BZPRPG - Po-Wahi

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC: Skuggy

 

"I've named it the Skuggy Jr."

 

IC:

 

"A fine name Captain." Jarrun smiled.

[25K Now!]

IC: Skuggy

 

"Indeed it is, ohohoh."

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

"Is that a um, pirate song?" Jarrun asked, not totally sure. Pirate culture was something new to him.

[25K Now!]

IC: Skuggy

 

"No I'm just chuckling."

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

"Oh okay, sorry." he grins. Jarrun was more used to spending his time out in the desert then at sea, it would be nice to see a different side of life.

[Isamu]

 

IC Halyx:

 

 

IC:

 

...

 

Well that was weird.

 

Still, no point worrying about that now while we've got a psychopath of a Toa on the attack. So, I climbed back onto the dock, shucking my now-sodden coat (besides it was getting really hot while we were in the desert), made sure my sword was still in my hand (it was), and looked at my options.

 

...

 

There weren't many.

 

But there were just enough.

 

"Leron!" I shouted to the Toa of Air. "Get Halyx back to the ship! Seneaux, Guvla, I need you two to keep Tallix under attack!"

 

As for myself, I went straight into a charge at the mad Toa. Only this time, my sword was aimed for a slash across his back.

 

-Void

IC: Leron

 

Leron went over to the limp form of Halyx and went to pick him up. He was then reminded that strength wasn't his greatest asset, so he had to drag the unconscious toa back by the foot. "This is annoying. As soon as this is over with, I'm getting out of here," complained the air toa, wishing that he wasn't in a very sandy area. "That's it! Sand!" Leron dragged Halyx onto the ship and sat down next to the fellow. He would need to recharge his physical energy if he hoped to do anything elemental.

[Razgriz]

IC Andrex: the over large Ta-Toa chuckled to himself. "I think I'll stay here for a little while, get hydrated again." He gestured the other Toa over to the table he say somewhat uncomfortably in.

 

"Join us, friend!"

IC: "I'm way ahead of you!" she chirped, producing her money pouch from her travel sack and quickly swiping the necessary funds for a meal and a room out.

[25K Now!]

IC: Skuggy

 

"No problem. My wife does say I have a remarkable singing voice."

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

"Ah you have a wife, eh? Lucky man." Jarrun smiles. "I'm sure you do Captain. I'm sure you do."

[25K Now!]

IC: Skuggy

 

"Would you like to rate for yourself?"

[IcarusBen]

IC Tallix:

Tallix felt a sharp pain across his back, then he began to feel faint and soon enough, he collapsed, his... whatever Toa have that's equivalent to blood... spilling across the desert sand. It was the end of an era. The countless souls he had harmed could finally rest in peace.

 

IC Jorik:

Jorik looped back around towards the Toa he had worked so hard to kill. Witnessing Halyx's sudden show of strength, Jorik uttered three words he had hoped he'd never have to say.

 

"I'm too late."

 

IC Halyx:

Halyx soon recovered from his slight breakdown, an apparent sign of his elemental expenditure being his colors becoming faded and replaced with a bright silver. "Ugh... what... what happened? Is that? Oh, Mata Nui, did... did Lumira kill Tallix?"

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

"Sure, not like I have anything else to do out here on the open water." Jarrun shrugged.

[25K Now!]

IC: Skuggy

 

Skuggy decided to sing a quick shanty.

 

It wasn't the most beautiful thing ever or whatnot.

 

But it was actually rather decent.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: “Sorry… you’ll have to pardon the questions. We understand your situation, but men are dead and we’re fighting an unknown enemy that most likely outguns us. Once we get out of this, I assure you, all the warmth will be back.”

 

Tera didn’t respond to the compliment besides a slight, subconscious blush that barely reached her cheeks, mind consumed with alternatives and strategies.

 

IC:

 

"My advice? You turn around and scoot now. We've sent out midnight watches from time to time, dawn watches more frequently than that...maybe 40% of the time we get both Sentinels to return. If the way you came was clear, there's a good chance it still is." Junk yawned and kicked up both feet on the table. He was wearing faded officer's boots, fine leather, but towards the back they were starting to visibly wear from frequent running, and there were spots of blood speckling the hide. "We'll send a few men with you. Tar here got off three Dikapi while one of the brutes was battering down his watch post; he's the best we have. If you get out alive, send us a bird and we'll know what to do."

 

Tar, the chunky Po-Matoran, waved meekly.

 

...

 

IC:

 

The Antidermis began to flow, thick and viscous, down the tunnel opened up by the false wall. Meanwhile, from the left of the ragtag group, something audibly sniffed. 

 

...

 

-Tyler

Edited December 23, 2014 by Tyler Durden

[Ghosthands]

IC (Stralix)

 

Immediately, the inventor's flamethrower was trained in the direction of the sound, as much to shed light from its Lightstone attachment as to protect against whatever had been the source of the noise.

 

"Something 9 o'clock," he hissed urgently to the rest of the group.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

If I'm ever God, the first thing I'm going to do is blow away all the deserts. 

 

Cipher had visibly blanched when we kept north on a trek for Po-Wahi; the thought of all that featureless desert must have gotten to the wayward merc, who had been so intent on staying with the group for fear of being lost that, for the first two days, he hadn't even waved "his standard" in the air above us. I hadn't found much time to mind. With nothing to keep my eye on while we moved and no one in the mood for small talk, there had been nowhere for my thoughts to turn but Grokk. A half dozen times, I thought we had passed the small herding village where Bad Company had first met. Grokk stole a hundred bucks, and I told him I'd take his fingers if he tried again.

 

By day, the sun would beat down on us like a single gold tooth.

 

That had been days ago, when I first told everyone that Joske had vanished - again - and that maybe Stannis Maru knew where he'd vamoosed again. Loathe as I was to pin my hopes on Stannis of all people, the Toa Maru had treated me with marginally less mistrust as Joske's gang had, and if he had any idea where Jos had gone off to, I was willing to be...maybe polite. Joske. I killed Grokk, but Joske will get it. One monologue. Two monologues, maybe. I'll feel better. Stannis would know. What didn't Stannis know?

 

We had walked five days, while my neckline dipped lower and lower and my mood started to lighten and lighten. By the time we were in sight of Forsi, you could see my whole heartlight and I was feeling almost talkative again.

 

It was Cipher who had suggested sleeping in a real bed. We're all bone tired, the Toa of Plasma had said, and a night's sleep in a real bed and some REAL steak could keep us going all the way to Po-Koro if we really needed 'em to. Skyra had been begging and pleading the whole time, but when Flay threw in her quiet agreement with Cipher I relented. 

 

There wasn't much you could say about Forsi, really - rocks with holes, a few winches, a moderately pretty view of the water...but , if there were some steaks here after all, it might just end up looking like heaven.

 

-Tyler

[Geardirector]

IC: Korru (Darkwalk, Sentinel Group)

 

"Commander" Korru came up beside Terra (or did he descend from above? It was hard to tell with his size).

 

"I'm not getting a good feeling from 'Junk' here. I know someone's who's not shooting straight when I see 'em, and I can't find a lot about him that suggests otherwise"

 

IC: Melna (Darkwalk, Civilian Group)

 

"What, who's there?" Melna called as she took a step away from where the sound had come, pointing her spear in the general direction of it. On the one hand, she was still scared and shaken, on the other, she was more than ready to direct her energy at something.

[Shadowhawk]

IC: [ Rhea / Nero ] - Forsi / 'Roasted Ruki' food stand

You know your team's got a long ways to go, as far as professionalism stands, when you step into an eatery and the first thing you see is your two newest recruits throwing pieces of steak across the table at each other.

Well, almost newest recruits. By just about... half an hour in Avier's case, five minutes in Kubrick's.

Details, details.

As she swept by on her way to the counter, Rhea deigned to tap Avier's shoulder warningly from behind with two long, slender fingers and let Kubrick, seated opposite, have a scornful half-second's worth of cold emerald eyes.

"Mind your manners, boys. Or you'll wish you'd saved that energy for swabbing decks..."

It felt good to be able to say that and get away with it, she decided. Real good. And just to prove her point, she flirted aristocratically with the chef, ordered steak à la carte, paid with silver, and sat with Elysi and Mar.

And the Axe moved a chair around so he could sit with his back to a support pillar, and quietly ate a fish skewer cooked extra-rare. His eyes moved back and forth, watching the dusty sunlit street outside.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Shadowhawk

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

A sharp whistle cut the air. Heads turned; widgets jingled.

 

It had been a long time since someone had moved that sharply when I asked them to. Hot , why'd I quit this job?

 

"Steak, medium well. Steak, medium well. Steak, well." I tilted my head sideways at Skyra. "Burger."

 

"What!?"

 

"I spent five days in the desert listening to you about stickers. You're getting a burger."

 

-Tyler

[Geardirector]

IC: Mar and Zelvin (Forsi, Roasted Ruki)

 

Zelvin sat down next to Elysi, giving the other seasoned colleague an acknowledging nod as she picked out her own meal. The earlier altercation mostly forgotten outside of gathering dust in the back of her mind, Zelvin reclined into an easy poise as she gave an addendum to Rhea's scorn.

 

"Better take the hint, lads. She's being a lot more forgiving than me"

 

That wasn't strictly true, but they didn't need to know that.

 

IC: Elysi

 

"If I had a widget for how many times I've heard someone say that, I'd be rich."

 

"...and if you were rich you probably wouldn't spend a lot of time with the kind of people who say that." I replied in half-good humor.

 

Pretty-much-the-opposite-of-salad tossing aside, the atmosphere of the crew gathering was pleasant enough.

 

Yes... pleasant. The word sounded surprisingly foreign when I used it like that, about something that was relevant to me, myself. I would have to keep that in mind for later.

 

Rhea, upon sitting down, was greeted with a pair of black, shining eyes beaming up at her. Karv approached and sat down between us, looking up at the bounty hunter.

 

I met her quizzical gaze (what was that streak of engine grease doing  on her face?).

 

"He's trying to be polite," I replied, "something neither of us are particularly good at."

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

"Oh...okay." I bit my lip, my eyes as big as saucers.

 

"Steak burger?"

Edited December 23, 2014 by Skitty

[Shadowhawk]

IC: [ Rhea ] - Forsi / 'Roasted Ruki' food stand

Rhea looked thoughtfully at Mar, then dropped her gaze to Karv's. The Kavinika was rather friendly-looking and... cute, in sharp nasty feral sort of way.

She bent down slightly and offered her hand, palm held outwards towards his muzzle. She wasn't forcing introductions; it had been a a while since she'd interacted with a canine, but she hadn't forgotten the basics. Respect, but no fear. Dignity. Formality.

Ironic how Rahi had better manners than sapients, oft times.

[Geardirector]

IC: Mar (Forsi, Roasted Ruki)

 

I hardly needed to look to tell what happened next, I heard it just fine. I heard Karv's nose go to work on Rhea's hand. Examining, judging...

 

Verdict?

 

The sound of his tongue lapping a few times against her palm came next. Approval.

 

"He likes you" I stated matter-of-factly, smiling perhaps the tiniest bit.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"I'll pay your monthly salary's worth in a day if you don't give her a steak," I offered the chef.  The second I saw his breath catch and heard Skyra grumble, I knew I'd won.

 

Half-won, anyway. I'd made enough for a lifetime off Grokk's corpse, even more than I had breaking out Hiemalis, but the money would probably be better spent by someone who didn't look down at their wallet and see drops of blood on every widget. And the looks...I'd grown to hate the looks after Xa-Koro. In the Lavapool, staring at Dorian Shaddix and imagining him committing one of his many enormities had been a selling point. I would have bet my own monthly salary from the Bad Company days that I'd been put there for just that purpose.

 

I kicked my feet up in the lone chair chair at the end of our table, while Cipher sat beside me and the cops sat facing us - Skyra facing Ciph, Flay and I staring at each other.

 

-Tyler

Edited December 23, 2014 by Tyler Durden

[Shadowhawk]

OOC:

Yo, so are Dor & Co. in the Roasted Ruki now too, or what?

Just checkin'.

IC: [ Rhea ] - Forsi / 'Roasted Ruki' food stand

Rhea smiled a little and rubbed her thumb and forefinger expertly through Karv's fur. Paying special attention to those itchy places on top of the skull, just forward of the pricked wolf ears and just back of the sloped brow ridge.

"It would appear so."

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

"I hate you."

[shadow pridak money gang]

OOC: Yeah, sure. I was mainly doing the expository Dor posts while I knew I had time, and seeing if I could get everybody to at least show up.

 

IC:

 

"And at last, we come full circle."

 

IC:

 

"You're a suspicious sorta mind," Junk said, shrugging lazily. "Want my badge? Want to read my mind? Sign 'Junk' in blood?"

 

-Tyler

Edited December 23, 2014 by Tyler Durden

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

I burst out laughing, before my vision blacked out and I slammed my head against the table. I might have been a little dehydrated.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Skitty

[Geardirector]

IC: Mar (Forsi, Roasted Ruki)

 

"Behind the other ear, he's especially fond of that" I remarked, not that Karv wasn't enjoying himself enough already.

 

"There's a-" and then I stopped myself, the realization of what was happening causing me to grind to a halt. When did I suddenly start making smalltalk with attractive women like it was the most natural thing in the world?

 

'Pleasant' atmosphere, not rolling my eyes at the amateurish food fight, enjoying myse-

 

That was it, I was enjoying myself.

 

Weird to think something so innocuous-sounding felt so strange to me, but it did, and that was a telling sign of the kind of life I was used to.

 

It was also a sign that the new life I was starting had a lot more strong points than I had ever expected.

 

The pessimistic side of my brain argued that it wouldn't last, probably not even out the day. I certainly wasn't going to make any sort of lasting impression on Rhea or for that matter even make all that much of myself in my new line of work.

 

But another sentence bounced around in my head, keeping the pessimism from overwhelming me like before.

 

"What's the harm in trying? Why not enjoy it while it lasts?"

 

Why not?

 

Why did that sound familiar?

 

I cleared my throat.

 

"There's a scar there behind the ear that he likes getting scratched. It's a... souvenir from our line of work"

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC: Skuggy

 

Skuggy decided to sing a quick shanty.

 

It wasn't the most beautiful thing ever or whatnot.

 

But it was actually rather decent.

 

IC:

 

"Very nice Captain, not bad at all." Jarrun was impressed, Skuggy sang better then he would have expected.

[Razgriz]

IC: "Well, we're off to a great start here." Cipher remarked, reaching over and sliding Skyra's glass into her hand. He'd give her a few seconds to maybe come to on her own before anything else.

"Better be careful with the waterskins from here on in. Last time I came around this way I ended up thinking I was a red mage of Xa-kuta or something for a few hours. Last thing we want's anyone trying to set our swords on fire."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

I had no idea what Cipher was going on about, but I could at least understand the main point: after all, night before last, I'd dreamt of Xa-Koro.

 

"Dorian is dangerous."

 

"I count that as a point in his favor. We could use a little ferocious. It keeps people in line."

 

"I can't keep him in line."

 

"I'm still waiting for the bad part," Aurelia yawned. Dorian had come at her request, for a briefing on the situation on the mainland, but this was even better entertainment than anything he could've hoped for from the Peer; he could hear Brykon's temper creaking.

 

"I don't trust him. He drinks with Grokk, he flirts with Sev, he spends too much time at that casino with the heiress--"

 

"--did you know Illicia was a spy?" Aurelia broke him off.

 

"Yes," Brykon said, through gritted teeth. "I knew."

 

"Did you? So did Dorian. He found out himself after Naryth died, and shored up her loyalty himself within the same night. He is dangerous, and young, and vigorous--"

 

"As is Marfoir!" Outside, Dor's fists clenched and he fought a snicker. "True, the Vortixx may not be as easy to fantasize about when you're abed but that hardl--"

 

"You hold your tongue!" Aurelia always got shrieky when she was angry.

 

"Open your eyes!" Brykon thundered. "Dorian Shaddix will be the ruin of us all! He never thinks! He laughs at everything, he laughs at everyone! Whatever thoughts he can pull out of that pretty head, he spits like sunflower seeds! He is a handsome fool who fights and ######s to feel alive, and aye, he may be the gorram best at it, but he is not a leader!"

 

The office, inside and out, was balanced on the edge of Brykon's exclamation. Then:

 

 

"So why do they follow him?" Aurelia asked softly.

 

I blinked and gave Skyra's glass of water an encouraging flick or two.

 

"Rise and shine, Skyra. You're being impolite."

 

-Tyler

Edited December 23, 2014 by Tyler Durden

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

I perked up as I felt the ice cold glass around my fingers. I took a long sip, when I was done the glass was half full, not half empty. Had to stay positive.

 

"Thanks Cipher, for a second there I though I was the princess of the Mahi."

 

I rested my head on Flay's shoulder.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Skitty

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Only half wrong," I muttered to Cipher.

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

IC: "Hehe." came Cipher's quiet agreement. "Like I said, though. Only getting more brutal from here on. We need to keep our strength up. This stop's our last until Po, and that's plenty of sand to cover."

"Plenty of dunes, plenty of wind, plenty of sun..."

His eyes stared a hole into something a thousand yards away.

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra

 

"Can we just take the train?"

[Razgriz]

IC: ...

"There's a train."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Don't do this, Cipher."

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

IC: 

"How long has there been a train, Dorian?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"It wasn't here the last time I was at Po-Koro."

 

-Tyler