Lielac

...I'm actually somewhat surprised that nobody has mentioned the Toa Inika's organic masks.[snip!]...Imagine it pulsing. On your face. Moving. On your face.>.<

...Thank you ever so much for that mental image, it's like Krana only ostensibly not completely horrifying. And doesn't mind-control you.While I'm on the topic of mind-control and completely horrifying things, infected masks and krana. Being forced to obey someone else's will like that, and I think still be aware enough to know what your body is doing to your friends, your villagers, your home, and yet be helpless to stop yourself... -cough- No, I don't want to give Lewa a hug, not at all, why would you think that?

Nnnnnope.TPBM thinks heart is an awesome power.

Out comes a melted together lump of protosteel and a furious-looking cloud of antidermis.In goes that lump of protosteel...

Just about the opposite of rejecting them, but let's not get into that kind of discussion here.TPBM would jump at the chance to be a Toa if it was offered to them.

I think a case could be made now for Velika being the GB. Why? Think of the two victims; both of them might have been able to figure out who Velika really was. Tren Krom goes without saying, and Karzahni worked extensively on repairing Velika (albeit poorly). Maybe those two knew his secret, and so they're gone now?

-cough- You mean murderer, right? Because he is the GB. (You've definitely got good points there. Why would he want to destroy all powerful beings, though? After all, the murderer is planning to blow up the fortress when the crazy GB and a whole bunch of important people...)

Low level annoyance, but that's only a little more irritated than status quo.TPBM likes the Bohrok(-Kal) Online Animations.

I don't know if the story team had these plans back when they were naming the characters, but I can tell you that quite a few Matoran (specifically in the MNOG II) seemed to be named after real-life words related to their Koros. Take Zemya (an Onu-Matoran whose name literally means "earth") and Kamen (Po-Matoran, and his name is the Slavic equivalent of Peter; both originate from words meaning "stone").

Nixie's named after a water spirit. Pelagia is a species of jellyfish, Agni a Hindu god of fire, Aodhan is Irish for "fire", Boreas is a god of the North Wind, "Kivi" is an Estonian and Finnish surname for stone... I could go down the list on BS01 and tell you which names mean things relevant to their element but that'd take a while so I won't, but my point is that it happens and also it's pretty cool. (Pelagia. Jellyfish. 'S all you need to know.)Personally, I think Velika was the GB all along and was named with that in mind.

Tiribomba

Matoro doesn't manage to overwhelm Teridax's will. There's a huge battle in which most of the Kingdom is destroyed before Teridax is finally defeated.The Ignika landing on Bara Magna.

Not yet, thank you for reminding me!TPBM prefers tea over coffee.

Correct.TPBM is wondering why I said "correct" instead of "yes" or "no"

Out comes Teridax. You fool! You've resurrected him!In goes a Kolhii ball that missed Teridax's head...

Kopaka and Pohatu, of course, because if you don't like their banter you have no soal. Takua and Jaller, because Takua's allergic to work and Jaller [acronym=Platonically, I know the relationship canon. ]loves[/acronym] him anyway. Hahli and Jaller because... okay I don't know she put a flower in his mask once and I have loved those two together since. Macku and Kotu as kickbutt Hands of Nokama... I could probably list a few more. Ooh! Lewa and Onua, of coooooourse, how did I forget that one.... Matau and that Kikanalo that licked him. No, okay I'm joking. Ish.

I think they can look like anything so long as they're the right size. One head, a torso with arms that bend in the middle and at the wrist and have hands with five(?) fingers on each, and legs with a knee joint and an ankle joint with a foot on the end... That leaves a loooot of leeway. Skinny! Stout! A bit taller than usual, a bit shorter than usual, with spikes all over, streamlined like a fighter jet...

Unfortunately, this Toa is destined to be one of the Toa Mangai.

So, back on topic... Saying that Takua's mask was not locked into one color implies that it wasn't painted, yet it would remain colored if not worn. I wonder if the Pakari was painted, but not painted blue?I'm thinking that what's going on is two different ways to change colors. First, the basic armor changing option, and second, a fusion of that and the slight elemental power Av-Matoran have.If the first wasn't painted, then perhaps an unpainted mask can be permanently changed by the Av-Matoran color power plus the elemental power, as that is unique to them and not shared by Toa of other elements for example.But the Metruans would have no reason to give him a mask that wasn't painted as that was their standard procedure, so the Pakari was painted some other color. This prevents the double-up power. But just the color changing subconscious power does still operate, so donning it makes it turn blue. Perhaps it quite surprised people at the time.So there's one theory. Thunks?

It sounds entirely reasonable and intriguingly canon-compliant and now I have an urge to write yet another short story. It's not like I don't already have three WIPs open, do I really need to write this particular snippet of possible canon too? (The biomechanical plot bunnies chewing on my ankles say yes.)Would that basic armor changing option be available to all Kanohi-wearing beings, or only those with a minimum amount of elemental energy available for their use?Permanently changed? So, 'painted' in a way, just with the Av-Matoran power instead of actual paint? Interesting. This possibility could lend credence to Katuko's postulation that Av-Matoran color changing works like an on-off switch, though that still doesn't seem likely because what I know of it, like needing to be trained to use it by reflex, implies it requires thought on some level at all times.That does seem more likely. Takua is always different and so the mask becomes a rare Ta-Matoran color to signify that, and everyone is surprised but eventually chalks it up to "Takua is weird and different and strange, what else is new?"

Hmmmm! I've got the Akaku in my avatar but that's just because I equate wearing glasses with wearing an Akaku... hmm. Probably a Volitak or a Kadin. Being stealthy would be convenient, and flying sounds soooo cooooooooool! I'll go with "If I had a Suva" and pick my top six.Akaku would be my primary mask because I equate Akaku and glasses, and also being able to see through things is cool.Kadin would be my awesome mask of goofing around and travelling.Volitak would be for sneaking up on people and spooking them.Kaukau because I might loooove Lightning as a power, but I'd adore being able to say underwater for longer than what my puny lungs alone can handle.Matatu, because strange as it may seem not all problems can be solved with an application of zap to foe. (Some need an application of foe to ground.)And, finally...A Ruru! Scared of the dark? Me? Never, except for the part where never means always. I'll never have to worry about not knowing what's around me ever agaaaaain!Top top, though? Kadin. Forever.

On the "elemental power gives the masks their color" thing: the Toa Nuva had gray masks when they didn't have their elemental powers, so there's another data point for... stuff.

Depends on why you're asking. If this is for a Memoirs contest entry I would have to say no just to play it safe. For fan fiction, sure. Canonically, I have no idea.

Hah. Just a fanfic, sir, not trying to sneak my personal version of the Toa Mangai into canon! (Heyyyy, while you're here... for, say, a memoir written by Lhikan, if the submitter wanted to mention his teammates that aren't Nidhiki, Naho, or Tuyet, they'd have to do it in vaaaague, vaaaaaague terms, right? So. No giving any of them names or slipping in speculation as to the unknown Toa's elements or anything like that.)

The question is if an Av-Matoran's latent elemental powers would allow them to color their masks naturally, without paint or their specific color-shifting ability.

I'd say that would fall under their ability to change the color of their armor, so... yeah. ^_^While we're off the rails and heading for color-in-general land: Kopeke was blue-white-blue before being rebuilt, but gray-white-gray after. His mask being gray I can chalk up to it being painted that way because new mask, but what about his armor? Did they have to use all the blue pieces on Matoro? XD

X-Ray Vision

Zemya

Yes, that was a special paint added later for decoration, that wasn't as durable.

Aha. Right then, Bionicle makes sense again and my worldview is back to stability.Do you think it reasonable that the Archives would have an entry on what little they know about Av-Matoran and a lot of things the archivists can't confirm because of lack of primary sources (read: actual Av-Matoran to ask about, say, their various abilities), but put in anyway because they archive everything even the urban legends?

Xia

It turns them all into piranha with laser eyes instead. 2007 is much more ridiculous but without the ability to wear the Ignika Matoro can't resurrect Mata Nui. Oops!Takua landing on Ta-Wahi beach after summoning the Toa Mata.

Out comes the EP entity.In go an Akaku and an icicle...

(You do realize the Kualsi only works if you can actually see the destination from the spot you're at, right? )Oh dear. I use my Akaku to see through everything in the way and find you, then run over, zap you again but more thoroughly this time, and run off with the mask again! Bwahaha!