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[GBV]

IC: Nuurikan

 

When he was in the water, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was a Tarakava! Nuurikan thought "stay calm. If you don't bother it, it won't bother you." The Tarakava saw him and made chase. Nuurikan was not a fast swimmer, and he finally realized why the villagers stayed out of the water.

[Dallas Winston]

IC: Dorian (Restaurant, Ga-Koro)

 

Oh, man, get a load of this guy: the Toa of Air who had been chilling out with Ky was now subtly directing the anger of the Ga-Matoran, those who had come to see Nokama safe and sound, towards Grokk, when in reality he and his ilk had been the ones truly doing harm to the village all along. I watched as he argued with another Toa of Water, had Ky and some other Toa form a wall with the Marines, watched the hungry gleam in his eye as rioters began pouring out of the gates, onto the beach.

 

You're a mean oneeeeeee, Miiiiiiister Griiiiiinch.

 

"No, please!" I mimicked with a deliberately cheesy deep and noble voice, watching the Toa of Air try and restore order to the flash mob below. "Everyone hold your horses, please! You! Yes, you! Quit inciting the Lollipop Guild to riot and start taking deep breaths, or I'll revoke your candy cane privileges for a week! A week, I say! Everyone, turn away from the Turaga's hut and just stare into my noble, well-chiseled, classically handsome face! There is absolutely no need to panic, Ga-Koro, as long as I'm here giving all of you sordid little Munchkins a hero to fantasize over!"

 

The cute Toa of Lightning waitress came over with a new glass of water - bless her soul - and I grabbed her wrist with two fingertips, as though I were measuring her pulse; a small, involuntary shiver, one I pretended not to notice, before she turned her attention to me.

 

"Um, excuse me, love," I said, sounding chipper and adopting my normal tenor again, "who exactly is the tall, dark and handsome Toa down there?"

 

"Oh, er, that's...that's Toa Ketan, sir, leader of the Arete..."

 

"Leader of the Arete..." I repeated in a thoughtful mumble. "Thanks, love. Expect the greatest tip of your life sometime in the near future."

 

The waitress almost slid away from me, as though she were on skis: I could hear the giggle bouncing around the inside of her chest, trying to restrain itself, and I turned my attention back to Toa Ketan, head of the Arete, the rootin'est tootin'est buncha nobles to walk the land since the First Toa themselves, here to defend Ga-Koro from petty crime, Skakdi with anti-hipster fashion tendencies, and old ladies who might steal the spotlight from what they were trying to do here.

 

But not, I pondered as I took a sip of coffee, from a Toa of Iron that has nothing to lose and even less time to lose it.

 

-Tyler

Edited by Tyler Durden, Jan 02 2013 - 01:44 PM.

[GBV]

IC: Nuurikan

 

Nuurikan remembered that nobody would rescue him under water, and if they could hear him, who would listen to a way-too-full-of-himself Turaga? He decided to outsmart the Tarakava. He used his weak gravity power to slow the beast down, then planned to use his Miru to try to get above the water.

[Legolover-361]

IC: Kynaera
Midday
Ga-Koro

The crowd of Ga-Matoran spilled through Ga-Koro's gate and onto the land like a wave, brandishing weapons of all forms and yelling for blood. Kynaera had only to think for a moment before she told Ketan, "Let me," her Kanohi flashed, and she disappeared.

The Matoran slowed when one of the Toa Arete appeared before them out of thin air. Kynaera's keen gaze swept the crowd as it swept toward her.

Well, I may as well...

She negated her mass and floated into the air before the amassed Matoran. Her armor caught the sunlight and gleamed brilliantly. The mob halted in awe. Kynaera would have smiled, but the situation was too touchy for that.

"Citizens of Ga-Koro!" she called, trying to remember everything she knew about projecting her voice. A little extra bass, breathe from the diaphragm... "A disorganized mob can do nothing against the trained killer we know assassinated our Turaga! We want vengeance, not more deaths!"

A sound statement. The Matoran considered, their weapons beginning to lower. Kynaera exploited the lull in advancement to rack her brain for more heroic-sounding sentences.

"The Toa Arete understand your pain!" she continued. Her throat, used to her naturally subdued voice, grew a little hoarse. "Believe me when I say that this murderer will be hunted, and if Mata Nui smiles upon us, will be brought to justice. Trust your Toa! You have before, so please, I -- we plead of you -- trust us again!"

"He could be getting away!" cried one Ga-Matoran near the front of the crowd, brandishing a blade. "Thanks a lot for the monologue -- it's a big help!"

Kynaera sighed and lowered herself so she floated before the speaker. They locked eyes. The Matoran broke eye contact after only a few seconds.

"You cannot," Kynaera enunciated, "catch up to this assassin, subdue him, and bring him back to Ga-Koro without loss of life. My Toa team acts as your protectors. We can't let you enter danger on our behalf."

"Then come with us!" The Ga-Matoran had regained her confidence. A useless display of rebellion.

"You aren't going."

"Why not--"

"For the reasons I stated above, as well as the fact that a crowd upwards of fifty Matoran has zero chance of sneaking through the woods quietly enough to, one, not alert the assassin and scare him off, and two, actually be able to detect the assassin's movements above your own."

The crowd's enthusiasm was at its lowest since news of the assassination leaked. Kynaera glanced to Ketan, wondering if he would be irritated at her display of authority, then decided she didn't care and returned her gaze to the Matoran.

She let gravity lower her feet to the ground and her voice lower to its usual volume. "Please. Go back to your homes. Respect Nokama's memory."

Thus ended her most convincing hero performance yet.

[Dallas Winston]

IC: Dorian (Restaurant, Ga-Koro)

 

That was hot.

 

-Tyler

[Nohiki]

IC: Tohi

 

Tohi was done here. She was getting tired again. Just how long will she remain like this? She needed to get her strength back, but if her worn out body won't let her stay up for more than few hours, how could she? She got up, looking at the flora flourishing on the cliffs above, when something caught her attention. There was someone else in the water, and there was a big, ugly shadow giving chase, thinking the someone was breakfast.

 

Without thinking, she ran back to the water, jumping into a swim as the ocean was deep enough. What are you doing? You're on the verge of collapse! One part of her mind growled at her, another responding with Somebody else is in distress. Your safety is secondary. You have been through MUCH worse. It was hard to argue with that. And how do you propose you handle this, you misguided fool? What if your iron commanding knight in shining armor doesn't come to your rescue this time? she thought as she approached what she now recognized as a rahi. I'll cross that bridge when i get to that. In all of five seconds. that was her final thought before she took a dive and latched herself to the Tarakava's back. She took a second to look around, seeing a turaga who didn't know his place. She gesticulated fiercely, pointing to the shore several times. She did not have time for much else, as the rahi begun to thrash, attempting to shake her down. Needless to say it succeeded. Even in water, Tohi was flung several bio away from the beast. At least it gave her some maneuvering space. She watched as the water lizard closed in on her. At least it switched it's attention to her. One of it's blunt arms shot forward in a punch that would have sent an armored toa to the ground. Fortunately for her, not carrying the extra weight allowed her to dodge.

 

She still had her elemental energy at least, if armor and strength failed her. She sent a strong current against the Tarakava, forcing it back as she popped shortly above the water to catch a fresh breath. Now came the hard part. The rahi was again on the charge. this time, her dodge was sluggish and she caught a nasty punch to left shoulder, which spun her around. and crazy idea formed in her mind. She grabbed onto the rahi's arm as it pulled back, sending her crashing into the creature's face. She noticed two things. One, the rahi was wearing an odd, rusty looking mask. and two, it's teeth were sharp. She narrowly avoided having her arm bit off by twisting away. Another blow went her way. She caught it in her hands, but the blow sent her flying away again, sending her a bio above the water. she landed with a huge splash. She needed a weapon. Fast. Looking around, she found a few fist sized stones. Commanding the water again, currents lifted the stones from the sea floor and sent them towards the rahi's face. Two of them were punched away by the beast, but the next got through and knocked it's mask off. The rahi stopped mid punch, suddenly no longer feeling the craving to tear the mask of the Toa's face.

 

Tohi dared to float a bit closer, humming a calming tone and causing the water around the lizard to flow in a way that made the rahi feel like if somebody was petting it. A moment later, she and the beast surfaced, Tohi's hand gently rubbing the tarakava's head. Her own face was a mix of pain from her shoulder and smug grin, making her lips twist into a S shape.

Edited by Nohiki, Jan 02 2013 - 02:21 PM.

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

IC-Mila:

 

"Y'know, you should've left that to me," Mila said, frowning. "What with the shape you're in."

[GBV]

IC: Nuurikan

 

"thank you for rescuing me. I am but a weak Turaga and I have finally realized that. I owe my life to you, Toa."

Edited by Great being Velika, Jan 04 2013 - 04:17 PM.

[Nohiki]

IC: Tohi

 

"I've been slain!" Tohi beeped dramatically while grasping her heartlight, rolling her eyes. "I AM impressed with your swimming, but not enough to be worried about who's the faster of us." she smiled, still a little combat high. "Oh, and this seemed to drive it mad. Feral." she said, her other hand raising from below the surface, handing the infected mask to the iron toa. "What is wrong with it? It seems foul." she observed, "Then again, my mask looks little different right now." Tohi said for herself, letting the tarakava float away where it came from. She heard somebody talk behind her. turning around, she saw the elder that was nearly rahi food. She did not understand anything beyond the thank you, but she got the general idea of the message said. She put her fist into the open hand on her other arm on her chest and bowed her head in a gesture of respect.

Edited by Nohiki, Jan 02 2013 - 02:51 PM.

[The Snark Knight]

IC: Liara

 

"Indeed." A voice resounded behind the assembled Toa, and lone Turaga. A single glance revealed the Le-Toa doctor, a slight glow emanating from her mask, as she hovered just above the water. Her feet barely touched the surface, giving the illusion that she stood on the water itself.

 

Liara was livid.

 

"What the karzahni do you think you're doing, Tohi?" Her arms were crossed, and her eyes narrowed. "You are in no condition to be taking on a Tarakava, of all things. Those beasts are a potent threat at the best of time, worse in your state. There were no less than two capable Toa around, both without injury."

"You meant well, but being reckless is a dangerous thing on this island."

Her gaze flicked to Nuurikan. "Something clearly some have forgotten. You, are a Turaga, supposed to be a symbol of wisdom. You are supposed to be what Toa look up to, not senile old fools who swim where the Tarakava hunt. There are countless places to swim in this village, and you picked just the wrong one. And in the process lead the Rahi closer to the village."

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

OOC: Hey, Velika-bro, be careful with the metagaming. You've got no way at all to have known Tohi's name.

 

IC-Mila:

 

"I don't frankly care if you were faster, fighting Rahi isn't what you're supposed to do," Mila growled, taking the mask. A moment of looking at it and he knew for a fact what he'd been suspecting.

 

"It's infected. The Makuta was influencing the Rahi through this mask, just as he has been for years." Without a moment's thought he snapped the mask in two, and then snapped each half in half, and so on until he was left with a small pile of mask chips, which he promptly threw out to sea, where they couldn't harm anybody. A moment after that he turned to Liara.

 

"Stop saying what I want to say, Liara. That's my job."

[Nohiki]

IC: Tohi

 

I'm still alive, aren't I? Tohi thought, but knew better than to say it out loud. She still remembered Mila's words from the other day, about picking her fights carefully. they were right, of course. It was stupid decision, she didn't know herself what made her act like that. Perhaps she was just like that. Driven by emotions instead of logic. A bad trait, no doubt, but she couldn't change who she was over night. She felt obliged to protect life of others. "Yes, mom." she said, tire of the battle catching up with her. and she did come out of the fight rather well. Despite being unarmored, all she suffered was a hurting shoulder that would be ok in the evening. Lazily, she started moving towards the koro.

[The Snark Knight]

IC: Liara

 

Though she couldn't understand the words, the tone of Tohi's statements rang through loud and clear. Liara's face darkened, her stern face morphing into a scowl. She remained silent, however, and watched the Ga-Toa depart.

[Nohiki]

IC: Tohi

 

Tohi exited the water on what seemed to be a fishing spot, good two empty pads away from the nearest hut. She sat down on the edge, her feet left in the water, and stared at the rising sun. She did not belong here. To this place. To this time. Infected masks? What witchcraft was that! She looked into the water, her mind a turmoil of unsorted thoughts. And the concern her two companions were showing for her was starting to drive her crazy. Of course, she was recovering form a serious injury. But she was still a Toa, wasn't she? They trusted her only as far as they would a matoran, yet there wasn't a stitch torn on her back, not any other serious injury. She did what she set to do, and she did rather well, all things considered. Sad, she pulled her legs out of the water and sat cross legged, clearing her mind with meditation.

Edited by Nohiki, Jan 02 2013 - 03:51 PM.

[Floridian Citrus]

IC: Embok

 

Two soulless eyes stared after the rapidly disappearing Toa of Water, the hope deprived orbs watching, but not seeing. There was nothing to see. There was nothing worth seeing. There was nothing worth being seen. Worthless. All of it. The short-lived flashes of light brought on by the fireworks erupted in distorted swaths of color that bloomed across his –once again– shining armor. The light was there for a moment, and gone the next, engulfed by the surrounding darkness. The elementalist stood there as if carved from stone, his form briefly illuminated before fading to darkness once again.

 

A blanket of clouds covered the stars, snuffing out their twinkling beauty as easily as one does to the light of a dying candle. The moon was nowhere to been seen, it too having been enveloped in darkness. A distant roar filled the air, the sound of a fast approaching storm. It wasn't a storm one could hide from, it wasn't a thing one could take shelter from. It wasn't a storm one could hide in, nor could they conceal themselves behind it.

 

A tight sphere of water impacted golden armor at high speeds, sending high-pitched vibrations through the air at astounding speeds. As if the note of rain hitting metal were a signal, the storm began. Two audio receptors vaguely picked up the cries of heartbroken Matoran from under the crashing of the waves and pounding of the rain. Embok didn't care. It was over.

 

The soulless gaze slowly directed itself towards the Ga-Suva, the head turning a few moments after the empty eyes. They focused on Toa Gali, fixing themselves on the two golden jewels. One statue observing another, one living one dead, both with powerless to do anything about what was going on around them. Both locked in a prison of stone and metal. Both immobilized by their lack of soul. Both representations of old ideas. Old values. Old morals. Old dreams. Old hopes.

 

All had been swept away by darkness, nothing but dry leaves before a infinitely powerful storm of chaos and evil.

 

His hands acted on their own accord. The armorless palms rose into his field of view like ghosts rising from a abandoned grave, shaking ever so slightly from the loss of adrenaline and the over abundance of fear. Old fear, new fear, it was all the same. The palms drew closer... closer... reaching around his head. The grasped the edge of a powerful object, before tearing it off a broken form. His arms swung outwards, a golden Mask of Power flew out over the bay, shining in the early light of the rising suns. A wave of dizziness and a pool of power left him, emptying an already bottomless pit.

 

The Toa of Plasma stumbled, but did not fall. His arms wrapped around his once powerful, now broken, body. With a burst of strength, Embok ripped his chest armor off, the clinches popping under his Toa strength. His back armor fell to the ground behind him in a heap. Reaching in an X across his body, the Toa made to forcefully remove his shoulder armor-

 

A sound behind him. A loud thump. Embok whirled around, showing a speed and agility that seemed to have deserted him before.

 

A fire burned in his eyes.

 

And memory ceased.

[Legolover-361]

IC: Kynaera
Early afternoon
Ga-Koro

The Matoran crowd dispersed and returned to Ga-Koro, Kynaera herding them through the gate like a shepard. Turaga Nokama's body was covered and left in her hut, which was blocked off by Ga-Koro guards. The funeral, Kynaera assured everyone, would be promptly planned and hopefully occur within the week; Nokama's body would be brought out then.

After calming the Matoran to the point where the Daedra were no longer needed, Kynaera split from the others. A certain restaurant balcony required her attention.

A certain observer was waiting for their lunch date.

She glided around the tables, nodded genially to a couple waiters who were staring wide-eyed in her direction, and took a seat opposite Dorian. "You already ordered, Dor?" she asked. "Maybe you could replace our old Gluttony."

[Dallas Winston]

IC: Dorian (Restaurant, Ga-Koro)

 

"Honey, don't look obvious, but do you SEE--"

"No, no, that's definitely Toa Kynaera; man, I really hope she's not taken.."

"God, that guy in the shades is just a-dorable..."

 

Well, I mean, I don't like to brag, but...this felt pretty awesome.

 

The Arete, from what I'd gathered, were celebrities here, of the same rank and file of the First Toa, and, if what I could discern from the mutterings of every single man or group of men in the area on the balcony or inside the restaurant itself was true, Kynaera and Anthyn (don't even get me started...) were goddesses to the people here. Everyone was gunning to court the two lovely ladies, and just by being here with Ky, receiving a nickname from her, I had made my portrait a target on about a hundred men's dartboards, followed by a hundred more for every time her eyes twinkled when she looked at me.

 

Not like it matters much; if the science experiment I once attempted during my days as a Mark Bearer wasn't a fluke, my cheekbones could cut normal darts in half, so I wasn't overly worried.

 

"Nope, just drinks, Ky," I replied, putting emphasis on the moniker just to see how many PO'd failed suitors I could make foam at the mouth without deliberately looking like I was attempting anything. Then I sighed, leaned my head back, stared at her with deep ultramarine eyes through tinted black lenses of hipster sunglasses and grinned. Alright, fine, I admit it, I was kind of trying to show off, but...this was Ky. I didn't want to show off, I wanted to have lunch. Share a meal, laugh together, try and see who would awkwardly brush the other's hand first in an awkward little waiting game. "I wanted to wait for you: my coffee was getting lukewarm."

 

Whatever. Just for Kynaera, I wouldn't show off. 

 

"Take off the glasses, Dor. We're in public."

 

"But but but."

 

"Dorian. The glasses. Put them away."

 

I smirked to myself and rolled up my eyes; when they returned to their normal positions and I was satisfied I had managed to slip the gesture past Pride, I slid the glasses off and placed them on the improvised little armrest I'd created for myself on the lip of the balcony. The flash mob of Ga-Matoran had gradually disappeared and begun to spread out through the village, probably hoping to catch Grokk in a side alley or squatting in an empty hut, toasting to his kill. I knew the Skakdi was smarter than that, though: by now, he was probably already out of Ga-Wahi, off to the Canyon, where he would collect his money with a roguish wink and a joke about old people, and then the cycle of Grokk's life would repeat itself until he either slipped up and died or he got someone angry and then died.

 

That's my boy.

 

The waitress came over again, shooting Kynaera a surprised glance - which only fueled my smile - before looking back at me: "Your, uh...your order, sir?"

 

"Grilled tomato mozzarella on ciabatta, love," I said softly with a gentle smile in her direction that, even from here, I could tell made her up her smile a notch a bit too. "Side salad, house dressing, with a loaf of bread and olive oil for two. Maybe some chips. Surprise me."

 

When the waitress finished jotting down my order on her little notepad thing, she turned towards Kynaera, who finally turned her sparkling green gaze away from me. Instantly, I felt slightly less warm for some reason: have you ever seen the flash, just as the sun finishes setting, where the entire horizon goes a bright, soul-searching green? That flash was Ky's gaze, fleeting, calculated, but at the same time warm, protective, subtly enthusiastic. Shaking the sudden feeling of loneliness off, I propped my right elbow up on the edge of the balcony and rested my right temple on my knuckles, watching Pride slowly peruse a menu, looking for something she felt like she was in the mood for.

 

This might take a while.

 

-Tyler

Edited by Tyler Durden, Jan 02 2013 - 09:14 PM.

[Ilyusha Blokfase]

IC-Mila:

 

Mila rolled his eyes as Tohi swam off, following after her. He waited a moment, until she had just started to meditate, to speak-because then she had no choice but to sit there and listen, really.

 

"Now, Tohi," he began, "I won't deny that you did well in defeating that Tarakava...but all things considered, that was a stupid risk you took. Not a calculated one. With how you just washed ashore yesterday, and you just went through surgery last night, fighting a Tarakava is not a good idea. Not even when you're in your element."

[Mr. Peanuts]

OOC:

OOC: When I said it was concealed, I meant it. No worries, though, I'll just roll with it.

IC: Haro
Now he was really confused. He was being spared again. After being threatened with death again. Why? This Toa was full of mysteries. Was it because he had stood up and tried to fight back? Had shouting his name had some effect?

He didn't struggle as he was hoisted onto Ta's shoulder. He simply hung there, trying to make sense of his captor. Running was resignation, right? Fighting was resistance, right? So which had he done, in the Toa's eyes? And which did the Toa truly value?

At length, he spoke again. "Taking me to the slaughtering block?" His voice carried more confidence than he felt. He was a deer in the headlights, a Mahi being taken to the slaughter. He remembered his carving knife, dropped and left behind. He'd never find it again.

IC: For a second, he defied. It just simply was not up to standards, Wrath reflected, and the fire in his head flared approvingly in its anguish. It had to be this way. He heeded my words of foresight too little and too late.

 

He stepped out of the jungle. Absently, the toa noticed things were amiss. The tide was beginning to pulse in stead of its roiling, a slight percussion beat in the back of his head. Trees swayed less gently and with a growing sense of urgency as the wind groaned. Darkness enshrouded the welcoming blue sky and the sun, that golden eye of God watching the acts of demons and angels alike below, fogging heaven's window with muddled grey.

 

Am I demon or angel? Are my actions that of a mortal or that of a god? But the fire in his head said nothing to this query. He recoiled, spurred further into anger, and kept walking on with as impassive a kanohi as before.

 

One last step. There. He stood in the middle of the copse, head beating as the trees swayed to the rhythm.

 

Back to square one. Back to paradise, pure and perfect. Something in his mind boiled, and the thing on his back stoked the flame beneath.

 

Wrath stood on the sand. His body was calm, relaxed in spite of his scarring, straight in spite of the burden on his back. The clouds above had darkened to a blindfold over the eyes of the divine. Trees whipped their green arms away and towards him with a slight wail that rapidly rose in intensity, speeding towards crescendo. And all the while the tide beat like the caged soul in his brain. He sought release from the absurd perfection about him, the synchronization, the systematic and crushing inevitability of these things. He searched desparately for a way out of the mocking maze, a place for his blazing heart to let forth its fire. The torment of his many scars were the lash on his back he wanted to fight as strongly as he felt urged to survive. Oh, but he felt its acidic sting and detested it. This was too great a load. Surely there was some escape, surely something would free him from the machine all around him, the machine that clutched him in its clockwork and ground away at his mind. There had to be some way out of here. At least he would fight for that much. To escape.

 

Get it out. Get himself out.

 

GET OUT.

 

Ta suddenly became aware of the keening wind in the dancing palms, the dark mask of the forgiving heavens above, and the tide's steady ba-dum beating its way through his heart into his skull like the unending din of a chisel, each accompanied by the scars were awash with a flame that burned at their cores in his spirit. And he opened his lips in silent passion.

 

He grabbed the matoran off his back and held him out in one hand. He looked at him for a second, teeth bared in silent snarl as a hunter might at his prey. Then Wrath drew back his right arm and sent it shooting forwards for Haro's ripe and pulsating throat.

Edited by Jerry Renault, Jan 02 2013 - 08:09 PM.

[Draezeth]

IC: Haro
The Matoran gasped as he was taken off the Toa's shoulder and held aloft. Seeing the Toa's snarl, he closed his eyes offering a silent prayer to the Great Spirit. His worry and fear left him. In his last moments, he let Purity fill him. He was ready to die.

[Silvan Haven]

Lenat- Ga-koro

 

IC: Judging from Voutok's spaced out minute, Lenat guessed that his diminutive companion had just experienced flashback or something of a similar nature. Once he had his moment, the Vortixx said,

 

"Concern, yes, but not panic. We can either do like the rest of the crowd, which I feel to be a rather bad idea or we can move out of the way and find out what is happening. I personally vote for the second option."

[Half a Cup of EW]

OOC: A small (but tasty) jam with Hubert.

 

IC

 

The Toa of Earth ordered a vegetable stir-fry, and the other Toa completed their orders after him. As the waiter left with their selections, Kaiapo turned back to Quada.

 

“I'm happy to hear that. It has been months since I last saw or spoke with Turaga Whenua; if the island has missed the collective wisdom of the elders as much as Onu-Koro has missed Whenua's guidance, then their return is good news indeed.”

 

Quada nodded vigorously. "Yep, it's going to be nice having Turaga Nokama back. She was always kind to us all, and she's pretty smart too."

 

"Whenua was much the same," the Toa of Earth replied. "How has Ga-Koro fared in Nokama's absence?"

 

"Well there's the Toa Arete," he said with good cheer. "They're a Toa Team who've been helping the village out and stuff. They're cool people."

 

Kaiapo smiled. "As always, Mata Nui will provide heroes when we most need them.”

 

The Toa sipped at his glass of water. “In fact, that is what we are doing: Sur, Valria and I. We are heading for Ko-Koro; we hope to help in the rebuilding effort, and perhaps give the Matoran some hope, if we can. Spirit knows the island could use more hope as of late.”

 

The waiter arrived with their food, handing the plates over to the four Toa at the table. Quada graciously thanked the being, before turning back to face Kaiapo, mulling other the other Toa's words.

 

"Is there any chance I could help?" he asked.

 

The Toa of Earth raised his eyebrows. “Of course. We would never refuse help, especially when the Matoran need so much.”

 

Quada smiled. "Alright then, I'll help you guys out with rebuilding Ko-Koro."

 

The Toa chuckled. "You seem strangely eager to drop everything for a group of strangers."

 

"Well all I'm really doing here is fish and help bolster the economy," replied the Toa of Magnetism, taking a bite of his meal. Seconds later, he swallowed and spoke once more. "If I have the power to help others in a more direct way, then I'll do so."

 

"A good answer," Kaiapo replied as the waiter placed his dish of sauteed vegetables and beans before him. "Our power was given to us for a reason, after all- it's good to hear a Toa who wants to use his abilities for the betterment of all."

 

"That's what we're supposed to do of course," said Quada. "Help people."

 

"Indeed," the Toa of Earth replied. "That is our purpose. And that is why I have no reservations about welcoming you to our team. It seems Mata Nui has guided our steps more than I could have guessed he would.”

 

"Thanks," said the Toa of Magnetism, a determined look in his eyes. "I won't fail you guys."

[Nohiki]

IC: Tohi

 

"I know, I know..." Tohi beeped after a while, guilt clearly present in her expression, "And tell the doctor I'm sorry, too. I would be mad too If someone tried to undo the work I did while i was supposed to be sleeping." she sighed, turning to face the toa of iron. "If it wouldn't bother you, i'd like to start learning everything there is to know about this place as soon as possible. Especially the history of this place. I'll never be able to function without supervision if i don't know what's out there." Tohi said, but realized she'd have to learn the language again first. Fortunately, reading should take her a lot less time than actually speaking, and then she could learn other things on her own.

[Voutok S'Tythe (Ray)]

[OOC: Ooh posts wherein I incorporate other posts to show my exact reactions at the time to make up for being late. My favorite =P]

IC: Voutok; Ga-Koro Square

"I couldn't agree more. Now who would we-"

Suddenly, a Toa of Gravity appeared in the air, floating above the panicked crowd.

"Citizens of Ga-Koro!" she called, "A disorganized mob can do nothing against the trained killer we know assassinated our Turaga! We want vengeance, not more deaths!"

"Hm...how about an apparently-technologically-savy Vortixx and a combat-ready De-Matoran?" Voutok thought to himself as he continued to listen to the Toa's address to the crowd.

"The Toa Arete understand your pain!" she continued. "Believe me when I say that this murderer will be hunted, and if Mata Nui smiles upon us, will be brought to justice. Trust your Toa! You have before, so please, I -- we plead of you -- trust us again!"

"Toa Arete, eh?" Voutok turned to Lenat "Know anything about them?" The crowd and the Toa didn't give Lenat the chance to respond at that moment. Or rather, a lone matoran blaming the speech on "stalling time". The Toa initiated a staring contest with said matoran in which the Toa clearly won. The conversation ensued.

"You cannot catch up to this assassin, subdue him, and bring him back to Ga-Koro without loss of life. My Toa team acts as your protectors. We can't let you enter danger on our behalf."

"Then come with us!" The Ga-Matoran had regained her confidence.

"You aren't going."

"Why not--"

"For the reasons I stated above, as well as the fact that a crowd upwards of fifty Matoran has zero chance of sneaking through the woods quietly enough to, one, not alert the assassin and scare him off, and two, actually be able to detect the assassin's movements above your own."

"Who better to be subconscious about one's movement and detect the movement of another than one who practically gets OCD from noise itself?" Voutok thought with a slight smirk on his face. "I think I just found myself a job opening. And I can't really remember anything about myself except how to fight and my basic identity, so my death wouldn't really be missed...perfect."

The Toa let gravity lower her feet to the ground and lowered her voice. "Please. Go back to your homes. Respect Nokama's memory."

"Too bad I don't have a home, right Lenat?" Voutok chuckled "I don't know about you, but 'Voutok the Bounty Hunter' sounds fairly catchy." he turned to his towering Vortixx ally "So who exactly are the Toa Arete? And where would one get an audience with them concerning potential assistance as a scout?"

[OOC: Oh silly Voutok, completely oblivious to the fact that the Toa that was speaking minutes ago actually has evil intentions. Silly, silly, Voutok. =P]

Edited by Voutok S'Tythe (Ray), Jan 03 2013 - 04:58 PM.

[Legolover-361]

OOC: Yay, a non-NPC fell for Kynaera's hero performance.

IC: Kynaera
Early afternoon
Restaurant balcony, Ga-Koro

"Just a dermis sandwich and a small salad," said Kynaera, handing the menu back to the Toa of Lightning waitress.

"Would you a drink with that?"

"Oh, yes... Um, just a small glass of Bula juice."

"Okay, got it." The waitress's smile was chipper till she was halfway to the kitchen, when she mouthed, Any more calories with that meal?

"Did you decide when you're leaving?" Kynaera murmured to Dorian.

Edited by Legolover-361, Jan 03 2013 - 07:59 PM.

[Dallas Winston]

IC: Dorian (Restaurant, Ga-Koro)

 

Step one: lean back in your chair, slide cheekbone back to knuckle of ring finger - step one-bee, adopt disinterested look. Step two: shrug casually. Step three: cast quick glance out to hut where Kynaera was just floating minutes before, addressing Ga-Koro's population, and pretend to observe Nokama's hut idly all whilst examining the place Ketan was standing. Step four: cute smirk.

 

Just as we rehearsed, Dor. Open your mind up, listen to me; this is your conscience. Ignore me, and you're gonna be just as toast as your upcoming sandwich.

 

"You know what?" I said back, obviously not careful as to how loud I was, because I spoke at the normal, soft volume I always did. "I think I'm gonna stick around, after all. I have big plans for this little town and I."

 

-Tyler

Edited by Tyler Durden, Jan 03 2013 - 08:17 PM.

[Legolover-361]

IC: Kynaera
Early afternoon
Restaurant balcony, Ga-Koro

The corner of Kynaera's mouth twitched up. "That's nice," she said, sounding surprisingly satisfied for one so outwardly glacial. Her sitting posture was a little straighter. "That's nice."

The waitress returned to their table bearing two trays of food. She set Dorian's sizable lunch onto his place and Kynaera's more modest meal before her. She straightened, dusted off her apron, and said with that same carefree smile she likely rehearsed in front of a mirror, "Tell me if you need anything else," before turning on her heel to go.

"Excuse me?" Kynaera raised her hand. "Waitress?"

She stopped but didn't face Kynaera. "Yes, ma'am?"

"This is a Kane-Ra burger."

"Yes, ma'am. Yes it is."

"I ordered a Dermis sandwich. I can't eat all of this burger."

"Oh, can't you?"

"Ky," Dorian interjected, shooting her a warning glance.

Kynaera's glare could probably have lit the waitress on fire if she tried hard enough. She exhaled. Heroes didn't set citizens on fire, she reminded herself sternly. "Can you please return the burger to the kitchen and get me a Dermis sandwich?"

The waitress apparently decided her point was made, for she swept up the burger with a "Yes, ma'am," and, casting a longing look over her shoulder at Dorian, retreated to the kitchen.

Kynaera's glare moved to Dor. He grinned. He was lucky she wasn't the sort to roll her eyes.

"I wasn't hungry," she mumbled.

Edited by Legolover-361, Jan 03 2013 - 08:38 PM.

[Dallas Winston]

IC: Dorian (Restaurant, Ga-Koro)

 

"I hope you enjoy your Dermis meat marinated in a nice, complimentary helping of chef's spit," I purred playfully, stretched a hand out and stroking Ky's knuckles with one soft finger; my grin slowly lost traction and became a softer, more gentle affectionate smile as I squeezed the Toa Daedra's hand and slid my tray forward. She looked at it as though it had crashed down from the skies themselves, unsure what I was trying to imply.

 

"It's okay if you want a bite of something," I said innocently. "If the waitress says anything, I'll give her a tongue lashing for--oh, don't look at me like that, you know what I meant."

 

-Tyler

[Floridian Citrus]

IC: Sahrea

 

"Do you think we could sink it if I used you as a projectile and threw you onboard?" I asked, my grin growing as I looked towards Hubertus next to me.  I wondered how far I could throw him... Maybe if I kicked him...? "Pleeeeeease."

[ZHX]

IC: [Hubertus]

 

"No."

[Floridian Citrus]

IC: Sahrea

 

"But but but but butbutbutbutbut."

 

3: was a fairly good approximation of my current expression.

[ZHX]

IC: [Hubertus]

 

"No, just ... no."

[Floridian Citrus]

IC: Sahrea

 

I pouted some more.  It didn't seem to do much, so I stopped with the face-hurting expression.  Ow.  Best to stick with insane grins.  "...Fine..."

 

"Have anything else I can throw at it?"

[ZHX]

IC: [Hubertus]

 

"That box over there."

[Floridian Citrus]

IC: Sahrea

 

I frowned at the rather sad looking box.  No, I just couldn't do it.  The poor box.  "No."

 

I sighed.  "Want to just go and... light their ship on fire?"  No I am most definitely not pyromanical.

[ZHX]

IC: [Hubertus]

 

"Sure."

[Silvan Haven]

Lenat- Ga-koro

 

IC: "From what I gather, they are the main Toa team that guards Ga-koro. As for the second question, beyond walking up to one and asking them, I have no idea." Said Lenat, gazing over the crowds.

 

OOC: I grant you bunnying powers for Lenat, Voutok. I have no plans for him for now, so he will just tag along with you.

[Bane of No Isles]

OOC: Approved by Eyru.

IC. Marine Office.

Something wasn't right.

Kellsomn had been examining evidence for hours now, and Kyron had been doing the same. It just wasn't enough. There wasn't enough to make a valid conclusion. They would have to gather more, which was strenuous and overall fruitless. They had been given a simple job: run a background check on the Arete. That's how it had started. Then it had grown into studying the team. They seemed great. They had done a lot for Ga-Koro, and that was an awesome. But the question in the kind of the two detectives was this:

What, if anything, did they have planned?
---

Kyron liked the Arete. They seemed kind. They genuinely appeared to fulfill Ga-Koro's hope of a greater destiny, and a team of Toa who would protect them and give them what they wanted. They had done great things for the village. And that, more than anything else, made him happy. However, they had risen to power. This meant that they needed to be studied a little bit.

And nothing was ever truly hidden.

Kyron had chosen field work. He couldn't stand another day in that office. It was nauseating. Unfortunately, his work had not been much better. He was determined, that was true. He had visited various areas where the Arete had done major things. Everything had been fruitless. Everything! Why was the office so sure there was something to find? Maybe they were just be cautious. After all, the seven Toa had a dangerous level of influence over the Matoran.

This was the last place he was visiting. It was near a dock, somewhere in the outer lily-pads of Ga-Koro. Being so far out, there were less large lily-pads, and there were only a few that could support the weight of a Toa team. This was where the Arete had been seen heading that one day, after they had exiled the Mark-Bearers. They had not been heard, merely spotted. Why would this be remembered so vividly? It was simple.

The Koro was not quite as trusting as Ketan believed. The first day they had accomplished something (after all, they had been the key component in kicking out the Mark-Bearers) people were somewhat suspicious. Who was to say they had not removed that group to move themselves in? Though these thoughts had been squashed, people still remembered the oddness of their convening so very far from the others.

So here he was, examining the history of where they had likely stood.

He checked a few of the larger ones, and got what he expected: nothing. Maybe a few views of people stepping over them, but overall there was nothing to see or hear. Then he found it: the right lily-pad. What he heard was rather shocking.

"What say you?" a Toa he recognized as Ketan asked. "Will we stay here, and gain what power we can? We could rise to rule this village if we stayed. I promised to lead you to power and glory, and we have that opportunity right here, within our grasp. Doesn't that outweigh any fears you might have of being discovered?"

"You make a strong case," another said...Caedia was it? "Though, like our gardener, I must ask again what our next course of action is... The Mark Bearers are gone, as are the others... Do we return to Hahli, find some way to make her... disappear... or do we move on, and find another outlet of trouble for us to plug?"

The memories stopped there. But that enough for Kyron- there was something very off about the Arete, and now he knew why. A simple over-cautious background check had turned into an open investigation.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ooc: Part one of two in a jam segment between Snelly and I.

 

Ic: As Savina remained close to Anthyn as she walked through Ga-Koro, the toa said, "Alright. I'll do whatever you need me to."

The Valkyr smiled thinly at this, content that the toa was ready to help. Though time would tell just how willing she would be when the deed came into focus. If what Anthyn did to Embok was any indication, an execution, no a murder, would be all the more exciting.

* * *

The two women arrived at Baruk's hut. It was in one of the most extreme points in the village on a dead-end lily-pad. It seemed almost funny how someone so lazy as Baruk would have his house this far out, but as they neared the hut the smell of decay told them the more likely reason for the distant abode. At first Anthyn almost seemed unhappy that she would not be able to snuff the life from the other Daedra because he was rotting in his own home. She opened the door, though, and took in the visage: Food scraps seemed to litter the place in all corners, a pile of dishes and banana leaves was in a wash basin and everything was utterly unkempt. But to her twisted pleasure: No Embok.

"He's not here," Anthyn thought aloud. "Where could he be...?"

Savina's sensitive nose caused her to make a face as she the smell of decay became stronger and stronger as they approached the hut. Savina tried to ignore it, but her displeasure was apparent. Apparently this Baruk wasn't very tidy, even in the jungle Savina had kept her cave cleaner than this dump.  
Savina began to look around the room carefully for any signs of where he might have run off to. It wasn’t the same as tracking a wild Rahi in the jungle, but in concept it was the same really. This Baruk sure liked to eat a lot, as evident from the food scraps.

“Well…from the looks of things, he ran out of food. He probably went off in search for more.” As she continued to look around she continued. “He must be really…large.” Savina commented as she noticed just how large his bed was.

"Yes, he is. It comes from being... so gluttonous," Anthyn confirmed, barely withholding herself from mentioning that his moniker was Gluttony. "But Baruk is too lazy to go shopping, and even if he did he would not escape unnoticed. No... he would go where the food already waited for him, cooked and all."

Now Savina would have suggested that maybe he went hunting for food, but she quickly realized that someone so fat probably would fail spectacularly at this. “Is there anywhere close by that would have cooked food? He can’t of gone too far with that size of a body.”

"Nor could he have gone to a restaurant without being seen..." Anthyn mused. "He would have had to gone to someone's house, then."

Anthyn paced about in the hut, looking at the scraps and items as if they were evidence in a scene, and she tried to think of some links to connect to. "There is a reknown house on the beaches near the village. A wedding and other festivities occurred there. A toa named Tillian resides there -- or did, anyway. I wonder if Baruk..." her thoughts trailed off. "Come, we're going to check that house out."

Tillian. Now that name vaguely sounded familiar, though honestly she couldn’t remember why. She shrugged the thought off and followed Anthyn down the beachhead.


* * *

Soon enough they found themselves coming up to a three-story beach house, looking as homely as it ever did. The lights were all out save for the first story, the kitchen and living room had lightstones that illuminated the windows. “Is that it?” Savina wondered out loud.

Anthyn wondered the same thing, but as they came close to the door a sign above the front entrance that read "Casa Juturna" jogged her memory. "Yes, this is it," Anthyn said. "It has to be." She boldly stepped to the door, rose her leg up and smashed her heel at the knob, breaking the door down with ease.

Well, that was one way to make an entrance. Savina never understood the point of doors anyway; did they want to keep the nature outside or something? She decided to step in first.

Only to find herself taken by surprise, she found some outside force was lifting her foot and making her loose balance, sending her crashing to the floor.

That source was Emotia, who was currently only six inches tall due to her mask of diminishment. “Looks like someone forgot to knock!” She exclaimed, growing back to her normal height. She eyed Anthyn, who hadn't made a move yet. "You want to explain yourselves?"

It was a curious sight for Anthyn to see, a toa the size of a rather large bug, and the Valkyr was temped to just squish Emotia under her heel and move on but the toa grew to normal size before she could carry out her whim. When Emotia was done returning to average height Anthyn was staring at a standard-looking Toa of Water. "Is Baruk here?" she asked brusquely. The concept of politesse wasn't exactly within her psyche yet and she didn't feel the interest to try and seduce this toa to be more... willing. Instead, she would just throw her power around until she got what she came for.

Savina slowly began to get up from the floor, slightly embarrassed that someone had taken her by surprise.  This Toa of water seemed familiar to her as well, in fact now that she thought about she realized she must have met her before.

Emotia remembered Savina as well, she recalled the Toa of Plantlife had been injured, though this had been many months ago, before Anthyn had even come to this world. Emotia kept her focus on Anthyn though, who seemed to be in charge here. “Are you a friend of this Baruk?” She answered carefully, not even daring to look toward the kitchen, where Baruk inevitably was.  She assumed that if these really were friends of his he would show himself, or at least make himself known.

"Baruk and I are members of the Toa Arete of Ga-Koro," Anthyn replied smoothly despite her crude entry. She was bolstered with this fresh connection between the house, this woman and Baruk. Surely he had to be here or this toa wouldn't show knowledge of their, er, 'friend.' "You could say we are... shall we say co-workers?" she said, her voice dropping into a soothing, silky smooth tone. "So," she pressed with a hint of impatience, "is he here?"

Edited by Littlefinger, Jan 04 2013 - 03:31 AM.

[Voutok S'Tythe (Ray)]

Lenat- Ga-koro
 
IC: "From what I gather, they are the main Toa team that guards Ga-koro. As for the second question, beyond walking up to one and asking them, I have no idea." Said Lenat, gazing over the crowds.
 
OOC: I grant you bunnying powers for Lenat, Voutok. I have no plans for him for now, so he will just tag along with you.

-------------

[OOC: Someone confirm this for me, but that means I'm allowed to basically have limited control over Lenat, i.e. allowing him to give generic responses to questions so long as they don't go against his established personality, and assuming that he follows me if I go somewhere, correct? I'll play it safe until this is confirmed.]

IC: Voutok; Ga-Koro Square

"Odd." Voutok replied after a preliminary grunt, "I didn't see their name in this encyclopedia of mine I got from Onu-Koro." he said, motioning to the book he held between his left arm and his side. "And I practically tore into the 'A' and 'T' sections earlier when I was looking for 'Axel' and 'Ta-Koro', respectfully, awhile back." Voutok then dodged the inevitible question as to why he was looking up "axel" by moving on in the conversation.

"But if what you said was true, and these guys are the main Toa Team that guards Ga-Koro, then surely they'll have a base of operations or a headquarters somewhere around here..." Voutok then looked around him for a bit, standing on his toes to try and see over the crowds. Not finding a big flashing "Toa Arete Headquarters Here" sign within immediate sight range, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Which brings me to my favorite question..."

"Where the karz is THAT supposed to be?!"