Wheels Of Nintendia

This is your last day in the old house. They say it's the people that make the home, but honestly, with all your stuff gone it feels pretty strange. You are sitting in the only chair along with your [[laptop]] and your brother is on the windowsill playing [[Mario Cart]]. What else is there to do? {(if: $echo is "yes")[(link: "There are small echoes coming from deeper in the house")[(goto: "Echo")]]}

Your laptop screen burns quietly against the still air of the room. (set: $echo to "yes") [[Check discord]] [[Check email]] [[Done->Quiet]]

{(set: $echo to "yes")} He's pretty good but wow he keeps crashing into things. [[Fair->Quiet]]

You are hanging out with a bunch of incorrigible goofs. [[hahah yeah->laptop]]

You check your email. It looks like there's an update to the privacy policy for some website you don't use anymore. You check your spam folder too, just out of curiosity. It looks like you got the "Nigerian Prince" but it's from someone named "Princess P." and it's promising gold coins. (set: $princess to "yes") [[Yeesh->laptop]]

It's hard to make the sound out at first, but with your house like it is you finally pin it down as being the slightly distant sound of metal on metal. [[Investigate]]

You're sure that it's probably just someone here to get ready for the next tenants *(weird)* but you decide to check it out anyways because really, what else are you doing? Poking your head into the kitchen you quickly make out the source of the noise--there's a guy there, wearing stained blue overalls and a faded red shirt. He's hunched over with his back to you, fiddling with the pipes. [[Try to get his attention]] [[Cool, mystery solved, back to your laptop!]]

You tap on the plumber's shoulder and he YELPS like he was stung by a bee, dropping his hammer. Before you can apologize however he stumbles back and you see it's not a bee--note even close. There's a...well a *head&* clamped onto his arm. A metal, black spherical head, but a head all the same, with teeth too large to feel real and a trailing chain instead of a neck, leading back into the maze of pipes under your sink. The man mutters something that sounds like a swear in a foreign language and he looks up, as if clocking you for the first time. (set: $injured to "yes") [[Grab the hammer!!]] [[Kick the head!!]]

You shrug and turn to walk away to leave the dude to his business when suddenly there is a CRASH and a clanking sound as a metal sphere buries itself in the wall next to your right a chain trailing in it's wake! You only have a moment to register the ball's wide staring eyes and sharp metal teeth before the man finally notices you. "...Mamma Mia! We'll-ah take care of this, ah-don't you worry!" He motions quickly for you to to run to under the sink to....hide, you guess? [[Yeah. okay->Hide]] [[Sorry, what?->Fireball]]

Thinking quick you grab the hammer and bring it down*hard* on the creature's head. There is a CRACK as the hammer breaks, but it does it's job and the monster releases the man's arm, it's hard, dark skin flashing unreally for a moment. "Quick, this way!" He points under the sink and you hesitate, but only for a moment as you hear the *clinking* of chain. [[Quick!!->Warp]]

You reel back, and almost just out of reflex *kick* the creature on the head with a KLANNNGG, before stumbling back, holding your foot. Your gambit seems to have worked as it releases his arm. and the man grimaces, and then punches the monster to the side with his free arm. "Quick, this way!" he points under the sink and you hesitate, but only for a moment as you hear the *clinking* of chain. [[Quick!!->Warp]]

You open your mouth to speak but as you do the ball follows suit, teech *snashing* at the dryqall as it turns torwards you. Yeah, okay. You swallow, anddive under the sink, realizing--too-late--that the pipes under your here are different than usual. [[AHHH->Warp]]

You turn to run but the sphere--the *monster* snaps from the wall like it isn't even a thing "Oh-a Shi--!" In a flash the man is between it at you, catching the creatur by it's jaws, but clearly with considerable effoert. His gloved fingers are larged between it's monster teeth, fabric tearing at the edges. "SINK. NOW." [[Sink. Now.->Warp]]

under the sink is not what you expected. Rushing in you expected to hide, but instead to stumble and slip--there's just one giant pipe down here, and you're [[falling]]!

The other side of the pipe should by all rights lead you to your basement or something but instead it seems to invert as you;'re shot up into the air, landing in a field of lush green grass. "Mario?" [[Sit up]]

You sit up, just in time to see the pip retracing into the earth behind you, gone withtout a trace. What the fu-- "Mario??" A hand grabs your shoulder and you look up--it's a tall, thin man, with a moustache that has enough personality it could probably write a three-act play. He's dressed similarly to the plumber, but his shirt is a forest green and he's wearing an oversized backpack. he's frowning. Next to him is a short figure, wearing a large mushroom on his head. [[W...what?]]

"W-what the fuck?" The man looks confused as you, and he swallows nervously, speaking again after a moment. "I-if you;re not Mario then that means he missed the pipe, he's stuck over there, oh no...!" [[W...where?]]

The man and the mushroom guy exchange looks. "Sorry. I..well-ah....Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom." He pauses and frowns. "Uhm, normally there's a little more fanfare, but things are a little...." [[W...who?]]

"My name's-ah Luigi." He fusses with his moustache and sighs. "Luigi Nintendo" The mushroom hat guy shakes his head. "And I'm Toad. Can you drive?" [[H...how?]]

Luigi shakes his head again, starting to walk in a circle. "Well through the pipe but it *retracted* and-a now Mario's stuck on the other side until he can find a new one and *you're* here..." [[But my brother--]]

"But my brother--there's a monster, and he doesn't even know!" Luigi and Toad share a look, and then Toad shrugs. "if Mario's over there your bro's fine, don't worry about it. Luigi grimaces. "He's fine, but we're not!" [[Okay, okay, so]]

You prop yourself up against a tree and breath deeply. The wind has the faint scent of fungus, fresh water, and gasoline. Luigi and Toad are mumbling to each other. [[What's in the backpack?]] [[You need a...driver?]] [[The Mushroom Kingdom?]] [[Why are you so worried?]] [[No more questions]]

"So....what's in your backpack?" Luigi gives you a blank stare. "Ghosts." [[ah.->questions]]

"Neither of you can drive then?" They frown, and exchange a glance. Luigi speaks up first. "We can both drive, but we're not-ah exactly...first place material." Toad motions vaguely to the tall man's [[backpack->What's in the backpack?]]. "And Luigi has something else he needs to take care of." [[ah.->questions]]

"The Mushroom kingdom?? Like. From the video games?" (if: $princess is "yes")[*then that email...*] Toad rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Yoshi Falls in the Mushroom Kingdom, connected to your world via the (colour: "green")[Pipes Beyond]. You'll get used to it." [[is there a waterfall nearby?]]

"W...why are you so worried?" Luigi quivers. "It's the race. Mario was our only chance, and now with him trapped, we don't stand a chance." [[Against...Bowser?->Sonic]]

There's the sound of distant bells and Luigi cringes, but catches himself and then sizes up his shoulders. "So-ah. Can you drive? If you can help us, we'll do our best to help you get back to your bro, you know?" Toad adjusts his mushroom. "Yeah, what do you say? I bet the competition won't see your earth techniques comin'!" [[Yes]] [[No]]

[[You need a...driver?]] [[The Mushroom Kingdom?]] [[Why are you so worried?]] [[No more questions]]

"What against...Bowser?" Toad laughs, but Luigi givs him a Look, and then motions to you to follow. You're reluctant to abandon the spot where the pipe came up, but it's not too far until you can see a racetrack in the distance, and outlines in the dust, the [[man you will learn to call your enemy]]. "We're racing against *that*." [[ah.->questions]]

<img src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/1/12/Sonic_Art_Assets_DVD_-_Sonic_The_Hedgehog_-_2.png/revision/latest?cb=20101018071514" alt="gotta.go.fast."> {(live: 0.5s)[(goto: "Sonic")]}

"There's a waterfall nearby, then?" Toad turns and spits. "It's called Yoshi falls because it's where Yoshi fell." Luigi sighs, and nods. "There is a waterfall too, thought. 'snice." [[ah.->questions]]

TO BE CONTINUED (BUT NOT REALLY) IN: (colour: "red")[WHEELS OF NINTENDIA]

TO BE CONTINUED (BUT NOT REALLY) IN (colour: "red")[WHEELS OF NINTENDIA]