"I had a weird dream last night," said Koopin one morning in bed.
	"Yeah?" replied James.
	"I dreamt I was a blooper, just...swimming around in the sea, flapping my tentacles around and shooting myself through the water, until I get hit by a tidal wave!  And I surfed on it with this cloud like a pro, skimming it reaaaaaal fast!  And then I swam right up into the sky!"
	"HAH that's crazy, squids can't fly!  ...right?"
	"I know right?!  Weird thing is I dream about this a lot, like...once every few months."
	"Maybe you're just hungry for some fish...that or you really love the sea."
	"Maybe...do you have like, dreams that you keep coming back to a lot?"
	"Oooooh...I got at least three."
James put his hands behind his head, the two of them lying side by side in bed on a day when both of them were off from work.  Now and again they enjoyed the peace of the morning bed, beneath the covers with nothing to deal with.  No pressing engagements, no urgent calls to make.  James tried to remember his most regular dreamscapes, vague as they were in memory.
	"One is me being this lord of an old castle on a cliff by the sea.  And not like a king, but like a real old lord with a cloak around him."
	"Cool, sounds like Drycula!"
	"Hah yeah...then there's other dream I get a lot where I'm in this...kinda seaside town, all white-walled and real bright sun, and it's a gorgeous place."
	"Neat!"
	"And the last one...the one I imagine the most, is this...like, ancient lake in this ancient old world, all plants, no buildings and no people.  Just...dinosaurs."
	"Huh...have you ever been to Dinosaur Land?"
	"Nope."
	"Hmmm..."
Koopin pondered to himself, his gaze averted up towards the ceiling as always when he became pensive.
	"Is it like that?" asked James.
	"Not...really, I think it's a li'l more up to date than that."
	"Right.  So yeah, that's the kind of places I dream about a lot, there's a lot of other dreams here and there."
	"Any you remember the most?"
	"Mmmmmnot really.  You?"
	"Nope...OOH, wait I do have this dream where I'm a sandworm!"
	"...a sandworm?"
	"Yeah, like this huuuuge thing that goes through the desert like a fish!  Just SMASHING through the dunes and diving across them over and over again!"
	"...do all your dreams have you being some kind of fish-like thing?"
	"Haha no...least I don't THINK so."
	"You certainly don't taste like fish."
	"What DO I taste like?"

James turned with a sly look, grinning lewdly with his upper row of teeth showing off.
	"Yanno, funny thing...I just forgot.  Maybe I need to remember..."
	"A-a-a-aaaah James?"
The raptor rolled over onto Koopin's shell-less form, who playfully protested amidst a series of whimpers and yelps, the raptor slurping across his neck and suckling on it hotly.
	"Mmmmmmm..."
	"A-AAAH!  JAMES!  S-s-stop it that tickles!"
	"Mmmmmm ohhhh god you're delicious and I'm so hungry."
	"N-no, come on!"
	"Ah ah aaaaaah..."
He playfully pinned down the koopa's arms dominantly, grinning with a lick of his lips.
	"You don't tell a hungry raptor what to do.  Now it's time for lunch."
He planted his lips upon Koopin's neck, pretending to bite and nibble as the koopa giggled uncontrollably, kicking his feet beneath the covers, helplessly trapped beneath FG.
	"J-JAMES-AHAHAHA noooo stop it!  S-stop eating me!"
	"Mmmmm num...num...nnnnnNUM!"
	"AIE, STO-OP!  FffHAHA PLEASE stop it!  I'll make you breakfast now come on!"
	"Mm-mmmm...I don't want breakfast now...tonight I dine on turtle soup."
James soon groped at Koopin's boxers, making him moan with a gasp of disbelief, bashfully looking up at him as he pleaded teasingly.
	"N-no...pleeeeease don't eat me..."
	"Awwww...well, maybe I can be convinced...if you can feed another hunger of mine."
	"A-ah...I...n-no...I can't."
	"Oh, well...then I'll just have to eat you whole."
With one long lick of a raptor's tongue snaking across his chest, the koopa whimpered teasingly so with a bashful smirk, playing along as he sputtered both from pretend fear and embarrassed arousal:
	"A-a-ah!  No please!  I'll do it, I-i'll do anything to not eat me!"
	"Mmmmm anythiiiing?"
	"Y-yes, anything!"
	"Ooooh...then you better please me good hmm?"

With a widening grin upon his snout, James slowly sat onto Koopin's chest, his boxers down to allow his smooth 7-inch cock to become fully exposed before the yellow beak.  Koopin gently panted onto it, hesitant for the sake of the role as he began to lick.  The familiar taste made him shiver, and at first all he could do was crane his head forwards to lick a little further.  Tenderly from the middle of the shaft to the tip, he was further encouraged by FG's moans.
	"Ohhhh...good boy."
Suppressing the urge to smirk and chuckle at seeing Koopin's false hesitation, he gently pushed his hips a little further to give him enough reach.  He was rewarded soon enough by a soft suckling at the tip of his member, the raptor moaning even more to show his appreciation.  He waited until his pre started to ooze enough from the tip before he would move onto the next part, already turning eager to want it.
	"Mmmmph...that's it...keep at it and we can...move to satisfying my hunger."
	"Mmmhmmm....mmmhhh?"
Koopin looked up softly at James, who smiled wickedly down upon him with a deeper chuckle.
	"Let's just say that...to satisfy my own hunger...I have to fill you."
	"Mm-mmmhh?!"
The put-on surprise from the koopa was enough to encourage James further, sliding his cock from the sweet younger beak and gently rubbing it along the curved part.  He gently got off of Koopin and waited for him to roll onto his belly, an adorable little yellow rear showing itself off with a cute little tail above it.
	"God I love your little tail," murmured FG out-of-character.
	"H-huh?"
	"Mmhh-mmph, I said I'm gonna fill your little tail."
	"A-aah!  P-please, be gentle sir!"
Chuckling lustfully, the raptor soon climbed on top of Koopin, his body noticeably smaller by a few inches with the back of his head nestling against FG's chest.  With his legs laying above the koopa's, his cock slowly grinded against the puckered little hole, a panting lust rising within both of them as he slowly penetrated.  The raptor's tail waved snakily above both of them, the koopa's hot gasps of bliss being music to his ears.
	"A-AH!"
	"Ohhhhh yesssss...ngh, god."
	"H-hoh...please...m-more!"
With such a willing "victim" to please, James willingly gave more to him, slowly thrusting into Koopin's body as he laid firmly on top of him.  The koopa whimpered with each push of an inch inside of him, panting as he spread more and more, the heat rising more greatly between their bodies.  James soon laid fully on top, with one arm wrapped around and underneath of Koopin's body, hugging the chest closely.  His hips soon started to thrust, feeling Koopin accept him more easily as he started to relax, pounding him more and more until he started to hilt regularly.

	"A-AH!  AH!  J-James!"
	"NNGH!  Oh...god yes..."
Panting hotly against his cheek, James' hips smacked into Koopin's tail over and over again, grunting as his growls turned more beastly in an attempt to keep up their little roleplaying scenario.  Koopin barely had time to cry out by the time he felt himself come, James stuffing to the very hilt with the last few thrusts.  The raptor's muscles twitched in his arms as he pounded his hardest with the last thrusts, pushing Koopin along the bedsheets slightly, his claws digging into the bed cautiously in spasms.
With a throbbing climax, his seed filled thickly into Koopin's rear with heavy spurts as he kept himself propped on one arm, above the koopa.  Koopin felt his own cock pulsate underneath him, making him blush hotly.  His mind started to turn less hazy from lust, not even sure how he ended up underneath him, but nevertheless they remembered how to end it.  With a tender lick to Koopin's cheek.
	"Mmmmm...good work boy.  You live another day without being eaten."
	"Hhhh...hhhhh...th-thank you...sir."
	"Hmhmhmhm...why are you so adorable?"
	"I-i-i dunno, am I?"
	"Oh you know it."
Breaking from their brief roles, they felt their bodies pulse with energy, having woken up their minds with their climactic bliss and now feeling ready to seize the day.  At home that is.  They got up, shared themselves a hot shower, and promptly planted themselves in front of the TV to relax for the day.  Koopin however went to make breakfast first, cheese and ham toasties as something light but filling to enjoy.
They each had their own shows to enjoy for the day, the other either legitimately enjoying it, trying not to dislike it openly, or just doing something else to pass the time.  James was fond of quiz shows but only to make fun of the idiots on them.  Koopin enjoyed soap dramas, one in particular that he was absolutely hooked on known as Shell City.  It was at this point that James would stop watching TV in order to busy himself with other things, while occasionally peering at the screen with slight curiosity.

Cartoons however they had in common, even if the shows they watched were different.  Today however it was an episode of Shell City, which James only received snippets of, while cleaning dishes to pass the time.  Koopin turned rather nervous about 25 minutes into the episode.
	"No no no Goombelle, don't go with him he's a sleazebag!  He tried to kill your friend's uncle!"
	"Why do you watch this stuff?" asked James.
	"Uh...I watched it with mom all the time at home, so I really got into it."
	"Ahhh right, fair enough.  And that cartoon with the little cows on it?"
	"Iiii got into that like...last year."
	"Hahaha, wow you got no excuse for that."
	"Hey, My Mini Moo-Moos is a good show!"
	"Doesn't look like it to me, it's got waaaaay too many colours, nothing that bright can be good."
	"If you just gave it a chance, you MIGHT like it."
	"Ehhh...oh, hold up, who's that?"
	"Huh?"
Koopin turned back towards the TV with fascination, surprised somewhat at a new character.
	"That's Goombert, Goombelle's father, he owns the textile company."
	"And why is he there?"
	"Oooooh maybe he wants to break a deal with Goombelle's boyfriend's dad an-OH STARS!"
	"WOAH!"
A terrible climax had been reached!  The sight of a moustached goomba pummelling an older koopa off a cliff left the two in awe.  James was suddenly fascinated, leaning closer over the couch as he murmured:
	"...dude that was cold."
	"I know, wh-wha...I didn't think he would DO that."
	"...what happens next!?"
Unfortunately the show would come to an end, leaving both of them in an uproar as the credits theme played, to be continued.
	"AW COME ON!"
	"Wh-what the hell, you don't DO that!"
	"Ohhhh maaaaaaan, mom is gonna freak out so muuuuuuch."

And, as if right on cue, the telephone rang.  A handsome black thing with a keypad, the receiver rattled before Koopin picked it up, leaving James free to enjoy his own slice of TV heaven.
	"Hello?  ...Hi mom!  I know right, what was Goombert THINKING oh my STARS!  You think Shellbert'll survive?!  ...I know, why didn't he go after Sherbert, HE's the jerk!  ...I dunno what Goombelle's deal is honestly, maybe she's...confused?  She's been pretty shaken up after her friend's uncle was put in the hospital...you think he'll recover?"
	"Oh my god," murmured James, "I can't believe I have a girlfriend."
	"Heeeey!  ...OH that was James, he said he can't believe he has a girlfriend.  ...yes he meant me mom.  ...yes I'll make him sleep on the couch."
	"Heeeey."
	"Oh, mom says hi by the way."
	"Hiiii Mrs. Kennidon."
Koopin rolled his eyes and lifted the receiver back to his ear, before replying to James:
	"She says to call her Klair."
	"Aw man, she heard me?!"
	"My mom's got good ears, you know that!"
	"Oh yeah, yeah, HI KLAIR!"
	"Yeah he got the message...so yeah, do you think Shan. T.'s uncle's gonna recover?"
For the next 10 minutes or so, Koopin chatted away to his mother while James mindlessly browsed through TV, occasionally catching glances of other shows that barely interested him.  Eventually he settled on a sitcom about life in the Beanbean Kingdom, rather fascinated by the strange population that apparently existed there.  Soon Koopin finished up his call, ending on a rather curious note.
	"Okay mom I better hang up now, so-...yeah?  ...what's he needing?  ...ooooh he's coming over?!  Awesome, I'm so glad it worked out!  Sure I will, when will he come over?!  ...alrighty, I'll note it down on the calendar, thanks mom!  Yeah James'll come along no worries!  See ya soon!  Bye!"
He hung up with an excitable smile, clapping his hands together.
	"Guess what?!"
	"What?"
	"Remember that guy from Sarasaland who became my penpal?!  He's coming over to arrange business with my dad!  His plan worked!"
	"Hah, awesome!"
	"And he wants me to come along and help, cuz yanno, I'm a tour guide and all!"
	"Sweet, when?!"
	"In two weeks' time!  Oh man I can't believe it, I'm gonna be a guide to someone from far away!"
	"...uh, I'm from far away."
	"Yeah but that was like last year!  And it was the best time of my life."
The raptor chuckled at this and winked with a finger-gun to Koopin, clicking his tongue.
	"Best time of my life too."
	"You wanna come along and help?"
	"Uhhhh I'll ask if I can get time off from the bar, if it's on my working days.  But sure, I'd love to come along!  I like meeting your parents."
	"Hehehe, they love meeting you too, you really fascinate them you know."
	"Hehe, they can always ask me about stuff yanno."
For the rest of the day, Koopin and FG vegged out in front of the TV to relax, occasionally trying to feel less guilty about being so lazy without chores by working out in the garden.  Koopin had a small garden, enough space to plant at least a small copse of trees but no more.  James sometimes went out to practice his moves with either the sticks, the scissors, or his own "magic.  Koopin did the same with his Toad-Kwon-Do, the two showing off to each other now and again in what they could do.
Koopin as of late was doing this even more, wanting to make sure he was skilled enough to keep practicing more, as well as to face Lee one day.  He was nervous, but he let it be for now and decided to keep focus for the visitor from Sarasaland to come soon.  He was undoubtedly excited, and was ready to go on the very day of his arrival, heading off early with James towards the train station and off towards the town of Dusty Dunes.

Despite having come to the desert town many times in his first year of the Mushroom Kingdom, James could still never get over how strange it was for him to even be in one.  In his past life back on Earth, he always saw the desert towns as mystical places.  Places with dark corners hidden beneath the sun, market stalls of the bazaar selling the strange and unusual, shifting sands that carried the footsteps of thousands since time immemorial.
In his mind he always associated the desert with trial, hardships, wanderers and traders.  In this world, trial and hardship was not to be found here, having visited the place as regularly as he would a friend's house from across town.  Passing through the town with the koopa at his side, the raptor nevertheless always made sure to carry his now-trusty hammer sticks in his satchel, still wary of the more sparse environment being a breeding ground for thieves.
	"So what do we do first?" he asked.
	"Well," said Koopin, "first we drop in on mom and say hi, check up on things and what we need to do exactly.  Then we go to dad's store, wait for Mr. Nokata to arrive, and then we escort him to where he has to go!"
	"Huh, sounds easy enough."
	"Hello sir!" called a shy guy seller, "would you like to buy a watermelon?"
	"No thanks!  ...so nothing else?"
	"Nope!" said Koopin, "just that really.  I can't wait to meet this guy, a trader from Sarasaland this is gonna be so awesome!"
He tried to calm himself down after a little squeal came out from him mutedly so, straightening up before approaching his family home with a knock on the door.  James shook his head and smirked.
	"Wh-what?"
	"You.  You can be way too adorable sometimes yanno that?"
	"D-don't say that now, I don't wanna be blushing today I'm a serious tour guide!"
	"Right, right, I'm sure you can give your mom a great tour around the living room or something?"
	"Heeey!"
The door soon opened as Mrs. Kennidon beamed a smile at the two, who immediately smiled back in return.
	"Koopin!  James!  So good to see you today!"
	"Hi mom!"
	"Hi missus-AHEM, Klair."
She chuckled at FG's near-slip of the tongue.
	"You're learning, good.  Did you boys travel well?"
	"Sure did mom, lovely skies today."
	"Mmhmm.  Did you see your father yet?"
	"Not yet, I wanted to say hi to you first in case I didn't get a chance."
	"Aww...you two had breakfast?"
	"Yeah yeah we did, don't you worry."
	"Good.  I know you're helping your father out with some tour guiding but that's all the more reason to eat.  Will you be going too James?"
	"Of course," said FG, "I'm pretty curious about this guy from Sarasa...Saran wrap...samba de amigo land."
	"HA HA HA, ohhhh you're a silly billy."

The raptor blushed at Klair putting a hand to his cheek, her motherly touch somehow always putting him at ease as she spoke to her son on small events of the town.  Little else could be said from James however before they would head off towards the Kennidons' grocery store.  Shelldon was there, as always, waiting for Koopin, hugging his son and shaking James' hand.
	"Ahhhh so good to see you boys!  You came too James?"
	"Yes sir."
	"Now now James, it's Shelldon, don't worry about calling me my name."
	"Right...so, how's business?"
	"About to get a lot more exciting thanks to this new trader from Sarasaland lemme tell you!  Stroke of luck you finding him huh Koopin?"
	"Sure it was dad," said Koopin sardonically, "I mean not like we were in the same room at a party with a handful of business cards, hmmmmm?"
	"Hahaha, well it paid off didn't it?!  He said he would be arriving around midday, so you boys have some time to kill before then."
	"Alrighty...OH, did you see the wrestling match last week?!"
	"The one with Yoshitaka and Club Master?!" said Shelldon excitably.
	"YEAH!"
	"Awwwwwwwww that was such an intense fight!"
	"Totally!  I was really glad Yoshitaka won though, Club Master's such a JERK!  Like, Rawk Hawk pre-TYD jerk!"
	"Right!  That rig-lighting trick?  Unexcusable, Yoshitaka could have been seriously hurt!"
	"Yeah what was UP with that, that's totally not allowed right?!"
	"Definitely wasn't back in my day, shouldn't be now!  All we needed was a good Woohoo Whip and the odd Starlight Suplex to win a match."
	"Well at least nothing can beat Yoshitaka's Island Tsunami.  You think even Rawk Hawk could face up against that?!"
	"I dunno...but if that ever happened, it's gonna be one heck of a match."
James smiled at how much Koopin and his father geeked out over the latest wrestling news, letting their babble wash over him as he looked outside.  The sun shone brilliantly so across the pure yellow desert, the stalls and marketeers crowding the air with their chatter, soothing James to the point of peace.  A busy town was his natural environment, the busier the better.
	"James?"
	"Huh?"

Shelldon gently motioned the raptor over for a private discussion while Koopin checked over stock.
	"The reason I wanted you along is...there have been bandits in this area of late, since this is the trading season and all.  I would like you to offer your services to the new trader when he arrives."
	"Really?  ...why are we being all secretive about it?"
	"...I know Koopin worries about you, and about himself.  He will want to offer his services as a tour guide, that is why I had him come here.  But...I am not sure what might happen if any bandits try to come near, and I would not want Koopin to get hurt."
	"You DO know he does martial arts right?"
	"Oh of course!  But YOU are a warrior.  Better safe than sorry, right?"
	"...alright, no problem Shelldon."
	"Thank you."
Eventually, there came a wagon coming from the east towards Kennidon Groceries.  A strange wagon, bringing forth a few eyes and heads turning around towards it.  With a purple cloth draped upon its wooden chassis, pulled by two rather large ostrich-like creatures, both of them pink.  Koopin's heart softened at the sight of them, as he gently came out of the store to look over them.
	"Awwwww what cute Ostros!"
	"Thank you Koopin."
The voice of the rider came on a bench above the cows, a black-shelled koopa who smiled fondly upon Koopin, who smiled back in turn.
	"Mr. Nokata!"
	"Hahaha, please, call me Noki.  Noki Nokata, at your service."
He departed from his carriage and shook Koopin's hand firmly.
	"It's good to see you again so soon after the party."
	"Oh totally!  This is my dad."
	"Shelldon Kennidon," he said, "an honour to meet you at last mister Nokata."
	"Now now call me Noki if you wish to be friends, mister Nokata if you wish to remain just business partners."
	"Hahaha, well I always enjoy having a new friend, of course!  Is this all of your supplies?"
	"Indeed it is, shipped straight from Birabuto.  Please, take a sample and see for yourself."

Shelldon took one of the crates from beneath the purple cover and brought it into the store.  Various strange fruits and vegetables were on display all neatly tucked into the crate.  Green pumpkins, blue radishes, figs bursting full of juice that was unnatural to see.  They were all rather surprised, as Koopin asked:
	"What sort of recipes do you make out of these?"
	"Well," began Nokata, "our most famous dish is Biratouille which is made with various vegetables, like the uh peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes-"
	"Why are they so different in colour?" asked James.
	"Different crops in different lands with different influences, basic geography.  Anyways, there is also Nokoshari which is made of rice, lentils, caramelized onions and chickpeas.  These leaves can be used to make Mudakhiya, the jute and nokorkorus plants that grow in Muda are very well-preserved."
	"Well I must say I'm impressed," said Shelldon, "I know quite a few chefs that would love to try some Sarasalese recipes, actually...if you're catering to that market moreso, Toad Town is very profitable for it."
	"Really?"
	"Oh yes, do you have any recommendations?  Actually...there was one chef who asked me a while back if I could recommend anything UNIQUE.  Let me make a call, back in a jiffy."
Shelldon went to the backroom to make a call, while Koopin continued to speak with Noki Nokata.  According to him, he was following the family trade of being a trader, as it had been for four generations.  He was also an avid cook, and the two talked to great lengths about recipes and techniques.
Eventually Shelldon returned with a smile on his face.
	"Good news!  I have a buyer for you already Noki!"
	"Really?!"
	"Indeed!  A goomba chef in Toad Town, mister Goomiver, is looking to expand his palate with some unique flavours for his more adventurous guests.  I told him how I had a good surplus of Sarasaland goods just today looking to be bought."
	"That's wonderful!  ...and where is Toad Town exactly?"
	"Ah...it's across the desert to the west, over Mt. Rugged and then a train ride towards Toad Town."
	"Or you could just take the boat," said FG helpfully.
	"Ah no no no," said Nokata, "too expensive to make a trip around, my finances will not cover more than the trip here and back home.  Sarasaland is VERY far away after all."
	"Oh, right."
	"Well I was expecting to travel far, hence my Ostros, and I was already planning to do so when coming here for more potential buyers of my stock.  Do you perhaps have a guide I can hire, Shelldon?"
	"Well," said Shelldon with a smile, "I have one right here.  My son, Koopin."
	"Ah, but of course, the TGA associate himself!"
Noki grabbed Koopin's hands together into a firm handshake with a smile upon his beak.
	"I would be honoured to have you as my guide."
	"Th-thank you!" said a blushing Koopin, "I'll gladly show you everything you want to know about the Mushroom Kingdom while on the way to Toad Town."
	"Splendid!  And your friend?"
	"I'm your bodyguard," said James.
	"What?!" asked Koopin.
	"You remember Kolorado's Expedition?  I come very highly recommended by him and misters Kennidon here.  Both of them."
	"And why would I require a bodyguard?" asked Nokata.
	"Well, bandits exist in the desert see?  They're rare but it's best to be prepared just in case."
	"I see...how much are your services?"
	"Oh it's not a paid thing, this is free!  I'm coming along anyway with Koopin, I was just telling you that I can be useful as a guard for your goods."
	"Ah, wonderful then!  Then I appreciate your offering of services to my goods, mister...?"
	"Campbell, James Campbell."
	"Well then James, thank you for offering!  Well then!  If there is nothing else other than some appraisal of my goods, may we go to Toad Town?"
With excitement running strong through Nokata's veins, Koopin and FG awaited their time of departure with him, after Shelldon gave him some pointers on trade and commerce within the Mushroom Kingdom.  He also appraised the various goods, judging their value within the kingdom in terms of preference for each type.  Soon they were all ready, as Koopin sat up alongside Nokata, with James sitting on the back as a rear guard.
They travelled off into the Dry Dry Desert and beyond, their new guest intrigued by the strange yet familiar landscape.