BZPRPG - Onu-Wahi

[ARROW404]

IC: Shadd

He couldn't suppress a smile.

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Truth. Now."

[Ehksidian]

IC:

"Alright...but it's going to sound crazy."

I cleared my throat.

"All of us, except for Teede here," I gestured to the bound matoran, "Went to find out info on a tablet that Kirgan found." I pointed my unattached arm at Kirgan. "After traveling to Ko-Koro and then Ta-Koro, we had a little bit more information. The tablet was basically crazy writing foretelling some sort of prophecy about a group of Toa or something. We found one of the Toa, Stronin, in Ta-Koro working in a metal shop. He had no idea about it. So, we all came back to Onu-Koro, dejected when we decided to dig around where Kirgan found the tablet." I took a breath.

"Soon after digging, we found a hidden lab. We didn't know it was a lab, because we only found a small room with a giant sphere in it. The sphere was actually a psychotic robot. We were able to disable it temporarily, and then we had to go find some keys to open the door to the actual lab. When I got back with my partner-since everyone split into pairs-the robot had repaired itself and attacked us. I was able to wreck the thing by shoving my fist nto its eye, but I lost my arm in the process."

I waved my detached arm in the air.

"Then, we went into the lab and found Teede here, stuck in some sort of chemical stasis. There were other matoran as well, who had all died because someone sabatoged their chambers. And then that same someone decided to trap us in the lab after finding a time machine that they were working on. Luckily we escaped, and when we got out Shadd here had stopped teede from doing any more harm. And now we're leaving the lab to ask him a few more questions. He's tied up so he won't murder anyone else. He's crazy."

I looked at the guard.

"So. Do you believe it or what?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

Sajis was not somebody who was usually dumbfounded.

 

However ...

 

"All of you come with me."

[Ehksidian]

IC:

I rolled my eyes. "Ok bossman, whatever you say."

[ARROW404]

IC: Shadd

"I don't know if anyone's told you this before, Xaron," Shadd said, "But you have a strange knack for embellishing things even when you tell the straight truth."

[Ehksidian]

IC:

"The voices in my head help"

...But there's only one of me. And I didn't help.

Shut up brain you're ruining this.

[ARROW404]

IC: Shadd

o_o

Edited March 24, 2014 by Mj. Spoilers

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"No more useless chitchat. Follow me. Your stories will be explored with further depth back at headquarters."

 

She spun on her heel, turning towards the nearby USsalry base.

[Zacian]

IC: Azthran and Krayne

 

Krayne let out a small laugh "Now this is interesting."

 

"Shut up." I said.

 

OOC: I hate being excluded

[Ehksidian]

IC:

I rolled my eyes, and followed the Ussalman to the base.

"Might as well..."

[Franco]

[NPC] IC: Sajis soon led the ragtag band of misfits into the headquarter's lobby, an earthen room of middling size with several chairs to each corner. The Kru-Lesterin curled behind its desk, a spartan granite construct, glowed as the party entered the room. She politely flashed a stunning smile. "Ah, Sajis," she said, teeth brilliant in the light of her armor and the array of luminescent stones lining the chamber, "what disorder is it this time?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Sajis

 

"Supposed kidnappers," she replied, gesturing at the group behind her. "While it's probably unllikely, all claims must be looked into."

[Zacian]

OOC: kamina how dare you call us misfits

 

IC: Azthran

 

"So Kirgan, what now?"

[Toatapio Nuva]

OOC: Krayne, you're alive!

 

IC Kirgan, Hile and Teede

(Onu-Koro):

 

"Oh great", Kirgan said with a sigh. "Just what we needed."

 

He wasn't worried for his own sake, of course, but for the sake of science. Teede would undoubtedly be arrested as a result of this, but that would mean the mystery of the tablet might never be fully solved.

 

Teede, on his own part, smirked with delight. He didn't a chance of convincing the guards of his own version of the story, but he might find a route of escape eventually.

[Emzee]

IC: Wokapu & Ra'lhen -- Onu-Koro Marketplace

 

Ra’lhen snorted.

 

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Ra’lhen shot back with equal amount of sarcasm.

 

Wokapu sighed. Ra’lhen could be pretty stubborn with his opinions, and if this Toa’s feelings were equally as strong then they would be in this market for hours. To Ra’lhen’s credit though, Wokapu did share his feelings on the matter. The villages (more like towns) of today were different from the oppressed villages of the past. Even if Echelon were to somehow amass an army, it would be standing up against six formidable armies.

 

In the meantime though, Wokapu just wanted to get to Po-Koro, and see if his sister was still there. From there, he and Ra’lhen and the others could sit down and really decide what to do.

 

“I’m still not sure if I want to really hunt down this man. He just doesn’t seem like a threat anymore, in my opinion. But maybe we can talk more about it while we walk?” Wokapu offered, “Ultimately, it’s Stannis’s decision, but he has to show us to Po-Koro first! We’ll never find it otherwise, what with them digging up and covering all the roads”

 

“So, um-”

 

"Sucogu," Ra'lhen deftly leaned to his left and whispered to Wokapu.

 

"Sucogu, it's up to Stannis what he wants to do, but in the meantime, I think we're ready to head out," Wokapu said, "Walk with us and see if you can convince Ra'lhen to help you catch Echelon in the time it takes to get to Po-Koro"

Edited March 27, 2014 by Emzee

[Ghosthands]

OOC: Korero and Oreius from Ta-Wahi

 

IC (Korero)

 

In one of the alleyways near the Onu-Koro markets, two beings seemed to wink into existence in a white flash: a Ta-Toa and a Le-Toa. The former looked somewhat disorientated from their sudden change of environs; the latter looked like he did this sort of thing all the time, which was in fact the case.

 

"Come on," said Korero. "If Sulov's right (and the Kimi hasn't failed him yet) then Stannis is in the markets somewhere. We need to find him, then I'll Jump us to the rest of the team."

 

He strode decisively out into the hubbub of the underground trade nexus, searching for the familiar browns and golds of their leader.

[Ehksidian]

IC:

"I think we should all shut up and just follow the nice Ussalman to the station."

I glared at Teede.

[Relapse]

IC:(Sucogu)

 

The Toa of lightning drew a blank expression on his face, though the expression was otherwise slightly tainted by embarrassment. "Let's talk then," he agreed somewhat eagerly, "even if I can't bring you to share my views, I can assist in some way the man who killed the Makuta."

 

At this point, he felt as though he was lucky they were still speaking with him. There was always something to learn, in every situation, and in this case Sucogu hoped to learn lessons in essentiality from Stannis and his companions.

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

The Toa of Earth managed to overhear enough of what Wokapu had said to gather they were leaving momentarily for Po-Koro. And that it seemed rather urgent.

 

"No no no no..." he muttered, followed by a curse. Blast his indecision. This was likely to be his only chance like this. If he didn't get to talk to the leader of the Maru, the matter of his Destiny would end up driving him mad.

 

He frantically justified interrupting them. He couldn't leave Naru and the Ussalry at the drop of a hat, but Po-Koro wasn't exactly next door. He just needed to talk to Stannis for... 5 or so minutes, really. He wouldn't keep them long, and he could follow along for a while and not slow them down. Right. Yes, he was going to talk to Stannis.

 

Once the crowd around the Toa Maru had thinned a bit, at least. He didn't want to overwhelm him.

 

Blast his indecision.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "I'm thinking."

 

Whatever hubbub buzzed around Stannis suddenly came to a halt with the brief announcement as though a giant boulder fell and landed in the midst of the crowd. Stannis' voice carried that sort of gravitas, firm and somber enough to seize everyone's attention even in the thick of confusion. The chief of the Maru stood still, though he was not so much thinking about everyone's input as much as simply remembering what the situations were. Stannis' mind functioned quite differently from anyone else's; while others would spend moments considering every aspect and how to best address them Stannis merely collected his thoughts and assembled responses like little shards of a puzzle that came together in his head. For the ease of everyone's comprehension, though, he merely dubbed it "thinking" since saying "I'm remembering" would have simply confused the others.

 

Remembering helped Stannis have a different level of insight on situations by putting him in a center of memories rather than the thick of many thoughts. He could stack up his knowledge to counter the issue at hand without letting stress get to him. It was slow, deliberate and calculated, precisely a method Pohatu would have approved of while being entirely Stannis' own.

 

"Sucogu, you are right to deem Echelon dangerous and I do not fault you for coming to me about him. However, I would also note that Echelon has been a looming threat for a long time. Until the defeat of the Makuta we were unable to meet his challenge, though now we are ready. Echelon is a slippery fish and not easily caught; I know — I've tried. When he makes his next move I'll be waiting for him, though until then the necromancer is not my greatest concern, nor is his breaching of the Vault.

 

The Abettor, however, will need some looking into. Thank you for telling me about that. But I do not need your help yet."

 

A familiar green guy next to an unnatural red toa caught his attention briefly. It would only take a moment until they found who they were looking for — Stannis — and they wouldn't have come without a reason, so Stannis decided to do what he could to maximize the moment's worth. "Wokapu. Patience please, brother.

 

"And you," he said and pointed at Kehuri, "Come. Don't be shy."

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

The Toa of Earth jumped when Stannis indicated him. He felt like a Matoran again, though Onua had never made him feel nervous. Well, Onua had never defeated the Makuta.

 

He mentally stabbed himself for that thought. With a barbed harpoon. And twisted it. And then poured Madu juice on the wound. And lit it on fire.

 

He couldn't keep the blood from rushing to his face at the sudden attention, but he steeled himself. Stannis was among the island's most heroic. And there was a bit of Pohatu in him. Brohatu, Toa of Cheer. What did he have to be afraid of?

 

Oh right, himself. His jealousy and uncertainty. And stutter. Mata nui, what if he started stuttering?

 

Screw it.

 

Loosening his grip on the fish, he approached and put on an apologetic smile. His face was still hot and chest tight, but if he could lie to himself about all his negative feelings until the conversation as over, it should be okay.

 

"Uhm... S-sorry to disturb you, I know you're busy."

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "Relax, I'm only a toa," Stannis assured Kehuri. "You've been waiting nervously from afar for a while now. What's on your mind that bothers you?"

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

'Only a Toa.' Hearing that simultaneously helped Kehuri relax, but also caused a slight spark of anger. He meant well, but Stannis was anything but 'only' a Toa. If he were 'only' a Toa, Kehuri wouldn't have approached him. Which brought him to part of the reason he was here.

 

"I'm in need of... spiritual guidance," he said, fighting to keep his eyes from wandering to the side. "It hasn't been a full year since... I became a Toa, but I've been... consumed, for lack of a better word, with finding my destiny." His eyes wandered to another Toa nearby. He quickly looked back at Stannis. "At the time I thought... that I could be something special... but to put it bluntly, everyone and their grandmother is a Toa nowadays. I tried to help. Joined the ILF, and all I did was dig an escape tunnel that mostly went unused during the Rahkshi attack. I can't imagine Mata Nui could... really have given grand destinies to everybody that got transformed." His pace picked up and his speech got more fluid as he went along. He felt he should probably let Stannis have a word, but he wanted to get everything out while he was talking. "A long time ago, the Onu-Matoran used to point and shout 'Onua is here!' 'Hail our hero!' 'Toa Lewa came to visit!', but now Toa are just faces in the crowd." His tone gained a slightly harsh edge and his eyes fell to his feet. "What's more, there are those who use their power for evil, or nothing at all. We have Toa businessmen, thieves, librarians... even bartenders. It's like being a Toa doesn't mean anything anymore." His shoulders drooped and he looked back up to Stannis, a look of defeat on his mask. "Does it? Do I have a Destiny?"

Edited March 29, 2014 by Mj. Spoilers

[Franco]

[NPC] IC: The secretary's eyes glittered. "In that case, would any of you mind providing private testimony as to the time during which this alleged kidnapping purportedly took place?" Her voice radiated prepared calmness. "You have the right to remain silent."

[ARROW404]

IC: Shadd

"Who goes first?"

[Ehksidian]

IC:

"I already explained it once, someone else can say it again."

[Franco]

OOC: To save time, I advise we cover each questioning at once, though in-game they occurr at different times.

 

[NPC] IC: "Why, whoever volunteers first," The Lesterin said brightly.

[Ghosthands]

IC (Korero)

 

As Kehuri spoke, Korero had at last caught sight of Stannis and begun to wade through the crown towards him, Oreius following in his wake. As he reached them, he was about to speak but checked himself: it was clear that the two Toa were in earnest conversation, so he merely raised a hand to Stannis so as not to interrupt but still indicate his presence.

 

He gave Stannis' other companions a brief glimpse, then a swift double-take as warning lights flared up in his brain at the sight of one of them.

 

There was no mistaking it: that blue-and-crimson Toa was Ronkshou. How could he forget the Infected Toa who had assailed him and these very Brothers of his, that fateful day when he had first met them? It was both a few months and a lifetime ago.

 

But the Toa before him had a Hau of pure red, not the rusted and pitted one Korero remembered - and besides the obvious lack of massacre taking place, he could see from his eyes that this was not the same person who had attacked them.

 

He cleared his throat respectfully.

 

"Hello," he said. A simple greeting, but how else could you put it? 'Hi, remember that time you tried to kill me, glad to see you're not the puppet of an eldritch entity of pure darkness any more'? No; sometimes less is more.

[Toatapio Nuva]

IC Kirgan, Hile and Teede

(Onu-Koro):

 

"They kidnapped me while I was on my way to work", Teede said hurriedly.

 

Hile frowned and began to speak: "Sir, we did not kidnap him. We were bringing him to justice... he is a murderer of several respected scientists and almost killed us too. We stopped him in the Great Mine and were bringing him to the authorities when you found us."

[25K Now!]

IC: Ashiem

 

Ashiem did receptionist things.

[EmperorWhenua]

IC: Kehuri

'Only a Toa.' Hearing that simultaneously helped Kehuri relax, but also caused a slight spark of anger. He meant well, but Stannis was anything but 'only' a Toa. If he were 'only' a Toa, Kehuri wouldn't have approached him. Which brought him to part of the reason he was here.

 

"I'm in need of... spiritual guidance," he said, fighting to keep his eyes from wandering to the side. "It hasn't been a full year since... I became a Toa, but I've been... consumed, for lack of a better word, with finding my destiny." His eyes wandered to another Toa nearby. He quickly looked back at Stannis. "At the time I thought... that I could be something special... but to put it bluntly, everyone and their grandmother is a Toa nowadays. I tried to help. Joined the ILF, and all I did was dig an escape tunnel that mostly went unused during the Rahkshi attack. I can't imagine Mata Nui could... really have given grand destinies to everybody that got transformed." His pace picked up and his speech got more fluid as he went along. He felt he should probably let Stannis have a word, but he wanted to get everything out while he was talking. "A long time ago, the Onu-Matoran used to point and shout 'Onua is here!' 'Hail our hero!' 'Toa Lewa came to visit!', but now Toa are just faces in the crowd." His tone gained a slightly harsh edge and his eyes fell to his feet. "What's more, there are those who use their power for evil, or nothing at all. We have Toa businessmen, thieves, librarians... even bartenders. It's like being a Toa doesn't mean anything anymore." His shoulders drooped and he looked back up to Stannis, a look of defeat on his mask. "Does it? Do I have a Destiny?"

Ic: Anyone seeking guidance specifically from Stannis made him evermore ponderous. His fame as the toa-prophet and vanquisher of the Makuta was his curse; as though he were a high priest people came to him wishing to gain direction, hoping the divine hero was truly as much an oracle as the stories made him to be. Truly, Stannis was the most spiritual—the most enlightened even—among the islanders, but he was still one thing above all other titles: The Wanderer. People never seemed to understand, either due to the oppressive rumours of his insight or simple preconceptions of the faithful pilgrims, that Stannis was not an oracle.

 

There was a constant fight within his mind—that what if the way he knew, the stochastic and last-minute meandering his spirit toured on, was the way—that he was meant to share the light he gathered close to his heartlight with those with the ears to hear it. Stannis was always plagued with knowing too much and not sharing it enough with the people who followed him. It was never a matter of not trusting them enough; instead, it was simply a fault Stannis had. The Wanderer was not perfect. Despite his power, his Kanohi, his titles, his specialness, he was still just a man – "only a toa."

 

"What is your name, toa?" he asked ponderously.

 

"Oh. Uh, my name's—uh, I'm Kehuri," the younger toa squeaked back, blushing in chagrin. Whatever courage he worked up to asked Stannis his grand question was retracted in shame at failing politesse even in the face his celebrity role model.

 

"You've asked a difficult question, Kehuri," Stannis said, "and one I am woefully ill-equipped to answer. You have been a toa longer than I have, Kehuri. My apotheosis came the same morning the Rahkshi collapsed at the city gates. A turaga would be more learned than me..." he admitted and his shoulders sagged at the somber recognition, made even more sad with the fact that the great turaga were all gone. Kehuri mirrored his idol's sadness, probably deeply troubled by the non-answer, but Stannis was not finished yet because while he didn't have the answer Kehuri sought he did have something to share.

 

"You've asked me if you have a destiny, and my answer is that yes, you do, but I don't know what it is. I also don't know what mine is. You come to me looking for guidance as though I should know the way, but I don't know anything. I'm sorry. What I do have is Faith—in Mata Nui and in Destiny. I don't have to know what's in front of me to walk down the path Destiny gave me. As a very great toa once said, Faith can overcome all," he said, paraphrasing Toa Tahu's words said a century before. He raised a finger to pause the lesson and said, "Let me come back to this in a minute.

 

"You also asked me about the many other toa in the world today. They trouble me, too. Some follow the Code but many do not, and in some cases they are hedonistic or evil," Stannis said, making a point not to look at Ra'lhen when he said that. "Do they have Destinies, too? Mata Nui created them, so I think they do — but as matoran, not toa."

 

It was a theory Stannis had and one that would not sit well with many people, but Kehuri needed an answer that could help him understand and come to terms with a reality that seemed to conflict with what had been true for millennia before. "Mata Nui still sleeps," Stannis said, "and in his slumber he cannot control and guide Destiny as he did before the Makuta cursed him, so as the fibers of Destiny become unraveled Destiny also turns stochastic, perhaps even due to the Makuta's meddling. Many of those who became toa since the First Toa's defeat likely were never meant to rise to the title so they are unprepared for the job and are toa in name alone, continuing on the path given to them as matoran. In their hearts they are still villagers, not heroes." Stannis himself was an exception to the rule. His apotheosis was prophesied and part of Mata Nui's plan and not affected by His lack of control.

 

"I... realize this is all very overwhelming and disappointing, Kehuri, but listen to me: When I was a matoran I felt distressed with too few heroes and so many errant-toa in the world today, so I strove to become as devoted to Mata Nui as I could be. I traveled to a village in the foothills of Ko-Wahi, called the Massif, to grow closer to Mata Nui, and when I felt the urge I left that place to be a hero and solve the mysteries of the island. And it was not long after that I discovered I was chosen by prophesy to be more than a mere adventurer. Was that always meant to be so?" Stannis shrugged. "I don't know. Destiny oft works in mysterious ways.

 

"But here's what I do know: Everyone has the opportunity to be great. Everyone has a destiny. All we can ever do is stumble headlong into what is in store for us but we're not without responsibility—where we go is not up to us but what we do is. The toa-hero ideal is not dead so long as people like you and I still live and keep the faith, Kehuri. You have a destiny, but it's up to you to make the most of it." He stopped and touched Kehuri's beating heartlight to emphasize his parting wisdom. "In a day and age where the title of 'toa' means little more than greater physical attributes, being a hero is in the heart."

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

The Toa of Earth's eyes widened slowly as the leader of the Maru spoke. Pride welled up in his chest when Stannis said "people like you and I", along with nostalgia for the first day he emerged after becoming a Toa. Naru had said something similar.

 

He touched his heartlight after Stannis removed his hand, then smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Toa Stannis. I'm sorry I expected too much, but I'm not disappointed at all." He paused, unsure if he should add anything to that. "For what it's worth... I had my doubts originally, that anybody could be worthy to succeed the original Toa," his face flushed with shame at the confession, "But you've definitely proven me wrong. Thank you again."

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: Stannis' eyes remained as impassive and mysterious as ever but the telltale hint of a smile materialized at one side of his mouth and his head bowed a small fraction to show his humble gratitude for the praise. "Mata Nui never makes a mistake," he merely said in reply.

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

Seeing that hint of a smile brought more warmth to his heart. He nodded in agreement, before suddenly looking sheepish again. "Er, I know I'm probably not the first or last or most special person to say this, but... if there's any way I can ever help, please please don't hesitate to let me know. I know being Stannis is not an easy job, physically or emotionally. If there's ever a way I can lighten the load, or help you personally, I'd be more than happy to." He bit his lip to prevent himself from going on to list the different ways he could be of service.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "Your offer is noted," Stannis accepted. "Should the occasion arise, I'll ask."

Such offers came to him a lot. Everybody wanted to be on his friends list. It came with his celebrity status, yet another curse. Or blessing. He could never be too sure. On one hand it was nice to know there was a legion of fellows he could call upon if he ever needed to, but all the same he doubted he ever would. While many toa, even the heroic ones, protected villages from thieves or rahi or stray Rahkshi, maybe even the odd dark toa, Stannis' battles were against spirits and threats to everyone.

 

If Stannis had to summon an army, he could. Over time he had collected a vast number of names and business cards (business cards!) from people offering their services and assistance to him, but so few friends he could rely on outside of the fellow Maru and his former Companions. He could summon an army, but if the army knew what the summons was for would they answer? How many people pledged their services to Stannis simply to pledge themselves and not with the heart of adventure and danger Stannis had? It was a frightful thought and one he preferred not to dwell on.

 

His duty was in serving on the front lines, personally handling the larger affairs that threatened Mata Nui, the spirit and the island, before it could fall onto the villagers. If he couldn't handle such mysterious challenges alone he'd have failed to do his job well. Nevertheless, to be gracious and maintain the connections people gave him, he accepted their offers with kindness.

 

"Mata Nui bless you and keep you safe, Kehuri," he said, bidding the young man a goodbye before turning towards the other Maru gathered nearby. As Korero was looking Ra'lhen over with a nervous face, Stannis beckoned Oreius over instead.

 

"Brother," he said with a nod. "Inu," he greeted as well, recognizing that there were two people before him. "What has led you to me?"

[ARROW404]

IC: Kehuri

"Take care of yourself," Kehuri called seriously. If the Maru didn't care enough for themselves, they would fall. And then who would people look up to?

 

His eyebrows rose as he realized Korero was here too. He'd been in Le-Koro when the Makuta was defeated, so he'd caught a glimpse of him before. Oreius, on the other hand, he didn't. With a light heart, he headed back to his apartment.

 

Still, he couldn't help but worry that his last offer wasn't taken as seriously as he had meant it. Kehuri would happily do Stannis whatever favors were needed, but it was more than that. Whatever Stannis needed was likely in line with what the island as a whole needed, and that was what Kehuri wanted to fight for, whatever the cost. That was more true now than it had been in a long time.

 

His mind wandered back to half a year before, a week after he had become a Toa. He, Naru and Plagia were in Le-Wahi with the ILF, doing... he forgot what. He'd expressed concerns over upholding the Toa Code, and gotten discouraged when his team said they would break it if need be. Naru, attempting to comfort him, divulged her insecurities, and in a heartbeat it had been him doing the comforting. That was the role he had taken on since that day. 'Earth is a foundation', he'd thought, and strove to be just that.

 

Before he knew it, he was daydreaming of being the Maru's foundation. The veil of jealousy that had clouded his mind was lifting. They were not the Original Toa. Maybe they never would be. But now that he had met their leader, he could really respect them. He smiled at the thought of Stannis opening up to him as his friends had. It would likely never happen, but it was a nice idea.

 

Providing emotional support didn't make use of his Toa abilities, but that wasn't a concern for him. If he hadn't become a Toa, he wouldn't have met Naru, joined the ILF, or even gone to Le-Wahi. He would never have found out what going beyond simple charity was like, and he never would have approached Stannis like he just had. Becoming a Toa had changed not just his body, but his whole outlook on life. Maybe that was what it meant to be destined... His powers were perhaps not meant to be the tools to achieve his Destiny, but rather a guiding light towards it.

 

With a smile, he returned to his abode. "Naru?" he called. No response. It figured she would not be home. She was probably on duty, or at the Ussalry barracks. He stored the fish and headed out to look for her. He had a lot to talk about.

[Emzee]

IC (Korero)

 

As Kehuri spoke, Korero had at last caught sight of Stannis and begun to wade through the crown towards him, Oreius following in his wake. As he reached them, he was about to speak but checked himself: it was clear that the two Toa were in earnest conversation, so he merely raised a hand to Stannis so as not to interrupt but still indicate his presence.

 

He gave Stannis' other companions a brief glimpse, then a swift double-take as warning lights flared up in his brain at the sight of one of them.

 

There was no mistaking it: that blue-and-crimson Toa was Ronkshou. How could he forget the Infected Toa who had assailed him and these very Brothers of his, that fateful day when he had first met them? It was both a few months and a lifetime ago.

 

But the Toa before him had a Hau of pure red, not the rusted and pitted one Korero remembered - and besides the obvious lack of massacre taking place, he could see from his eyes that this was not the same person who had attacked them.

 

He cleared his throat respectfully.

 

"Hello," he said. A simple greeting, but how else could you put it? 'Hi, remember that time you tried to kill me, glad to see you're not the puppet of an eldritch entity of pure darkness any more'? No; sometimes less is more.

IC: Ra’lhen – Onu-Koro Marketplace

 

As Korero recognized Ra’lhen, so too did Ra’lhen recognize Korero. While hardly any correlation could be drawn between the appearance of this Toa of Air and the smaller Matoran of Ice of days past, Ra’lhen did spend the last several months in a cave. Just like that, two more Toa Maru had ventured to this underground market, obviously to speak to their leader about something dire.

 

Ra’lhen hated this situation, but from looking at Korero, he was not too quick to judge the Toa of Air’s intent. He seemed genuinely friendly, but he also seemed a little nervous. And what could a Toa Maru possibly have to fear from just an average joe Toa of Electricity, hmmm? This nervousness bothered Ra'lhen much more than anyone could have thought from looking at him. More than anything, the Vo-Toa wanted to just walk away; leave this crowded group behind. Dealing with the judgment of Stannis (Ra’lhen felt it, so to him, it had to be real) was one thing, now he would be judged twice more.

 

“Hello, Toa Korero!” Ra’lhen said, a warm inviting smile plastered onto his face, “and hello to you too, Toa Oreius”

 

“I presume you’re here for an impromptu meeting with our new friend over here?” Ra’lhen shifted his position to a more relaxed stance and titled his head in Stannis’ direction.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Emzee

[Eyru]

IC (Oreius, Inu)

 

Oreius smiled at Stannis' greeting: though he often wore the mask of a stoic hero, he was more lighthearted around his brothers and sister. The old Ta-Matoran was still there, if you looked hard enough, past the titles and burdens that came with power. Inu, too, brightened to see the Wanderer, though his thoughts were shadowed by a cautious respect. He was still a son of Makuta, and the Toa of Stone before him had vanquished his father with no more than words.

 

"I don't know," the Toa of Fire replied with a shrug. As always, he was nothing if not straightforward. "Korero met me in Ta-Koro not five minutes ago, then brought me here." He lowered his voice. "He said that 'something was up,' but he couldn't say more until we were alone."

[Ghosthands]

IC (Korero)

 

The Vo-Toa's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and Korero had a good idea why. In his historian days, he'd managed to learn a fair amount about Infection - and in what time he'd had since Makuta's defeat (in-between the day-to-day tasks of being Le-Koro's protector) he'd continued his studies. There were still many Kraata lurking in the dark places of Mata Nui, and as long as they remained, so did the threat of Infection, so he'd thought it wise to give the phenomenon a little further investigation. To that end he'd both studied what literature existed on the subject and spoken with prior victims about their experiences.

 

So he knew that the majority of Infected became so against their will, becoming beings wholly different from their true selves. Once purged of it, their free will and personality were restored, but not without scars. In most cases, the memory of it could be highly traumatic - not to mention the guilt. The Toa of Air guessed that it wasn't easy for Ronkshou (if that was even his name - he hadn't said) to see these ghosts from the darker areas of his past.

 

He returned the smile sincerely.

 

"Yeah, I'm afraid we're going to have to whisk Stannis away from you," he said. "You know how it is, something comes up, we have to go and deal with it...seems like there's always another natural disaster to prevent, another bad guy to hunt down..."

 

The Vo-Toa's reaction to that last sentiment was confined to his eyes, but Korero saw it. Had he misspoken?

 

No, he decided. There was no sense skirting around it; that would only prolong the suffering, not make it right.

 

"But I'd like to say," he continued, speaking slowly and earnestly and never breaking eye contact, "that I don't blame you for anything that happened when you...weren't yourself."