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IC: Fear sucked. Meant to keep you alive, teach you when to exercise caution. Remind you not to rush in where Light would fear to shine. Fear- natural fear- was just a stimuli, the feeling that made you fight or flee when danger reared its head. Fear could be controlled, fear could be managed, and when you understood it you could make fear work for you. Only the stupid were truly fearless. Fear didn't rip into Skri's mind. Terror did. In an instant the darkness was closing in on her like a thing alive, threatening to smother her under its weight. It tried to crush her, just like the last time- and this time, it roared deep her in her chest, it would finish the job. Once lucky, little Toa, it snarled. Not twice. She couldn't breathe. Her muscles trembled, so suddenly and so violently that she bit her tongue when she tried to grit her teeth. Her blade felt so much heavier in her hands, the mottled and shifting patterns on the Rahkshi's carapace seemed to form laughing, monstrous faces that whispered to her that this place would be her tomb. It took every ounce of her strength, of her experience, of her resolve not to flee. Even then, that was it. She couldn't advance. She couldn't spit defiance, couldn't find within her any more strength than to keep her trembling blade between herself and her enemy. The Rahkshi was right- she couldn't possibly see the plasma coming this way, not with all the foresight in the world. It caught her left shoulder, or maybe a little further in; it was just pain, white hot and searing at the forefront of her brain blocking out all other thought. She gasped, she was dully aware of that, and spat out the bit of blood her tongue had leaked into her mouth. It hit the floor in front of her, bright in the residual glow of the plasma that had passed through her to strike the far stone wall. Her left arm was largely limp, unresponsive to command. But her blade wasn't trembling anymore. "Nui, I should've stayed in bed today." The Irregular's voice was tight, almost hoarse, but there was no more fear in it. Rather, fear no longer ruled it- pain had leveled that field. The needle had moved to fight, and there was no pushing it back to neutral. Colorful spots played across her vision, between the plasma and whatever the Karz the light weapon the LT'd just pulled out was, but it was focused again. Rage bubbled under the surface, fear pushed too far over the brink into fury, but her mind worked smoothly. Quickly. Detached, just a bit too much, from the woes of her body. "Kay, then." Despite how clever the setup, the overgrown bug had missed its best chance to get her in one shot. Plasma was so hot that wherever it hit her was already cauterized, and she wasn't dead yet; that meant she wasn't gonna die in the next minute, either. Small miracles. A vine shot out of the hole in her jacket, coiled itself tightly around her left arm and shot into the dark beyond to wrap around the hilt of her Acurahk staff; when it yanked back, pulling the staff back to her hand, it was almost natural. Only the way the vine lashed around her hand and the body of the staff betrayed the illusion. She took a measured few steps back, pivoting slightly to keep as many of the threats in view as she could and ignoring the ragged hitch to her breath when she 'moved' her arm. She could still 'see' the floor with her pollen, and with a quick bounce of her Pakari-enhanced wrist she choked up on the hilt of her sword for better control despite her single hand. "Come on, you ugly bug." She sneered at what, despite its camouflage, she knew to be a Turahk. The tip of her staff beckoned mockingly. "C'mere. Takes a real coward to need a sucker punch like that." @Light OOC: Some additional pieces forthcoming, after I check on a few things. To be edited in to this post if no response has come before then.

IC, Aurax: Po-Koro It was morning when Aurax and his friends finally reached Po-Koro. They had walked all the previous day and camped out in the desert when it got dark. But now, Aurax was home. A smile grew on his face as they neared the entrance to the village. As they got closer, though, his smile faded to bewilderment. "...huh," was all he could manage to utter after stepping through the gate. The village of Stone had vastly changed since Aurax had last been there. He could hardly recognize it. He couldn't recognize it at all, in fact. There were unfamiliar buildings everywhere, people were running around, there were strange... contraptions, moving on rails, and the crowds would part for them. The Dashi could spy a large wall further ahead. He knew, based on how different Ga-Koro was, he shouldn't have been surprised at how much his home village had changed. And yet, he still was. "I'll, uh, try to get us to my old house," he said as he began to lead the others through the throngs of people. Some of them gave him odd glances. "I mean, if it's still there..." OOC: @Harvali @ARROW404 @Mel @Lady Takanuva @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @BBBBalta @Umbraline Yumiwa @Rahisaurus after months of inactivity I have moved us (finally) to P-Koro.

With any luck, it might be easier to sort that out soon. Things have been a little quiet for a while. On that point, real life has took precedence for me for a bit. I'll be working on getting caught up throughout the week. There are posts I already know for sure are on my list, but if there's something I'm forgetting as the days go on then let me know!

Does anyone else remember this show? I have been binging it recently (it's free on YouTube) and remembering how much I loved it as a kid.

Well being Catholic I guess you can say I believe in the supernatural. I myself recall being visited by my grandmother in a dream and the next day my mother said she could have sworn she heard foot steps during the night and thought someone had come into the house. Make of that what you will.

I’ll admit, I don’t have a lot of personal experience with autism, so I can’t speak to your experiences. I’ve struggled with other mental health issues of my own, so I try not to judge people for that sort of thing. From what we’ve seen here, it seems quite clear that you’re struggling with impulsive/obsessive behaviour and other self-control issues. And I agree that intent can easily be misconstrued on the internet. But with all of that said, it’s very hard to take you at your word when you’ve been nothing but disingenuous and deceptive since you got here. By your own admission, you used an AI to write your apology for you. You gave conflicting accounts of the situation you were apologising for, and misrepresented the facts to make yourself seem the victim (despite the person you were harassing having ample evidence to the contrary). You basically tried to trick this site into taking your side in an argument we knew nothing about. And on top of all of that, all of us have now seen you publicly promise multiple times that you would stop your behaviour, only for you to go back on your word within just a few hours. As harsh as it sounds, it would probably be in everyone’s best interests for you to unplug for a while, and avoid the temptation to engage with the internet until you're better able to control yourself. It sounds like you understand that you need help. I implore you to seek it.

Took someone braver than me to say it. "Remember me," for what? Showing up, making a bunch of weird cryptic posts about private drama none of us understand, and dipping? I mean I will remember it but just as a bizarre couple of days on an otherwise quiet Bionicle forum.

IC: Selamat - Iron Canyon The young Glatorian nodded, a bead of sweat shaking loose from his jawline and vanishing into the bone-dry sands of the canyon floor, sating them not one whit. The spear with which he upset the sand before them had shifted from one arm to the other and back again as they traveled. It was important to make sure one arm was not tired out before the time had come to use the weapon for its intended purpose. He did not spare a glance back at his companions, but his thoughts were upon them even as his eyes scanned the canyon walls ahead for the places where they had yielded to the elements; where wind and grinding sand had carved out places beyond sun's reach, where darkness covered all and the air cooled your sweat-slick body until you were ready to venture out into the slowly baking desert once more. He felt a mix of emotions towards the leader of their expedition, Vulcanus' Second Glatorian, who walked several paces behind him. On one hand was suspicion; Tueris had concealed details from them about the plague they were to be investigating. On the other hand was the knowledge that, aside from the events which had seen him disgraced and demoted, the Glatorian had never failed Vulcanus before. Selamat had never known the man before today, but he'd felt as if he did, Tueris was such a fixture in the village. He did not believe that the older Glatorian would lead them into certain death-- even if that was exactly what Tueris seemed to think he was doing. The others in their party he had never seen nor heard of prior to this venture. He was uneasy about having the two Agori with them, especially if they were wandering into a Bone Hunter trap. Still, one of them was a medic, and their talents would prove vital if one of the fellowship was to be injured. Or, indeed, if there was truly a plaguestruck village waiting for them at the end of the canyon. His mind vacillated on which possible outcome to this trip would prove true, and on which would be preferable. Though he had never fought another being outside of nonlethal arena combat, he knew at heart that he was a formidable opponent, and had no doubt in his ability to strike down whatever foes fate placed before him. But a plague? That was something that could not be slain with sword or spear, nor warded off with a shield. He would prove fairly useless if they were forced to treat the ill. Any member of the party could fall ill themselves, were they not careful around the sick. Then what? They could not simply be brought back to Vulcanus, where they might spread the plague to another village entire. If they could not be healed, would they be forced to die in the desert, for the sake of the others? What if Selamat could not return to his home, could not become its greatest warrior, its protector? What if protecting Vulcanus came to mean staying away from it, dying for it? His brow furrowed at the thought, and in that moment, his eyes lit upon a particularly deep shadow that rested in a recess of canyon wall. "There," he spoke, voice hoarse from some hours of disuse, as his free hand lifted from his side to point out the cave to the others. "Let us ensure that it is not already occupied, and then we may rest there until the sun has passed overhead." OOC: @a goose @Nato G @oncertainty @Toru Nui @~Xemnas~ IC: Skrall - Bone Hunter Fortress Skrall did not look at his companions as he weighed in on their debate. His eyes were busy surveying their surroundings, watching for any sign of foul play; reminding the deserters that they were not trusted. "These people are common bandits. They weigh gain and loss on a scale. We bring little more than our gear, and the goods we have offered them, and we shall leave with nothing more than our gear and the goods they offer us in return. If they were to do anything, they would do it here, where they are strongest. But they will not. They would lose a dozen men or more, and our future business as well. As long as they have the weak Southerners to prey upon, and as long as they know that we are strong, they dare not to bite the hand that feeds them." OOC: @a goose @BULiK @Nato G @oncertainty @Toru Nui @Vezok's Friend

I don’t think BZP will ever be significantly more active at this point. Tis a tiny community and a prime place for contented lurkers, longtime lasting members and few new active friends who occasionally hop in. It also probably will not be a place of popularity for anybody, given its forum format instead of follower-focus like social media. It’s why it so appeals to me and my happy-hermit-unhealthy levels of real world reclusivity. Anyway, hope you find enjoyment about the site and welcome aboard!

Retiring Premier Membership BZPower has had the Premier Membership program for a long time, providing a way for people to help support the site financially while receiving some perks in return. Over the years, with changes to the forum software and the decrease in activity on the site, the allure of those perks has understandably been reduced, making the program much less appealing than it was in the past. Invision, the company that makes BZPower's forum software, announced that in their next major update they will be removing the store aspect of the forums, which is how Premier Memberships are managed. Keeping everything above in mind, this seems like the right time to cease the Premier Membership program. Of course, anyone who purchased a Lifetime membership will retain that title and the remaining perks, but memberships will no longer be for sale as of February 29th, 2024. The forum software does have new ways of doing subscriptions and accepting donations, so we may look into doing a new program in the future. If we do, it will be something that fits with the current activity level of the site and capabilities of the software. We appreciate everyone who has donated to support BZPower over the years! Every little bit has been helpful in keeping us running, and we thank you all!

It's very hard to have a consistent discussion when you keep shifting the goalposts like this. You've asked people for their opinions, and instead of actually responding to people's comments you keep offering up these hypothetical situations to force the outcome you want and ask if that would change people's feelings on the topic. At this point I can't help but feel that you're unable or unwilling to take no for an answer (especially since I saw you post the exact same question to Reddit a few days ago and delete it after only four comments when no one would take your side wholesale). There's a vast gulf of difference between Endgame and what you're talking about. As emotionally-devastating as the ending of Infinity War was for some viewers, we as audiences knew the deaths weren't going to stick. It was obvious to anyone with a modicum of genre-savvyness that Thanos' victory would be undone somehow in the follow-up film. There was never a question over if all of those characters would come back, only how the surviving Avengers would manage to do it. The return of those characters was a baked-in expectation of the story, due to the nature of their deaths and the natural course of the narrative. That's simply not the case with Matoro. The whole point of a sacrifice is to give something up. Matoro's death was meant to be a moment of selflessness and acceptance to show the cost of heroism. The fact that he still didn't believe he was a hero even in his final moment is meant to feel tragic and unfair. His loss was meant to hurt. It was meant to leave a hole in his team. It was meant to leave a mark in our memories as readers. Bringing him back for no reason would take all of that away. That's not to say resurrecting Matoro couldn't work, somehow, but I personally can't think of a way to execute that without cheapening or ruining his past story.

That was a pretty good article. That source does make it clear how easy it is to get resurrection wrong and make it feel cheap and unearned. In particular, I think it is much easier to write an original story (and have more ability to establish the reader's expectations) that involves resurrection than it is to write fanfiction of an established lore that unnaturally resurrects characters who are just particularly popular. I don't feel as though you are really engaging with what we are saying here. Why would you revive all these characters? In what way would the stories be better? Having Black Widow, Iron Man, Matoro and the others die allows us to see how the other characters react to their deaths. Since people die in the real world, this is something the average viewer is interested in seeing fictional characters react to. People (usually) don't come back from the dead in the real world, so it's not as interesting to see fictional characters react to resurrections. I really can't imagine Matoro coming back in a way that does not cheapen his death in 2007.

no. the point of a fictional death is for it to have meaning that's why jaller's 'death' felt so useless

@Light be like