Shantae sighed as she sat at the edge of the pier, her back to her lighthouse home as she slumped over and stared out at the waves. Despite wearing her usual bedlah outfit, she did not feel her usual spark, her usual get-up-and-go energy or attitude. She'd put in the band that kept her hair in the whip-ponytail in case she had to fight something - again - but she hadn't actually bothered putting on her other battle jewelry, or even her shoes. She had one foot dangling towards the water, the other knee pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around it, her chin resting on her knee as she stared flat-eyed out at the ocean, waiting. Her last 'adventure' had taken a lot out of her physically, magically, and emotionally...and unlike most of her past adventures, the consequences of it were likely to be sticking around for a long time. She kept her eyes on the waves, for now relieved that they all seemed to be flowing in the same general direction with nothing stopping or disturbing their flow. She hoped that would keep for a while...but she doubted that.

"Oh, Shantae!"

At that overly energetic voice, Shantae's eyes narrowed. Turning, she stared at the chubby source of far too many of the problems she'd faced as Guardian Half-Genie of Scuttle Town. "What is it, Mayor Scuttlebutt?" she asked, doing her best to put some joy - or at the very least, politeness - into her tone.

She tried not to be too amused - or pleased - when the Mayor became nervous, pulling his turban off to wipe at the nervous sweat collecting on his forehead and second chin. "I h-have this great news!" he offered with somewhat forced enthusiasm. "You see, I was offered this great deal on some sweets I've been wanting, and I know I've caused you some headaches, so I thought if I was out of town for a while-" His voice cut off as Shantae's eyes narrowed even further and her hair began to wave of its own accord.

"Mayor...you did not sell the town for chocolates or something like that again, did you?" she demanded coldly. She wanted to just be rueful...but she did not have it in her right now. Besides, her inner mana was still out of whack from her last adventure, and she really didn't like what it was doing to her attitude...even if it did make keeping Scuttlebutt in line somewhat easier.

"N-n-n-not yet..." the Mayor stammered nervously.

"Don't you remember how much trouble that was last time?" she demanded, doing her best to keep anger from her voice. "I nearly lost my hair because of that fiasco!"

In the distance out to sea, a course of waves shifted seeming in response to the spike of Shantae's emotions, something large enough to disturb the tides reacting to her ire.

"OhIhadtotallyforgottenaboutthoseconsequencesIdefinitelywon'tdoitagainhaveaniceday!"

Shantae sighed as she watched the Mayor dashing away as fast as his hefty body could run, trying not to be too amused at the way he jiggled from moving so fast. "Maybe if this gets him enough exercise, he'll actually lose enough weight that he won't be obsessed with every chance at getting rare sweets..." she muttered under her breath as she turned back to stare out to sea. "That'd be one less headache..." Spying the shift in the waves, she close her eyes as she put one hand to her face. "I could certainly use less headaches..."

"Wow, never thought the Mayor could move that fast! What'd you say to get him to do that?"

Shantae let out a sigh as she recognized that voice. Doing her best to at least make her voice friendly if not energetic, she spoke up. "Hey, Rotty..."

As the green-skinned zombie girl plopped down next to her, Shantae let one eye look over at her. As could be expected of an undead, she was unchanged from the last time Shantae had seen her. Same friendly smile, same skull earrings and yellow hairband, same too-small purple shirt and even smaller shorts, same staples holding her together where stitching had routinely failed. About the only difference from her usual getup was the absence of footwear. "Geeze, what's got you so down in the dumps?" she asked as she looked Shantae over. "You even came out without your battle gear!"

Shantae closed her eyes as she thought how best to respond to her sometimes frustrating friend. "I've just...got some stuff on my mind I'm having trouble dealing with," she allowed ruefully.

"Really?" Rottytops asked curiously with an impish smirk. "Well if you'd like, I'd happily take a nibble to clear some out!" She giggled at her joke...only to stare in shock as Shantae turned towards her and pushed her hair away from her forehead with one hand.

"If you think it'd actually help today, go ahead..." Shantae allowed wearily. "I honestly can't see how it would hurt at this point..."

Rottytops stared at her friend in disbelief for several moments. Once she had a hold of herself, she gripped Shantae by her shoulders. "Okay, what did Bolo do this time?" she asked flatly.

Shantae blinked several times in confusion. "Why the heck do you think Bolo has anything to do with this?"

"Because the only thing I can think of that could possibly get you so down in the dumps you didn't get upset like normal when I talk about eating your brains is boy trouble, and the only boy close enough to you to cause that kind of trouble is Bolo. So what'd he do?"

Shantae looked at Rottytops for a time before closing her eyes and letting out a rueful chuckle. "Thanks Rotty, I needed that." She let out a soft sigh as she turned back to the waves. "I...guess it is 'boy trouble', when you put it that way...but it has nothing to do with Bolo."

Rotty's eyes popped out of her skull, only for her to catch them and quickly pop them back into their sockets. "No way! You got a new boy in your life?" she squealed excitedly. "Well don't leave it at that, spill! We're gonna have some girl talk here and I definitely wanna know everything! What's he like? How'd you meet him? What's his name? Why's he got you acting like this? Is he cute? Is he hot? Is he rich? What am I asking, you wouldn't care about that! Oh, is he royalty? Gotta be to be worthy of your attention, I'd say!"

Shantae managed a chuckle at Rottytops' antics and opened her mouth to reply...only to stop as she saw the waves parting from something massive swimming towards the pier.

Noticing Shantae's stare, Rotty turned to the waves...and fell back with a scream as what had been parting the waves breached the surface.

The massive saurian creature easily stood taller than the entirety of Scuttle Town. Heck, it was taller than the volcano that Risky'd built her hideout in that one time. It stood on its hind legs, its massive head having rows of razor sharp teeth barely visible. A single eye was bigger than Rotty's entire body, and its massive tail stretched for what looked to her like a mile. Despite the water at the pier being quite deep, everything above its knees was visible...including the massive chunk of wood it was clutching in its foreclaws.

Kneeling down, the beast set the piece of wood down next to the lighthouse, revealing it as a piece of a sunken ship that coral had grown on until it resembled a massively oversized bouquet. Leaning over further, its massive jaw rested just at the edge of the pier before parting slightly, depositing a chest full of pirate booty: gold, jewelry, and other shinies. It then sank back into the waves until only its head and tail were above the water, its eyes locked on Shantae with a hopeful, almost puppyish look.

Shantae let out a rueful sigh that was almost a groan. "In answer to your questions, Rotty...meet Gojira, my new suitor..."

Rotty slowly turned from staring at the massive beast before turning back to stare at Shantae. Her head made that turn back and forth a few times, and then she expressed her disbelief in a calm and rational manner.

"HOW THE FUCK?!"

Well, for the situation at hand anyway.

"Rotty! Language!" Shantae snapped out.

"I'd say it's justified here, Shantae!" Rotty yelled back, actually managing to look pale as she gestured at Gojira. She then paused and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Actually, it's a good question, too. If he's your suitor, how exactly are you going to-"

"ROTT~Y!"

"Well, embarrassed is an improvement on depressed. Now, explain?!"