experiences someone must have in his or her life. Well, some people might have preferred such a lifestyle, but it did not seem healthy for the little guy next to him.

Losing himself in his thoughts caused the lion to blink a few times. Everything seemed darker, more threatening even. Ah, right, the whole Black Market thing. Despite Bowser Jr. being well aware of this place, the man inched closer to the child, his towering physique guarding the little guy from someone who wished to cause trouble. Once more, however, Benny was distracted by Junior, "You're wat ... OH! Oh yeah yeah yeah! Don't worry, I can cover what you want!" Raising a finger for his little buddy to hold tight, he turned around, patting his belongings to make sure he had money on him.

Good, he did. No need for that embarrassment.

Squatting down, the lion reached out to pick up Junior, wanting to hold the kid up so he can garner a better view of the food stall, "Right right right! Go on and pick somethin' kiddo!"

[heirtothemonado]

Jr looked at Benny for a second after he asked him if they could grab something from the cart. He looked like he was lost in thought about something. Deciding not to ask, Jr tried calling him again. "Benny? Did you hear- Yipe!"

Jr was very much caught off guard when Benny just picked him up like that. He wasn't expecting that at all. Although the extra view was nice. "Wow, Benny. You're really strong! "I'm...not exactly light. Even by Koopa standards..." He didn't really want to bring this subject up, but it was something that Jr found impressive. Eager to change the subject, he looked toward the food stall.

It seemed relatively well stocked, considering the circumstances, although they didn't have anything fancy. Looking over the options, he picked out a small cake, and signaled to Benny to put him down again. He climbed back into the Clown Car and took a bite of the cake as Benny paid for it, and they went on their way.

"Thanks Benny. If I'm being perfectly honest I...shouldn't really be having this but, I haven't had anything to eat today. I think this should be fine until I get home. It should be around here somewhere...." Jr looked around at the buildings. Bowser's castle should be easy to spot...After a few moments of looking, Jr looked back to Benny. It seems he had thought of something. "Hey Benny! Maybe once we find Papa's castle, you can come visit for a bit! I'm sure Papa would love to meet you! Maybe you could swap stadium stories!"

[Deleted]

Confusion placed itself upon the lion's face at Junior's comment on being strong. The kid was light for his strength, although, the same can be said when it came to picking up most people. Benny figured it best to humor the kid in some fashion, a chuckle rumbling in his throat. "I've always been reeeally strong and all! Even pulled a full tree out and tossed it uuuh ... uuum ... I don't know how to count distances. Really far, tat's right!" The beastkin's tail swished back and forth upon delivering his claim, beaming as he watched the young koopa pick out his treat.

The signal was given to lower his smaller companion, grinning a toothy grin as the man shifted his attention onto the shop owner. Handing over a few coins, taken prompt from a pouch around his waist, the lion gave the shop keep a swift wave before walking back towards Junior. Little time was necessary before the duo started off again, the car able to keep up with the massive lion's stride. However, Benny was sure to keep his own stride in check, as to not lose the kid among the crowds. He gave a swift wave of his hand in Junior's direction. "Nah, don't worry too much about it. If you're hangry yer hangry! Probably not like me who can go for a bit without food ... but I do get hungry still. Uh ... did I spell tat word right the first time?"

Benny's head tilted up at an angle, debating on whether or not he figured out how to spell. Meager issue at best, and he can leave the details to an actual scholar. When the koopa prince spoke again, the lion shook his head and came back to reality. "Wait, you live in a castle!?" Eyes grew wide, ears perked as the truth rushed through his mind. This kid was royalty or something! On the plus side, the beastkin was knew this kid was lucky he did not ask for help from someone who might kidnap a royal for blackmailing purposes. Simply ruling the Koopa Clan was a step lower than owning a castle to reign from in his eyes. "AND your dad is a stadium fighter? Course I'll stay for a time! Specially if I get to plan a fight with him later!"