BZPRPG - Ta-Wahi

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Then you should know how fast this sword would snap IRL Good thing we have stuff liiiike... protodermis!

 

IC: Casanuva brightened up. "He's in Ga-Koro?" He traded a knowing glance with Nunonu.

 

"I... guess I could go look for him. In Ga-Koro."

[TheMegazordman1]

OOC-Depending on what its made of and how it is reinforced it could be made but it would be mostly a display peace .

 

IC-Tor/Asa/Otana/Kedamor

 

"You can consider that payment for the sword. And i`m sure Asa wouldn't mind having him back.

 

"Have him back ? If they are going looking for Ry I`m coming with them .

 

"Looking for Ry maybe danger-heavy Asa. Are you sure that you are up to the task?

 

"I can hold my own . But I will leave it up to the Toa heros to decide ". She turns to the two toa."What do you think ."

 

"I don`t care how many of you multicolored brats come along as long as I get to  feast on death .

 

"What do you say Casanuva ?"

Edited September 12, 2014 by TheMegazordman1

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Casanuva raised his hands, his wounded one now bandaged by Asa. "Anyone who's interested in coming can come along. My search methods are a little eccentric, though."

[TheMegazordman1]

IC-Kedamor/Asa/Otana

 

"I shall follow you ."

 

"And so shall I".

 

"Then we shall be the fellowship of the ." He pauses for a moment ."Wait do we have a magic ring to destroy ?

 

OOC-I shall from now on use Kedamor to spout out movie references that shall be shrugged off as his insane babbling .

[Nato G]

OOC: I'm going to have a consistent interwebs for the half-week or so, so I think I'll try to pick up on Natharius' interactions while I have the chance. 

 

IC: Natharius sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was stifling out here in the sun, especially in the unwavering heat of Ta-Koro. Being a skakdi of ice didn't really help either. He pulled off his cloak, rolled it up and stuffed it into his pack before resuming his shopping trip. The coin purse Grokk had given him was almost empty, but so was Natharius' little shopping trip. He'd bartered, bought or borrowed all of the things Grokk had asked him to find, plus a few other choice ingredients that might spice up the prank. In the back of his mind, he once again questioned whether helping Grokk with whatever he had planned was the best idea, but he'd long since learnt to ignore that niggling voice of doubt. 

 

He'd gone too far to back out now. Whatever happened was as much his responsibility as it was Grokk's. Whether the end result turned out to be good or bad, Natharius was certain that it would be memorable. One way or another, he wasn't going to forget this experience any time soon. 

 

Picking up the sack he'd gathered the supplies in, he started back towards Dorian's house. 

Edited September 12, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: No, no, we are starting at the volcano, not the other way around.

 

IC: "Alright then. We all leave in the morning. Right now, I need to sleep. Badly."

[TheMegazordman1]

IC-Tor

 

"I will go talk to the guards and get them to let you in , But I wont be able to get you a free room sorry ."

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Alright, we will... find someplace to bunk for the night inside. Lead the way!"

Edited September 12, 2014 by Keeper of Kraata

[TheMegazordman1]

IC

Tor leads them to the gate .

 

"Hello my fellow guard  I have  a few travelers that need a place to sleep for the night could let us pass through ?

[Timageness]

IC: Verulas watched as the Toa of Air continued to patch up the Skakdi and shook his head in defiance. Just typical. Of course he would take the time to save the thug even though he had just tried to kill them moments before. He would probably still be doing the same even if he had torn a Matoran in half before his very eyes. The Toa of Plantlife remained baffled at how predictable the rest of his species could be.

Predictability decreases your odds of survival.

Granted, he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't trying to kill their former attacker, but only because he didn't see the Skakdi as worth killing. If it had been a situation where only one of them would be walking away however, that would've been a different story all together. Where most would say "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Verulas prefered to have no friends and leave his enemies six feet under. He would have no one to lose, and others would think twice before gunning for him. It was just easier that way.

Edited September 12, 2014 by timageness411

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Kouyran (Ta-Wahi Beach)

"My head hurts. And it's TOO HOT!", the enraged and not-quite-mentally stable Ko-Toa screamed.

His shout echoed dully off the empty beach.

"Excellent. I'm completely alone, in the middle of nowhere, with the sun beating down like an oven. I wish I had some ice- WHATTHEKARZHOWTHEHECKDIDTHATHAPPEN?!" Kouyran leaped back in surprise as a huge blast of ice came shooting out of his upturned hand like frozen fire. He stumbled into the water and, tripping over a submerged rock, fell in. Then his fountain of ice came crashing down on the Toa's head.

"What a way to start a day. Being cooked alive, then falling in the sea, and then being covered in ice. I don't feel too good."

Activating his Kanohi power, Kouyran began to move himself slowly upwards, out of the tepid water. 

All he could see was the beach, some cliffs, a gleaming Telescope, and then miles of burnt forest. From behind the forest, he spotted an orange glow leaping into the sky, against the immovable backdrop of a volcano.

"Light means civilization. But orange light probably means heat. This really isn't my lucky day...", he muttered to himself as he began floating over the beach, towards the glow.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Makuta Miras

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

I stared at the door for a moment.

 

...

 

"Should I shoot again?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"That's my door, cutie. I'd rather you didn't."

 

-Tyler

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

I felt my cheeks get hot. Stop that! Bad cheeks!  "Oh yeah...I guess I got a bit carried away..." 

[Void Emissary]

IC: Plagia / The Charred Forest

 

I'll shoot straight and say that I was pretty leery of following this wacko's lead. Particularly when his lead meant energizing a God-knows-how-old monolith that was already glowing in a distinctly unsettling way and looked like something out of a bad fantasy novel. I let Vygel raise his questions and Helios make some commentary, not really listening to any of it, focusing on my next decision. Was I about to trust this Zauk fellow, who had been as stingy with information as I was with compliments, with the safety of myself and my companions.

 

Of course not. I'm not an idiot.

 

But....

 

He had seemed as confused as the rest of us about that Nui-Jaga-turned-Vatuka. He had been fine with revealing facts after the fact, and from the way that his own companions were treating him, he didn't seem to have a great rep for being sociable.

 

I glanced at the assemblage of persons around us. Their lives, their well-beings: they were all in my hands.

 

Oh .

 

Taking a deep breath, pushing down the voice that screamed don't do this, I raised my hand just like Zauk had, waiting for what was about to happen.

 

...

 

IC: Gunner / The Sinking Ship

 

I sheathed my sword real easily, real casually, and with one of my rare smiles, I knelt down and wrapped one arm around Mim before hoisting her up against my chest. I glanced over at Lohkar, staring down the Skakdi captain; then to Yasurek and Lasinia, shooting them both a wink. Then, with a practiced application of my powers, Mim and I were flying through the air.

 

"What do you think?"

 

IC: Rynekk / The Other Ship

 

An unfortunate setback, but an anticipated one.

 

The blade was a streak of sliver, and had Rynekk not been using his Kakama to perceive his surroundings, its bite would have surely opened up his stomach like a surgeon's scalpel. But, his elemental energies simmering beneath his skin, its trajectory was elementary to him, and where it would have struck armour, stone sprouted up. Thick rock sat like an island upon Rynekk's midsection, catching the weapon and wrapping its blade up.

 

This was when the Toa jerked backwards, in hopes of ripping the sword from his opponent's grasp and further putting him at a disadvantage.

 

This is where the fun begins.

 

-Void

[Timageness]

IC: Watching the Toa of Air help the Skakdi was a prime example of how the Toa Code held them back. Why help your enemies when they'll just attack again and again once they've recovered their strength? If you help someone like that knowing what they are, what they would do given the chance, and they come back and do something terrible, doesn't that make you responsible as well? In his eyes, the Toa had only themselves to blame for the misfortunes falling upon their Matoran charges.

Some protectors they were.

Unity? If beings were truly united, would there be conflict in any form? Duty? Why continuously do the same thing over and over while expecting different results? Destiny? Why follow the fate someone else has laid out for you when you can take your life into your own hands and forge your own path?

The Three Virtues were a joke, and Verulas felt like he was the only one let in on it.

[HamboneKablooey]

IC: Vulcan

 

Vulcan walked through the streets of Ta-Koro, not even trying to be stealthy. The occasional burst of plasma would jump from one of his spines and scorch the already seared earth, and often times a Matoran would have to jump out of the way. He could hear them whisper as he walked by.

 

"That's the one they call Vulcan!"  "He's the Toa who just walked down from the volcano a while back."  "They say he came from the magma itself!"

 

He ignored them all, the simple fools. They knew nothing of his past, any more than he did himself. He groaned softly and stepped into the nearest tavern, sitting as close to the back as possible, and pulled out the detailed map of the island. On it there were over a hundred red X's marking the spots he was meant to look, and a dozen more that were already scratched out with charcoal. He looked over the map and tried to pick out the point closest to him, eventually settling on one in the Charred Forest. With any luck it would be there, but with over a hundred X's remaining he was not optimistic. He rested his head in his hands and sighed. It had been so long since he slept, maybe a few hours wouldn't hurt...

 

OOC: Vulcan OPEN FOR INTERATION!

[Ghosthands]

IC: "Oh, he'll be fine," Verulas panted, sitting on the ground to catch his breath. "Shoulder wounds aren't that hard to patch. And for the record, I was keeping his concentration broken so I didn't get two laser holes in my forehead."

He looked around, spying the lone widget that started the whole fight and used a vine to bring it back over to him before flipping it in the air again.

"Besides, if I wanted him dead, I'd like to think that I would have gone for his neck. It would've been much easier that way than going after his shoulders. Also, I kind of figured that if you're the type to jump into battles to aid someone you don't even know, you'd probably have 'objections' to that as well, and those three were enough to fill up today's fight card. Not that they were even that good, but they were still just as tiring all the same."

 

IC (Korero)

 

Korero shook his head as he finished bandaging the Skakdi, stopping the bleeding.

 

"There's always another way. We had these thugs outclassed."

 

He activated his mask, and he and the Skakdi vanished. A moment later, he reappeared, still in a crouch. He looked Verulas squarely in the eye as he stood up.

 

"I get the feeling you don't think much of the Toa Code. Not a lot of us do, these days, and I doubt I'll be able to change your mind about it. But think on this: one day, you might make some mistakes yourself. You might end up with the wrong people, or fighting for the wrong cause. And you may end up fighting someone like me. You may find yourself outclassed, and you may end up with your life in their hands.

 

"And if that day comes, you'd better hope someone believes in the Code."

 

The Toa of Air turned away, placing a hand on each of the two remaining incapacitated muggers. In one final white flash, all three were gone.

 

OOC: If anyone needs to know, Korero has teleported the thugs into the Ta-Koro Guard's holding cells.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Twelfth Ghosthands

[Timageness]

IC: "Been there, done that," Verulas mumbled to himself as the Toa teleported away for the final time. He stood, catching the airborne widget again and shoved it into his pocket as he continued on his path and disappeared into the crowd once more. "And I wish that they hadn't."

Edited September 13, 2014 by timageness411

[Snelly]

IC: Mimira

 

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

[Relapse]

IC: Lunefeld - [Ta-Koro]

 

The Toa if Gravity had been busy. Making use of his connections and observing the talk of the common citizens, he gathered several facts:

• Iiasmir's gang sign was a black miru patch in the member's shoulder;
• He had a safehouse somewhere in the village, near a public institution, in fact;
• He frequently used runners to send messages and orders to gang outposts elsewhere in town;
• He liked apples.

Lunefeld stood quietly, cloak drawn up around himself, near the town square. A shifty-eyed Toa exited from a run-down inn, looking around for any observers. He was obviously terrible at it, as he did not spot Lunefeld. He then broke into a run to the slum areas.

 

Lunefeld climbed the inn he was staying in. Looking out towards the slums, he saw the runner take a message and quickly make his way back to the north gate, probably to bring a message to Ga-Koro affiliates.

 

Lunefeld took a shortcut through the alleys. He had to incapacitate several ruffians to make it through safely.

 

The Toa made it to the gate first, and exited it. He waited just out of sight in the charred forest nearby.

 

Jarko cane running out, and almost passed by Lunefeld.

 

'Almost', because Lunefeld suddenly increased Jarko's gravity twentyfold. He crashed into the ash-filled ground of Ta-Wahi. Lunefeld strode up to him.

 

IC: (Jarko)

 

The Toa crashed into the dirt, sliding a few inches before coming to a halt. Whipping his head back, the gang member stared daggers back at Lunefield. "What the heIl?" he spat, jumping to his feet and forming his ironclad hands into fists.

[GSR]

IC: Bohrei [Ta-Kini]
 
"Coroner lady" suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as Dorian left.  It was going to be an experience working with him.
 
Oreius took to one of the guards and began questioning; she didn't know how much they would have to say that wasn't already present in the initial report, but perhaps the Toa would get lucky.  In the meantime -

 

Still keeping one eye on Oreius, she crossed the room to the guardswoman who had accompanied Dorian.  "Miss - Flay, isn't it? I don't believe we've worked together directly before.  Bohrei Tantarus; I work with the guard as coroner.  I'd like to get up to speed on the current state of the investigation."

Edited September 13, 2014 by GSR

[Timageness]

IC: Verulas eventually came to rest upon a bench, the cut on his side no longer bleeding but still stinging him a bit as he sat down. Two guards rushed by him, discussing an ensuing attack on Ko-Koro in frantic, but still audible, whispers. He chuckled a bit, finding it ironic that everyone decided to throw a citywide party right after he had left, and no one had the courtesy to invite him back. Well, that just wouldn't do. He could feel his pockets getting fuller already.

OOC: Verulas to Ko-Wahi.

Edited September 13, 2014 by timageness411

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: (NPC) "Tor! Very well. If you will vouch for these outsiders, I can open the gate for them."

 

"About time!" Casanuva shouted.

 

"I don't think you should provoke them, Casanuva."

 

"Outsiders! Be sure to comply with any orders the Ta-Koro Guard gives you, or we will not hesitate to detain you."

 

The gate opened, with mechanical creaking echoing as the stone doors came down. As they walked under the wall, Casanuva shook his hand and flicked a rude gesture towards the guardsman above. "Who knows? A cell might be better than what we can afford."

 

"But we don't have any money!"

 

"Exactly."

[Void Emissary]

IC: Gunner / Above the Pirate Battle

 

We were shooting through the sky, slipping through the air as though it was nothing. The wind caught my coat and it snapped in our wake, the way a flag would catch the breeze aboard a ship as it sailed across the sea. But this wasn't the sea; it was a full three dimensions, without any of the limitations of ocean travel. There wasn't anything to stop us in the air. Nothing to hold a person down amongst the clouds, not when they knew my powers. Up here, the winds whipping past my face with enough force that it seemed to want to flay it from my skull ... this is where I felt free.

 

And from the sound of it, Mim felt the same way.

 

We flitted around in the sky, high above the clashing of ships and fights of pirates, and I wheeled us around and around through low-hanging clouds, gripping her tight against my chest. I wasn't an idiot; I knew how cold it could get up here, I knew the risks of falling from these sorts of heights to the waters below. And seeing as the whole reason I'd brought Mim up here was to keep her out of harm's way, I figured it wouldn't have been good to let her get hurt up here.

 

"Pretty great, isn't it?" I shouted over the wind.

 

-Void

[TheMegazordman1]

IC-Tor

 

once they are out of ear shot of the guard Tor whispers to the others.

 

"It`s a good thing he didnt know I was fired from guard duty for disobeying orders ."

Edited September 14, 2014 by TheMegazordman1

[HamboneKablooey]

IC: Vulcan

 

Vulcan awoke with a start. He had fallen asleep at the table, and now the whole day had been wasted. He growled to himself and jumped up, stalking out of the bar. It was off to the Charred Forest for him.

 

OOC: Vulcan NO LONGER OPEN FOR INTERACTION

[KCGR]

OOC: Re-acquiring control of Nunonu from Keeper of Kraata, thanks for holding onto him for me!

 

 

IC - Nunonu

 

The Onu-Matoran raises a brow at Tor's comment.

 

"What kind of guard are they running here?" He thought.

 

Lost in thought, Nunonu almost runs mask first into a passerby.

 

"Oops! Sorry." He said as he turned to apologize, then as his back was turned he backed into someone else.

 

Sighing, he just mumbled "Sorry." and kept walking

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara

 

After several hours of wandering, Zaara realised that she was completely and utterly lost. She'd had to turn back a few times because of streets blocked by rubble, there were guards everywhere, and most of the inns were full (even if they hadn't been, they were all too expensive for her to afford them anyway). After all of her hours of aimless wandering, she'd wound up right back where she started, at the ruins of the Lavapool Inn. 

 

Scowling a little, she turned around and started walking once more. Whoever had caused the destruction in this city - the beings everyone was calling the Piraka - were long gone. Until they next showed their faces, there was little she could do to actively hunt them down, since she had no idea where to even begin looking. That said, they must have left clues somewhere. Word on the street had it that the bungalow down on the beach that Zaara had washed up near belonged to them. Perhaps that was the place to begin searching? But she couldn't go alone. She didn't know the terrain, and these were dangerous times; that much was obvious. 

 

With that in mind, she found herself heading towards the guardhouse, intent on offering her services in hunting down the Piraka. 

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

Edited September 14, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: "Buck up, little guy. We got one night in this hellhole, then we travel to Ga-Koro!"

 

Casanuva looked at the surrounding wreckage. Well, if things didn't go well, they could always camp out for the night in one of these ruins...

 

The Fa-Toa looked down at the bulky bandage covering his right forearm. He couldn't even move his fingers; at least it felt better than before.

 

"Nunonu, remind me to flip my sword belt to the right. I gotta be able to draw with my left hand."

 

Casanuva overheard the strange being talk to the su-toa he nearly ran into. Story sounded strangely familiar... Casanuva stood back and listened.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Keeper of Kraata

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Kouyran (Charred Forest)

"Too hot!" the Ko-Toa shouted at the darkened sky, whilst throwing bolts of ice at nearby trees and encasing their trunks in frozen water, so clear that the ice was like the acute lens of a telescope. He continued in this disruptive manner for a few more minutes, turning the forest into a hallway of ice, and all the time walking towards the orange light.

Kouyran took another step, and his foot came down on solid, bare rock, unlike the covering of dead branches and leaves in the forest behind him. Before his eyes, an immense citadel of dark volcanic rock rose out of the lava beneath it, a city of stone and fire. A monorail encircled the settlement, and far below, tubes made out of gleaming protosteel ran into the scorching lava, sucking out the raw heat and converting into pure, unbridled energy.

"Oh, great. Civilization in the middle of a lava lake. Of all of the places I could have started my existence! Why here!?" Kouyran yelled at the sky.

"Still, I need somewhere to sleep tonight. And that thing is better than nowhere!" His Matatu began to glow, and he lifted himself above the lava, and after a few tense minutes, dropped himself roughly on the battlements of Ta-Koro, almost rolling off of the edge in the process. Kouyran managed to pull himself up onto the wall again, though, and promptly tripped over a loose spear, and fell down into a street. 

"Ow." he said.

OOC: Does anyone need an assassin? If so, let's see if we can arrange a meeting, shall we? 

[HamboneKablooey]

IC: Zaara

 

After several hours of wandering, Zaara realised that she was completely and utterly lost. She'd had to turn back a few times because of streets blocked by rubble, there were guards everywhere, and most of the inns were full (even if they hadn't been, they were all too expensive for her to afford them anyway). After all of her hours of aimless wandering, she'd wound up right back where she started, at the ruins of the Lavapool Inn. 

 

Scowling a little, she turned around and started walking once more. Whoever had caused the destruction in this city - the beings everyone was calling the Piraka - were long gone. Until they next showed their faces, there was little she could do to actively hunt them down, since she had no idea where to even begin looking. That said, they must have left clues somewhere. Word on the street had it that the bungalow down on the beach that Zaara had washed up near belonged to them. Perhaps that was the place to begin searching? But she couldn't go alone. She didn't know the terrain, and these were dangerous times; that much was obvious. 

 

With that in mind, she found herself heading towards guardhouse, intent on offering her services in hunting down the Piraka. 

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

 

IC: Marda

 

Marda walked the streets of Ta-Koro. It had been a long time since she'd walked these streets, and she needed to get reacquainted with them. There was the Lavapool Inn, now in ruins. And what was that in the distance? A tunnel of some sort, perhaps? She sighed. There was no use in trying to figure the old place out. It had been nearly two years since she sailed off, and now that she was back everything was different.

 

As she walked Marda saw a Toa wandering around. She looked lost, and Marda smiled, walking over.

 

"Hello, sweetie. You look completely lost. Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.

 

 

IC: Naishe

 

She had finally arrived. A sea storm had waylaid her for an entire day, but now she had arrived in Ta-Wahi. All that was left was to find Vulcan. She walked through Ta-Koro until she came to an inn and stepped inside.

 

"Um, excuse me? Has anyone here seen a Toa of Plasma recently? Big guy, really spiky armor, even spikier disposition? I can pay for the information." she called, waiting for a reply.

 

 

OOC: Naishe OPEN FOR INTERACTION!

Edited September 14, 2014 by MjolnirInTheFridge

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara. 

 

"Yeah... lost." Zaara admitted, smiling sheepishly at the newcomer. "I'm new here. As in washed-up-on-the-beach-with-no-idea-of-who-I-was-or-where-I-came-from, capital N New. I'm Zaara. Who are you?" 

 

OOC: Wait, just reread the last couple of posts. Is Casanuva interacting with me as well? I'm confused. 

Edited September 14, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[Keeper of Kraata]

OOC: Technically, I was there first, but I went and changed mine.

 

IC: Casanuva stepped up. "Sounds familiar. You know, I washed up with little memory a few days ago, too; but that was up in Onu-Wahi. Been travelling the island since, trying to make it to Ga-Koro. We were actually planning on leaving tomorrow, just need a place to stay for the night."

Edited September 14, 2014 by Keeper of Kraata

[Nato G]

OOC: Right, sorry about that. I saw the bit with my last post quoted and went along with that.  Oh well, we're all here now. 

 

IC: Zaara.

 

"Onu-Wahi... Ga-Koro... sorry, I have no idea what those are, but if this is Ta-Koro, I'll assume that Ga-Koro is another village. I'm Zaara, by the way. Who are you... and what happened to your hand?"  

Edited September 14, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[Keeper of Kraata]

IC: Ga-Koro is a coastal village east of here, and Onu-Koro is where my little friend is from," Casanuva said, gesturing to Nunonu."

 

"As for my hand, I burned it defending several matoran from rahi... and an insane De-Toa. Who made the rahi into zombies."

[HamboneKablooey]

OOC: Sorry about that. I guess I should start reading everyone's posts just to be sure.

 

IC: Marda

 

"And my name is Marda Belatroja, Mata Nui's number one Information Broker. At least, I like to think so. Although, I've never heard of a De-Toa who could turn Rahi into zombies. Guess I've been gone for a while." Marda added. She looked around. "I've heard that the Makuta was defeated, and now the island is under assault by...Piraka? Is that right? What are Piraka?" she asked.

Edited September 14, 2014 by MjolnirInTheFridge

[Nuju Metru]

IC:

Maybe Dor had forgotten his key, and been forced to resort to blasting his own dor (er, heh, sorry, door) to get back in the old place.

 

Yeah, and maybe I was the tooth fairy.

 

But let's step back for a sec. Back in time. Like five minutes ago. Won't take long... but if it does, what're you gonna do about it? Feel the righteous power of the narrator, snitches! 

 

It's lucky that Sky-fly left when she did, because as soon as she'd gone, I was alone at last and fi-inally able to prep at a speed to keep up with the ol' intellect. I took the plunge (by climbing a ladder; figurative language, okay?) into our tenant's bedroom and discovered two things: one, even more kitschy kitsch, all neat and tidy - except for the dust, our cleaning pixie hadn't deigned to clean anything except the first floor - and two, half of the room was full of stuff that definitely wasn't Dor-dors. I know feminine articles when I see 'em. Could a female have finally shackled Prettyboy Shaddick?... in the metaphorical sense?... That opened up a new realm of possibility. We could throw a joint "welcome home/welcome to slavery" gala. I'd have Needledee paint banners when he came back--

 

--Needledum was coming back, and soon. I had to work fast if I wanted to finish his special surprise. Simple was better, but thoroughness was also important (there really are tricks to the trade... I could prolly turn a widget writing an actual guide; note to self, lern how 2 rite gud) I turned around and around in place, taking better stock of the things I had to work with as they flitted before my eyes and I became vaguely dizzy. A few things caught my genius, and I felt that classic smile dart across the pearlies. I knew what to do. I did my prep, and honest to karz it might've been my cleanest execution to date. Luckily for me there'd also been some free time afterwards, time enough for me to have started and finished an arts-and-crafts project. 

 

And now we're back in the present - narrated in the past tense, does that make sense? nah - so that little flashback ended up not taking too long. I hope you didn't get bored; halfhearted apologies to those of you that just finished settling in for the long haul... Hey. Wake up. You. In back. You. Hand on your chin, eyelids drooping, I see you. Wakey wakey. Snap snap. C'mon. It's pathetic, some of you have no patience; and some have even less than me, that's actually impressive. But I digress (what can I say, I'm good at it).

 

Finding that the dor-hole (door-hole, I've gotta stop doing that) didn't result in anything besides a big freakin' waste of do(o)r, the beings outside exchanged a few words, as if debating whether or not to give it another whack for good measure. From my hiding spot, I could hear that the two voices were Skeetee... and 'Dorable himself. They'd beaten errand-running Suoirafen back to the loft... I guess my compulsive need to prank whoever next came through that do(o)r - and my inspired arts-n-crafts project, luckily finished early - had paid off. I wasn't caught wholly off guard; a little something'd been prepped and peppered by Chef Grokk. 'Twas far from my best work, but I could live with it; like I said, clean execution.

 

As the door creaked open, I watched from hiding as the beautiful things began to happen like a slo-mo ballet. Cue music.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn_eS2XFZ5g

 

D-Dude came into the foyer first. As the shell-shocked door swung open, it set off a hair-trigger on a crude device I'd rigged from some household items: a catapult that sent several gallons of ice water (hard to find in the village of fire; somehow I manage) splattering laterally into him. I watched the liquid splash - fittingly, in slo-mo - and my focus drifted artsily to the rebounding, airborne globules, which caught in thousands of transparent planets the luminance of the lightstone lanterns as well as the image of a shocked and stumbling Dor. It's the music pulling my inner poet out. Wait... wait... Oomph, hear that crescendo? Effortless. Mmm-hmmm. This my jam.

 

Anywho, the water-induced stumbling sent his feet right over to a minefield of strategically laid marbles (from a jar next to the bed; it'd been almost too easy), on which, in appropriate cartoon fashion, he slipped. Hands flailing with exaggerated slowness, face smashing (to its comical, momentarily suspended misshapenness) through the air, one eye slightly squintier than the other (splash zone side), Dor-dor fell towards the shelves on one side of the foyer. He caught himself, but the force of his body shook the furniture and set the precarious, half-drunk bottle on top of it to wobbling. The bottle tipped, pouring the last of its contents precisely onto the top of our prankee's head. I couldn't have asked for a better-placed boozefall if I'd tried (though, of course, I had tried). But now it was time to feel the moment and improvise.

 

While prettyboy rubbed his eyes, I jumped out from behind the couch, my arts-n-crafts project all over myself, and grabbed a seat at the piano. When he looked up, I sat at his beloved instrument, my fingers gracing the ivories, the notes of that aria you're hearing gracing my pearlies. I picked up singing exactly where you are right... now. Guess I forgot to mention my extensive opera training. I'm a lyric tenor.

 

I'm getting ahead of myself; I also forgot to mention the art-n-craft, didn't I? Yes, Grokk, you did! I'd wrapped my body, forehead to toes, with long, thin pieces of fabric. Some of them were bona fide scarves - I'd finally found the collection, it was in the safe, the safe! - and others were just ripped from the upstairs sheets and curtains; these, I'd been sure to cut tassels in, so that they too were unmistakable as Dorian's daily nooses.

 

We end with Dorian, bruised, soaked freezing with water and booze, unexpectedly listening to the live performance of a lifetime, a gorgeous tragic operatic aria interpreted by the Scarf Monster, in his own loft. With a broken door and back window. As I plunked out the final notes of the piece, I calmly closed the piano, stood from the bench, turned to him, and solemnly bowed.

 

Not my best work, but pretty close.

[Nato G]

IC: Zaara. 

 

"Rahi zombies... and Piraka?" Zaara mused, "What kind of a crazy island did I wash up on?"

 

IC: Natharius.

 

Hearing the gunshot from nearby, Natharius broke into a run, stopping short when he saw Skyra standing near the front door with a smoking gun still held in her hands, and an unknown being, presumably Dorian, standing awkwardly inside the front room, dripping with water and something else that wasn't water, while Grokk, wrapped in scarves and other scraps of cloth, played a few final chiming notes on the piano - while singing. 

 

Dropping the sack of things Grokk had asked him to collect, Natharius stood there for a few moments, stunned and confused. Even though he'd been with Grokk most of the day - enough time to almost get used to the brown Skakdi's eccentricities - he still had absolutely no idea what was going on. 

 

"Well..." he said finally, coughing lightly to announce his presence, hovering over Skyra's shoulder, "this is awkward." 

Edited September 14, 2014 by NatoGreavesy

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

...

 

I drew my gun and fired at Grokk, six times.

 

-Tyler