Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)

IC: Charek (Dark Walk Entrance) This from the lady that seems dead-set on picking a fight with her own team. Charek bit back the retort. Discussion had actually been going rather smoothly before the Bo-Toa- "Skri", apparently- had started throwing her weight around, and acting like his usual snappy self would hardly bring things back under control. Still, he did feel the need to say something. "If what you're worried about is a lack of practical experience, why not actually put the team through some practice? Finding a pet Rahkshi for us to fight certainly doesn't sound feasible, but at the very least, we could do some sparring or something. Maybe spend a few minutes in the Dark Walk, too, just so those of usthat haven't been there before know what we're getting into- assuming we shouldn't expect to be jumped the second we step inside." He glanced at Lieutenant Torin. "That said, last time I checked, the LT's in charge, not us. I'd like to hear from him what options we have." OOC: @Krayzikk @Leaf @Keeper of Kraata

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Gak was ever colder in Joskander's arms as he watched the two dig. The Toa of Air wasn't entirely certain he ought to be letting the Skakdi out of his sight (or that "Bronk" was actually his name), but a grave was being dug, and he was holding the body to fill it. At least this other Toa seemed to be on the level... "Hey," he said. "What's your name, brother?" OOC: @Geardirector @Wotz IC: Charek (Dark Walk entrance) Charek's mind drifted as the rest of the crew discussed their mission. Restless and anxious as ever after the liberation of Ko-Koro, he had been more than willing to sign himself up for the first major expedition he could find, but hearing the way the Po-Turaga spoke of the Rahkshi, it was dawning on him that he hadn't been involved in anything serious in quite some time. Some part of him had been itching to see another fight for his life, certainly, but now that he could see one on the horizon... It was just as well that he'd told Bhuko not to come. The crippled Guardswoman had slept through Ko-Koro's entire occupation and reclamation; she was desperate to make up for what she saw as her own failure to save her home. It had been a struggle to convince her not to accompany him, to remind her that a Matoran with no working legs and no weapons worth a darn wouldn't last two seconds in a fight to the death. She was probably still sulking at Joskander's hut in Ihu. He hoped she hadn't punched another hole in the front door. "On top of that, as we've just learned, we'll be in total darkness..." Ah, right. Planning. That was important. "Excuse me," he said. "How much of a problem is the darkness really going to be when we've got a couple Toa that can create our own light? At the very least, I could probably blind you all pretty easy if I wanted to." OOC: @Leaf @Visaru @Perp @Ramona Flowers probably other people I'm forgetting o_o

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "I'm sorry, what...?" Cephala nearly knocked her mug to the floor as she whipped out her notebook and slammed it on the table. "The worms? You saw the things inside the armor do something?" OOC: @Mel @Geardirector

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "Red flags are for the Wastes, and I'm not that drunk yet." Cephala glared. "Nor do I intend to get that drunk, for that matter. Not when Rahkshi are involved." OOC: @Mel @Geardirector

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "You are drowning me in red flags, you two." OOC: @Geardirector @Mel

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Joskander sighed. "Pal, please don't kick the body. You already broke his face open. He's had enough." He knelt down and scooped up Gak's corpse. Skakdi bodies were heavy enough even without being iced over, but Joskander was used to carrying weights these days. "Where to?" OOC: @Wotz @Geardirector

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Joskander smiled weakly. "Yeah," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I... I spent my first couple days at Ihu bringing over bodies for ID and burial. I feel like I oughta see this one off too." His eyes grew distant, and for a moment he was kio away, crawling through a bloody snowdrift under cover of blizzard and night, surrounded by broken masks and black heartlights. Then he shook his head. "Right. Keep yourself safe out there, all right? Don't start any fights over theology with the wrong people and get yourself locked up again. I shouldn't be too long. If things go south, I got a Kakama, y'know? I'm good at running." He sighed. "If I don't catch up for you, on the other hand... we meet up the same place we first met, right outside the gates of Ko." With slightly trembling hands he took the shovel from Dahkapa. "So, uh..." he said. "Until then, I suppose?" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander @Geardirector @Wotz

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "Raaaaashhhhh...?" Cephala made a face, swirling the word in her mouth like a sip of bad ale. Then she brightened. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "You mean Rahkshi, yes? Tall lizards, staves, armor for days, spines that wouldn't look out of place on a Skakdi? Yeah, we got some of those here. Mostly confined to Mangaia and the Dark Paths these days, as far as I'm aware; I've even heard of hunting parties that go looking for Rahkshi bits to sell off, because of course we've got people stupid enough to see Makuta's murder monsters as a business opportunity. What makes you..." Suddenly the rest of Pradhai's sentence caught up with her. The Turaga straightened in her chair, the mug in her hand sinking to the table. The castle in the back of her mind, forever burning in silence, was suddenly a little brighter. "Oh. Hold on. When you say "monsters that ravaged Kentoku"...?" OOC: @Wotz @Geardirector

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "Old?" Cephala said. "Ha! Most of us, maybe, but I still feel young enough to bench-press a Manas." She gazed into her mug, sloshing the liquid around, then added, "Or that could be the alcohol talking. Y'know, there's a surprising amount of value in having a Kaukau when you like to get drunk as sin in a village comprised entirely of lily pads." She drained the mug in one swift gulp, then tapped the seats next to her. "Right, I'm pretty sure I'm making an awful first impression, but regrets are for sober people who haven't just downed two full mugs of Brakas Bootshine. Come on, pull up a chair. You two look like you've got stories to tell, and I'm sure we could all do with giving me a reason not to run my mouth." OOC: Wasn't planning it when I started writing this post, but it looks like I'm all in on Cephala being drunk as sin. Yeet. @Geardirector @Mel

IC: Cephala (Tidalpool Inn) "I," the Turaga said with a smile, "am but a humble fisherwoman and retired adventurer by the name of Cephala. Please, pardon my forwardness, as I have nothing better to do with my time than pester any other Turaga I run across into being my drinking buddies." She cackled to herself, then took a large swig of something red and frothy from an earthen mug. "How about you? I think I've seen your friend around here a couple times before, but you seem like a new face- I daresay I'd remember you if you weren't. Here in Ga, we don't often see old ladies with crystal armor and a snake for a pet, y'know?" OOC: @Mel @Geardirector

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Joskander did what he could not to cringe. He'd always thought himself particularly dense for a Toa, but this Skakdi seemed almost as if he was trying to be suspicious. That the De-Toa hadn't cracked just from being in the same Wahi as his companion spoke volumes of his own self-control. That said... the story checked out. Joskander had spent enough time burying bodies at Ihu to know what death from exposure looked like. This Skakdi- Gak, he corrected himself- showed all the signs of having spent a few hours in the Wastes with far too little protection from the elements. There were portions of Gak's corpse where the ice and frost was evenly melted, but his body itself seemed undamaged underneath; in all likelyhood, the Su-Skakdi had attempted to thaw his companion out with an offensive vision power. All of the gore seemed to come from the head wound, and Joskander had seen the accident that had caused it with his own two eyes. Heck, had Gak not been a half-frozen corpse, his head probably wouldn't have taken so much damage in the first place. This was not a murder. It was the Wastes that had claimed Gak's life. And even if it was a murder, well, Dahkapa had told him to play nice. "You can calm down, buddy," Joskander told the Skakdi. "I believe you. I know what it looks like when the cold gets ya, and, uh..." He gestured at Gak's head and grimaced. "Yeah. I kinda saw you fall down the stairs. Pretty sure there's a set that's a better fit for Skakdi, by the by. The people that used to run this place had laaaaaarge feet." He glanced at Dahkapa, still quiet and awkwardly holding a shovel, then at the De-Toa, doing more or less the same. Neither seemed to want to stick around. Could he trust either of the two with the other? It was hardly a good idea to take risks or split up when corpses were involved... ...but there was a very, very insistent voice in his heart telling him to let them go. And besides, he had a Kakama. He could catch up later. "You two can head to Ko without me if you want. I'd like to stick around to bury Gak with, uh..." He squinted. "What was your name, again?" OOC: @Wotz @Daniel the Finlander @Geardirector

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Hm. Reasonable story. A cover-up? Or is that Skakdi just a paranoid nutcase? I could see it going either way, honestly... Joskander's eyes flicked to the pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs, then to the closet where the splatters ended. He'd seen the body before the Su-Skakdi had tripped and smashed it open, and he'd looked pretty dead already. Possibly just unconscious or drugged- but that arm in the doorway looked pretty darn iced over. A good look for Mr. Calm and Collected here, if not necessarily his companion. He shrugged. "We were actually just headed over to Ko to find out ourselves," the Le-Toa said. "You lot wanna come with and report that body? Useful to keep track of these things, y'know. And we can probably get the poor guy a better burial over there." OOC: @Geardirector @Wotz @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Joskander gave the Skakdi a sheepish grin and did what he could to not glance at the body that, as far as he could tell, did not consider death to be an impediment to opening doors. "Sorry, buddy, but I was talking to the other guy, not you." He gently pushed the shovel away. "Like, you kinda tried to scam me just now, y'know?" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander @Geardirector @Wotz

IC (Tidalpool Inn) "Psst.” A pebble, perfectly round and polished enough to catch the morning light, sailed between Mako’s face and his menu. Leaning back in her seat in the corner, Turaga Cephala offered the two Datsue a languid wave. “Try the Mangai Duster,” she said. “Gloriously spicy. Keeps your mind flying for hours.” OOC: @Geardirector @Mel

IC: Joskander (Obsidian Outpost) Joskander frowned. A De-Toa with a shovel and a Kavinika, obviously highly uncomfortable... Had he overheard his conversation with Dahkapa? Almost certainly, but the unease in his voice and body language didn't entirely sync up with that of someone merely afraid of being caught. In fact, Joskander knew the expression quite well; this was a Toa who was absolutely regretting every choice he'd made in the past few... hours? Let's say hours. Maybe he could work with that. "What matters? Anything we can lend a hand with?" Joskander flashed the other Toa his goofiest, most earnest grin. "Always happy to help a fellow Toa in need." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander @Geardirector @Wotz

IC: Joskander (Cable Car/Obsidian Outpost) Despite himself, Joskander chuckled. "We're being scammed," he said, keeping his voice low. "I take this car all the time when I'm running errands, and I got a couple friends that knew the guys that used to run this place. Obsidian Outpost hasn't been occupied for a loooong time." The cable car groaned and whined as it pulled into the station and slowed to a halt. Joskander stood and gave the Su-Skakdi an airy wave; under his breath, he murmured to Dahkapa, "How do you wanna play this, brother? I can probably rush the body if I need to, but I don't wanna try anything wild when we don't know what's going on." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander@Wotz@Geardirector

I've actually got a couple ideas for Seprilli characters on the back burner. Seprilli's probably the part of Zakaz that interests me the most, but I feel like I don't have enough of a feel for Zakaz yet to actually commit.

oh my god yes I love it

IC: Joskander (Cable Car/Obsidian Outpost) "Should be the last resort", huh? So it's still not off the table, then... Joskander sighed. He wasn't particularly keen about being called a heathen for paying his respects to Mata Freaking Nui, patron saint of his entire species and literally the guy responsible for making the sun shine and all that jazz, but theological debates with a broken Toa were the last thing he wanted to get into right then. Perhaps he did need some sort of redemption, and perhaps Dahkapa was who he needed it from... but it certainly wasn't for this. At least the cable car ride would be over soon. Sitting in an enclosed space was uncomfortable enough, and figuring out how to talk to Dahkapa hardly made the experience any better. He was looking forward to getting to stretch his legs, maybe exploring the outpost a little bit- even after the Outsiders had moved out, he'd never really had time to look around the wait is that people why are there people here why is that one guy getting dragged around is that guy dead oh god oh man oh jeez "Uh. Dahkapa. Is it just me, or does that Skakdi over there look a little, y'know, cadaveriffic to you?" Pause. "Like, uh, not the one that's moving. The other one. Just to clarify." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

OOC: Joskander from Ta-Wahi IC: Joskander (Cable Car) Ah, dang it. He noticed. Least I don't have to bring it up myself, though. Joskander grimaced and tried to keep himself from fidgeting- never a good thing to do in a cable car. "I... don't know much of anything, really," he said. "I've heard bits and pieces about the Brotherhood, and how they would..." He gulped. "How they would initiate new members of the faith. That's more or less it, though." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Joskander (Ta-Koro) Joskander bit his lip as he watched Dahkapa stride away. For the most part, the Toa seemed remarkably peaceful and sociable... but every remark he made about Ak'rei'an made the Le-Toa twitch. Perhaps he would need to ask him about what it meant to "see the light" eventually... preferably without having to do so himself. Joskander shrugged. Then, sparing the guard a sheepish wave, he followed Dahkapa to the cable car. OOC: Joskander to Ko-Wahi.

Wait, Takua? I think I need to reread the Kentoku wrap-up... o_o

IC: Joskander (Ta-Koro) "Toa Joskander, at your service." For the first time in a long while, a genuine smile began creeping back to the Le-Toa's face. "And sure, I'll come with you. I've been spending most of my time helping the resistance at Ihu, so you probably know Ko-Koro better than I do." The smile faded somewhat. "Besides, the only business I've really got here is chewing out Brontes," he grumbled, "and from what I've heard, you've already had that particular conversation yourself." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Joskander (Ta-Koro) "I think I may have seen you before." "...you have." Joskander forced himself to look at Dahkapa. Was that a dark edge in the Ko-Toa's voice he heard, or was he imagining it? The fall of Ko-Koro had been so long ago now... but he was pretty sure that Dahkapa, during their brief interactions, hadn't sounded quite so grim, even while a city burned around them. Still, he sounded... stable. Probably. Joskander wasn't necessarily the best judge for these things. "I..." Joskander paused, sifting through his brain for the right words. He had questions, many questions, but now was by far the last time he wanted to run his mouth. He'd come here for a reason. Better to get straight to the point. No excuses. No questions. "I want to apologize," he said. "I was at Ko-Koro when it fell. I fought alongside you and another Toa for a little while, and then-" I got shot up. They chased me off. I was too scared. I didn't mean it. Joskander bit the words back. "-I ran. I ran away and left you behind." And there it was. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep, shuddering breath he hadn't realized he needed. "I should have stayed. I should have carried you out of there, wounded or not-" no don't say that that's not important "-because I'm a Toa, and I swore an oath long ago to protect my comrades at all costs." He opened his eyes again and stared back into Dahkapa's. "I can't take back that mistake, but if there's anything I can do for you now..." Do you really want to finish that sentence? some part of Joskander asked. What if he asks you to give up your code? What if he asks you to fight for his cultists against Mata Nui? What if he asks you to die? He bit that back too. "...then I'm here to help. As much as I can." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander

IC: Joskander (Ta-Koro streets) Joskander breathed in the acrid air of the volcano city. It smelled like death. Not for the first time, he wondered how anyone tolerated life on the slopes of the Mangai. Toxic fumes and smoke wafted down from the peak and clogged the lungs, ash fell like a midwinter snow, the very stones beneath his feet hurt to trod upon... He'd only been back for five minutes, and already he was feeling more than a little miserable. The fortress itself was a miracle of engineering, certainly, and Joskander would never speak ill of it to its people, but he would never, ever want to call it home. But then again, Joskander didn't really like calling anywhere a home. For a Toa, he supposed, he really was too fragile... The people he passed in the streets days didn't look all that content themselves, of course, but Joskander sincerely doubted that was because of the climate. There was a tension in the city's mood that hadn't been there a few weeks ago, even when Ko was being gutted by cultists and thieves and murderers. People were keeping their heads down, or shuffling down the streets with just a touch more urgency than normal. The constant chatter of urban life felt muted, or muffled, as if everyone was suddenly just a little more afraid that someone was listening. Joskander shared that unease. Something had changed all those weeks ago, something powerful, something fundamental, yet maddeningly unknowable. Gut instincts were hard to put into words, and this one felt particularly inscrutable, but he knew just from looking at the faces around him that it was an instinct the whole island shared. He had planned to visit the Ta-Koro dungeons that day- to visit Dahkapa, the Toa he had left behind when Ko fell. But then something had changed, and Joskander's plans changed with it. He went with Charek for those supplies in Onu, and then the two rode that fancy new elevator up to Ihu and never looked back- until now. He had abandoned Dahkapa twice now, by his reckoning. Today, he was going to make up for tha- Wait. A white Hau out of the corner of his eye. Don't tell me... Toa of Ice. White armor, blue eyes and limbs. Warhammer. Cape was new, and Joskander was pretty sure his heartlight hadn't been purple the first time he'd seen him, but... He's out of prison? Is he not a cultist anymore? Did he get broken out or something? When did this happen? ...does he remember me? Man... Just my luck that I'd just frigging run into him five minutes after getting here. No way to prepare, no controlled environment... Not that I don't expect to screw all this up anyways. Joskander closed his eyes, sighed deeply. Then his face hardened, and he started making his way over to Dahkapa. Clearly, he'd put this meeting off long enough. If he didn't do this now... "Hey. Dahkapa. Brother. That you?" OOC: @Daniel the Finlander