Bzprpg - Ta-Wahi

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenAs he moved closer to the scene, he finally saw what was going on. There was a hole in a wall, a Toa lying down on a table, and a large Toa standing in the middle of all this. Curious, he slowly moved closer, a bit at a time.

[Relapse]

OOC: The problem I have with that isn't how Kyron reacted, rather that he was hit at all. While I understand that, logically, it would be nigh-impossible to avoid, it is a rather serious hit. I'll just roll with it for now, though.IC. Ta-Koro bar.Kyron got to his feet quickly, leveling the crossbow to his enemy. His detective skills kicked in as he loaded the crossbow. He had located Kyron without looking at him, as well as targeted an launched an attack. This could mean a few things, but the most obvious was that he was blind. Even if he was outlandishly wrong, his solution would affect him negatively.He shot a field of silence around him, blocking any sound from coming into his ears. With this done, he fired off a few shots at the Toa.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Bane of No Isles

[Constructelf]

IC ZharukIn another corner of the bar, a toa of plasma was sat, silently drinking a mug of beer. Seemingly oblivious to the events of the bar, he continued sipping at his drink. As he drank, he mulled over recent events. "The entire island has gone to the dogs," he thought to himself. "All 6 turaga murdered in one night? A group of six toa and some muty freak seizing power in G-Koro? What has this island come to?" Zharuk silently shook his head, and used his matatu to fling some coins over to the bartender, only to find that said bartender wasn't there. Slowly rising from his chair, Zharuk turned around, to find a blind toa standing in the middle of the room, arrow in his leg. Turning around, he noticed a smashed table in the corner and a Ta-Koro Guard scrambling to his feet, taking shots with his crossbow. The crowd held their breaths in suspense as they watched the altercation between the two toa. Zharuk's eyes narrowed.Normally, Zharuk valued chaos. As a mafian, he fed on it, exploited it, twisted it to suit his own ends, for it was in times of chaos that organized crime such as his organization thrived. But chaos is well, chaotic, and can never be trusted. There was a fine line between good chaos and bad chaos. Yes, there was such a thing as bad chaos, for the moment that things got too crazy, WHOOOSH, all the power that a triad had accumulated would go out under their noses. The castles that crime lords such as himself would build would collapse, leaving their princes bewildered, struggling to take in what happened even as the angry horde surrounded them.The state of this island was approaching that fine line, that volatile state where anything could trigger a massive explosion, one that Zharuk wouldn't be safe from. Eyes narrowed, matatu ready to launch, Zharuk's hand strayed towards the sword on his belt. Yes, these are the end of days indeed.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Syvra seemed to just now notice the toa of plasma who was sitting in a corner of the bar. He noticed the toa bringing his hand to his belt. With that Syvra simply tightened his grip on his staff.

 

Something seems odd about that toa

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen noticed some movement in the corner of the bar. Another Toa had just stood up, reaching for his sword. Ryzen shook his head lightly, wondering what this has become. He could jump in right now...No, that will just draw more attention to me.

[Silvan Haven]

Loren- Ta-koro- Bar

 

IC: The crowed murmured and and shifted uneasily when one of their protectors was sent flying. Grips tightened around weapons and some of the more street savvy ones were getting ready to duck for cover.

 

A voice rose from the back of the crowd, heads turning to look at the grey figure from whence it came. "Well that's a pity. I was going to suggest a light sentence to the judge. You know, a week or two in jail, maybe some community service. Attacking a member of the Guard like that? Any chance of that happening just took a cable-car to Karzani."

 

The crowd parted to let Loren through, recognizing him as an officer of the Guard. Once through, he drew his shortswords and said, "At the risk of sounding like the last fellow, you are under arrest for multiple accounts of assault and battery as well as destruction of private property. You've had your chance to come in quietly."

 

At a thought, his mask sent him next to Klavier, one shortsword down swinging at the larger Toa's elbow while the other was held in a guard position.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Silvan Haven

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenAnother Toa had joined the fight. A Toa of Sonics, from the color, with his swords pointed at the large Toa. Ryzen felt the excitement of the fight, but controlled himself from jumping in. Too much attention has been directed to me. A Ko-Toa in Ta-Wahi! Ridiculous! Now the same Toa suddenly gets into a fight...no, just no. I will stay hidden, if I can.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Takua Dragonstar7

[BBBBalta]

OOC: I'm not at all sure that jumping in here is a good idea, but I was planning on having Jotham at a bar in Ta-Koro anyway - might as well be this one, I guess. Ah, well. The odds could use some evening.

 

IC: A dark figure rose from his position at the far end of the bar. Jotham had watched this scene unfold before him from the shadows, and now, he decided, it was time to act.

 

A Toa in front of him was firing his crossbow. Time seemed to slow as Jotham activated his mask and sprinted after the bolts, which were traveling only slightly more slowly than his own Kakama-enhanced speed. Pouring energy into his legs, he approached the first, snatching it from the air. Moments later, the other two were in his grasp. Of course, those "moments" were relative - to an observer, Jotham was but a dark blur, and the action happened in the barest fraction of a second.

 

Jotham cut off the flow of power from his mask as he came to a halt behind Klavier. As he did so, another being materialized in front of him, a Toa in grey armor lashing out with a short sword. Jotham brought his own blade up to meet the other Toa's, deflecting the strike.

 

"PEACE!" Jotham cried, his voice ringing out over the din of the quickly gathering crowd. "Be at peace, everyone!"

Edited March 28, 2013 by Baltarc

[Constructelf]

IC Zharuk"What? Outright defience of the guard?!" Zharuk couln't help but facepalm. "Who are you?" Zharuk asked Jotham, "And why do you interfere with a guard arrest? Let our most noble Ta-Koro guards do their duty.""Same goes for you, Signore Blind man," Zharuk remarked, not aware that Klavier couldn't hear a thing. "You're just digging your own grave."

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Syvra now saw the ensuing chaos and seemed to laugh to himself.

Well this should be interesting.

He silently moved a little back into the crowd but made sure to keep his line of sight open so he could watch the whole crowd or at least those important in the conflict

With that he mentally summoned Vines to wrap around the Toa of stone's legs who had just used his kakama. If he tried his little trick again he would be going nowhere. He simply kept quiet as he waited for the results.

 

He did give Ryzen a slight glance to at least make sure he was still alright

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen saw Syvra looking at him, and he gave a small nod. Ryzen hadn't joined the fight yet, but another Toa had, and now they are yelling at each other. Ryzen still stood in the shadows and wondered if he should add some Ice to the fight.

[Seraphimon]

IC:

 

The bar fell into a strange lull where reactions were dulled, where tension seemed on the breaking point of spilling into a full on brawl. Jotham stood, holding the arrows, his sword crossed with Loren's. Blows had been exchanged. Klavier's wound still oozed slowly. The bouncer rubbed his chest, wincing at his broken ribs and bruises that dotted his torso, as Tuara stood over him, watching the encounter with a hard frown. Kyron had a brand new shiny bruise on his chest where he had been flung backwards. The world was balanced on the head of the pin.

 

Klavier was eerily nonchalant. Since the brawl had began, he had not moved a single muscle. Perhaps it was the silence field around him, but he almost seemed ignorant of what had occurred around him. This was not the case. He could smell the movements of his attackers, he could feel the changes in the wind as they moved, shot at him. Certainly, his training had improved his sense, had taught him to listen to the wind. But what ultimately allowed him to survive without eyes was the act of living itself. Klavier lifted his sword up and slung it over his shoulder.

 

The tension in the room increased drastically as everyone grabbed weapons, gripped them tighter, and watched for any signs of aggression from the silent giant of a Toa. The wind moved through the door and Klavier moved forward towards it.

 

There is only one law in the land. The law of force. The law that your law is only as powerful as your ability to impose it on others. He smiled. Let us see how powerful your law is against mine.

 

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenThe blind Toa started to leave. Ryzen wondered if he should let him go, or stop him. I would like to help someone...No, I'd draw too much attention to myself. I have no intentions of ending up in jail or talking to anyone else. Ryzen looked on. The crowd had grabbed their weapons, ready to fight. Ryzen smiled to himself. What you don't know won't hurt you...that's what they say these days. They don't know what the Toa is going to do...and it is better for them to stay that way.

[BBBBalta]

IC: Jotham turned his head, locking eyes with Zharuk as Klavier turned to leave. "Noble? Yes, shooting a blind man in the back is the picture of nobility, is it not?" He bent down, drawing one of his daggers as he did so, and cut through the vines that were quickly wrapping themselves around his legs. Then he turned and started after Klavier, who had taken but a few steps away from the scene. "I'd recommend you stay here," he advised. "As you can tell, there's plenty of trigger-happy guardsmen around. More than enough to take down a single man, if given reason to. I think we'd both prefer it if you didn't get killed over not paying for a few drinks."

[Relapse]

OOC: I don't know how Jotham thinks he's keeping peace- he's committing a crime. Interrupting the arrest of a criminal is pretty much assisting them in their crime. In fact, he's kind of preventing peace at this point.IC. Bar.The guardsmen watched a Toa intervene, and instantly reloaded his crossbow. This Toa- Jotham -had now made himself a felon by interrupting an arrest. However, Kyron figured he could let the guy go with a warning; he probably didn't realize what he was doing.Kyron absentmindedly rubbed at his chest as Klavier began shifting towards the door. The Toa of sonics kicked a table in front of his opponent, then placed himself across from the Prophet. With a booming voice boosted by his sonics powers, he gave an order to everyone in the bar."Put your weapons down and step away from the Le-Toa." Just to practice what he preached, he clicked a button which released the crossbow bolts onto the ground, effectively disarming his weapon. He dispelled the field of silence around Klavier, letting sound return to him. Contrasting, the bar had fallen into silence, the most being spoken was a hushed tone near the back. Everyone was watching to see what was about to happen."What are you?" he said to the Toa across from him.

[Constructelf]

IC Zharuk"Bellimbusto, he's commited numerous crimes," Zharuk said, sighing with frustration. "Two counts of assault-both of them guards, vandalism, theft, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace-mamma mia, I could go on and on." Zharuuk shook his head with frustrtion and followed after Jotham. "How strange my own words sound in my mouth," he thought to himself."And you, signore, if you have read the criminal codes of Ta-Koro, also now face charges of interrupting an arrest! Don't continue, per favore.""Signore, if you would be inclined to listen to my advice," Zharuk continued, speaking to Kyron this time. "Why don't you question this Le-Toa AFTER you've taken him into custody? He could cause more trouble out here."

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen watched from the shadows as the officers argued about the Le-Toa. He decided he would leave after the others left, while making sure Syvra knew. He waited.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

Syvra sighed a bit as he began to activate his mahiki slowly adjusting his armor color to that of a Toa of Water. He changed it slow,enough that no one would really notice. This Was of course just an illusion but one that works.

He just now noticed that the Toa of stone had cut his vines. He sighed a bit simply shaking his head.

Stupid toa. He should have left them there.

With that he Summoned vines to shoot up from the ground to wrap around the Toa of stones legs and this time arms effectively preventing any movement. Just as extra measure he tried to summon a vine to remove the dagger from his hands.

[Hitoshura]

IC: Ryzen Ryzen noticed vines crawling up one of the Toa. Must be Syvra again, what's he doing? Ryzen shook his head and smiled. Seems like thigs are going to get more interesting from now on.

[Palm]

IC: Tuara Drigton - Ta-Koro BarWhy am I even here?Good question...?Tuara snapped a little, planting her feet into the ground as she pushed away from it. In the bar now she stood in the doorway, her hands still in the loop of her belt, not yet wanting to pull a blade out after Kyron had just dropped his own weapon. She awaited for an official member of the Guard to speak, as she realized her position and relations wasn't at an all time high since her recent departure.It wasn't her job. It was theirs. But if she needed, she'd step in. All she had done so far was establish her presence.

[Silvan Haven]

Loren- Ta-koro

 

IC: Before Klavier could take a second step, Loren appeared in front of him, a frown on his face.

 

"The only place you are going after this place is a jail cell and I'd rather try to avoid collateral damage as much as possible. I'll give you one last chance. Put down the sword and surrender."

 

The Air Toa was going out the door one way or another, either as a prisoner or combatant was still in the air.

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenUnbelievable. The officers were still trying to arrest the Toa of Air. Ryzen almost laughed. He can't believe that both sides were going this far for the situation. He waited, still, for them to leave.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Syvra smiled to himself as to all but himself he appeared as a male toa of water at least according to armor color.

He kept watching the scene while maintaining a mental hold on the vines. He looked to Ryzen and noticed he seemed to almost be wanting to laugh

Seems he is enjoying this

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen wondered how long this will take. If the Le-Toa surrenders, or the officers defeated. Ryzen sighed. This was taking way too long, and he was getting bored. I should keep an eye on them the whole time, in case anything happens when my back is turned.

[Seraphimon]

IC:

 

"What are you?" asked the lawman. Klavier could smell his breath and hear the weight of the table he stood on creaking.

 

Now there's an interesting question indeed.

 

There was some more noise, of course. There always is. One man's strange, angry rant, begging the lawman to arrest Klavier, how he has committed so many crimes, assault, disturbing the peace, certainly he could go on and on and on. Unnatural vines shuffling across feet, binding. The sounds of the woman, the woman who spoke with authority and experience moving behind the lawman. The wind spoke of sternness, of unflinching resolve(almost, not quite, I can hear the slightest bit of) and as the third lawman came to the fore, also blocking his path, yelling that he should surrender.

 

Klavier smiled. "What are you?" he said, silencing the room in an instant. "A fascinating question, lawman. I know who I am. I am Klavier. But as to what I am..." he paused, the words sounding foreign in his mouth, "I am the Prophet. That is my identity and my whole being in its entirety. I have come to speak on the future and to save it, to bring up the land out of fire, to bring it out of my vision. Does that answer your question, lawman?"

 

He did not wait for a response before pressing on. "Now let me ask you a question. What is the law? The law is justice, right? The tenants of peace and civilization? The construct upon which we base all of our interactions, the foundations of society, correct? Without the law, we become monstrous barbarians. The law exists to protect the weak from the strong and to protect ourselves from our animal passions. But therein lies the problem. A great one. The law is only as effective as its enforcers. After all, what would the law be if it could not be enforced? The law is an act of restraint, it gives birth to not doing...but what if...what if....?" he shifted his sword notably, "What if I simply cut you down? What if I use my sword to rip you to shreds? What if I do instead of following the law? What if I act against the law's desires?"

 

"Then, instead of justice, our conflict is one of strength. Where I pit my will against your will. There is no law involved. There is no theft, no assault, no disturbance of the peace...there is only strength. If I can defeat you and anyone else who gets in my way...my will has triumphed over the law. So, then the question becomes..."

 

There was a moment, a brief moment, where the smell of bloodlust permeated the room like an ocean. Klaver's body tensed up as though preparing itself for slaughter. "Lawman, what's stopping me from killing every single person in this room?"

 

A silent scream of animal passion, howling to the blood moon.

 

Then, the moment passed.

 

Silence again.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Vismund Seraphim

[Palm]

IC: Tuara Drigton - Ta-Koro BarTuara's brow furrowed. Despite the obvious oddness of the man before her she couldn't help but find his little speech at least a little interesting. It was true, she had seen it before. She had experienced the same thing he was speaking about. It was for something similar that she dropped her position as Jaller's right hand. She couldn't uphold her own law, so how was she to uphold another's?Tuara couldn't.Which brought up another question. What was she trying to do right now?She wasn't a woman of the law anymore, and she probably never would be again. That life died when the foundations of the world in her mind started to crumble, the underlying issues of mental instability pounding at the pillars and groundwork. Tuara was a breaking women again, and there was nothing she could do about it. It was going to take a miracle for her to be totally comfortable with herself again, not to mention work a job."I could answer your question."Some people in the bar looked at her oddly. Those that knew her previously couldn't tell whether or not they should feel pleased that she was saying something about the situation or very worried considering her frequent visits to this same bar."Nothing."Tuara gripped her belt tighter, adjusting it slightly around her waist, "Although we all have the ability to feel and care for anybody other than themselves have the power to prevent you from exercising a power we also universally share. We all have the power to kill," Tuara stepped forwards across the wooden bar, hands refusing to reach for any of her weapons, "You say that your ideal is stronger than the law itself, which would be incorrect because the law is based upon ideals the people collectively agree at least a little on. You ask that your ideal becomes greater than another ideal," In a couple of steps she was much closer to the giant, "To ask that question would only cause a similar question to be presented, at which point this whole situation becomes a verbal battle over who's ideals are better and whether or not ideals themselves hold power at all.""Or we could skip all that and I could respond with a much simpler answer."Tuara stopped, very close to the blind man, weapons still stowed away. She looked up at him as she spoke."Me."

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen raised his eyebrows. Here was another Toa, standing up to the one known as Klavier. How bold, she'll probably lose, despite Klavier's blindness. We'll just have to see how strong her skills are.

[Constructelf]

IC Zharuk"How about I turn that question on its head?"Zharuk was standing behind Klavier, sword draw. The blind Le-Toa could feel the tip of Zharuk's rapier prodding Klavier's spinal vertabrae. "And therein lies the problem. By making that dissertation about anarchy, you assume that you yourself are immune to your own principle. Just as you could cut down our valiant guardsmen with your sword, I could simply think a thought, and poof, there wouldn't even be any ashes to bury.""In my youth, I had a tutor," Zharuk continued, remembering those days fondly, "Who shared exactly your views. He believed that all are independant, that all notions of dignity and equality were to be rejected, that the strong could exploit and despoil the weak as they saw fit, and that we had the right to destroy anybody who sought to impose their will on us contrary to his 'Declaration of Aggresive Individuality'; namely, lawmakers. And everytime he taught me that, I would answer "But Cosi, that declaration has its root in selfishness. If we are the strong despoiling the weak, then no problem. But what if we are the weak? What if we are the ones being despoiled?""Your law of strength is only applicable to you so long as you're the one on top," Zharuk continued. "Man, I loved those philosophy lessons," he thought to himself. "If we lived in a society based on strength alone, nobodyy would be safe. Even the strongest of the strong would live in danger everyday, for even if the only threats to his food supply, his safety, and his overall well-being were miserable whelps, they would still be threats. That's where the law of order comes into play. The law of order seeks to control us, to constrain us, for the general well-being of the whole. In an ideal society, where everyboody followed the law, the only danger that one would have to worry about would be that of poverty. There wouldn't be any knife-wielding muggers in the streets or any of that. It would be a state of absolute peace.""And on another note, going all public anarchist like you are would have big ramifications," Zharuk contijnued. "You wanna be evil? Fine, go start a mafia. Make a few shady business deals. Go torture a few people. But by all means, DON'T DO IT OUT HERE." Silence fell. "... that sort of came out wrong," Zharuk thought to himself. But he continued. "Because you see, just because you believe something doesn't mean that other people do. Society for some weird, wacked out reason, has all these notions of 'morality', and 'rights', and blah blah blah-ugh, truly disgusting stuff. Too much fluffy idealistic rainbows for my taste. But apparently it suits the taste of the massess. So the collective ideal of society is reflected in the law. You ask what's stopping you? How about you try going all 'Klavier vs the World'? I guarantee you, world's gonna win.""But most importantly of all, you ask what's stopping you from killing everybody in this room. Now think about: what's stopping me, from killing you?" Zharuk let those words settle in with a few seconds of silence. "If there were truly no law of order, only of strength, then you would have been dead minutes ago. So along those lines, it would be in the interest of your own well being to have a law in place. Think about it."

[Relapse]

IC. Ta-Koro bar."The prophet? What is that supposed to mean?" He listened to the Toa ramble from a crazy blind man to a terrifying killer. He spoke of his ideals and his view on the law. The Toa of sonics stopped him. "The law is there because many people agreed that people like you shouldn't walk the same streets as other citizens. There are literally armies of us ready to bring down opposers of justice, and yet you say your strength can defeat my strength, and by extension, the law.""This is where you overestimate yourself. See, not only could you not kill everyone here, you couldn't kill me. You have no idea what you're up against fighting the guard. At this point, failing to pay for a few drinks has progressed to something far beyond that. I will personally drive a steel bar through your head before I see you kill anyone. Your ideals are frail, blind man. The law is strong. It has survived the death of its greatest enforcers. Now tell me how you're going to fight without a head." Kyron widened his stance, placing both hands on the table. He had no weapon, but grabbed a bottle of ale and smashing it into a broken edge. "If we are to truly find out the end result of a strength versus strength mentality, then I dare you to fight me."Kyron was truly scared. He didn't know if he could take this man on. It was possible that he really did have the power to kill everyone inside of the bar. He readied his powers, and took one step back. Behind him, he could feel hear radiating from Tuara. Another man, Zharuk, was audibly ready for a fight. The advantage Kyron had lay in the fact that he would never be alone. "Ball's in your court, Klavier." He spun the bottle in his hand, a forced grin appearing on his face.

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenRyzen heard the Toa yell at the "Prophet". Ryzen sighed again. This was boring. He wanted to see some action, or them to leave. Ryzen was not very patient, and he is not going to be in a while.

[Seraphimon]

IC:

 

There was another long pause.

 

Klavier chuckled. "It's not so much a question of the world against me. It's not even a question of ideals. It's a question of my strength against the strength of those who would fight and die for the law. The law is not a reflection of existence...it is a reflection of what we want existence to be. It is a battle of our desires against what actually is. It is a battle of imposing wills, not of 'morality.' So, we fight for it. So long as the law fails to prevent suffering..." A dark room no lights always dark the knives the knives them comes the knives can you see the vision, son? can you see the vision or else "so long as the law fails to prevent the strong from destroying the weak...the law has failed. And you have failed. So, in that sense, I have already won."

 

"But in another sense...heh."

 

The movement was fast, almost blindingly so. Klavier spun around, his blade whistling through the air; not towards any of three lawmen arrayed in front of him, but towards Zharuk behind him. The Toa of Plasma had little time to think and tried to throw up his rapier to deflect the coming blow but the rush of black iron merely turned aside the blade as if it was a toy. At the same time, Kyron felt something tickle and twist his wrist in such a way that he was forced to drop the bottle, which rolled along the ground. It was almost as if someone well versed in the art of fighting had...but that was impossible.

 

There was a brief moment where Zharuk could swear he saw nothing but pure animal hatred, the smell of burning bodies, the room slick with blood and gore, heads rolling across the ground, limbs strewn about like a child's discarded playthings; all of this, reflected in Klavier's eyes. But...that didn't make any sense. Klavier didn't have any-

 

The sword stopped a fraction of an inch from Zharuk's throat. "In another sense..."

 

The blade dropped to the ground with a monstrous clang. "In another sense, I surrender. Take me away, coppah!" Klavier grinned. "And one poor blind man gets sent to jail for nothing more than being poor and defending himself against aggressors. The law wins yet again."

 

All of this happened in the span of five seconds.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

Syvra laughed quietly to himself. he could nearly see Ryzen twitching for something to happen.

 

Syvra actually found the exchange of ideals to be quite fascinating. Yet he knew he could not spare the time to truly enjoy the full impact of the words.

For good measure he mentally summoned the tips of vines to breach the ground around 'The Prophet's' feet. It was as if they could strike at a moments notice.

 

He then began to think to himself

How the law has fallen from it's previous standing. It is but a husk of it's former self, carried out by delusional fools who think themselves to be the ultimate right. How they will reap the true justice of their actions.

 

OOC: The edit was simply fixing the format of this post. For some odd reason the 3DS does not allow for the spaces so it was in all honesty bothering so i decided to fix it

Edited March 29, 2013 by Vox The Shadow of Reality

[Constructelf]

IC ZharukIt all happened so fast.One moment, Zharuk was in every position to kill the old fool. The next, everything had been reversed. Left arm supporting his body on a table, he found himself staring into Klavier's eye-blanket, about to meet his doom, his powers shut off-out of fear, or out of simple confusion? But the end didn't come. The blind toa dropped his sword, leaving Zharuk with a moment to collect himself. "The karz?" Zharuk thought to himself. "That son of a muaka, tarakava spawn, roke eating brakas............ GRAAAAAAAGH!!!"Zharuk abruptly got up from the table, eyes literally burning with rage. Droplets of plasma began to drip off of his armor, falling to the ground, burning holes in the floor. Bottles and cups began to vibrate even as a nearby table violently tipped over, the power of the matatu started to flare. Fortunately for everybody else in the bar, Zharuk didn't explode with anger. No, that would be most inappropriate, not to mention that it would land him in serious trouble.But just because Zharuk didn't act right that moment didn't mean that it was over. Zharuk was a mafioso. And mafiosi never forgot. And as long as they never forgot, they would never forgive. Zharuk would personally see it to himself that this fool met a painful end. But that would come for another time. Stretching out his hand, Zharuk's curved hilt sword flew from its position on the ground into his hand, and with a discouraged huff, the toa of plasma stormed out of the bar, rather rudely pushing Klavier, Kyron, and Tuara out of the way.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Constructman

[Palm]

IC: Tuara Drigton - Ta-Koro BarTuara raised an eyebrow, "Hold on."A palm was raised to her brow, "Let me guess how this all started," she let out a soft sigh, "You don't have money to pay for what you drank," Tuara reached into a pouch around her belt and shelled out a handful of widgets, "If that's the problem, I'll pay for it."

[Relapse]

IC. Ta-Koro."Well, first off, there are plenty of poor men who don't waste their time drinking when they can't pay for it, as well as a lot of poorer men who don't attack others when the time to take responsibility has come. If you truly want to display your taking of the high road, you probably should've owned up to your mistakes. Ta-Koroans are forgiving. However, they do not take kindly to assault. When you put violence into a situation, it can only escalate."He sighed, walking over with handcuffs, intending to place them around the wrists of the Le-Toa. "Now that your drinks are payed for," he nodded to Tuara, "you'll be facing two accounts of assault on a lawman, and one account of property damage. In other words, the poor blind man is sent off to prison for attacking the keepers of the peace. The law wins again." He created another field of silence, though this time only around his mouth. He could hear what was going on, but no longer speak.

[BBBBalta]

IC: Jotham wasn't much interested in Klavier's conversation with the guardsmen - for one thing, he was relieved that the matter was being resolved with words rather than with blades. Mostly, though, it was because he had a bigger problem to worry about in the form of the vines wrapping themselves around his body. He didn't bother struggling against them or trying to cut through them with his dagger as before; rather, he let the weapon fall to the ground and summoned his elemental power. Small, jagged stones began to grow from his armor, pushing back his restraints where they could and slicing through them where they could not. The stones began to grow together and expand until, moments later, Jotham was encased in a cylinder of rock, the vines clinging to its surface rather than to the Po-Toa's armor. The cylinder began to hollow itself out as Jotham absorbed its inner material, allowing him room to move. Grasping the top of the cylinder, he pulled himself out and dropped to the ground. The cylinder vanished, the vines collapsing into a heap on the ground. Jotham raised his hand, and his dagger flew into it, summoned by the rock embedded in its hilt. Jotham glanced around as he slid the weapon back into its sheathe - few seemed to have noticed the display; most were focused on the exchange between Klavier and the guards. Jotham stepped to the side, positioning himself so that he could still see what was going on while being out of view of most of the crowd. Hopefully that would prevent whoever had created the vines from being able to tie him up again.

[Voxumo]

IC: Syvra

 

Syvra was finding this amusing. The toa of stone had escaped the vines. He was not particularly upset by this for it was not like he intended to keep the toa wrapped up but more like keeping him occupied.

 

His view never wavered from the front of the crowd even as he suddenly saw the toa of plasma exit through the tavern and seemed to bring his attention to him. He made sure his mask was still activated and began to have vines grow across the ground in front of his path so that sooner or later he may trip over the vines if fate had it instore for him.

 

Maybe I should create some madu fruit and add some real fun to this party

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

It's been a week, and I know the words before they come:

 

"On forty two counts of first degree murder, we, the Jury, find the Defendant Dorian Shaddix..."

 

Awesome.

 

"...Guilty."

 

That too.

 

"On six counts of..."

 

Ugh, this is boring. I could be doing more with my time. Case files: I have case files sitting in stacks in my cell, waiting for me to get to them. I didn't need to be here when everybody who was anybody knew the outcome of this case before the opening arguments were even made. Tuara was sitting in my corner, right behind me, but I felt like even she didn't want to be there. Brykon, or Jin, or Grokk, or anyone else from Bad Company or the Peers, they had skipped town. No Mark Bearers were there to watch me.

 

"Is there anything you'd like to say before your sentencing, Mr. Shaddix?"

I couldn't help it; I snorted in laughter, closed my eyes so I didn't have to look down at the podium on which I had represented myself, and I snorted in laughter around the Ta-Koro Guard, around the people and families who I had allegedly torn asunder with my "hedonistic actions," around Tuara, around the ghosts of Naming Day Past, Present and Future. I stood right in front of Jaller, and I laughed bitterly like I would never have the chance to laugh again.

"Oh, you don't even have the attention span for all the things I'd like to say, Mr. Runt of the Judicial Litter," I snickered. "You do not have the capacity in your entire house for all the things I'd like to ###### say to you, but I'll try and say them as long as I can anyway, because I've sat and I've watched for years, both as a citizen and as a prisoner, as you have taken everything that you all once stood for and you have rammed it up the collective ###### wazoo of everyone on this island and I've had enough of having my colon tickled by someone else's load of ######."

"Mr. Shaddix--"

"Don't you Mr. Shaddix me like you have some ounce of respect for the people that stand behind this podium," I growled, hands clenching around the podium until it began to crack, slivers and splinters giving way and sticking askew like tufts of hair on a wounded Rahi. "Don't you act like you have a squirt of ###### for the people who you all have spent putting down, the people who for centuries have had nothing to do but sit in jail cells and get kicked in the teeth by you and yours. Don't you dare.

"I don't want your respect, because it comes at a cost that even I don't have the stomach to pay. I'm the richest guy in this room, but I still can't pay it, and yet you all live off a meager cop's salary and you have no problem footing the bill. Why's that? Because the currency of this day and age is morals, and it's something that you gave up the day that you first ensured that the word hero has but one definition.

"But that's the thing about you hoighty toighty ######s, you hypocrites who talk about how low you've all had it since the First Toa scampered off while you sit in your fancy, gilded chairs with your form fitting cushions, well, ###### you! Because the people who can't pay up the price that you've set end up getting thrown into the ###### mire, and they have to roll around in it and make the best of it and a lot of times they have to commit crimes just so they have a place to sleep at night without one of your cops giving them undue ######, so no, I am not Mr. Shaddix, because Mr. Shaddix drowned in that muck and that mire one night while he tried to make a name for himself doing something legit.

"And you know what, even if he hadn't, he wouldn't be here talking to you today anyway, because this body is not Mr. Shaddix! This body is the physical filth of everyone you've ever put down for the sake of having your little utopia, and it is the mental filth of every one of you that I've had to fill in for just so I can keep that utopia strong, and you know what, I ###### hate myself for doing it! Ask anyone in this room why the crime rates are straddling two percent in Ta-Koro the past month! Ask them!"

Echoes of silence.

"I'll tell you why," I croaked. "It's because I am the one in ten million middleman that has effectively cut everyone else out of the equation. Everyone in this room, every victim, every criminal, I have balled them up like ###### clay and I shoved them into my chest and I turned into them, because that is the kind of thing that a guy does when he sees the big picture. But you sorry ######s, you don't see the big picture. So what do you ask me to do? You expect me to sit here and take the blame for sixty crimes that I didn't commit for once? Just because not a cop in this room could find a pair of balls if you locked him in a ###### Kolhii stadium, well, ###### YOU!

"But go ahead and sentence me anyway, you midget ######, you pint-sized crusader for the stupid ###### facade that you slapped over this village, go ahead and SENTENCE ME ANYWAY because your sentence means DICK to me! This is not due process, this is not a trial by my peers, because I am not your ###### peer. You can go ahead and hang me, you can draw and quarter me, I don't care if you lop off my ###### dome, slice me up into strips and then feed me to the ###### Rahi with a side of Bula and and some ###### soy sauce because you are not my peers!

"But because you're not my peers, because not a one of you has enough dignity to coat the bottom of a shot glass, I know exactly what you're gonna do. You're gonna lock me in some cell for the rest of my life without the dog treat of parole to keep me going for the next couple centuries, and you know what, that's ###### OKAY BY ME! Because at least I'll have my principles. At least I'll still be doing what I do best and giving a voice to the people that you spent years ripping the throats from. You can sentence me to a lifetime of sleeping on a cot that will probably leave me paralyzed by the time the century dwindles down, but at least I won't have to sleep in a bedroom surrounded by innocent corpses, so yeah, go ahead and try to sentence me mother######er. I've said enough.

"Just remember that you didn't beat me. I turned myself in, confessed to crimes I never even thought of committing and then I purposely shittily defended myself in a court of law so that you all could see that your system is ######. Your system leaves the door wide open for the bad guy to fiddle with the keys for five minutes and then leave his cell, walk around, pick up some girls and throw a party, then come back in time for curfew and lock the door like nothing ever happened. Your system turns the bad guy into the good guy because somewhere along the way you all bent like a palm tree in a ###### monsoon for one reason or another, and that's why you're sitting where you are and I'm standing where I am.

"And that's why you're gonna keep sitting where you are, until I'm nothing but dust and bitter memories on the floor of a prison locker room that never gets sweeped except once in the odd eon or so. Because you've filled your system with so many bad guys that in the end, all you sorry gelatin-for-spines ######s have to do is walk around the cell and point and laugh at poor young Mr. Shaddix with all this potential but no friends, no family, no kids to speak of, no pets, no stories in an anthology or paintings in a gallery."

"Well, ###### you, too, then," I finished, my voice cracking and tears filling my eyes as I turned to walk away, striding with dignity unmatched by any in the room, even Tuara, through the giant double doors of the courtroom and towards my fate. "Let the record state that you didn't sentence me. I sentenced myself, mother######ers. I win. And that's on you."

Behind me, the doors closed shut on the courtroom, trapping them inside with my words and leaving no escape route.

-Tyler

Edited March 29, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Hitoshura]

IC: RyzenFinally. The Prophet Toa had finally surrendered, and the Toa that stood up to him payed for his drinks. Hypocrites. Stupid fools. One minute they threaten him, the next they help him Ryzen thought that that was amusingly ironic. I could leave now.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: The world was a dangerous place. Since Xa-Koro's utter demise from existence, criminals and wanders alike had to find a new place to congregate in their flocks and angst was at an all-time high. Ta-Koro, with all its heat, proved to be the new conclave for the cold-blooded kind and the shivering lost souls. People of all sorts slowly started to mingle on the streets; it was a subtle thing, not at all discernible to the regular bystander, but the keen-eyes and perceptive ones who understood how people behaved could tell there was something afoot and new faces popped up on occasion. Toa Huron eyes were never bright and quirky but they were intent and sharp.

 

He was still in the City of Fire when he spotted a face he recognized in his journals and tracked Dorian Shaddix until he turned himself in and was imprisoned. Though he never followed the petty criminal in detail he knew who Dorian was, if only because of the legends that surrounded the guy, and his interest was piqued by the legal procedures afterwards. But, unlike the justiciars and jurymen within the court hall Huron sat on the steps of, he knew and understood that the law was powerless against Dorian; the sentence would do none any good. The orderlies who stood guard behind Huron watched him warily with a tinge of mistrust of the ugly toa. Huron turned around to look at them with his sad little eyes to make them feel all the more uncomfortable and almost startled them with his visage. Just then, the decrying Huron expected drifted through from the open windows of the courthouse, a rant filled with a sense of self-worth that would never, could never, be found in a man of lesser conviction than Dorian. The detective listened intently while remaining motionless in his seat, not willing to enter the building but rather haunt its entrance like a vagrant. Finally, the rant ended and the dull thuds of dense stone doors thundered as if putting a massive period on Dorian's speech.

 

"Well, boys," Huron said in his soft and cultured voice that only enhanced his already eerie nature, "it seems justice has been served, eh?" He got up and slipped his hood on, leaving nothing visible but his tiny eyes that glistened like two small diamonds on a slate. He said nothing more as he walked away from the steps and exposed himself to the sights and sounds of Ta-Koro.

 

Like a spider, he clung to the walls and the shadows they birthed. Moody red light from the lava lake spilled over into the town squares; red, the color of blood and war. The whole island was at war with many enemies. Things were not as simple as Makuta being on one side and Mata Nui on the other. Good and bad mingled just like they did on the streets of Ta-Koro. To a zealous priest, Ta-Koro was tainted, shadowy and evil with corruption, worthy of nothing less than the fate that befell Xa-Koro: Utter destruction. Huron believed instead that nobody was truly good and even the best heroes idolized by the masses of faithful were nothing more than avatars of their expectations and did many good deeds, but an alabaster spirit was not to be found anywhere on Mata Nui, not after the centuries of the Great War. No, there were many outlying factions and factors that all contributed to the world of death and chaos that persisted. Huron existed not to destroy what was evil or to be an executioner but rather to trim the garden of life. Weeds grew all over, sometimes cleverly nestled in patches of good plants, and someone had to take the noxious ones from the soil so that they could not starve and kill those around them.

 

Huron was a fixer, determined to find the things that damaged Matoran culture the most... and ensnare them in their own webs. He would never kill another man, but if someone was destructive enough Huron wouldn't have to swing the sword; fate just worked like that.

 

The Toa of Gravity vanished into the crowd, just one more lost soul in a sea of faces, and carried on his wayward search.