Bzprpg - Ko-Wahi

[BULiK]

IC:

 

"You have lost quite a few marbles!" Kreigero retorted.

[Toa Of Virtues]

IC: Mambo:

 

"You make jokes while I starve to death. Go home, lead me out of this freezing prison. Tell me the Onu-Matoran principle, the one that I lack. And tell me it's enemy, the thing I have become."

[BULiK]

IC:

 

Kreigero pondered the requests Mambo asked of her. She wasn't a philosopher, but she remembered the principles within a few seconds. "Prosperity. Hunger. Those describe what you seek, and what you are," The Ko-Matoran said. After checking her compass, she starting hiking towards Ko-Koro. Maybe if he got some food, this Nutcase would shut up.

[Toa Of Virtues]

IC: Mambo

 

This matoran showed little to no fear. Bravery? Maybe. Foolishness? More likely. Either way, the insane Toa followed the Matoran back to Ko-Koro, ready to feed.

[BULiK]

IC:

 

Within half an hour of following red flags Kreigero had placed earlier on her way to the drifts, the odd pair reached The gates of Ko-Koro. The Ko-Matoran glanced at Mambo, waiting for him to say or do something.

[Constructelf]

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

**************************************************************************************************************************

Thliveros slowly got to his feet. The effort was painful, but then again, wasn't everything? He was only able to stand for a few seconds before collapsing again. "Pitiful," he thought. "Just pitiful."

A silver bugle lay near him. Reaching out, he gingerly picked it up, and putting it to his lips, he blew. Two bugle notes rang out from the Sanctum. Loud and clear, they split the quiet, grave Ko-Koro air.

Two more notes. the second held long and loud.

A few Ko-Matoran came out of their huts, curious to see why a military call was randomly being played in a civilian area, but when they saw the carnage that lay inside the Sanctum, they instantly realized why.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

**********************************************************************************************************

The particular bugle call that Thliveros was playing was one with many uses. On the battlefield, it could mean two things: that inspection was done and the day was over, and that the fighting was done and any troops still out on the battlefield needed to return to their unit where they would find safety and rest.

It also had another use: as a memorial to honor the dead. At many military funerals, it was played to symbolize that the duty of the dead soldier was done. At Memorial Services, it was also played for two reasons: to summon the spirits of the Fallen to the Cenotaph and to symbolize the end of the day so that the period of silence that followed would in effect become a ritualized night vigil. As such, as Thliveros played, in his mind's eye he could see the spirits of those who had fallen that day, with Turaga Nuju at their head, silently standing there, just standing there, only to fade away when Thliveros pulled the trumpet away from his lips.

**********************************************************************************************************

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

**********************************************************************************************************

Thliveros sat, head bowed in silence, in memorial of his fallen comrades. Then, he put the bugle to his lips and began to play once more...

Edited January 4, 2013 by Constructman

[Toa Of Virtues]

IC: Mambo

 

"Thank you, little Matoran, for bringing me here. Go into the village. Tonight, I will feast. I think I'll start with you." Mambo said, ready to strike the Matoran with his spiked sword.

[BULiK]

IC:

 

Kreigero rushed into the village after the cryptic toa threatened to cannibalize Ko-Koro. Chances are, he would be defeated, but there is no point in staying near such a madman who was poised to strike. She constantly looked behind her as she fast-walked through the Ko-Koro streets.

[Toa Of Virtues]

IC: Mambo

 

Mambo watched as the Matoran scurried through Ko-Koro. There was no point chasing after her. He then whispered to himself:

 

"Run, little Matoran, run and spread fear throughout the village. Get everyone ready for the feast."

[Emzee]

OOC: Well that was all just completely unexpected and interesting and unexpected and cool and unexpected. Kids, take notes; there are plenty of ways to handle story opportunities instead of freaking out.

 

Observe!

 

IC: Niici – Niici’s Home – Ko-Koro

 

Stop. Rewind. Play.

 

Niici last remembered herself walking through the snow drifts under the slowly darkening clouds.

 

“Yeah... collecting them. That's what I have been doing actually since my transformation, the reason I haven't played recently, taking some time off. I've been trying to collect all the charms, get the full set. See, there is this rumor, legend even, that says that some of these charms can actually increase one's skill at Kohlii. No, I'm not after them to make me better, I'm good enough as it is, but it's an interesting idea... not only it will be a fun thing to test when this is all said and done, but it might help others get better and train faster if it’s true. Plus, to be honest, the adventure I've been getting out of it is refreshing, and the lessons I've been learning along the way from the various Koros has widened my worldview a bit,” Niici heard Joske say something else, but didn’t quite catch it, “So yeah, that's why I have so many, and I'm not quite halfway done yet. And I didn't spend a fortune getting them either. Just have to know where to look.”

 

Niici was about to place another flag, while at the same time trying to run what Joske was explaining through her mind. Charms making someone better at Kolhii? Niici couldn’t help but feel a little skeptical of the idea.

 

However, her thoughts were cut short but the sudden appearance of a shadowy Toa waltzed into her view. The wooden flagpole was still in Niici hands, hoisted in the air to give it a good shove into the thick snow. As the ebon figure drew near, Niici’s mind raced to identify the newcomer.

 

It was obvious that this Toa had cruel intentions, and once the figure’s appearance registered in her brain, a single entity flashed, sending up warning flares inside of her.

 

Makuta.

 

Niici was a part-time liason to the Makuta – of course he had come here for her, to embarrass her in front of her date. Right?

 

It didn’t make logical sense though. There were agreed dates that the financial transactions would happen, and they usually happened far away from Niici. Kufa and his men should have already taken the set-aside offering and met with the Makuta’s envoy.

 

Oh, that’s right; they’re all dead.

 

But still – it didn’t make much sense to follow Niici all the way out here just for some money. Surely he understood that things would be a bit slower since much of their supply chain arm is underwater.

 

No, don’t you see? It’s him! A thought reverberated through Niici’s mind. Her acute brain quickly analyzed this abnormal thought, however, and attempted to toss it out. However, much like Heuani himself, this thought was charismatic… it seemed right. Still, Niici found herself wary for an instant.

 

Who? Another thought appeared in Niici’s mind.

 

Him!

 

Of course! He had come to see Niici… but how would he respond to Niici’s traveling partner? Would the ebon one be jealous? It’s not like she actually saw anything in the Toa of Fire… she was just lonely! Setting up a date in a moment of weakness.

 

Niici had forgotten about Joske in that moment, all attraction to him melted away. She couldn’t recollect what she did next, her only thoughts were of how she needed to please this man, how this man would be the key to her security, image, and satisfaction of lust.

 

Who is this man? The voice of reason cried out. The fact that Niici body was completely ignoring this voice caused it to panic. Niici shivered in response to the abhorrent sensation, that same loss of mind and soul that eventually led to the demise of many of Heuani’s lovers.

 

Niici was still unable to ascertain what she was doing and why when she felt a sharp, icy feeling on her lower back.

 

By the time she had gained her will to move, she had loss the ability, and she found herself in a rare uncomfortable feeling of coldness. Behind the block of ice, Niici stared into the snow, but the chill had gotten to her mind as well, and her brain could not process on anything else except keeping itself harm, and by extension, keeping Niici alive.

 

Pause.

 

Niici couldn’t recollect much more after that, outside of flying a million miles an hour to her house. She wasn’t sure how much of that was real though. She was currently sitting on a wooden bench, leaning against the slick wall of a seldom-used in-house sauna. Steam passed through her nostrils and put her body at ease, though she was still wearing her clothes from trek outside (perhaps hiring a sexually-ambiguous-but-probably-heterosexual male butler wasn’t the best idea), which didn’t speed up the warming process.

 

Still, Niici tried to piece together the past chain of events, and she eventually sat upright, having reached a logical explanation.

 

The Makuta’s servant did not mention anything to me at all, and kept me from being privy of whatever he wanted to tell Joske, Niici thought. It seemed apparent at that point: Joske was somehow involved with the Makuta, like Niici.

 

But the real question, Niici thought again, Is this relationship positive or negative?

 

To Niici, who really didn’t know anything about Joske outside of his fame as a Kolhii star, couldn’t really be sure of whether Joske was in cahoots with the Makuta or not. Niici passed being an elegant, philanthropic woman despite her ties; it wouldn’t be difficult for Joske to do something similar. Niici was also smart enough to accept from the get-go that Makuta was a multi-faced client – dealing his deals with anyone in a desperate attempt to stay in power. Perhaps whatever Joske was offering was worth more than what the Cultured Gentry was offering.

 

Or perhaps none of this was the case, and Joske was actually on a mission to try and overthrow the Makuta?

 

This was crucial, but not in the way that anyone except for Niici herself believed. The most privileged members and officers of the Cultured Gentry knew and accepted that the success of their club and the stability of their influence required continuous support from the Makuta. However, when Niici discovered this club, she quickly developed grander ideas.

 

How long can a conqueror hope to rule a working class who hold a 0% approval rate for their master?

 

Indeed, it seemed that hardly anyone genuinely approved of the Makuta’s control over Mata Nui, even members of the Cultured Gentry only hold an alliance to better their own stock. Niici did not believe that Makuta was a god either; she believed he was a wannabe king with a complex. Soon he would fall, and someone would need to be there to take his place.

 

Mata Nui seemed like the perfect island for a Queen.

 

Sure, she wouldn’t control the island at all, but who in the Gentry wouldn’t want an aristocratic governing body? There were people in the organization already poised to do the job, and they would do it thanks to Queen Niici.

 

Aristocracy was what everyone in the Cultured Gentry had in the back of their minds, sitting there until the day that Makuta fell. While the executive board seemed wary of Niici’s moves at first, the Toa of Ice concluded that they began to see the beauty in her plans with her having to explain them. Once the Makuta is defeated, Niici and her class of nobles can take the throne.

 

Which goes back to the original question: Is Joske here to help or to harm the Makuta? Helping the Makuta would mean that Niici would have to stand down, but this attack on her person would hopefully rally enough connections to at least disaffect from the Master of Shadows. Such a loss of support could help cripple the ruling class, and lead to the Makuta’s eventual fall. However, if Joske is on a quest against the Makuta, Niici could not help him, not without drawing attention to herself and getting herself smited.

 

Or could she?

 

It was a gamble, a classic “all in” scenario: help Joske with his little quest, beat the Makuta, have the Gentry take over Mata Nui while she bathes in glory and love. Or, help Joske with his little quest, watch him get slaughtered, and then watch herself be torn apart (or worse, be subject to the wills of that shadow Toa), and have everyone in the Gentry most likely killed by the Makuta’s servants regardless of whether they were actually involved. The cards are all laid out.

 

Niici closed her eyes. She needed to warm up a little more, and then she would get some answers.

 

* * *

 

Joske and Agni were still in Niici’s living room, discussing such the odd roller-coaster of events. To the sound of footsteps heavier than a Matoran’s, the two Ta-Toa’s eyes shot up and to the hallway to the right, which led to Niici’s sauna (among many other rooms).

 

It was Niici, though her moves were stilted, as if her knees were noexistant. She was wrapped in a thick, warm, white cloth, but her eyes shot cold daggers at Joske. In her hands, she tightly grasped her crystal-mounted staff, despite the fact that she would have great difficulty using it in her current condition. The two could also see that walking still pained Niici, but the Toa continued forth, before finally collapsing into a chair.

 

“I believe… an explanation… is in order,” Niici said, her voice strained and raspy. Her eyes quickly began analyzing Joske, and she was determined to catch any flakiness in his words.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Emzee

[Friar Tuck]

OOC: Emzee, VF, I am going to evoke the ancient right of "Player-knowledge-therefore-I-skip-much-due-to-previous-posts". Saves everyone the time. Use your imagination

 

IC

 

[Niici's home, Ko-Koro; mid-afternoon]

 

"Alright then, with that out of the way... what the Karzhani happened out there? First you go on a blind date with one of Ko-Koro's crème de la crème to get to the temple - and yes I overheard you talking - and the next she's in a prison of her own element, the crystal we came for is right in front of you for some reason and you're off to Thought-Koro. I hope you can understand that I feel like I am missing some pieces here."

 

I opened my mouth to reply, and that's when Niici dropped in. Well, dropping in wasn't the best choice of terms, for it wasn't sudden; he heard her coming slowly down the hall. It was due to footsteps, heavier than a Matoran’s, our eyes shooting up and to the hallway to the right, which led to a sauna. Niici staggered as though her moves were stilted, as if her knees were simply nonexistent. She may have been wrapped in a thick, warm, white cloth, but her eyes shot icy-cold daggers at me. I saw in her hands she grasped tightly a crystal-mounted staff, despite the fact that she would have great difficulty using it in her current condition. Agni and myself could also see that walking still pained her, but the Toa continued forth towards us, before finally collapsing into a chair.

 

“I believe… an explanation… is in order,” she finally said, her voice strained and raspy. Her eyes quickly began analyzing me, clearly determined to catch any flakiness in his words.

 

Not that I didn't expect such a response. I had put an innocent's life at risk due to my negligence, and she deserved and answer.

 

Right after Agni.

 

Slowly I stood, still stiff myself after playing in the snow all afternoon. How best to answer? I paced before the two of them, doing what I could to collect my thoughts. This.. this would be a story.

 

I raised a finger to Niici as if to signify "One moment" before turning to Agni, answering his questions first. "Actually, no, I DON'T have the crystal we came for. The Crystal of Peace is still in the Temple of Peace untampered with; I need one more charm to gain access. That third one you see on the table there is the Crystal of Creation... note the tanish color?"

 

Agni looked at me blankly, then in sheer dumbfoundedness as he stalked over and picked it up. Sure enough, it was what I said it was.

 

"T-the Crystal of Creation?! But that temple is all the way in the- "

 

"Motara Desert? I know."

 

Under any other circumstance I would have shaken my own hand in congratulations. As much Agni was my mentor and warrior, he was a skilled detective, and could figure out most things without much effort. That single rock however confounded him even more than before, any possible theory he thought he had gone out the window. To have stumped him so thoroughly would have brought me great joy and amusement... had not the circumstances been so dire.

 

"Missing pieces Agni? Neither you nor Niici here have ANY idea... any idea. I guess the best place would be to start at the beginning... "

 

[Niici's home, Ko-Koro; late evening]

 

"... and that's when I busted through your front door with you on my back. Oh, thank you."

 

Niici's butler refilled my cup of tea, the steam slowly filtering into the air above it. We were in a exquisite great room, the three of us lounging on comfortable seating as a massive fire roared in the fireplace. Surrounding us were dishes and cups from the dinner we had eaten as I had told my tale, all three of us bundled up as if a deep freezing was reported. It had taken me several hours to do so, but I had felt the need to do so.

 

Because I literally started at the beginning.

 

First up was my time as a matoran, Kohlii star, and the strange vision and nightmares I had about a lone toa on the darkness enjoying and then killing his playmates, about a dark warrior whom I felt I had to face. I then continued my tale from matoran to toa, how I faced a Tarakava single-handedly, nearly died, brought back by Cael, then healed as Takua gave me a toa stone, ushering in my transformation.

 

Next were my adventures as a new toa, both good and bad, mostly bad, as Agni and Cael struggled to teach me about my powers and abilities. How while physically I had changed and grown much, mentally I had not, still the egotistic and prideful fool I had been as a matoran, only now more powerful and with with fire powers. And how then I felt called to Ko-Wahi the first time, and the events that led up to my destined meeting with the Wanderer's Company.

 

From there I told of that fateful night, of all that we learned via a message from a dead man, and how the next morning I fended off three of Makuta's best by myself, buying time for the matoran to escape, knowing that if I failed he would have won right there and then. I spoke of my success and my second near-death experience after I managed to make the run back to Ga-Koro. With a mission to fulfill I recruited the two of them and started searching for the temples and the crystals to unlock the tool they would need to finish their quests.

 

Then came the difficult part of the story. The part of reuniting with Tuara. The Temple of Courage experience. I laid it all out in front of Niici, about my failures, about my ego and pride, and how I was forced to deal with it to gain entry. How this quest was not about the stones themselves, but about changing the one, preparing the one who sought them. I Talked about the Temple of Courage, and then out experiences in Le-Koro with the Temple of Faith, and what transpired there. How all this was preparing me when I had to fight the one I saw in my dreams.

 

What I did not expect however, was that this toa would come to me.

 

It was here that I told about the dark toa named Heuani. About a man who was the spawn of the Makuta himself. The person I would have to fight after all this was said and done. I spoke of the rumors I had heard, the legends spoken of him, and how I learned from first-hand experience that they were true. ALL of them. How powerful, how swaying this man was, his ability to mold and manipulate the wills of those he just looked at far beyond anything I had ever seen. How that in some small way I was mostly immune, and how this was just a prelude, a dry-run of that fight. I spoke every word that we exchanged, said every detail I could remember, gave every thought that I had thought, showing that is was only because he wanted me alive that I was here right now. And that he didn't care what he did. He knew our mission, our quest, and he was so sure he could still win he gave me a crystal to speed up the process. A gift. A gift to his opponent. And with that he left, leaving us there.

 

It was here that I was finally silent, my throat dry from the talking. For the majority of the tale either Agni knew or Niici knew; each had a part of the story. But the last section, the part of Heuani, they listened with baited breath, soaking in every word I spoke with undivided attention. This was unlike ANYTHING they had ever heard before, and to learn of such a powerful, brash, and charismatic character-

 

"Niici, I am so sorry to have dragged you into this. Had I known... I would have never had met you at that cafe." I said quietly, remorse in my voice. "The way he moved, acted spoke, the way he... looked at you." I shuddered, remembering his words. "He wanted to 'take you for a ride' when this was over. Not even on my worst day and brashest moment would I had ever dared say that." I sighed, too tired at this point to really continue.

"Please understand, everything I have said is in strict confidence. Not that it really matters anymore since now we know the Makuta knows and is watching my every move." I paused, looked up from the floor to her. "I know you got dragged into this unwittingly, but now you are involved, and I ask for your help in any way you can. From what you explained to me you have a lot of wealth and influence, and that could be a great boon to us. You can't claim ignorance anymore, and no matter what happens from here on out you have a tie in this venture. I hope I am not placing my trust and faith in the wrong place."

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

 

As Joske told his story, Agni drew his legs in after they had settled in comfortably after dinner, his left resting in front of his shins and his right absent-mindedly stroking his chin as he listened. His pose was much like that of a young Matoran listening to a Turaga, but his expression was that of an old man. The warm meal that had finished not too long ago did wonders for replenishing their energies. Agni felt the warmth radiating from his center into his fingertips and Niici, at first shivering, now looked much more healthy, though her beauty had neither been changed nor lessened by any of the days events. He registered that on the side, but both he and the slender Toa of ice were only interested in what Joske had to say right now.

 

The first part of the story had been new to Niici and some it Agni had not known either. He had only met Joske after his transformation, surrounded by a whole group of Toa that did little more than to upset an already stressed new Toa of fire. Except for Cael. In retrospective, it was a wonder her house had not been burned down during that time. While he had done much those first days to help Joske keep in control of his element, she had been the one to help him deal with his emotions. And hearing the story again, Agni realized that perhaps all these chance meetings had maybe been more than that, that he, Cael and Tuara were somehow meant to help Joske. Considering the sudden personal involvement of Makuta's top agent, we must have done something right in training him. Agni thought to himself.

 

The next part of the story he knew of course, but Niici did not and her expression said as much. And while Agni was aware of what Joske had done the first time he had been in Ko-Wahi, his tale afterwards had been one told while in bad condition and shock. Only now did he reveal more details and those were like chips of wood tossed into the small fire that was the veteran's pride in his student. As he told of how he had defeated the juggernaut-like Toa of ice with his own element, the corners of his mouth drew up into a minimal grin. Everything that lived had at least some heat. Good lesson to remember.

 

Joske continued on, how he had returned and recruited both Agni and Cael; and later Tuara and Angelus. Though 'recruiting' was a termn Agni only let slide so he wouldn't interrupt the story. Cael and him had agreed immediately to come along, if only for the fact that in the time they knew Joske, he had almost gotten himself killed two times through reckless action. He had been lucky, but that alone was not going to save the Island. And Tuara...

Agni knew very little of what had happened surrounding the Toa referred to as 'mark-bearers', but he remembered the reports he read and he remembered Tuara's reactions back at the temple of courage and he was not sure the he even wanted to know more. But Joske did not leave anything out and so the tale eventually reached the events of the present day.

 

Agni thought he had been ready for the story, but even now what Joske said made his skin crawl. And even more than that, Agni felt guilty to have lost track of the two. If he hadn't, perhaps he could have done something about the dark Toa...or maybe not. But he would have been there to do his part nonetheless. "He didn't care what he did. He knew our mission, our quest, and he was so sure he could still win he gave me a crystal to speed up the process. A gift. A gift to his opponent. And with that he left, leaving us there." Joske finished his tale, before aplogizing to Niici. Somewhere in the back of his head Agni registered the fact that Joske basically had told their whole quest to somebody not involved, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Besides his mind was still focused on Heuani. And what he thought about made him angry.

 

"So this Heuani thinks he has us all figured out..." Agni said, his temper flaring up, as Joske paused for a moment. "I say we'll prove him and his black-hearted master wrong." He stared blankly ahead, into the fireplace of the room, as Joske continued speaking to Niici. What Joske had told him had given the Toa of fire an idea. And he knew his student wouldn't like it.

[HahliNuva]

IC: Riversong (in a Ko-Koro inn, talking to Marrak)

 

Caught off-guard for the second time in as many minutes, Riversong couldn’t help but pause for a moment before replying, “Er, yes, some tea would be nice,” It had been a very, very long time since anyone had offered her a drink of any sort.

 

OOC: Internet access may be sporadic for today and tomorrow; I probably won't be able to reply until Sunday.

[Hanako Herupa]

IC:Kai ~Ko-Koro Prison~

 

Kai grabbed the paper, and simply wrote, Fine, go get the poison so you can kill me. After writing this, the Vortixx sat down, and waited for Alrin to leave.

 

IC: (Alrin, Ko-Wahi)

 

I got up tossing the charcoal to the side and tossing the pieces of paper we both wrote on into the fire. They burned to ash, no trace. No one could know what I was planning. His death would be one thing, but helping a criminal escape? One whose orders nearly crippled an entire village, one whose orders weakened the village so much that we were easy prey to criminals. Where eleven of my people had been taken hostage. I should just kill him, send him to his death. However there's a difference between what we want and what needs to happen.

 

All these supposed heroes on this island. They all have skeletons in their closets, mistakes they've made. They cling to their morality in a way that weakens them and this island. I would know, after seeing the horrors inflicted on my village I made attempts to strength the Guard, to cut through the needless red tape that the desk jockey brass decided to put in our way. I couldn't bring peace that would last, I couldn't deal with the threat directly. More often than not people just as bad as Kai walked free because of some loophole, because of appeals to emotion, to a code of ethics. Never to logic, never dealing with threats the way we have to. No, some of us cling to these ideals and do not understand the maxim we need to live by. The ends justify the means, especially when the prize is so great.

 

So I needed Kai alive and I made it so, collecting the "poison" was simple enough. A few well placed widgets and some careful maneuvering and no one was the wiser. Then came the order, the document that would see me thrown from my post so I could complete my duty. So I got the document and spent the better half of the day forging the signatures required for Kai's execution.

 

I returned to Kai's cell as dusk approached. I showed the document, the guard reading it aloud.

 

"....the criminal "Kai" is hereby sentenced to death. The Sanctum has found that in the best interest of peace Kai is to be executed, to invite a trial would cause commotion and would not aid the people of this village and this island." He looked to me, scanning my eyes and I looked back with my light blue eyes, tired.

 

"I'm just fulfilling the orders given to me, besides we all know we're better off with him gone." I replied gruffly. The prison guard merely sighed, nodding and opening the door for me. Kai was back in shackles and I was escorting him, two other guards following me to the room where Kai would die his first death. A show, a magic trick and there would be no one the wiser, except to me going above the heads of people like Matoro. This was an act and we all needed to play our parts.

[Emzee]

IC: Wokapu, Wokiya & Lekori – Wokapu’s Mansion – Ko-Koro

 

“Yeah, though that's nothing new over here. It's funny how the milk always goes bad, even when this place is occupied,” Wokapu said, giving his sister a sideways glance; Wokapu just so happened to be lactose intolerant, leaving Wokiya the constant duty of consuming all the milk in a container within the allotted time frame.

 

A high-pitched whistle then shot through the main room. All bodies turned away from the door, towards the kitchen.

 

“Tea’s ready!” piped Wokiya.

 

The whistling noise was soon complimented by a violent bang on the door, causing Wokapu to jump and whirl around, startled.

 

“What in the-?!”

 

In a flash, the door broke from its hinges and crashed to the floor, and a dozen Sanctum Guards, armed to the teeth, surged inside.

 

“HANDS UP, NOBODY MOVE!” barked the sergeant of the squad.

 

Lekori, believing himself to be on equal political footing with the soldiers, disobeyed directions and instead whipped out his Gukko Force ensign.

 

“I’m Lekori, Cadet of the Gukko Force,” Lekori replied harshly, “What the Karzahni do you think you’re doing?!”

 

Lekori could babble no longer as a speeding disk hit him square in the chest. Had he not been wearing his military-grade armor, he probably would have been seriously injured. The Le-Matoran was hurled back and skid across the tile floor of the kitchen, slamming into the lower cabinets.

 

“I said nobody move!” the sergeant said again, “You all are currently suspects in the Turaga assassination plot. We’re bringing you in for questioning”

 

That’s when Wokapu’s face became even more incredulous, “Um, wat?”

 

Lekori and Wokiya quickly found themselves bound, while more guardsmen went to get handcuffs that are properly sized for a Toa.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Emzee

[Eyru]

OOC A delicious jam with Snipe.

 

 

IC

 

Joske left, followed not long after by Agni, leaving Tuara, Angelus, and Cael alone at the table.

 

With nothing else to do but wait for the two Toa to return, charms in hand, this seemed like as good a time as any for the healer to learn more about her new teammates.

 

She took a sip of tea. “So, Tuara, Angelus: how long have you known each other?”

 

Tuara stopped rubbing the back of her head and looked up. She hadn't been sitting very still, not as comfortable with Cael when it came to sitting still. The Deputy of the Guard hardly ever stayed in one place for long. She should've gone with Agni, which would've forced Angelus to at least talk with Cael. She looked at him, and he looked back. At Tuara's physical response, it seemed more likely that she were to talk about this.

 

Angelus gave a look of amusement, pleased he wasn't the one who would present such information, "Uh," she bit her lip in thought. It wasn't that she didn't care to know.

 

That whole section of her life was a blur.

 

"About a year and a half ago."

 

She nodded. "About when the Mark Bearers started to gain recognition."

 

“Is there a connection between the two?”

 

Tuara nodded, "Angelus had encountered information on another Bearer, and had also heard the Guard was taking interest in them."

 

“That was about the time the whole island was taking an interest in them,” the healer said thoughtfully. “And with good reason. They almost levelled Ga-Koro several times, and I've heard worse stories of what they did in other villages.”

 

"Ga-Koro was right to evict them," Tuara nodded absentmindedly, her eyes averted, "The Toa Joske encountered in Ko-Wahi a couple days ago killed every member of his village after destroying it. Hunting them down individually," she looked up, "And that is why we're here. With the way Joske finished his encounter with him, I fear he's set some things into motion he shouldn't have."

 

She shook her head, "But of course, you know a bit about that, seeing as you healed Joske afterwards," she waved her hand, "But enough about that. What about you? When did you meet Joske and Agni?"

 

Cael's mind flew back to that day, when she'd first seen the Matoran lying on the lily pad, his body crushed almost beyond recognition, his blood dying the green plant red. She'd had no idea that healing him would spark a chain of events that would lead to her leaving her home and traversing the island with a Toa destined to help bring down Makuta. Had someone told her this then, she would have dismissed them as crazy.

 

“I first met Joske when he was a Matoran. He'd taken on a Tarakava and come out... well, not exactly on top.”

 

She laughed wryly. “He hasn't changed much since then. Just as headstrong and stubborn as ever.

 

“I healed him, and after he transformed into a Toa, we met Agni, who offered to teach Joske how to use his powers. We've been together since then, for a few months now, I think -and more than a few healing sessions."

 

Tuara nodded thoughtfully, "Joske seems to have a habit of barely getting out of trouble doesn't he?"

 

Tuara's mind started to wander a little, "Have any fighting experience Cael? I only ask so I know how to act if a situation arises."

 

The healer shrugged apologetically. "None whatsoever. I guess you could say I'm a pacifist, but it's more like I prefer healing people over hurting them."

 

Tuara nodded, "A policy I wish was more popular on this island. All we've really got is people that hurt each other and push other people to hurt them back."

 

The Toa of Water sipped at her tea. "I know; that's why I do what I do. At the same time, though, I feel out of place on an adventure like this. I'm really nothing more than a liability if it comes down to fighting."

 

"Yet a very important asset. None of us could fix what you can fix."

 

"True, but only if I live long enough to fix anything. I still think it would be a good idea if I knew how to defend myself, at least."

 

Tuara leaned back into her chair, "At the very least you should have a weapon with you," she rubbed the back of her head again, "But if you're ever looking for a teacher, and Agni isn't available, I'd be glad to help."

 

"Thanks," Cael said, finishing off her tea. "That would be nice; I'd like to at least be able to keep all of you from worrying about me if something were to happen."

 

"Speaking of Agni, how long are we expecting him and Joske to take?"

 

"That's exactly what I've been thinking," Tuara stood up, walking purposefully to the window, "We should've gone with them."

 

Cael nodded. "You're right. We don't know where they are now, though- is there anything we can really do but stay here?"

 

"Not unless you're up for searching for them aimlessly," Tuara crossed her arms, "We should have had Joske be more specific about his plan," she uncrossed one arm to plant her face in her palm, "I'm not sure if I should be harder, or easier on Joske. Ever.”

[Emzee]

IC: Matoro -- Sanctum

 

To the outsider, the village on this day appeared the same as it would be any other day, with perhaps even less Matoran walking about. However, those who lived in Ko-Koro and knew the influence of Turaga Nuju could feel and sharp pain of sadness. Ko-Matoran were not known for being emotional, but that didn't mean that they lacked emotions.

 

In took but an hour for the Sanctum to be returned to its pristine shape in time for the funeral. The wounded and the dead were taken to nearby hospitals and morgues, and instead of debris and carcasses on the shiny floor, there were rows and rows of chairs that were being occupied by the icy villagers. In the center, in front of the fire pit, was the pearly-white casket, adorned with glistening jewels and diamonds. The casket was made out of a thick, gray stone, and was cut in the middle so that it could be opened. At this service, however, the casket remained closed. On the top half of the casket, an image of the Noble Matatu was carved into the stone. Standing in front and to the right side of the casket was Matoro, dressed in his finest and a look of bitterness in his eyes. On the left side of the casket was Madam Gaira, dressed with robes and regalia but also wearing a face of grief.

 

OOC: Funeral has started.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Inn, Ko-Koro)

 

A subtle facepalm; Tuara gently gripped her forehead, not yet wrinkled, not yet showing signs of age, but clearly exhausted and fraught with countless nights without sleep as Angelus watched, feet kicked up and balanced in the seat of what was once Joske's chair. An empty porcelain plate, a now barren ivory desert that once housed Angelus' waffle, as well as a quarter cup of Bula juice, sat in front of the Toa of Fire as the room descended into silence at Tuara's final lament. The Deputy was exhausted, that much was obvious. Rarely had Angel ever seen someone in such a severe state of mental stress, exhaustion. Tuara was burning out, but not in the way Angelus had once encouraged her to; she was doing so alone.

 

He had suffered for her. He had been partially flayed alive, had the skin at his chest ripped and then pulled apart, like wrapping paper on a gift, he'd been stabbed, beaten half to death, been put through intense psychological trauma, watched Tuara lose herself in the grip of a militant, psychotic alter-ego that had a habit of flaunting her body in more directions than you could fit on a compass. For the past four months, the Deputy had been at home, recovering, trying to get back to normal; even from here, farther away from her than ever before, Angel could see it wasn't working. A quiet, shaky sigh escaped Tuara's lungs and was restrained by her mouth, and Angel'd had enough; the jungle boy stood up slowly, pushed himself off the bed of chairs he'd made for himself with surprising poise, like that of a dancer, and slowly came at Tuara with a hug from behind, holding her by the abdomen and burrowing his head wearily into her neck.

 

"He's an athlete, Tuara. He's spent his life in the grip of privilege," he said; Cael, having never really heard the Toa of Fire's voice before, turned in surprise to listen. "It's all he knows."

 

-Tyler

Edited January 5, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Emzee]

IC: Niici – Niici’s Home – Ko-Koro

 

So there it was. Before Niici and this newcomer of Fire, Joske laid everything out on the table, describing each and every detail. There was so much that Niici merely assumed, so much that she didn’t know about this Kolhii star-turned-hardened traveler. While this obviously put all of Niici’s questions at rest, the classy Toa now had a new conflict, an inner one that arose with this new knowledge. One didn’t simply listen to a tale like that and have no emotional reaction, not even Niici could achieve that. The resulting feeling was that of inner turmoil – a crossroads that would affect Niici path of life.

 

It seemed simple on the surface: just go with Joske and his crew! You know everything that they do, and the recent events are piling much more pressure onto you than initially expected. You could put Gaira in charge, and throw all of this sycophantic Cultured Gentry stuff to the side.

 

However, it wasn’t that simple – it never was.

 

What about all the things Niici has done? The people she’s hurt? The people she’s had killed – all so that she could reach her goal.

 

Even in the face of emotion and logic, Niici couldn’t do it. And to confirm to herself that she couldn’t, she thought back to when this all began, when she first met Wokapu and she sat down and thought exactly about what she wanted.

 

She has no desire to be a hero, to lay her own life on the line in favor of the lower class. Her will… her destiny, was embedded in taking the Gentry and raising it up to new heights, and using her efforts and influences to be a goddess among men.

 

Her line of work remained with the Gentry, it remained with seeing this plan through.

 

“I know you got dragged into this unwittingly, but now you are involved, and I ask for your help in any way you can,” Joske said, “From what you explained to me you have a lot of wealth and influence, and that could be a great boon to us. You can't claim ignorance anymore, and no matter what happens from here on out you have a tie in this venture. I hope I am not placing my trust and faith in the wrong place.”

 

Joske was right. Niici was part of this whether she liked it or not. Still, if she worked this right, she could help this man and herself without disadvantaging either.

 

“My influence does not yet extend far past Ko-Wahi,” Niici said, now more or less completely thawed in the few hours Joske took to explain everything, “I suppose I can let you keep the Charm of Peace, and it appears that you now have the Charm of Willpower. All that is missing is the Charm of Destiny”

 

“Do you know where to find it?” asked Joske.

 

“It has already been found,” Niici said. She then smiled warmly, “Another member of the Cultured Gentry owns it. With some bargaining, I may be able to acquire it. Please excuse me”

 

Niici rose from the dinner table and turned to her butler.

 

“Please send a note to Madam Gaira to meet me here,” Niici said with a tone of seriousness, “She then looked back at the two Toa of Fire”

 

“The drifts are even more treacherous after nightfall,” Niici said, “Perhaps you should head back to your inn and stay the night. That should give me enough time to convince my friend to donate the charm”

Edited January 5, 2013 by Emzee

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Niici's House, Ko-Koro; late evening]

 

“My influence does not yet extend far past Ko-Wahi,” Niici said, in response to my plea, “I suppose I can let you keep the Charm of Peace, and it appears that you now have the Charm of Willpower. All that is missing is the Charm of Destiny.”

 

“Do you know where to find it?” I asked.

 

“It has already been found,” she replied, smiling rather warmly, “Another member of the Cultured Gentry owns it. With some bargaining, I may be able to acquire it. Please excuse me.” I watched as she rose from the dinner table, turning to her butler. "Please send a note to Madam Gaira to meet me here,” Niici said with a tone of seriousness before looking back at the two of us.

 

“The drifts are even more treacherous after nightfall,” she commented, “Perhaps you should head back to your inn and stay the night. That should give me enough time to convince my friend to donate the charm.”

 

I stood, my face relieved. I took her hand and drew it to my lips, kissing it gently. "Thank you Niici; you have no idea how much that means to me. I don't think there is any way we can properly repay you for your hospitality or kindness. It was a pleasure to have met you and outside of, um, him, I had a wonderful time. Perhaps if I live through this we can continue this conversation... if not cash in in on that rain check to the resort you promised."

 

The corners of my lips tugged at a smile as I bowed to her, Agni politely following suit. Without another word we departed, our cloaks warm and dry and an Ussal Taxi ready and waiting for us, courtesy of Niici.

 

To say the ride home was silent would be an overstatement. I was too exhausted to really say anything, and for some reason Agni kept quiet even though at this point I could read him well enough to know he really wanted to say something. At least the ride home uneventful.

 

By the time we got back to the inn it was late, and I was ready for bed. Hopefully Tuara, Angelus, and Cael had a more relaxing day than I did.

[Snelly]

IC: Darien - Wokapu’s Mansion, Ko-Koro -

 

Darien wasn't sure what was happening. They had been having tea one minute, and the next an armed squadron from the Sanctum Guard comes storming in and announcing that they were suspects for the assassination of a Turaga. Did they mean the Turaga of Ko-koro?

 

Obviously, Darien was less than happy at being a suspect, especially when he knew full well that none of them had anything to do with an assassination of any sort. "What reason do you have to even suspect us, much less barge in here uninvited?" Darien demanded, one of his hands was resting reflexively on the hilt of his rapier, and he most certainly did not raise his hands in the air.

 

Darien wanted an explanation before he would do anything.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Snelly

[Emzee]

IC: Wokapu, Lekori, & Wokiya – Wokapu’s Mansion – Ko-Koro

 

Obviously, Darien was less than happy at being a suspect, especially when he knew full well that none of them had anything to do with an assassination of any sort. “What reason do you have to even suspect us, much less barge in here uninvited?” Darien demanded, one of his hands was resting reflexively on the hilt of his rapier, and he most certainly did not raise his hands in the air.

 

Darien was, of course, in the right, but when your village elder was murdered and you have no leads, you tend to get antsy upon learning about any suspicious activity.

 

“Oh please!” the sergeant jeered, “This mansion was abandoned for more than two months. Today, it’s occupied, and our Turaga is dead. I know a safehouse when I see it”

 

“Where’s the brute?!” another Sanctum Guard demanded. More guards had showed up this time, two of them carryings bonds that would hold Toa. All of the Ko-Matoran in the living room had their disks ready to throw, and there were enough to seriously injured Wokapu and Darien if they fought back.

 

“What brute?!” Wokapu exclaimed, hands still in the air, “You don’t understand, this is my house! I was seriously hurt on a trip outside of this village, and it took me two months to recover. I invited some of my friends here to kick back. We’re innocent!”

 

Wokapu still found his voice quivering, though he knew it was because of the very jarring news of Turaga Nuju’s assassination plot.

 

“Please, I swear to Mata Nui that weren’t involved in any plot against Nuju,” Wokapu said, exasperated, “Is he alright?”

 

“Turaga Nuju is dead,” one of the guardsmen said with contempt.

 

If Wokapu wasn’t so afraid to move, he would have fell over. He admired Turaga Nuju deeply. He wasn’t particularly abrasive, and he respected people’s privacy and solitude. While he wasn’t the most social Turaga around, you always had the feeling that he cared deeply about you and wanted to see all of his citizens succeed and find Peace.

 

Wokapu tried to fight it, but ultimately couldn’t prevent a lone tear from falling down his left cheek. He was hoping he could have allied with the Turaga to bring down the Gentry, but with him gone, surely the power-hungry Gentrymen would try and fill the vacuum left by Nuju.

 

“Words cannot say how sorry I am,” Wokapu said, his voice quivering, “Nuju was my Turaga as much as he was yours. I’m Wokapu, former leader of the Cultured Gentry, and I swear that I would never even think about harming Turaga Nuju. Everyone who is in this mansion is here because I invited them. You will not find the assassin here”

 

The guardsmen looked at each other quizzically. However, one of them looked up and down Wokapu and recognized him.

 

“He’ll telling the truth about being part of the Cultured Gentry,” the Ko-Matoran said to his peers.

 

“But is he telling the truth about not being involved in Nuju’s assassination?” the sergeant followed up.

 

“Wokapu would never do such a thing!” Wokiya exclaimed, tears also running down her face, “We all loved Turaga Nuju. If anything, we’ll help you find his killer!”

 

Woah, Wokiya, don’t go derailing us, now, Wokapu thought. They had to expose the Cultured Gentry. Going on a wild goose chase after the assassin first would not allow that to happen.

 

“Please, don’t bother taking as all back to headquarters,” Wokapu said, “Let’s all sit down here, and I will tell you everything. Does that sound good?”

 

The sergeant stood, disk still poised to hurl at Wokapu’s head, “… hmm… perhaps, we were… a bit… rash”

 

“If Turaga Nuju has truly been murdered by an unknown assassin, then I find trouble in blaming you,” Wokapu said, “What has happened is simply… inexcusable. If I were still here… I can’t help but think that Nuju would still be alive. I’m so sorry, little ones. I should have stuck more firmly to my duty”

 

“I tried to warn you, but you were pretty stubborn,” Wokiya mumbled. Fortunately, no one could make out what she had said.

 

“We’ll need to run your alibi and get confirmations,” the sergeant said, “We can’t get you go until then”

 

The sergeant turned and said something to a subordinate. After saluting, he quickly dashed out the door, back to the Sanctum Guard HQ.

 

Meanwhile, Wokapu turned to a very frazzled and tense Darien.

 

“Don’t worry, Darien. They’re just covering their bases – they’ll let us go soon. I can’t believe Nuju’s dead though,” Wokapu whispered to his newest friend. He wondered how close the Toa was to Onewa, or to any of the Turaga. The Toa of Air's heart still ached, and he fought to hold back the tears he wanted to shed for whom he considered to be a silent but always supportive and caring father.

[Eyru]

OOC An absolutely fantastic jam between Tuck, Snipe, and myself. Enjoy!

 

 

IC

 

The door creaked open, drawing the attention of the three seated Toa from what had to be their fiftieth game of cards. The day hadn't exactly been exciting: aside from conversation and idle games, the three Toa had essentially been waiting for Joske and Agni to return.

 

At seeing the two Toa of Fire stumble through the door, all three Toa got to their feet. Both Joske and Agni were obviously exhausted, though Cael's concerned eye couldn't find a trace of injury on either of them, with the exception of a thin cut on the side of Joske's face.

 

“About time you two showed up,” she said, sounding relieved. The same relief was echoed on the other two Toa's faces; had any of them been one hundred percent sure that they would see their companions again? Everyone knew of what had befallen Joske in Ko-Wahi the last time... and it wouldn't be a stretch, knowing their quest, to see the same thing happening again.

 

“Did you turn anything up?”

 

What to say?

 

Had a date with a rich girl?

 

Went galloping around the Wastes?

 

Found two of the three charms, third on its way?

 

Didn't get the Crystal of Peace?

 

Got the Crystal of Creation instead?

 

Met... Heuani?

 

All wrapped up in a three-hour recap of my life?

 

Made an ally in the process?

 

I felt a burning sensation on my left cheek, and instinctively my hand went to cover it. This was the first time all day I had felt the wound; somewhere between the adrenaline and the cold I hadn't noticed it. Now though as I pull my hand away I could feel it bleeding again, a dark liquid covering my fingertips. What he said was true: that blade as infinitely sharp, no jagged edge to assist the natural healing process. The pain, while minimal, was annoying, and it served as a reminder of my brush with the Shadows.

 

"Heuani." I finally said.

 

Tuara lowered her face a little, "The shadow Toa?"

 

Joske nodded, Tuara and Angelus shared a look. They had encountered him at the Mark Bearer temple. They last they had seen of him was Dorian following the handsome demon into the trees.

 

"The one and only." was my somber reply.

 

The healer's brow furrowed. "Then how... how are you still here?"

 

The implication was obvious. If this was the same Heuani, the one whose name caused the whole island to cringe in fear, whose simple presence was enough to turn the tide of any battle, the Toa with seemingly unlimited power; if this was the same Toa Joske had seen in his vision, and he had confronted Joske in the wastes, then how had the Toa of Fire escaped?

 

"Because... "

 

I paused, suddenly at a loss for words. I knew exactly why; why then was it so difficult for me to answer?

 

Maybe because the explanation wasn't as easy as it sounded?

 

"Simple answer: he wanted me alive."

 

Tuara didn't really know what to say. Heuani left him alive? What was that supposed to mean? Had the Shadow Toa developed some sort of rivalry complex? She supposed it didn't matter.

 

The important thing wasn't that Heuani wanted him left alive, it was that he /was/ alive. Heauni could continue making terrible tactical decisions if he wanted. They were still in the game, and if choices like this were being made by Heuani, they still had a fighting chance.

 

Cael shook herself free of her questions -Joske needed healing, not an interrogation. She beckoned for the two Toa to sit down at their table, which they accepted gratefully, snow melting off their armour.

 

Reaching into her bag, the healer pulled out a pad of soft cotton, and, dampening it with water, began dabbing at Joske's cut, which was a cleaner slice than any she had ever seen.

 

“He did this to you?”

 

I winced as the cotton touched the cut; it should not hurt this much! Then again this /was/ Heuani we were talking about, so I kept still as she cleaned the wound. "I suppose I could answer all questions if I just told the story... "

 

So for the second time that day I talked, but this time it was significantly shorter, starting at the point where I left the inn to meet Niici, our day's adventures, and then my fateful meeting with Heuani. This time I was a little more reserved, but again I felt it wise not to hold anything back as I recounted our verbal and emotional duel to the letter.

 

"So now we have a free crystal... and I have sort of slight immunity to that mind-numbing effect he has on people, or so I think." I buried my mask in my hand. "He's so confident of the outcome he's helping me, traunting me to finish. And the way he treated Niici... " I paused, taking in a long breath. "Yet I was able to call him out, appeal and make a stab at his ego and pride, and I'm still here. With only a scratch. I wouldn't say I won, not by a long shot, but I didn't /lose/ either, and that's the important part. In fact, some part of me thinks we came out slightly ahead with this free crystal. Though that might just be my optimism speaking."

 

"No matter what gesture he's tried to make, you're closer to finishing your mission," Tuara looked to the others, bringing up another arm to accent her point, "Confidence can play a huge part in your downfall. Most of us are Toa of fire, we're familiar I'm sure."

 

"You mean overconfidence?" I quipped.

 

"It looks like he has reason to be confident, though," Cael said as she disposed of the bloodied cloth, still stuck on Joske's injury, as she was wont to do -she was a healer, after all. "You didn't even see him move."

 

"I didn't see him move because he was /holding/ me somehow." I said darkly, replying to Cael's comment. "It wasn't until after I managed to shake off his 'Charisma chains' that I was fully functional and able to meet him on somewhat-level terms. I'm faster than him, simply put, he just has five added abilities to every one I got-"

 

I stopped myself before I went any farther, catching myself in the act. THIS was exactly I was trying to avoid, what this whole shenanagin was about, why I was changing from the inside out. Old habits die hard. I buried my mask in my hand again.

 

"Sorry." I mumbled.

 

"The fact that you're alive right now should be enough to prove to you that you don't need additional powers to beat him. Not when he's making decisions like this," she crossed her arms again, shifting her weight to a different foot, causing her to stand with more attitude than she might intend, "Twist it how you want, but we're ahead, and more importantly, you're still breathing."

 

"Tuara's right," Cael said. "I'm sorry- I shouldn't have been so pessimistic; I just don't want to lose anyone to this Toa.”

 

The waiter set down a pair of hot drinks in front of Agni and Joske; steam rose gently from the cups, filling the shivering Toa's nostrils with an enticing aroma.

 

“Our best bet, then, I suppose, is to move as quickly as possible.” She looked around at the group. “I know I'm not a tactician, but if Heuani already knows where we are, then it's only a matter of time before someone else finds out, too.”

 

As much as I appreciated Tuara's point of view, I somehow didn't see this as a purely tactical battle. It's hard to be tactical when your opponent is holding all the cards and knows by heart the few you have.

 

Still, she had a point. And Cael had one too, one that had been on my mind for a while.

 

I took a moment to enjoy the hot beverage, something of a necessity in these parts. It was sweet and tangy, with a hint of cinnamon. What exactly it was I didn't know, but I enjoyed it immensely. "That may be true, but there is nothing we can do until morning. The third Charm is on it's way, courtesy of Niici, but not until tomorrow. I now also know the path to the temple, so by my best figures we can have our fourth crystal by noon at the latest and take the elevators to the subterranian road that will lead us to Onu-Koro; with any luck we can be there by late afternoon. I for one am tired and is in desperate need of sleep... maybe now after having met the guy I can shake off some of the ghosts that have been haunting me."

 

I was quiet for a moment. "Unless someone has another idea."

 

"That's all we can do," the Toa of Water replied after a moment of thought. "Unless we were to split up, I suppose, and half of us were to go to Onu-Koro, but I don't like the sound of that. I'd rather we stayed together, even if that holds us back a few hours."

 

"Neither do I. At the expense of speed we are sacrificing our Unity... something you most prominently showed us."

 

I smiled at Cael, knowing the power of numbers. She wasn't nearly as useless as she made herself out to be, giving more to the group than just free health care. Still, after meeting Huani for the first time, and the way he treated Niici...

 

"So, all in favor of hitting the sack?"

 

Tuara uncrossed her arms for a moment, "There isn't much else we can do besides get a good night's sleep."

 

It was already getting late; everyone else agreed that getting some rest was the thing to do; there wasn't much they could by planning any more than they already had. Heuani had introduced another element into their quest, but he was a variable, not a constant: there was only so much they could do to prepare for Joske's eventual confrontation with the dark Toa.

 

They knew it was coming. For Cael, that was the worst part: knowing that, one day soon, Joske would meet Heuani again, only this time it wouldn't end with a mere scratch on the cheek. It would end with one of them dead, beyond even her grasp.

 

The healer hoped and prayed that Joske would win when the time came, but a nagging doubt gnawed at her heart: what if he didn't?

 

The Toa of Water did her best to brush these thoughts away, but they persisted, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Heuani was an opponent beyond the likes of any they could have imagined. Now she knew the

 

It was possible, however hard she tried to ignore it, that some of them might not see the end of this quest.

 

As our party split up for the night, I moved quickly after Cael as she strode to her room. Reaching out, I touched her shoulder. "Hey, um, Cael, got a minute?"

 

The Toa of Water turned at Joske's touch, surprised -she had been busy with her own thoughts. "Um, yes. What do you need?"

 

I took a breath, suddenly able to speak. Glancing around I pulled her arm gently as we moved down the hallway, now in a much more private situation. Her gold eyes looked at me questioningly, and I felt momentarily stunned by her. "Cael, I... I need you to make me a promise."

 

The healer frowned, completely confused, but slowly nodded.

 

Looking right at her I placed my hands on her shoulders. Not heavily, nor strongly, but firm enough to show that I was serious about what I wanted to say next. As if my face wasn't showing it enough.

 

"Cael, the few brief minutes I spent with Heuani, well... to call him evil would be a disgrace to the word. The way he treats the opposite sex, the way he looks at your gender with an insationable hunger in his eyes... promise me that when the time comes, you won't go with us."

 

I looked deep into her eyes. "You are not a liability, no matter what anyone else says or whatever you may think. But when I go under Kini-Nui with the Company, when I go to fight him... promise me you will not follow. I can't force Agni or Tuara not to come, and when push comes to shove I am sure they can take care of themselves, but you have no combat experience... and I fear you would fall under his control, and what he would do to you."

 

I was staring at the floor. "I... I can't risk that. Risk you in that way. You're... too important. Promise me you won't."

 

There wasn't anything else she could do but agree. Despite Joske's affirmation that she was useful, Cael knew that, in a combat situation, she would be nothing but a hindrance. A pawn for the enemy to use against her friends. Even if she had wanted to choose differently..

 

Well, in a way, she did. She wanted to follow Joske and the Wanderer's Company to the Kini Nui; she wanted to see Makuta overthrown. She wanted to be there if someone was hurt; that was her purpose, wasn't it?

 

But the look of angry desperation in Joske's eyes as he described Heuani left her with no choice,

 

“I- I promise,” she said, then smiled softly, trying to add some levity to the conversation. “But you'll have to be extra careful then; we all know the only reason you're still here...”

 

She poked him in the heartlight. “...is because of me. So promise me you won't do something stupid when I'm not there to fix it, okay?”

 

I smiled with a sad face before drawing her close, hugging her. No, not a hug: an embrace. Not too long ago I had been a stuck-up egotistic prideful heartless soul, unable to know what it was like to feel friendship, let alone any other emotion save the will to win and be the best. Cael, out of everyone, had taught me the most about friendship, caring, and sacrifice, what it was like to have real relationships with other people.

And now I was publicly admitting (at least to her) that I had finally found out what it was like to be fond of someone. Someone special. Someone I deeply cared for.

"Deal. Thank you." I said quietly, speaking close to her ear. After a moment I released her, and after a longful smile I went back to my room.

Despite my harrowing adventure with the Toa of Shadows, I felt like I was going to sleep well tonight.

[Snelly]

IC: Darien - Wokapu’s Mansion, Ko-Koro

 

 

​Darien's expression of annoyance and angrier from the warranted intrusion soften quite a bit as he learned of the death of Turaga Nuju. He could understand why the Sanctum Guard was overly suspicious of them.

“Don’t worry, Darien. They’re just covering their bases – they’ll let us go soon. I can’t believe Nuju’s dead though,” Wokapu whispered to his newest friend. He wondered how close the Toa was to Onewa, or to any of the Turaga. The Toa of Air's heart still ached, and he fought to hold back the tears he wanted to shed for whom he considered to be a silent but always supportive and caring father.

Darien admittedly wasn't never that close to Turaga Onewa or any of the great elders of the koros, all the same he had great respect for them and hearing the death of one of them saddened him greatly. He could see how much these news pained Wokapu, not to mention Wokiya, who had tears streaming down her face. It reminded Darien of when he had learned that his father had been killed by the Makuta, and only because he dared to challenge the tyrant's rule. It must of been the same thing happening here, this was Makuta's doing, it had to be.

"I am sorry and very saddened to hear of Turaga Nuju's death...I know that words don't mean much, but believe me when I say it pains me greatly to hear it." Darien looked Wokapu in the eyes as he spoke, showing his serenity.

"As soon as we are let go...we should probably head to Ko-koro and pay our last respects." Darien had never met Turaga Nuju, he'd never even set foot in Ko-koro before, but all the same he though it would only be right to attend the funeral if they could.

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

 

After everything had been said, Agni chose not to partake in the discussion. Joske, Cael, Tuara and Angelus got up then and made their way to their respective rooms, while he stayed behind, seated in the fur-covered comfortable chair in front of the circular fireplace. He was still thinking about many of the days events while listening to the others. Besides the conclusions they had come to were exactly what he would have advised them to if they hadn't.With their enemies well in the loop, they needed to move fast. Besides, if this adventure had taught him anything, Agni knew that a bit of faith went a long way and it could overcome anything if need be. He vaguely recalled Toa Tahu saying something along those lines a few centuries ago during a pep-talk.

 

He also reminded himself that they were not the ones to save the Island. That destiny belonged to the Matoran gathering the essence stones. Even if Joske failed, they could complete their task if they retrieved the crystals. They would bring about the downfall of Makuta. Agni just hoped he would live long enough to see it. And that end, he and Joske still had work ahead of them. The biggest piece of which would be Heuani. From what his student had told him, it looked like the dark Toa was looking for a worthy adversary, one that would provide a challenge. Agni's hand absent-mindedly played with the end of his scarf hanging from his shoulders.

 

"We'll do more than just that. I can't wait to see the look on his face once he realized what he's up against."

 

"What?" as Rhanus. Agni looked up, drawn out of his thoughts. Looking around he realized the other patrons had all called it a night as well. His fireplace was the only one still lit, aside from the lightstones over the bar. The innkeeper was looking at him from behind the counter of it, using a towel to dry a few glasses.

 

"Nothing, Rhanus, just loudly thinking to myself." the Toa of fire replied.

 

"You're not heading to bed?" the Ko-Matoran asked then. "You look tired."

 

Agni slowly shook his head. "No, my old friend. After today I would prefer to spend the night here. Keep watch."

 

Rhanus shrugged. "Suit yourself then. I've had trouble sleeping for decades now. I'll keep you company. Speaking of which, expecting any, or why the sudden vigilance?"

 

"I am always vigilant, Rhanus. And no, not specifically expecting. But I am not about to take any chances."

 

Rhanus finished polishing the last glass and grabbed a bottle, a glass and a mug. He filled the latter with a steaming liquid from a tap on a metallic canister and brought all of it over to the tablet where Agni was sitting, Rhanus sitting down across from the Toa and sliding him the mug.

 

"What's that?" Agni asked. Rhanus smiled. "Something to keep you awake, my big friend. You'll need it if you want to stay awake all night."

 

Agni buried his nose in the mug and inhaled the aromatic smell. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he recognized it. "Coffee?" he asked. Rhanus nodded. "How did you get a hold of that up here, I thought...?"

 

"You thought that only the Le-Koronans had it since they're growing the beans?" the Matoran asked and chuckled. "You'd be surprised what one can do with a bit of clever investment."

 

"Since when are you into business like that?"

 

"Well, I kind of had to learn it by doing it." the old Matoran sighed. "I sold a big part of this inn to Ambages, the architect. Heard of him?"

 

"Once or twice. A bit eccentric, if I recall." Agni replied with a nod, sipping on the coffee and savoring the rich taste. Rhanus did have a knack for knowing just what his customers tastes required at any given time.

 

"Well, he offered to renovate the old place, make some changes. Really, a good offer, in exchange for almost half of the shares."

 

"Half?" Agni asked, a bit worried. Rhanus waved his concern away. "Don't worry. It's a little less than half, I am not going to get kicked out of my own business."

 

Agni nodded, a bit reliefed. They both shared a few more laughs until eventually, Rhanus called it a night as well. Agni remained however, sitting in front of the fireplace, a lone Toa in a dark room, keeping watch so that nothing of the evil lurking in the darkness outside would come in.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

OOC: Aitua at Nuju's funeral.

 

IC:

 

Rewera felt out of place. Which was not surprising, considering her presence and that of her brothers and Ravage were darkening the corner of the sanctum they stood in. The guards had led them here, to the Turaga's funeral service and they had quietly stepped inside and behind the gathered crowd of Ko-Koronans and those who had come to pay their respects. And while they would do the same, they had not come here just for that. They needed to speak to Matoro. And the fact that Nuju lay dead in a casket before them just underlined the urgency of their mission.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro)

 

Shhhhhh-WIN!

 

A long, mahogany stake, sharp to the touch and particularly lethal looking, stuck in between the tips of two decorative swords above the fireplace. Agni, ever the vigilant Guardsman, was on his feet and turned at a second's notice, only to see a bemused looking Angelus standing with his right arm raised, his ranged contraption fitted firmly around his forearm; a single hole on the top chamber made it clear who had fired.

 

"Uh...my bad," the tracker apologized, passing Agni and collecting the stake; he expertly twirled it around his palm a couple times, sliding it through his fingers, before catching it and loading it back in the launcher. It was a primitive thing, nowhere near as powerful as anything a Skakdi or Vortixx could wield, but it was a testament to where creativity on Mata Nui could get you if you had enough skill with jury-rigging together weaponry. Noticing Agni's stare, Angelus shrugged and chuckled lightly to himself, a grin on his face that seemed eerily at odds with the perception of the dark, quiet, introspective hunter-gatherer that the team, minus Tuara, had come to expect him to be.

 

It was Angelus at his realest, and real was the best way to describe him: something about him, when in a one-on-one conversation, seemed...startlingly genuine. Almost pure, in a sense.

 

"After the whole Mark Bearer thing went down, we had the Sanctum Guard ship us one of the journals that belonged to a Bearer who used to be under Guard employ," he explained. "Man was a mad scientist to the nth power, but he was still a scientist nonetheless: using his Guard clout, he'd managed to get his hands on a gauntlet carried by a Skakdi that shared this design. I spent about six weeks rigging up a prototype out of everyday materials, just simple stuff you could find in Le-Koro, y'know? Anyway, I've tried a variety of things to launch, but for some reason, the stakes work best; something about the loading and firing efficiency, plus the re-usability..."

 

The honorary Guardsman seemed to realize he was rambling all at once and coughed, looking away into the fire and sliding the gauntlet onto the coffee table in front of the fire. Agni sat where he'd been perched all night, on the couch; Angelus took a reading chair to the sofa's right. The room descended into a pensive silence; only the crackling coals of the fire pierced the silent chill Ko-Wahi had used as the foundation for its reputation as a land of peace.

 

-Tyler

Edited January 6, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Visaru]

IC- Alyo - Nuju's funeral

 

The rich businessman was once again dressed in his finest clothes, sitting silently near some other wealthy members of the Ko-Koro elite, most of them fellow members of the Cultured Gentry. His arms were crossed respectfully in his lap, and his head was bowed. Although he knew most of the men here cared nothing for the Turaga- in fact, they were probably excited his death had given them the opportunity to rise up and fill the new power vacuum- Alyo was deeply disturbed. He had seen the blood and gore splattered around the sanctum and there was still some damage; scratches and gouges in the icy floor and pillars, and holes and destroyed section of the Wall of Prophecy- areas of text that would now never be decoded. But it wasn't the damage to the sacred place that worried him, more the actual loss of the Koro's beloved Turaga.

 

Beyond all his selfish, corporate greed, Alyo was a citizen of the village. He had lived there for centuries, and had walked every aspect of life there- businessman, criminal, guard, exile, citizen. He knew the village- every illegal hideout, the tendencies of an undercover Ko-Koro guard, the expected code of etiquette at the most elite restaurant in town. He knew what the people thought and what the crooks and cops thought of them. He belonged here, even if he had lived most of his existence in the smoky fire village (that was so long ago... another life).

 

And every true citizen of Ko-Koro loved their Turaga, their shepherd, their guide. He was the voice of truth- he spoke of prophecy and gave the voice of wisdom. It seemed he could do nothing wrong. He was their leader, and even if lately the military leaders had become more important to the villages, the Turaga would always remain the man the citizens looked up to. Without Nuju, the world was a darker place. It was as if their lifeline to the way of righteousness had been severed. They were in the dark. There was nothing with which to guide the way. Lost, adrift the dark sea that had consumed the island.

 

Alyo took a breath. Right now, he was the most in tune with the people as he had ever been, mourning with them for the loss of their beloved shepherd.

[Friar Tuck]

OOC: moving right along...

 

IC

 

[Rhanus' inn, Ko-Koro; dawn]

 

I had slept as better than than expected.

 

I awoke a little before dawn, immediately awake and completely refreshed, despite going to bed at such a late hour. Usually I required more knock-out time, but today seemed different. No, more than different - I didn't have the anxiety that I had been carrying around for a while now. There was a calm about me, a fulfilled rest that I wasn't used to.

 

A profound peace is what I felt.

 

What event exactly triggered it I wasn't sure. Was it the fact that I was able and willing to tell my life story to a complete stranger, the good, bad, and even ugly parts of it without feeling shy? Was it the fact that after all these months I finally met in person the one who had been literally haunting my dreams, seen and talked to the one this whole quest was about? Able to look him in the eye and be able to walk away, none worse for wear, able to put that episode behind me? Or was it that now I knew Cael would be safe, safe from him when it all went down, knowing that the one who had managed to unlock my deeper emotions was out of the line of fire?

 

Or maybe it was a mixture of all three.

 

In any case, I was calm and content, my soul at peace despite the previous' day events. Whatever happened.

 

Stealthily I stole from my room, making sure my movements produced no noise as to wake the rest of the sleeping guests. As I exited the hallway and into the commons I slid to a stop, then breathed a sigh of relief. I had seen Agni and thought he had already woken, but now I could tell he was out, sitting rather relaxed in a chair by the fire. A slight snore almost made me jump, and it was only now did I notice an Angelus, sprawled out rather undignified on a padded bench along the wall, a strange contraption on his arm and s slight stream of drool pooling from his open lips. My gaze returned to a sleeping Angi, sitting his chair, ever vigilant. Ever watchful. Protecting.

 

I guess I still wasn't use to people caring about me on such a personal level.

 

Stealing to the bar I scanned the wooden countertop, quickly finding the object I sought: a small white package tied up in a pretty blue bow. Niici was as good as her word. Grabbing a cloak I silently exited the inn, a slight hissing of wind the only indication that I had gone.

 

In the cool pre-dawn air was vengeful, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky as a faint glow appeared on the horizon. Today was going to be a beautiful day. The only fly in the ointment was a sharp pang on my cheek as the cold air hit my face, my cut still hurting as much as it did when Heuani first sliced me, Cael's work surprisingly ineffective. Shrugging it off I opened the package, an off-white colored circle stone falling into my hands. The Charm of Destiny.

 

The world warped around me as my Kakama activated.

 

A second later I found myself at the gates of the Sanctum, my run turning into a jog as I slowed my pace. I half expected to be halted by the ever-vigilant Sanctum Guard, but Talvi and Pakastaa were not present. I registered this as odd, even downright unusual, but considering my timetable and my want for discretion I didn't think too much of it. It only took a moment to locate the secret passage, fairly clear directions provided via note by, once again, Niici. There was slight click as the section of wall gave way, revealing a secret passage to outside the Koro and into the Drifts. Once again activating my Kakama the world before my eyes blurred into a a smear of white, following a little-used path deep into the ice and snow of Ko-Wahi, the hazardous traveling conditions nothing against the abilities my mask provided.

 

This is why I often liked going solo.

 

I lurched to a stop, snow swirling around me as the wind I created caught up to my body. The gust blew much of the loose snow up and away from me, and as it settled I found myself exactly where I wanted to be: standing between four ancient matoran statues as the sky went from black to blue, to a purple and orange mix.

 

The Temple of Peace.

 

Walking up to the one with the most writing, I bent to a knee, reading the riddles aloud: "The Third Virtue, Inner Strength, Fate's Child."

 

I took a moment to meditate on them.

 

The Third Virtue was easy: Destiny. It practically gave the answer away, though it did not lessen the lesson. Inner Strength... Willpower. Yes, the strength of one's will, art of self-discipline and self-control. The ability to exert one's will over the wants and inhibitions of the body... to resist the charms and wiles of others. As for Fate's Child, that left Peace by process of elimination.

 

Huh? That... didn't make sense. Unless... of course.

 

Fate's Child. The fear of the unknown was a powerful and wide-spread, something everyone knew. To not know what was ahead, the anxiety of uncertainty... the future was something intrinsically scary to most, something that many tried but few can actually control. But if one knows his fate, or more importantly is willing to accept his fate, regardless of whatever it may be, there is no longer anything to fear. The acceptance of one's fate, to be at peace with the future... the offspring of the two..

 

Peace.

 

As I wiped away the snow, I could see ancient writing, the same type that had been on all the others I had encountered, a final reminder of the lesson required-

 

Only those at peace can enter here

 

Sliding in the charms I could here a grinding of machinery as I was rewarded with the door opening, the way in clear for me to proceed. As expected, the near-clear white gem was sitting on a dais, hovering majestically by an unseen force, ready and waiting for me to take it. As I did I noted the coolness of it to the touch, placing it in my pocket next to the others, my collection growing. As I stepped back outside I could see how quickly the morning light had spread over the glacier. It was a bright as daylight, but the sun had not yet broken the surface. I smiled at the timing of it all.

 

I would be back at the inn my daybreak.

 

Indeed, a mere thirty seconds later I grasped the handle of the inn door, letting myself in as I heard the roar of a small fire and smelt the tantalizing aroma warm breakfast nearly done. Hanging up my cloak I took a blanket and a seat, seeing Rhanus' quizzical look. I smiled at him as if I knew something he didn't.

 

"Oh, don't mind me, just had an errand to run this morning. Is breakfast ready?"

 

I would already be done eating by the time everyone else woke up. Today had started off to an excellent start.

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

 

Hanging up his cloak, Joske took a blanket and a seat, seeing Rhanus' quizzical look. He smiled at him as if he knew something the Matoran didn't.

 

"Oh, don't mind me, just had an errand to run this morning. Is breakfast ready?"

 

That was when he realized the quizzical look was aimed behind himself. Joske felt something sharply poking him in the back between the shoulder-blades. His heard whirled around and his eyes looked into the glow of embers that was Agni's stare. Joske gulped and Agni kept up the stern look for a while longer, before the corner of his mouth twichted up into the slightest smile.

 

"You got it?" he asked, his voice quiet enough to not wake Angelus. Joske just nodded. "Don't look so surprised. Sleeping men know more than you might think. I knew what you were up to as soon as I heard the door. Good job on the sneaking, by the way."

 

He moved around the table, sitting down across from his student, as Rhanus started serving eggs, bacon, toasted slices of bread, fresh juice and a can of hot tea. Agni filled his and Joske's cup with it, then his expression hardened a little. "I also know you like moving around quickly, but after yesterday I would appreciate it if you at least told us or left a message if you decided to run off alone."

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Rhanus' inn, Ko-Koro; dawn]

 

I wasn't sure if that "good job" was legit or sarcasm.

 

Sometimes with Agni his subtlety could not be deciphered.

 

Hungry and craving energy I down the juice first in one swig before moving on the hot food and tea. I wasn't a slop about it, but I did speak between mouthfuls. "I know Agni, I know, but I was gone for what, five minutes? Seven tops? What is the point of writing a note if I'm going to be back before the ink is fully dry?"

 

"Because what if you were gone longer than planned?"

 

I opened my mouth to speak, but I closed it just as quickly. I was ready and wanted to object, argue the point, but he was right... as usual. I needed to stop wandering off by myself, but I just couldn't help it. I felt I was faster and could get more done often times if I worked alone, and it was force of habit; I had always flown solo. Outside of a Kohlii field I was not used to working with people. I was still perfecting this art.

 

"Sorry." I said, apologizing yet again, a slight sigh escaping my lips. Just a week ago you would have to of tortured me to get an apology to escape my lips, and now I was doing it on a daily, actually more like multiple times a day. Before this quest when I worked with Agni I was too brash to notice my shortcomings, but now they flew in my face every day around him. I was hard to keep a conversation going a person that you felt you couldn't do anything right around.

 

I ate my food silence.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro)

 

Sniff. Sniff sniff.

 

Bacon.

 

One eye, startlingly blue, opened up and whizzed around like a compass surrounded by magnets, followed by its compatriot. Muscles tensed; the edges of the reading chair were clutched like a lifesaver, whipped around a churning sea. A lithe Toa of Fire with the body of an athlete - albeit one that hadn't exactly grown up in anything resembling civilization - pounced forward. Picture parkour: picture the moment where the free runner seems to freeze in midair in the middle of a leap, for the world to see, before he lands the jump and feels that brief rush of adrenaline.

 

That was Angel: the Guardsman leap frogged over the back of one of the empty chairs at Joske and Agni's table and stuck the land cleanly, leaning back in his seat and hooking a finger underneath the edge of the table to prevent from falling. Rhanus, slightly amused looking, laid out breakfast for Angelus as well, and the Toa of Fire settled down in his seat again and took a piece of toast eagerly. The other two Toa of Fire had not yet become accustomed to the idea that Tuara's boyfriend was really an extrovert incognito; Joske watched him warily as he ate, and amusement glimmered in Agni's eyes as the jungle-bred Ta-Toa happily inhaled his toast before looking up, as if noticing the others for the first time.

 

"What?" he asked, a grin slowly sliding onto his face as though it had been waiting in the wings inside an oil tanker; it appeared that, at last, Tuara was succeeding in getting Angel to come out of his shell.

 

-Tyler

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro; dawn]

 

Yes, Angelus was coming out of his shell; the normally quiet and rarely-seen-and-less-spoken Toa of Fire over the last two days was definitely getting more involved. While in some ways that was a relief, knowing that this guy wasn't excess baggage, I did feel a little... how to say it?

 

Challenged?

 

Angelus and myself were roughly the same age; couldn't have been more than a decade apart. We were both Ta-Toa, we both had similar builds, were devilishly handsome, eye-catchingly athletic, and knew how to move in very fluid and articulate ways... that move was eerily similar to my own parkour that I used in Ta-Koro when I broke into the Vaults.

 

And therefore he had an appetite as large as mine. Made sense, but until now I thought I could put the most away the fastest; after watching Angelus destroy the toast, the juice, the entire plate before him - I blinked, and I saw him licking his plate clean.

 

I shouldn't of blinked.

 

He set down his plate, looking for something else to eat. It was then that he noticed a single slice of bacon left on the main plate in the center of the table. A primal hunger in his eyes he reached for it-

 

Clank!

 

My fork effectively pinned that slice of meat to the plate, his fingers wrapped around it. He looked at me in surprise, for some reason not expecting my reaction time. He stared at me, and then to my empty plate, then back at my hard face.

 

"Mine." I said slowly.

 

My own stomach growled slightly to punctuate the point.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Friar Tuck

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro)

 

Behind Angelus, embers crackled. The fire, low and lean, looked up from its own breakfast of logs and kindling to watch the showdown between titans. If there were tumbleweeds and bad Western music in Ko-Wahi, boy howdy, would they be going.

 

The jungle-bred Toa of Fire's eyes met those of the stadium-bred, and his fingers reflexively tightened around the bacon ever so slightly. Agni watched on, astounded, as neither Joske nor Angelus flinched away from the single slab of meat, grease, and masculinity in manifest that was caught in the grip of the two young Toa. Heat, sparks like those from a match when it's first scratched against a surface, flickered through the air like ghosts of fireflies.

 

"Hah. Good one, Joske. Be a dear and move the fork so I can chow down on my bacon?"

 

In the jungle, them be fightin' words.

 

-Tyler

Edited January 6, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC: Lathon (Ko-Wahi)

 

Lathon trudged through the thick snow. On his way here he'd used his air powers to dry himself off after being soaked in Le-Wahi from the rain. Now he had such an air-bubble around him to deflect the falling snow as he continued on towards mount Ihu. Lathon hated the cold, that was apparent. "Can't we move out base somewhere warmer?" he smirked.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro; dawn]

 

It was that tense moment when two teams face each other. The ball placed between the two sides, the gong not yet struck. It was here that the warriors sized up their opponents, deciding who was the biggest threat, the fasted runner, the best shot. Who would play defense, who would cover whom, who would take the ball to the other side. The fire reminded me of the stadium lights: bright, warm, in the distance, bathing the field of play with their hot, illuminating light.

 

This is the point where the entire stadium would hold it's collective breath as the two sides stared each other down, saying a few words of challenge before the game would commence.

 

Where in the battle of wills the men would be separated from the boys.

 

The winner from the losers.

 

The greats from the not-so-greats.

 

Where, often times, in these few opening moments, a game would be won or lost.

 

And I had no plans on losing.

 

"Oh, Angelus, your bacon? I could have sworn I saw my name written all over it."

 

Taking my free hand I grabbed the edge of the plate, yanking it across the table, the sound of porcelain sliding against wood, forcing his body to be stretched awkwardly up and over table as he kept a stubborn hold on that bacon. I leaned in close, our faces almost touching. You could cut the masculinity and machoism with a knife.

 

"If you want it, you'll have to take it from me. Game on."

 

In the sporting world, those were fighting words.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Friar Tuck

[Palm]

IC: Tuara - Ko-Koro - Rhanus' InnTuara looked on after stopping at the foot of the stairs, sharing a concerned look with Agni, she placed her thumbs in her belt, holding onto the front with a sort of relaxed mock confidence, walking over to the table, looking at Joske and Angelus. They glanced at her, but quickly returned to their stare down, "Isn't this just a nice little stand-off," She gave a little smirk before flipping out one of her swords, swinging it down onto the table, Angelus and Joske's heads pulled away as to avoid the blade. In a flash, Tuara brought her blade back up again. The other fire Toa at the table's eyes flashed for a moment before turning back to her.On the plate, there were now two tiny chunks of bacon, one stuck in the end of a fork, the other dangling from Angelus' finger. The majority of the meat was now impaled on Tuara's blade. She reached up to it with careful fingers, pulling it from the sword. The Toa of fire sort of tossed the bacon into her mouth."Sheriff's in town."Her smile widened after she finished with the bacon, looking at the duelists with amusement.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Wahi)

 

...

 

"But we were about to flaunt our masculinity for that bacon."

 

-Tyler

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro; dawn]

 

I stared at my fork, a mixture of anger and longing at Tuara for interrupting our little chest-thumping exercise. She didn't have to do that... that was unsportsman-like, interrupting a match halfway through the match.

 

She had taken the game Steal the Bacon to a whole new level.

 

And by the look on Angelus' face, he felt the same way.

 

I leaned across the table, speaking out of the corner of my mouth. "Two of us, one of her. I go high, you go low? I think we can take her."

Edited January 6, 2013 by Friar Tuck

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC: Angelus (Rhanus' Inn, Ko-Koro)

 

A subtle pluck of the piece of bacon hanging from his finger, the greasy meat beelining straight into Angelus' mouth. A slow, pensive chewing. A swallow, then:

 

"Not the first time I'll have swept her off her feet."

 

Tuara was looking at the two Toa back and forth, able to get the general gist of what was going on but unable to hear the nitty gritty of the details. Then:

 

"Engage."

 

Joske and Angelus, numbering two Toa in body but acting as one in terms of a mental gameplan, as the best athletes often do, sprung forward to take Tuara down; as the athlete went high, Angelus ducked down low and charged, as if he were merely trying to subdue a Brakas trying to break into his treehouse, and went to take out the Toa of Fire's legs.

 

-Tyler

Edited January 6, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Vezok's Friend]

IC:

 

Agni had leaned back during the standoff, cup of tea in hand a bemused smile on his face. On the one hand, this was just ridculous...on the other hand, after so many days and the standoff Joske had with Heuani the previous day, letting off some steam felt good and the veteran couldn't help but have a little fun himself. He looked at Rhanus, winked and motioned with his finger for the Matoran to come closer, before pointing at the empty plate in front of him.

 

Rhanus got a knowing smile on his face and got to work. A few seconds later he returned from the kitchen, a freshly fried pile of bacon on the plate, which he sat down in front of Agni who, with the mischievous grin of a child about to steal the cookie-jar, helped himself to as much of it as he liked. He was just waiting for the other three fire-Toa to notice.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Vezok's Friend