BZPRPG - Kentoku Archipelago

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

Nihi had spent too long saying goodbye, so she was late to the dock.

 

She rocketed up the gangplank, her satchel - she'd only packed one satchel, she didn't have many things, she hoped she hadn't forgotten anything - bouncing almost off her shoulder, her staff clutched tight in the other hand, but as she approached the Chiisai Ryu's door, a member of the crew held out her arm, stopping Nihi flat.

 

"I'm sorry, miss," the Saihoko said gruffly, chewing a wad of seaweed. "You've got to be on the passenger list to be allowed on board."

 

"I am on the list," Nihi told her. "Eiyu Nihi. The Rora said I would be on this voyage."

 

The Saihoko pursed her lips. "I don't recall seeing your name."

 

"Well, it's there," Nihi said behind a forced smile. "If you wouldn't mind looking again, please?"

 

The Saihoko sailor spat a glob of seaweed-juice over the side of the gangplank, and ducked her head inside the porthole. She pulled out a piece of flax paper, and examined it, one eye squinted. She mumbled as she read the names to herself, but when she finished, she looked up at Nihi. "No Eiyu Nihi here."

 

"That's a mistake," Nihi insisted. "The Rora herself told me-"

 

"The Rora herself gave me a foot massage," the Saihoko said, rolling her eyes.

 

"I need to get on this submarine," Nihi groaned. "You don't understand."

 

"I understand just fine," the Saihoko snapped back, chomping harder on her seaweed. "A little Menti, looking for a little glory, like you always do-"

 

"That's not it," Nihi hissed, suddenly annoyed. It wasn't as if she was a Toroshu, but to hear a 'Hoko speak to her that way made Nihi's neck crawl. "Go ask someone, they'll tell you I'm on the-"

 

"Descend from this gangplank, Miss," the Saihoko barked. "Or I will be forced to use, well, force." Nihi stared down at the Saihoko incredulously. She was admittedly a burly Dashi, but that meant she was only a little taller than Nihi's waist. Nihi took a quick look around; there were no faces in the submarine windows, and the dock behind her was busy. Nobody would be looking; good. Nihi bounced a little in her knees.

 

"You descend," she snorted, before she used her Mindarm powers to shove the Saihoko laterally. With a squeal at odds with her deep voice, the Saihoko went the way of her seaweed-juice and toppled over the side of the gangplank, falling into the water below. Before she had a chance to surface and yell, Nihi darted through the submarine's door and latched it behind her. Maybe that'd buy her some time.

 

She had to find a hiding spot, or someone who would believe she was on the list, and do so quickly.

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"You mean my brother?" Seigyo asked.

 

-

 

Jiyu sulked about in the great library of Sado. Knowledge, thinking, logic... In the world of the Dasaka, these were replaced with dogma, might, and emotions. However, even among the myths and bibles, there was knowledge to be held. Jiyu knew it.

 

The Piraka opened up new knowledge. There was an ancient myth, one that jiyu had heard about during his training. An encounter with beings who carried no crystal. They wore additional metal armor, and carried weapons of unbreakable steel. While the chaotic six didn't match the descriptions, Jiyu believed that these beings, or their descendants were still out there.

 

And with the revelation of Mata Nuj, Jiyu had a hunch that he knew where they lived.

 

So he sulked, and heard the whispers of other dasaka's conversations... He was concerned with none of them.

 

Instead, he was seeking "myths".

 

Ooc: jiyu open to interact, if anyone is bored enough.

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"I give humble greetings, Lord Jiyu," said a voice from behind the First Son.

 

In the days following the Rora's assassination, Noshima had spent a great amount of time ensuring that security was upped, and assisting in the investigation into the death of her liege. Only now could she even take a simple break - it had been tiring work, and she hoped to recuperate slightly here in the library.

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"Toroshu Noshima," the giant dasaka said politely, closing his book with an audible snap as he turned to greet the Hogo Toroshu.

 

"I do presume you have not come to question me about the Rora. Which would be silly, as I had no involvement in the matter, despite what any rumors may say," he said, looking down at the toroshu curiously, before grabbing another book that seemed relevant off the shelves, and placed it under his arm.

 

"Which then begs the question -and with all due respect- why do you seek my company, toroshu?"

Edited July 11, 2014 by First Son Jiyu

[GSR]

IC: Soraya [sado, the docks]
 
Even by her standards, this was a bad idea.

She'd tried, hadn't she? Nobody could say that she hadn't.  Days spent up at the palace, shepherding the washerwomen, meticulously creating the old Rora's funeral clothes with the help of Morie.  With all that, she should've had a chance to speak to the Ch- the Rora or her sister at least once, right? But she'd gotten nothing.  Zilch.  Nada.  First she tried the direct route and nearly got tossed in a prison cell by a pair of overzealous, head-up-their-bum guards.  Then she'd tried to be 'formal' and 'nice' about it, track down the handmaidens, slot in some time - no go.  She couldn't even find half of Yumi's - they were always out, or attending to her, or Zuto knew what - and the other half always had some excuse.  "The Rora is a very busy woman."  "She is still in shock from the loss of her mother."  "Her wardrobe is already adequately filled."  They could've just said "you're nothing but a dirty saihoko" to her face and gotten it over with.

And now said Rora was about to flit off to Mata Nui, go chasing some glory and conquest, leave them all in the dirt - and Soraya did not intend to let her do so before saying her piee.  Ideally? She'd get there, find Yumiwa, offer her sympathies and scolding, and - the Rora would do something to convince her that the whole trip wasn't going to wind up a disaster, and she could be on her merry way home.  And if she didn't, well, Soraya had a backpack full of supplies and dye samples and years of experience in talking her way into things.  If that was the case, Morie would find a letter for her next time she visited the shop, and Soraya would be doing some truly massive apologizing in a few months' time.

Finally, if all else failed - there was one last letter in her bag.  Even if they threw her off, even if they didn't even let her talk, they'd at least let Soraya give her a letter.  They could do that much.  It wasn't ideal - she never was any good at getting things across in writing - but it was something.  

The docks were emptier than they had any right to be by the time she arrived, and a few unprintable words flitted through her mind.  She broke into a run; the submarine was ahead of her, the ramp up to its door curiously empty.  As she approached, another Dashi staggered out of the water, spluttering.  

"You!" the other woman gasped.  "Did you see her?"

Uh "Yes!" Sure, that works.

"Stop her! I'm going to call the others!"

"You got it!" Soraya yelled back, and sprinted for the door.  Why does it have a wheel? she thought to herself as she forced it open.  What sort of doors have wheels?

A creak, a clunk, and she was in.  She gave a low whistle.  Okay, someone on this archipelago is way better at building ships than I thought.  Then she shook her head and blinked.  This wasn't the time to be admiring the handiwork - she had a Rora to talk to.  She reshouldered her bag.  "Okay, Sor," she muttered.  "Let's get this over with."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"This one would not suspect a fellow servant of the Empire on the mere mutterings of courtiers," stated Noshima matter-of-factly, giving her companion a polite bow. "I simply am present in order to relieve oneself of stress, and noticed your presence here."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"I am relieved. Unlike you, my mother would have thought otherwise," he said with a noticeable frown, "one who does not inspect their own cherry tree closely, will soon find that it is infested with Kirikori."

 

"Regardless, it is polite of you to speak with me. My... Sole companion has left for the immediate future. I'm afraid, I'm left only with a library of new friends to get acquainted with," he said, gesturing towards the books.

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

Noshima nodded. "In this one's youth, the perusal of bound articles was her chosen hobby."

[Constructelf]

IC Asa

"... Eh?"

 

As she was towards the back of the boarding line, Asa was still outside when she heard a big splash in the water (from when one of the seawomen fell into the harbour). Out of curiosity, she poked her head to the side; the dunked Dashi had resurfaced and gestured for another (Soraya) to enter the submarine. "... What is going on?"

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"Out of curiosity Toroshu, do you always refer to yourself as multiple people?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"... I do not understand?"

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

Jiyu decided to get rid of a forming headache, and simply disregard the quirk.

 

"Ah... Nevermind. Do tell though, how familiar are you with our mythology?" He asked.

Edited July 11, 2014 by First Son Jiyu

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"There is much of this empire's tales that I may not know," began Noshima, "but this one is capable of claiming that she possesses a great degree of information upon several legends."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"Are you familiar about a story of foreign dasaka... Who only carried metal armaments?"

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

Soraya, observing the interior design of the submarine behind her as she walked forward, bumped squarely into Nihi, who had been doing the same thing, but had been looking frantically for a hiding place.

 

"Ah!" Nihi squeaked on the contact, instinctively flinching away. "I'm on the list!... Madam Soraya?" The seamstress responsible for her party dress was the last person Nihi had expected to literally bump into at a time like this, and the surprise was a relief. "I'm sorry," she apologized breathlessly as Soraya smoothed her strap. Nihi kept frantically searching for a nook that could hold her as she babbled on. "I hadn't expected to... well, see, I boarded late, and the Saihoko at the door told me I wasn't on the list, but I have to be on the list, because the Cho- Rora, the Rora said I would be, and I have to go on this trip, so I-- Well, I'll probably get thrown off this ship if I can't find somewhere to hide in the next few seconds."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

The Hogo Toroshu shook her head. "This one wishes to provide her apologies, for I have not yet heard of such a legend."

 

She paused.

 

"Is it in relation to this new island?"

Edited July 11, 2014 by Gold Experience

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

Jiyu glanced about him.

 

"I believe so. Which leads me to believe..." He said, his volume dropping so he was almost whispering, before kneeling to whisper in the toroshu's ear...

 

"If that one legend is true... Then that would mean, that so are all the other legends and fables in this library."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

Noshima studied her companion carefully, searching his face for any sign of his motives. It was not intentional - as the leader of the Hogo clan, she had learnt to instinctively observe every single person she met to understand if they were a threat to the royal family or not. What was Jiyu's aim? She knew that if all the myths were true ...

 

"The impact would be of an incredible scale."

[GSR]

IC: Soraya [sado, the Chiisai Ryuu]

 

"What in the name'a-" she managed to get out before Nihi's tidal wave of words flattened her.  On reflection, and given the Dasaka's panicked story, it did make sense for Nihi to be there, but she hadn't exactly been at the top of Soraya's list of people she'd expected to bump into.

 

"Okay! Okay," she said over the Dasaka.  "Okay, calm down a sec.  Let's not panic.  Uh-"

 

Somehow, "I'm actually here to give the Rora a piece of my mind in part because she treated you like a pawn which hurt me on an almost personal level for a variety of reasons even though we've barely exchanged more than four sentences" didn't seem like the right thing to say.

 

"Uh, alright.  Look, truth is, I'm not exactly supposed to be here either.  But I'm on my way to speak with Yumiwa right now.  Just - get out of sight and I'll bring it up with her, okay? Until then -"

 

She glanced around.  The hallway off to their left looked to lead down into the lower decks.  Here's hoping this is at least something like every other big ol' boat I've been on.  "Lower decks are usually where steerage or crew quarters is.  Go find an empty room and just hang out there for a while.  Act natural.  If anyone comes in, just say you got your room mixed up.  And if anyone asks me, you went the other way.  Sound good?"

 

A minute in and this is already a total cluster.  Yeah, this is going in my bad ideas hall-of-fame.

Edited July 11, 2014 by GSR

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"And it would disrupt the flow of balance," jiyu said with a nod, "if all legends are true, then we would be unprepared for an encounter with the distant past... And there is only so much that prayers to zuto nui can accomplish. Someone must prepare for such threats. Especially when one legend has already come back to life."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"You wish to be that someone."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

" I wish to have knowledge. A herupa's mission is to provide aid and wisdom to those who wish to become heroes. And I can only offer such when I posses such knowledge. If I didn't know perfectly good advice, I wouldn't be a good advisor, now would I?" He lied.

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

"Thanks," Nihi grinned wryly. "If that Saihoko comes around looking for me, please, er, stall her if you can. Thanks."

 

Without much more ado, Nihi walked as quickly as she could while maintaining a facade of calm - some of the submarine's crew had just turned the corner, and passed her in the opposite direction - toward the passage Soraya had eyed. Cautiously, Nihi made her way further down into the belly of the sub. To her relief, nobody looked at her strangely as she progressed; but then, she supposed, how would the sailors know which passengers were which, who was (or accidentally wasn't) on their vessel's list? All Nihi had to do now was not bump into anyone who would know who she was - or, in this case, who she wasn't - until after the sub had departed. How hard could that be?

 

Nihi hoped she'd get actually lucky for once in her life.

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"Is that truly your ambition?" asked the Hogo Toroshu, training her eyes on the younger Dasaka. "Discord lies within the tone of your Lord's voice."

[Hanako Herupa]

 

IC:

 

"Hana," Desdemona called softly, the name raw in her throat. Aside from Nihi and Yumi, she had not spoken to a single Dasaka since her mother last drew breath, but at the sight of her friend the dam had burst and for the first time her youth spilled out. Hanako turned to see who had called, but by then Des was already pacing towards the handmaiden. It was a break of character, an unforgivable display by most lights, but Desde had clung to the shadows all her life, and knew that they were masking her even now, in her moment of truest weakness. She wrapped her arms around Hanako's back and squeezed with as much energy and emotion as her fragile bones, muscles, and heart could muster; her eyes were dry, but the smile she gave her only friend was sweet and tremulous, as liable to break as the rest of her.

 

"I..." Ran off the night Mother died? Haven't slept since she was alive? Have combed the guest list so often I can recite it by heart? Am so scared? Don't want everyone to go to Mata Nui and leave me here? "I...am sorry I disappeared. I wanted to talk as soon as I could. Please tell the Rora. I was...about her business."

 

-Tyler

 

 

IC: (Hanako)

 

"As much as you were, you should be a little more about yourself," I replied. Seeing Desde in this state, how dark her eyes were, how weak she seemed as she embraced me. I was worried about her, and her health and were was Yumi in all this. She may be a Rora now, unwilling of course due to circumstances, but her sister needed her and she couldn't see her sister was about to fall to ruins. I contained the fire, letting it burn red hot inside of me, instead choosing to hold Desde tightly, but without hurting her. I might not be her sister by blood, but I thought of her as one, as the young sister I never had, and right now she was burning both ends of the candle, driving herself exhausted all in a desperate attempt to solve the problems that arose. Well, not today, today I'd make it about her, first thing Desde needed some food. "Desde would you like to join me for lunch?"

Edited July 11, 2014 by Hanako Herupa

[Ghosthands]

I looked up at the guy beside me with a raised eyebrow, from his gaudy getup, he might be a First Son, but the line was blurred, and I couldn't get a good look at him in these conditions. But given where he was, and where he evidently was headed, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and offer him a hand.

 

"Vilda Mako here, and how about you?"

 

 

Soraph made her way to Mako who was talking with a fellow male, probably a First Son.

 

"You boys do like to stick together, don't you" she said with a pleasant smile, joining the conversation. 

 

OOC: Just to make it clear for everybody concerned, Dakte is not a First Son. XD

 

All the same, I'll emphasise that in my post below. A Tazera post will come later, once I've conferred with Veef on a few matters.

 

IC (Dakte)

 

It was odd that the two Vilda should immediately earmark Dakte as a First Son, for his appearance was (if anything) evidence against such a rank. Most of his armour was crystal, and the little metal on his frame was decorated with only the most modest of silver trim. The majority of his colouration was a dark bluish-purple, including his mask. His clan-coloured garments - a sash about his waist and a cloak about his shoulders - were both dark green, and while the latter was made of fine, strong cloth that indicated a certain amount of expense, the colours he clad himself in were not eye-catching.

 

Perhaps it was more his athletic build, the strength with which he carried himself, and the silent strength of his stare. Ageru Dakte was not a large man, but he was a physically and mentally powerful man; people saw the echoes of that and, ironically, assumed him to be a politically powerful man.

 

"Ageru Dakte."

 

A baritone voice, each word clearly cut by teeth and tongue.

 

No doubt Mako and Soraph would have continued to make Dakte's acquaintance, but before they could, the sharp call of the Lieutenant demanded their attention elsewhere.

 

Later, on board the Ryuu...

 

As Nihi made her way along one of the sub's corridors towards the hold, the emptiness of the corridor seemed to portend her wished-for luck. Then an imposing male, clad in a dark green cloak (from under which the hilt of a sword protruded behind his shoulder), rounded the corner. The moment he saw her, his brow furrowed.

 

He began to walk towards her. Before the Menti's fight-or-flight instinct had even made up its mind, the heavy doors at either end of the corridor slammed shut.

 

"What are you doing down here?" came the question, echoing oddly between the metal walls.

Edited July 11, 2014 by That Ghosthands is a spy

[The Mugbearer]

IC: Gaia

 

Ayiwah studied the Dashi with stern eyes. "Cutting it a little close, aren't we?" she asked, taking the notification.

 

"Oh, my apologies, your Grace," she stepped back, still bent in a bow, but allowed herself to raise a bit to see Ayiwah clearly. "It is the first time I meet an Umbraline in person, it is a great honor to be summoned here."

 

"Fall in with the rest of the group and follow me."

 

"Yes, ma'am," Gaia replied, straightening herself and stepping back into the crowd.

 

After that Ayiwah led them all into the ship - it's name was Chiisai Ryuu if she understood correctly, - to show them it's interior and make them familiar with the layout of the many different rooms. No questions rose in Gaia's head as they proceeded through the storage room to the navigation and from there to the living quarters.

 

"...This is where you will sleep for the next couple of weeks. There is enough room for personal privacy but this is not a luxury cruise, so get used to sharing the space with the rest of the crew..."

 

Dashi looked around and humbly admitted that these bunks were not as bad as one can assume. Pretty comfortable, especially when one take into account that they will spend a few weeks underwater on their way to the Mata Nui.

 

Also, the all meaning of this summoning suddenly dawned on Gaia. She was wise enough to figure this out on her own, but she still was confused and humbly hesitated about her role in this voyage. Maybe, it was an omen from Zuto Nui? A sign that she was needed someplace else rather than Kentoku?

Edited July 11, 2014 by The Mugbearer

[NorikSigma]

IC: Higashi

 

Higashi stared incredulously at her friend as she obtained her own bowl.

 

"What."

IC: Akone

"You gonna eat that udon of yours?" Akone gestured to the mentioned bowl of food in front of Higashi.

[25K Now!]

IC: Higashi

 

"You jush-"

 

*chew*

 

"eatweirdly."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"Making the empire a better place through knowledge... Is that so wrong?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

Noshima shook her head. "No, there is no wrongness in the utilisation of knowledge for the benefit of this empire."

 

She looked into his eyes.

 

"But will you use the knowledge as the hero, or simply as another, unremarkable advisor in the shadows?"

 

Herupa Jiyu. What is it that you truly desire?

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"Mostly due to the efforts of my... Mother, I have always stood in shadows."

 

He turned away briefly to examine another book, before deciding to leave it upon its shelf. If only the Right course of action was to play his hand at all times...

 

"But sometimes Toroshu, as shown by recent events, the shadows grow long. And light can only drive the shadows back so far... Sometimes, to truly fight a shadow, you must stand in one."

 

The shadow of the imperial palace fell upon the library, and Herupa Jiyu smirked.

 

"Which, as you can see, we are both doing right now."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"If to do so is the wish of yours," said Noshima quietly, "then let it be known that your dedication shall not waver."

 

The shadows could corrupt. Noshima knew that all too well.

 

"Ensure that both Her Imperial Majesty and the Empire shall not suffer," she continued, "and the Hogo Toroshu shall assist your cause."

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

Nihi's old battle instincts took over as she instantly assessed her predicament.

 

She could easily tell that the Dasaka wasn't one of the submarine's normal crew - what sailors were male, or wore Ageru colors? - so he had to be one of the Chiisai Ryu's ordained passengers. Based on his physical weapon, she assumed he wasn't a Soulsword; based on his treatment of the doors, she knew that he was a Mindarm, and that he presumed Nihi had no right to be on the submarine. Maybe he presumed correctly; perhaps now-Rora Yumiwa hadn't placed Nihi on this ship, perhaps she'd broken her word or just forgotten; Nihi wouldn't have been surprised, in light of her recent first-hand encounter with the duplicity and self-absorption of the upper caste. Nihi no longer chided herself for having thoughts like these; they weren't treasonous if they were true.

 

But she couldn't let herself think them, yet, because there were more important things to think of... like her alibi. She couldn't claim to be a sailor, and she couldn't claim to be a passenger - though this was true, as far as she still knew, this Ageru didn't look like the understanding kind - so all that remained was a third option. Nihi said the first thing that came to mind.

 

"...I'm a messenger," she told the Ageru male as confidently as she could. "I've been sent to deliver a last-minute message to her Majesty the Rora. It's from her royal sister, Princess Desdemona."

[AuRon the champion]

IC:

 

"I thank you for your comments, Toroshu Noshima," Jiyu said, giving her a bow, "And if ever require aid in my research, I will be sure to ask for it."

[25K Now!]

IC: Noshima

 

"And it is the pleasure of mine to offer gladly."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Tazera)

 

Tazera had shown each of the hand-picked crew to their stations, outlining their duties and providing tidbits of advice as she went.

 

Moeru, Dakte and Ahrusa were the Security detail, tasked with maintaining order on board the Ryuu: the first two were males and highly capable Menti warriors, and the third was an excellent gatherer of intelligence (which would be particularly important once they made landfall).

 

Akimoto, the Dastana Ringti, was assigned to Engineering. Her experience as a crystal smith would be valuable for any maintenance or repairs to the vessel.

 

The healers Asa and Gaia were both stationed in the medical bay, which was well-stocked with herbs and other treatments for any ailments or injuries that might befall the crew over the course of the voyage.

 

Dastana Daijuno had already made herself very well acquainted with the hold and the supplies therein, as any good quartermaster would. Her mercantile mind would keep the expedition's provisions running smoothly, Tazera had no doubt.

 

With all of that done, she'd reported back to Aya, then set off to inspect progress throughout the vessel.

 

She wasn't expecting to bump into the seamstress who'd made her party dress.

 

"Plangori Soraya!" she greeted the Dashi, her face a mixture of smile and bemusement. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were going on the expedition."

 

IC (Dakte)

 

Dakte raised an eyebrow.

 

"If that's the case, then you're in the wrong place on two levels," he stated. "First, this is almost the lowest deck of the ship - you are not going to find the VIP suite down here. Second," here he folded his arms, "the Rora is not on board this vessel. She isn't even part of the expedition.

 

"If the Princess had sent you, you would know that," he continued. Clearly, Nihi was rumbled.

 

But the Ageru man's gaze softened.

 

"Tell me the real reason you're here," he said, more gently than before. "You may find me more willing to listen than you expect."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki stared up at her ceiling, unwilling to move from her bed. Yesterday had been draining, both physically and emotionally. She had prepared herself for a grand performance, hoping to make a good first impression on the nobility with her debut ... and yet, it didn't happen. She ended up watching her liege, Princess Yumiwa's mother, die in front of everyone. She had been shocked, incapable of comprehending anything following the act.

 

She groaned, rolling over onto her side.

 

She didn't want to think about the day before.

 

She didn't.

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

It hadn't been a very good lie, Nihi supposed, but at least she had tried. She sighed in surrender, and leaned into her staff resignedly. There was no point in lying anymore. "I'm supposed to be on the passenger list for this voyage," Nihi told the Ageru. "The Rora herself promised me a spot. It seems, though, that I'm not on the list; whether that's accidental or not, I'm not sure, but it doesn't make a difference to me. So, I've taken matters into my own hands... Since stowing away clearly isn't a viable option - look what you just did to me - now my best chance is finding someone of authority to speak with. Where's the captain?"

[NorikSigma]

IC: Higashi

 

"You jush-"

 

*chew*

 

"eatweirdly."

IC: Akone

"Shorry com-"

*munch*

"-gain?"